As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that these three games have left an indelible mark on my gaming journey. Each one offers a unique approach to grinding, a mechanic that, love it or hate it, is often integral to the progression in RPGs.
JRPGs are a beloved part of gaming history, but over the years, the gameplay loop of exploration, random battle, boss battle, has worn a bit thin. The reason? Grinding. Repeating the same fights over and over.
Over time, gamers lost interest in JRPG games, causing some fans to gradually step away from the genre. However, like all trends, this one eventually revived. In the last four years, JRPGs have made a significant comeback, attracting attention once more. It’s now fashionable again to grind in these games.
As a devoted RPG enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for those rare gems where leveling up feels like an exciting adventure rather than a chore. Here are ten JRPGs that manage to make grinding a genuinely enjoyable experience!
10 Final Fantasy VIII
A New Way To Grind
In the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy VIII has sparked much debate among fans due to several factors. However, one aspect where it excels is the level of grinding.
See, enemies level to you in this game, meaning you can’t just artificially power up.
So, why bother grinding then? The reason is mainly the Junction System. Once you acquire the skill to draw magic, you can extract it from nearly every opponent within the game.
From foe to foe, the strategies required can vary significantly, and it’s always a surprise which fresh ability you might find yourself accumulating.
As a gamer, I can tell you that this feature allows me to infuse specific stats with magical energies, transforming my attacks into fiery ones, inducing blindness or silencing opponents, and even unleashing a variety of other enchantments.
Grinding is also great here because of your GF abilities. After each battle, you can see the progress being made with whatever ability you’re trying to unlock, so rather than just seeing an EXP bar fill, you get to see actual abilities getting closer to being unlocked.
9 Chrono Cross
So Much to Find
Among the games in the Chrono series, Chrono Cross tends to receive less acclaim, yet it remains an excellent title, particularly in terms of its combat system, which surpasses that of its counterpart.
Grinding is a joy in this game because it’s fully optional.
Having visibility over your opponents during gameplay allows you to progress at your comfortable speed, and there are various incentives for this approach.
In your adventure, you’ll have opportunities to gather fresh resources for crafting weapons and armors, uncover novel elements useful in combat, and stumble upon new summoning techniques.
Additionally, you’ll find it beneficial to develop and expand your diverse team of characters. It’s essential to maintain a balanced roster since various battles may necessitate characters with specific elemental distributions to be included in your party.
Using the battle system is not only enjoyable but also strategically rewarding. It operates based on percentage probabilities for each attack, which means mastering the art of seamlessly transitioning from light attacks into heavy ones and discerning when to take risks versus opting for safe hits becomes a crucial skill to master as well.
8 Xenogears
Fight Your Own Way
In contrast to the widespread acclaim it receives, particularly for its captivating narrative and well-developed characters, it is often overlooked that Xenogears’ combat system isn’t as celebrated. To clarify this point, I aim to shed light on its combat mechanics.
Xenogears has one of the most interactive combat systems in JRPG history.
Enjoying grinding comes from the fact that, at the beginning of the game, there’s virtually no limit to the creative combinations you can perform, as your creativity often sets the boundaries.
As you input new combos, you will learn the ones you need to perform deathblows.
This implies that being more inventive opens up the possibility for you to master a greater number of techniques, leading to an exceptionally satisfying experience during the learning or practice process.
While it’s true that the frequent encounters of random fights may become slightly monotonous, they are undeniably beneficial due to the substantial rewards they offer in terms of enhancing your combat skills.
Nowadays, you can easily find and master all the fatal blows right from the beginning, but when the game first came out, enjoying the process of grinding to uncover them added a lot of fun.
7 The Legend of Dragoon
DIY Combat
Dragon Legend” was often overlooked during its time, but a significant factor contributing to this was its exceptional combat system.
Engaging combat systems are undoubtedly attractive, and the game “Legend of Dragoon” truly shines in this aspect.
It’s all based on the addition system, which involves careful timing to execute a full combo.
As you engage in combat, new elements are gradually revealed. This suggests that battling serves a meaningful function, not just for achieving random level-ups.
Each character has a handful to unlock, and each combo’s timing is wildly different.
This matter is significant due to the challenging nature of the boss fights in this game. Regardless of whether you aim to uncover additional features, you’ll likely find it beneficial to perfect your timing for these encounters. Any mistakes could result in substantial harm that goes unused.
6 Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Why Don’t You Get A Job?
In the series, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 stands out as a fantastic addition and showcases what could be the finest battle system. This aspect benefits the game significantly as it’s packed with intense action and teeming with numerous adversaries.
If the combat wasn’t good, this would make the game’s grind a chore. Luckily, that’s not the case.
The combat system revolves around the job system, and the more you play, the more jobs you unlock.
One enjoyable aspect of combat involves trying out various characters and observing how well they adapt to diverse roles.
As you frequently employ specific attack styles, you move nearer to making those attacks available as skills for other character classes.
Should you truly commit to mastering these techniques, the variety of combinations at your disposal will be quite impressive, without a doubt.
Additionally, the game features numerous playable characters that can be unlocked, each belonging to a unique class. This ensures there’s always a fresh reason to engage in combat, even against weaker opponents within the game.
5 Tales of Arise
Adding to the Arsenal
In simpler terms, playing Tales of Arise can be quite challenging, as there are numerous adversaries to encounter. If you aren’t cautious enough, even the simplest foes could deal significant damage to your team or deplete your supplies.
The combat is fantastic here, though, and you are thoroughly rewarded for the grind. You will discover items after just about every fight, and that’s a big feature, as this game tends to eat away your item supply like few I’ve played.
In the heat of battle, you’ll gradually reveal unique abilities known as Artes for each character. Each of these skills requires a meter to be filled before they can be used, and every character has distinct ones at their disposal. So, if you aim to excel, you must learn to make the most of what you’ve got!
The fighting experience is incredibly immersive, featuring numerous attack options, sequences of moves to execute, and powerful special abilities to deploy.
If you share my inclination, you’ll find yourself patiently enduring simple skirmishes, all in pursuit of unveiling fresh attack techniques. Tinkering with various Artes combo sequences becomes a captivating cycle on its own.
4 Final Fantasy 10
That Sphere Grid is a Drug
In the realm of Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs), Final Fantasy 10 enjoys a special status, and it showcases some of the finest all-round gameplay that the whole series has to offer.
What truly shines, however, is its combat system. It’s quick, tactical, and highly diverse, offering a unique experience for each player as characters can vary significantly based on your path through the Sphere Grid.
In this game, you can gain access to various skills as you progress, and surprisingly, the playfield is incredibly vast.
Finding out the next ability you can unlock is a pull that you don’t find a lot in JRPGs. It’s a system so successful that Square Enix emulated it again with Final Fantasy 12, and we can’t blame them.
Every figure possesses a unique skill set. Some talents might seem ordinary, but others could drastically alter how you employ these characters, making your decisions incredibly diverse and numerous.
Of course, the way you unlock them is by gaining experience in combat. The combat system is a ton of fun to engage in here and is among the series’ best, and the monster designs here are second to none.
In this game, though not entirely open-ended, you’ll find yourself navigating numerous distinct locations, each housing its own set of foes to conquer. The difficulty level remains manageable, ensuring that progression isn’t overly taxing, yet the sense of achievement is truly fulfilling.
3 Unicorn Overlord
Grow Your Army
In 2024, some might argue that “Unicorn Overlord” is the top-notch JRPG, but opinions vary. Despite deviating from traditional JRPG methods, it maintains engaging elements such as optional combat, art reminiscent of anime, and the chance to level up, making it a strong contender for the title.
In this game, you usually grind on the expansive open-world map, yet there are additional opportunities for larger, optional skirmishes scattered throughout your gaming experience too.
Here, every struggle rewards significantly, since following each fight, you’ll receive diverse types of currency. The primary currency is particularly valuable as it enables you to expand your team by gaining extra positions within it, or even summoning an entirely new squad altogether.
In this situation, the size of your military force is significantly crucial, not just for its numerical strength, but also as a valuable exercise in fine-tuning your battle strategy.
Additionally, you’ll find numerous useful items, enhance your character’s abilities by leveling them up, and ultimately, the benefits from grinding in this area are quite significant.
It’s equally enjoyable experimenting with the various combinations of your units to discover powerful combinations.
2 Legend of Legaia
Rewarding Your Creativity
Legend of Legaia is an overlooked gem of the PS1 era, and its combat is some of the best around.
In this setup, a separate button was designated for each limb, allowing users to execute combinations like simultaneous right and left punches as well as right and left kicks.
The struggle in those days was significant, with frequent unexpected fights being commonplace. However, this environment offered a unique opportunity to finesse and explore the intricacies of the battle system.
The more creative you are with your inputs here, the more Arts you’ll unlock.
In simpler terms, since there’s no other method to unravel these attacks, the more you engage in combat, the greater chances you have to discover new moves to employ.
It’s too bad that it didn’t receive more recognition because its combat system is arguably the finest among all JRPGs.
1 Lost Odyssey
Work Towards Your Goals
In simpler terms, Lost Odyssey was a Final Fantasy game that should have been released back in the 2000s, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite make it to our screens during that era.
Despite its tendency to follow familiar JRPG themes such as random encounters in battle, the game’s engaging combat kept players captivated, making it a beloved choice among many.
Here, the rate at which encounters occur is undeniably very high, making grinding an essential part of the experience. Yet, despite this necessity, I must say it’s enjoyable to engage in the process. The most appealing aspect of the grind lies in the abilities you can acquire by utilizing the characters available.
In this setup, your immortal characters can acquire skills from ordinary beings, which they gain as a result of their encounter in battles, indicated by a progress meter.
Some of these skills could be magical attacks, power-ups, or numerous useful tools. However, they can only be obtained through persistent practice (grinding).
While some encounters can be repetitive, you at least get to sharpen yourself with each battle.
In this situation, it’s crucial to master the timing of your attacks. Battling weaker adversaries could assist you in perfecting your rhythm for confronting the more formidable foes ahead.
The allure of unlocking more and more new abilities is palpable, though. It keeps you engaged and running around in circles just for the chance to push closer to that next milestone.
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2024-11-05 15:40