Who doesn't want to be a protagonist to their own anime-like story? Anime RPGs give you that chance.
Anime RPGs and/or JRPGs have been on everyone’s watchlist for decades, more so now due to the quarantine. People have been digging up old titles and are on a constant lookout on steam for possible rereleases of old games with a PC patch or new titles. There’s just something about the unique battle systems, game mechanics, character building, anime-like graphics and a lot of other features that make Anime RPGs/JRPGs so much more engaging and enchanting than a regular RPG.
Looking for a great Anime RPG to play right now? You’ve come to the right list; we’ll be going through some of the best Anime RPGs that you should try out.
15. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Trailer
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an action role-playing game that follows the adventure of the anime Dragon Ball Z. In the game you get to control Goku and the rest of the Z fighters as they fight their way through the numerous story arcs of the anime, starting off with the Saiyan Saga and capping it off with the Majin Buu Saga. If you download the expansion pack: Goku’s Super Saiyan God along with Beerus and Whis from Dragon Ball Super are made available. In the second expansion pack, Super Saiyan Blue and Golden Frieza are also made available.
If you loved DBZ as a kid, then getting to play as Goku and his team is the ultimate dream. It’s watching the anime all over again only this time you get to experience it as Goku himself. Even if previous Dragon Ball titles pretty much follow the same story flow, the additions to this game does keep things interesting. Players will get to enjoy short intermissions between sagas where they can spend time exploring and preparing for the next big story mission, and stuff like cooking and hunting have also been included. If you’re a big fan of lore—the game provides additional info regarding the animal and alien type earthlings you see in the story as well as more information on Saiyans. So, if you want information that the anime or manga failed to fill you in, then finding out all those small details through the game is a fun hunt that any enthusiast can enjoy.
14. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragments
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragments Trailer
In the game you get to play the main protagonist of the hit anime series: Sword Art Online, Kirito. It takes place in the same storyline as the actual anime but drifts to its own course midway of the first story arc of the anime, creating an alternate reality to the series. While in the anime the arc ends at the 75th floor of the Aincrad, in Hollow Fragments the player must continue all the way up to the 100th floor.
When you think about the word “anime” and “RPG” or “MMO” then there’s no doubt that the title: Sword Art Online will come to mind. The anime about gaming is now an actual game that you can enjoy on your PC. If you’ve enjoyed the show and want to explore the world of Sword Art Online yourself then this is a pretty good starter pack for the Sword Art Online game series. If you’ve never gotten into the anime, then the game does a pretty good job filling you in on what the first season of the anime is about.
13. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy Trailer
The story takes place three years after the events of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. Ryza is the only member of her party who decided to remain in Kurken Island after their grand adventure. One day she receives a notice from her friend about ruins surrounding the royal capital that are rumored to be related to alchemy and other sorts of unknown powers. The new information about alchemy prompts Ryza to leave Kurken Island and venture to Ashra-am Baird, the royal capital. This is Ryza’s new adventure with some old friends and new ones.
The Atelier series has always been a go-to JRPG series beginning in the PlayStation 2, most of us probably started with the Iris Arc which was the experimental stages of the series. Now we move on to the latest arcs of the saga called “The Secret Arc” beginning with Ryza. If you haven’t played the first installment of the game, you better start off with that one as this one is a direct sequel of that game, and a lot of the characters already have history with our protagonist in the story.
Story wise, the first installment seems to be more of warmup as compared to its sequel. Exploration is definitely a lot broader but overall, the mechanics remains almost the same with its predecessors. But of course, we all came to this game to synthesize some items! And that is still the very core of the game.
12. Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition Trailer
A bundle of both Cyber Sleuth stories: Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth- Hacker’s Memory. The second game is not considered a sequel, rather it should be treated as a midquel—a story that happens about the same time the first title takes place. In Cyber Sleuth you play a character whose gender is your choice. In the story you lose your body and turn part-digital. Other than raising Digimon your goal is also to return to your physical-human form. In Hacker’s Memory the player takes control of Keisuke Amasawa, who gets his EDEN account stolen and gets falsely accused—the player then has to build a team of Digimon while trying to solve the mystery of his identity theft.
If you’re a Digimon fan but missed these games while they were Sony exclusive titles, now’s your chance to grab both, as the bundle edition offers you both of the games either for the PC or Nintendo Switch. What I like about this bundle is that both games can be played without prior knowledge of the other and can be played in any order. While it looks similar to a Pokemon RPG- I can guarantee you it feels a whole lot different (not saying Pokémon is bad). If anything, both games in the bundle feel more like a Persona or Shin Megami Tensei title, even the music. If you love Digimon and a good RPG then this should be the game for you.
11. Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden Trailer
You get to play as the high school transfer student, Yu Narukami (you can change his name) who has just moved to the rural town of Inaba. Before your big move, the town has been experiencing unexplainable murders, where bodies have been found dangling from television antennas once a mysterious fog disappears. Coincidentally, there has been another popular rumor about watching a tv during a rainy midnight to find your soulmate. Yu and a couple of his newfound friends try out the “Midnight Channel” rumor which eventually leads up to the events of them discovering the TV World, Teddie, their abilities and the truth behind the weird murders and the fog that plague Inaba.
A classic Persona title has now graced the PC. A lot of people have been hyped up with the release of Persona 5 since all the previous Persona titles are not really needed or relevant to the story, but I highly recommend anyone to try out Persona 4 Golden, before or even after playing P5. Personally, I preferred how the dungeons are designed in P4G as they are related to each of your party members “true selves” and the concept of beating your own inner demon and accepting it to achieve stronger abilities adds a lot of beef to the story. Even Yu, who had no problems getting his persona, had to eventually fight himself at one point of the story. A definite must-play for any Shin Megami Tensei fan.
10. Attack on Titan 2
Attack on Titan 2 Trailer
The game’s story follows the first two seasons of the anime Attack on Titan, and if you download the expansion the 3rd season of the anime is also added to the story mode. The player is to create his/her own character who will go join the Scout Regiment along with the main cast of the anime. As compared to both the manga and the anime which are told in a third person point of view, the player experiences the story for himself/herself.
In real life, the fictional world of Attack on Titan is probably the last place I want to be in, but as a playable character in a game—sign me up so I can try out the Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear! Unlike the first game which makes use of the original cast as playable characters, in Attack on Titan 2 we, the players, are finally able to see the events of the story take place as actual participants. The awesome part of this version is that Hajime Isayama himself also took part in directing the games scenarios so you can bet we’ll be in good hands for a great story.
9. Tales of Berseria
Tales of Berseria Trailer
Prior to the story, Velvet along with her brother Laphicet were saved by Artorious and decided to live alongside him. Unknown to them Artorious had plans on using the both of them for a ritual called the Advent. After Laphicet is sacrificed, Artorious attempts to use Velvet causing only her right arm to get possessed. n rage she slaughters the other surrounding daemons. She is then thrown into prison. Three years later, she is freed by the malak Seres. Seres tells Velvet about Artorious whereabouts and his relation to the Abbey. And so, begins Velvet’s journey.
The prequel of Tales of Zestria (which ironically released earlier), and accordingly a much better game by all means. Kind of ironic how it’s sequel seems to be considered one of the worst Tales game released by Namco but Tales of Berseria seems to be up in the ranks with leading titles such as Tales of the Abyss, Vesperia and Symphonia, which are fan favorites and have received great reviews. Not saying that Zestria was difficult, rather the game itself was complicated and too grindy as compared to Berseria. The great thing about this game is that despite not playing or having plans to play Zestria you can still enjoy this title as a stand-alone—it’s also less confusing this way.
8. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Trailer
The game is set 2 years before the events of Ys Seven, meaning Altago and the Romun Empire are still at war. The players get to play and uncover Adol’s adventure that is written in his diary. In the archipelagos of the Gaete Sea, Adol along with Dogi are passengers aboard a ship called “The Lombardia” which is headed to the continent of Eresia. Both him and Dogi were recruited as crew in exchange for free boarding. The ship's captain told Adol about a curse where ships have mysteriously vanished once they pass the parameters of the Isle of Seiren. A little bit later during a feast the ship was sunk due to an attack of a giant creature, Luckily, Adol managed to drift ashore the Isle of Siren, and now he ventures the area in hopes to find the other survivors of The Lombardia.
While most RPGs require you to travel to distant unfamiliar lands across kingdoms, or sometimes even between different worlds, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana limits you to explore just the Isle of Siren—but don’t let this discourage you, the area leaves a lot to uncover and the adventure is nothing short of excitement. What’s different from the game is that one of our priorities aside from mere exploration is actually defending Castaway Village and keeping the people happy in order to unlock pieces of the story.
7. Trails of Mana
Trails of Mana Trailer
With the world at brink end, the Goddess of Mana drew forth the Sword of Mana to smite the eight Benevodons, the monsters of destruction. She sealed the monsters inside eight Mana Stones, restoring the world. However, at her weakened state the goddess changed herself into a tree and fell into a deep sleep. As the years pass, the forces of darkness slowly awaken and threaten to jeopardize the future of Mana. As the player you are called to the mission to defeat the Benevodons and save the Mana Tree. Players are made to choose 3 out of 6 characters, one main character, and two secondary characters to be members of your party.
A great 3D remake, Trails of Mana for the PC is actually a 3D remake of the game of the same name that was released way back in 1995. It seems developers have listened to feedback of their last remake Secret of Mana which left a number of fans dissatisfied with the remake as it was too similar to its source material. While the graphics aren’t really something to rave about, the Trials of Mana remake did include a lot of new features and controls making things easier for a lot of players to get things done. Dungeon crawling has also felt new, despite it being a classic title. If you’re after a good old classic story but with a system that will not bore or test your patients then this remake is in my recommendation list.
6. Disgaea 5 Complete
Disgaea 5 Complete Trailer
Countless Netherworlds exist in the pitch-black Galaxy. For each existing Netherworld, a being called an “Overlord” reigns over all the demons existing in that area and maintains the balance. There is no battle between other netherworlds since each keeps to their own problems. That all changes when Demon Emperor Void Dark and his army, the Lost, decide to overtake the neighboring Netherworlds by forcing them to surrender. The player gets to control a lesser, unknown demon named Killia who swore to take revenge on the Demon Emperor and his army. Unexpectedly, he saves Princess Overlord Seraphina who also has a goal to overthrow Void Dark. Killia gets accepted by the Princess as a capable servant and now they begin their journey to defeat Void Dark.
Don’t let the dark premise fool you—Disgaea has always been one of the more humorous RPGs to hit any platform despite it being centered on demons. As far as the story goes there’s no need for prior knowledge of the previous titles in the series, but having experience in the older games will allow you to see through some easter eggs as well as get used to the battle system and grind much easier than newer players. For new players, I suggest to just sit through the grind—it definitely is worth it, experiment with what you can do with the wide array of characters and classes, this is what makes the Disgaea franchise fun despite the grind.
5. Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5 Strikers Trailer
Strike back with the Phantom Thieves! Four months after the events of Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal, Joker and Morgana are back and ready to take time off along with his Phantom Thieves members. What was meant as a relaxing fun summer vacation for the members turned out to be a new heist for the Thieves. Shadows are once again causing trouble and the Phantom Thieves must now reestablish themselves and free hearts from “Jails”.
The much-awaited sequel of the hit game Persona 5. I have to admit it was a bit strange with the new battle system being hack-and-slash as compared to our usual turn-based battle system that persona fans are used to. But times are changing and it’s not the first time the Persona series has thrown weird battle systems our way (Persona Dance anyone?). The game is fast paced as compared to its prequel considering the adventure is now limited to just a single summer vacation and all the members are already a part of the party. Still, the game is satisfying to go through especially to those who aren’t ready to say goodbye to P5 just yet.
4. Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition
Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition Trailer
Is the fifteenth installment of the main Final Fantasy series. The story takes place in an earth-like world called Eos. The world is dominated by the empire of Niflhem who seek control of a magical Crystal protected by the Lucian royal family. On the day Noctis, heir to the Lucian throne, was supposed to wed Lunafreya, he and his friends received news that Niflheim attacked, the crystal was lost, King Regis was assassinated and Noctis and Lunafreya were declared dead. Now Noctis will have to gather enough power and allies to uncover the truth and reclaim both the crystal and the throne.
If you’re old to RPG then Final Fantasy is probably a common title you’ll come across and probably have played during your time as a gamer. It’s nice to know such an old running game series grow with the time and constantly level-up in terms of graphics and battle system while still keeping key-points of what makes a Final Fantasy game a Final Fantasy game.
3. Nier: Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition
Nier: Automata Game of the YoRHa Edition Trailer
Humanity is now at the hands of strange mechanical monsters from a different world. As a final effort to retake the earth, humans have developed a force of android soldiers to face off the invaders. The player will be able to play as the androids 2B, 9S and A2, each character has their own perspective of the story unfolding before them.
Playthrough after playthrough and Nier: Automata still manages to keep a lot of players at the edge of their seats. This is because after finishing the initial game there’s still a lot of things left to be done-- which you can do on your second or third run of the game. This is because the game has various sub chapters told in different perspectives and multiple endings you can unlock depending on the conditions you achieve. If you want to explore and dig deep into every nook and cranny of a dystopian world setting, then Nier: Automata is bound to keep you busy.
2. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Trailer
The game is set hundreds of years after the events of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, in a kingdom called Ding Dong Dell. Aside from the starting kingdom, there are three other realms in the story that are ruled by kings who have a special bond with an all-powerful being called the Kingmaker. While Evan was preparing himself to ascend the throne, Roland from another world witnesses a missile exploding over a city. He vanishes and reappears in front of Evan with his youth regained just as the last king’s advisor, Mausinger stages a coup. The two managed to escape the kingdom with Evan promising to establish a new kingdom where his countrymen can live happy and free.
A perfect game if you want to have your very own Ghibli-like adventure. This was my first thought when I first saw the trailers of the Ni no Kuni game series featuring the well-loved art style being used. While the first game was directly involved with the studio, the sequel does not—however, a lot of the staff who created this masterpiece have been in the credits of great Ghibli films and have put countless hours to create another great fantasy story for us players to experience for ourselves as the young- inexperienced king Evan. As you play him, you will see how much he has grown and trust his companions in his story. All his experience contributed to him being a great king.
1. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Trailer
In this Dragon Quest game, the player gets to play the silent protagonist who is a Luminary. He participates in the village’s coming-of-age ceremony only to discover that he is a reincarnation of a hero that has once saved the world. Now he and some allies he had come across are tasked to journey Erdrea and set out on a mission to save their land.
If you’re in the mood for some classic JRPG then Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age takes everything from a good old RPG into one game—including giving players the option to switch to 2D mode, which makes it look like a totally brand new game—or old game. If you’ve already played the version before this then there really isn’t any need to play this one, but for those who have yet to play Echoes of an Elusive Age, buy this version instead. This version has added character story arcs giving your party-members a little more depth.
You may also be interested in:
- 10 RPG Games You Must Play Before You Die
- Top 11 Games Like Final Fantasy XV for PC (Games Better Than FFXV In Their Own Way)
- Top 10 New RPG Games (2018-2019)
