Initially, when Yuji Horii developed Dragon Quest, he aimed to refine certain aspects that were common in games like Wizardry and Ultima. Over time, these streamlined role-playing games came to be known as Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs).
However, much like the development of video games, the JRPG genre also transformed over time. This transformation sparked a wave of creators who each developed their unique versions of JRPGs, resulting in an array of intricate and unconventional gameplay mechanics.
As a gamer, I find that some titles demand a thorough understanding of all their built-in elements, while others are more casual yet richly reward those who dive headfirst into every aspect they have to offer.
In this write-up, I’ll be highlighting nine Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) renowned for their challenging learning process, which can stem from the complexity of their combat mechanics, character advancement systems, or occasionally a blend of both aspects.
Back in the day, many older games often came with tutorials hidden within their instruction manuals. However, it’s no secret that not many people actually read these manuals. Now, I can’t help but nostalgically yearn for those days when I would spend hours poring over game manuals.
9.
Digimon World
I Hate Numemon
It’s unlikely that, regardless of whether you played Digimon World for the first, second, or fifth time, you were aware of the appropriate training for your Digimon or why it persistently transformed into a Numemon instead of a Garurumon, despite your intentions.
In the fantastic game known as Digimon World, the concept of Digimon evolutions is wholeheartedly explored – at times, this might seem excessive. Here’s the twist: whenever your creature perishes, it hatches anew from an egg, starting over as a Fresh Digimon. The way you nurture and guide them determines whether they will digivolve into various forms.
This scenario continues to develop as we progress through various stages, right up to the Mega tier. The challenge lies in determining the best Digital Monster (Digimon) to acquire. Imagine, for a second, that you’ve successfully obtained your MetalEtemon. Now, it’s time to traverse and dominate other Digimon, assuming they follow your commands during combat since you don’t have control over the skills they possess. What an engaging game!
8.
Resonance of Fate
What The Hell Is Going On
As I pondered over the task at hand, two video games sprang to my mind, and one of them was the strategically challenging game called “Resonance of Fate”. This Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) is synonymous with the term ‘steep learning curve’.
In a fusion of turn-based and real-time mechanics, the game Resonance of Fate has party members scampering across the battlefield, continuously firing at opponents. As one character moves forward, a gauge gradually fills up, represented by an enemy-surrounding circle, and when it’s fully charged, it’s time to let loose with gunfire.
What might appear straightforward initially, turns out to be incredibly intricate, making me hesitant to attempt an explanation. To put it simply, a fundamental form of conflict: the farther away you position yourself, the longer it takes to fill up your gauge, translating into less attacks. However, there’s added safety from enemy assaults. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, rapid-fire attacks could be your strategy, but keep in mind, you may expose yourself to potential harm.
As a gamer, I’ve found some cool combos like the Tri-Attack where we strategically position ourselves in a triangle around the enemies, then unleash a powerful group attack. To be honest, I managed to complete Resonance of Fate without fully grasping most of its systems, which seems to be okay.
7.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Stop Punishing Me, Game
I feel confident that almost any game from the SaGa series could be included here, but I opted for a more contemporary title without adjustable difficulty levels, specifically Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered.
Or, in a more conversational style:
I think just about any game from the SaGa series could make this list, but instead of choosing one with difficulty settings, I went for a newer release – Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered, which doesn’t have adjustable levels of challenge.
SaGa series of games are inherently unique and not typical of the traditional Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs). Their open-ended storylines grant players an extensive degree of liberty, which is enjoyable for experienced gamers, but may be puzzling or overwhelming for newbies who aren’t accustomed to their unexpected gameplay.
That’s because there’s a challenging game mode called Battle Rank. Every time you triumph in a battle, your characters acquire stats and become more powerful. Yet, the higher the number of victories or even escapes – some games consider this too – the harder Battle Rank becomes, which means the opponents will grow stronger as well.
It was incredibly aggravating to find myself stuck nearly from the start in “Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song”. The standard foes were overpoweringly strong compared to my party, and I couldn’t advance any further. What made it even more infuriating was that the game penalized me for trying to level up through grinding, a practice that is usually essential in JRPGs. This is particularly confounding since this kind of design flaw is often associated with the “SaGa” series.
Unlimited SaGa systems are way more convoluted, but I’m not talking about this horrendous JRPG.
6.
Tales of Zestiria
Don’t Look At The Fuse Weapons Interface
In a simpler and more conversational style, “I found Tales of Zestiria to have numerous issues and is often viewed as one of the less successful games in the entire Tales of series. Despite this, I appreciated it more for its gameplay mechanics than its storyline. To be honest, I didn’t entirely understand the gameplay mechanics during my playthrough.
In combat, each action known as Arte requires the use of SC, while executing defensive strategies helps replenish SC. However, following any fight, your maximum SC capacity decreases by 1, leading to a gradual depletion over time. This means that after 100 battles, you’ll reach a point where your maximum SC is depleted, rendering you incapable of using skills in fights. To restore your SC, consider consuming meals or taking breaks at inns. Be cautious not to overlook this essential aspect, as many players do, which can make their gaming experience more challenging.
After introducing the Armamentization, a combat-related fuse mechanism, followed by the Blast Gauge, each Arte possessing an element and specific strength against certain enemy types, it’s quite a bit to grasp. To make things even more complex, I haven’t yet explained the gear system and weapon fusion, which is a topic in its own right. Quite a challenge!
As a gamer, here’s my take: If you’re fine with breezing through the game without tackling hidden bosses and preferring easier settings, there’s no real need for you to dive deep into the game mechanics. But if you’re someone who wants to experience everything this game has to offer or crave a tougher challenge, it might be worth checking out an advanced battle tutorial on YouTube to help you master the game’s intricacies and take on those hard modes with confidence.
5.
Vagrant Story
It’s A Risk Just Playing It
A different game that instantly came to mind for this list is “Vagrant Story.” Unlike “Resonance of Fate,” where you can make some progress without fully grasping its gameplay mechanics, in “Vagrant Story,” understanding the gameplay is crucial for success.
In the game Vagrant Story, winning battles primarily involves stringing together combinations of attacks. You decide where on an enemy to strike, and when prompted, press a button to extend the combo. But, this action simultaneously boosts your Risk meter. This increase in the Risk meter enhances your likelihood of landing critical hits but also increases the amount of damage Ashley sustains.
As a strategy enthusiast, I’d say this game penalizes you for charging in blindly without thinking through your tactical choices. Now, if you’re wondering what those choices are, let me enlighten you. One crucial factor is the gear you choose to use. Each piece of equipment comes with an attribute that impacts its efficiency against specific types of foes.
Ignoring it could lead to frequent conflicts with shared adversaries, resulting in weak attacks. Confronting bosses would likely result in a lopsided loss. A comprehensive crafting system is available, which can serve as your guide through Vagrant Story. However, mastering the game might prove more straightforward than earning a PhD.
4.
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Power Indeed Corrupts People
The game “Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter” caught me off guard during my initial playthrough, and it wasn’t in a favorable manner. Initially, the combat appeared straightforward yet challenging. Each character in the game possesses an Action Points (AP) resource, which is consumed when moving or using abilities. Strategically, conserving AP by skipping turns to combine abilities into combos seemed prudent.
As time goes on, the difficulty of this game will skyrocket. Powerful adversaries suddenly appear during ordinary battles, making our characters’ attacks seemingly useless, and it feels like these RPGs are designed to frustrate rather than entertain with all the traps scattered about.
Before I mastered Ryu’s signature dragon technique, it was an incredible moment. The feeling of transforming into a dragon and blasting foes with a Kamehameha was indescribable. It seemed as though I had effortlessly made the game much simpler to conquer.
To be honest, I’ve been so engrossed in using my draconic powers, I barely noticed the odd D-Ratio interface climbing higher with each use. Frankly, I was having a blast and didn’t want anything to disrupt that fun.
Boy, I was blissfully unaware. When the D-Ratio reached a staggering 100%, it was checkmate, no ifs, no buts. My auto-save hovered precariously at that critical mark, trapping me in a softlock and forcing me to reboot the game – an integral part of the gaming experience in Dragon Quarter, I must admit.
3.
The Last Remnant
A SaGa Game In Disguise
If you had known that “The Last Remnant” was crafted by veterans from the “SaGa” series prior to playing it for the first time, you would have had a clear idea of what to anticipate. This game centers around armies from various city-states contending for artifacts known as Remnants, which are relics from the past.
In this game, instead of controlling each individual party member, we organize them into squads and then issue overall instructions to these squads. For example, we can command an attack on the enemies, adopt a defensive posture, or heal our allies collectively as needed.
In some instances, these commands could result in pleasant results, but they might also lead to very aggravating situations if our team doesn’t employ the abilities we anticipated. Additionally, there are various factors affecting battles, such as morale levels, the chance of encirclement – or being encircled by opponents – and numerous subtle aspects that can transform a routine skirmish into a decisive defeat.
In “The Last Remnant”, there’s a system much like Battle Rank, which means enemies grow stronger with each fight we engage in. This implies that, if you understand my “SaGa” entry, any excessive leveling up will make the game more challenging and may potentially halt your progress permanently.
2.
Final Fantasy Tactics
When Gamers Need To Get A Job
I find “Final Fantasy Tactics” among the top-tier games in the “Final Fantasy” series. Occasionally, I come across players who have recently attempted to play it, expressing frustration over its perceived unfairness and brutality. And indeed, they’re correct about that.
When it first released, there weren’t many tutorials available, so learning about its systems required reading the user manual as Final Fantasy Tactics didn’t guide you through its systems at any point.
Navigating and understanding the roles of the more than 20 jobs in this game will be your individual responsibility. If you struggle to decipher their functions, prepare yourself for a challenging and potentially frustrating adventure within the realm of Ivalice.
If you carefully examine each skill for every fresh job, grasp their subtleties, and put in a bit of effort leveling up, you’ll be able to create formidable character builds that no enemy boss can withstand. A Dual Wield Monk is like a hurricane punching their way into nothingness.
1.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Anime Tropes Are The Least Of Your Problems
Besides the initial Xenoblade game, any title from this series could fit well here. However, I chose Xenoblade Chronicles 2 because it is particularly known for burying players under a mountain of tutorials, effectively acknowledging the intricacy of its combat system.
Similar to many fans, I found the overabundance of anime tropes in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 somewhat bothersome. Yet, these elements didn’t detract from its engaging Blade and combat system, which significantly improved upon the battle mechanics of the third game, making it a standout in my opinion.
Are you aware of something that requires further development? In the case of XC2’s battles, it seems to challenge our cognitive abilities quite significantly, and personally, as a fan of Japanese Role-Playing Games, I find myself needing improvement in this area. No disrespect intended towards my fellow JRPG enthusiasts.
In my opinion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 struggles due to an abundance of factors. The combat system is complex, with numerous elements at play, such as the Blade you’re using, the type of Battle Arts, the sequence in which they’re deployed, whether they’ll break, topple, or crush the enemy, and even if it’s time for a Chain Attack, which introduces yet another perplexing interface.
I’ve spent more than 100 hours playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and I can confidently say that I’ve become proficient with its combat mechanics. Consequently, I empathize with those who voice concerns over the game’s excessive tutorials, feeling that it tries too hard to instruct us. Despite this, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a fantastic JRPG, but there was certainly potential for improving its gameplay systems even more. Remarkably, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has achieved just that by refining these aspects.
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2025-05-28 20:40