There are three universal truths in the world: gravity works, death is the end for all, and compared to other genres, JRPGs will take their sweet time before throwing players into action.
However, for every rule, there’s always an exception. So just like Katy Perry can enjoy a few seconds in a zero-gravity zone and Tom Cruise keeps cheating death, a couple of JRPGs can be immediately fun.
Usually, these games follow modern industry trends and try to have a flashy beginning, either narrative- or gameplay-wise, to keep players engaged with their sprawling, colorful world.
In this list, I’ll show you some JRPGs that are fun immediately, whether through an amazing or emotional cutscene or through unique gameplay that grabs you from the very first move.
8 Metaphor: ReFantazio
Offenses From The Get-Go
I love Atlus and their JRPGs, especially Persona. But I can’t deny that all of them are pretty slow and hardly respect the player’s time, even though they offer a plethora of activities and a story that sticks with us as long as we stick with it.
With that said, imagine my surprise when Metaphor: ReFantazio not only kicked things off at full throttle but also gave me a game over within the first 2 minutes of controlling our silent protagonist. Yeah, I tried to face those giant sandworms despite the warnings! What if there was a trophy waiting for me there?
Metaphor hit us with a gorgeous anime cutscene, some action-packed sequences, and racial slurs because that’s what the game is all about, and it already throws us into the biggest danger possible. Also, the way background music is introduced diegetically was just brilliant.
Granted, we soon arrive at the capital of Grand Trad, and the old Atlus formula shows up in full force, especially if you want to talk to every NPC and explore every nook and cranny of the city. But still, for JRPG standards, it’s quite an exhilarating start and will grab your attention in a snap.
7 Rogue Galaxy
Rough Start
The synopsis of Rogue Galaxy introduces us to the planet Rosa, saying it’s being enslaved by the Longardian Federation. Well, guess who’s a not-so-free citizen of Rosa? Our protagonist, Jaster Rogue. That’s not a good way to start a JRPG, not then and not now, Tales of Arise.
All of a sudden, Rosa is under attack, and when Jaster goes to check out what’s happening, he gets a sword from a mysterious man. Armed, he starts fighting off all sorts of desert creatures while trying to get to the heart of the chaos. In the meantime, he’s mistaken by two space pirates as the best hunter in the galaxy (the sword!), and they join Jaster.
Fights, intrigue, confusion, everything I love in a college party. And in JRPGs. Rogue Galaxy is an action RPG and does a solid job at what it sets out to do. But as soon as we get to the boss, the game introduces a shooting mechanic that can also create platforms mid-battle, which we then use to climb the boss and hit its weak spot.
I mean, that’s a really clever way of introducing gimmicks in staple action JRPGs. Before I even figured out how to open the menu, I was already completely hooked on Rogue Galaxy. In the next 10 hours, the game will keep throwing feature after feature at you – and I admit, it’s going to be a bit overwhelming – but it’ll constantly renew your interest in playing it.
6 Final Fantasy X-2
How Dare I Acknowledge This Game
Hold your stones, passionate gamers. There are those among us who actually like Final Fantasy X-2, and I’m one of them. And whoever decided it’s a crime to enjoy underrated games should take a good look in the mirror and mimic Yuna’s popstar dancing to bring a little joy into their life.
And it’s because of that cheeky dance that Final Fantasy X-2’s opening scene is amazing and fits the whole «fun immediately» topic. You may not like this JRPG’s narrative, the focus on female protagonists because god knows that’s unacceptable these days, or the whole everything is missable design (my major gripe with it).
But it’s undeniable that the first moments of Final Fantasy X-2 are fantastic. The story kicks off with an action cutscene straight out of Charlie’s Angels, packed with an incredible soundtrack and tons of parkour.
To make it even better, it transitions seamlessly into battle, which brings back the nostalgic ATB system. It really sets the mood for the whole game, despite not managing to hold it for long.
5 Lost Odyssey
War, Death, And Immortality
I know I shouldn’t look at a game through a retroactive lens, but with Lost Odyssey, it’s kind of hard not to. This JRPG was produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy, for the Xbox 360. It was a black sheep for its time, an era when turn-based RPGs were starting to face prejudice and getting ditched even by Japanese developers.
Seeing Lost Odyssey, with its incredible visual presentation, updated graphics, and well-crafted cutscenes, gave me hope that turn-based games still had a second life. Also, the fact that the game starts in the middle of a war helped a lot in selling a great first impression.
We’re introduced to the combat system and the Aim Ring system right after, which enhances an attack if we hit a QTE. After taking down some basic soldiers, we face a boss. Yet, it’s all for nothing because a massive flaming spell wipes everyone out.
Luckily, our protagonist, Kaim Argonar, is immortal. He rises up amidst hundreds of charred bodies and walks back to the city like it’s just another Thursday. If that intro isn’t enough to enthrall you, then I don’t know what will.
4 NieR: Automata
The End of The World Requires Urgency
You hit New Game in NieR: Automata, set your options, and you’re instantly thrown into a shoot ’em up gameplay, even wondering: wait, wasn’t this an action RPG? However, that sequence is brief, lasting only about 3-4 minutes. Then, you learn the basic commands of a hack ‘n’ slash and, guess what, boss fight.
It doesn’t get more hectic than that, and it won’t, because after the opening events, the game lets you breathe and take in the world. And trust me, you’ll want to savor everything this game has to offer. I consider NieR: Automata one of the masterpieces among JRPGs, the kind even people who don’t like the genre should try at least once.
So even though the game takes its time to deliver another scene as fast-paced and frantic as the first one, keep on playing. Get to know 2B, have fun with 9S, die from eating a poisonous fish, and do it all over again because, in the end, I know you’ll thank me. That is, once you’re done questioning our existence in this pitiful, thankless world.
3 Super Mario RPG
Actually, The Princess Is In This Castle
One of the quintessential memes in gaming is how Mario’s princess was always in another castle. It’s such an old trope that it predates the very definition of what a meme is, just so you get how relevant it is.
So imagine my surprise when I played Super Mario RPG for the first time, and the opening moments of the story already take us to Bowser’s castle to rescue the princess. And we did! Game over? Nope, the game is just getting started.
This subversion of expectations, especially for those who had only played Mario platformers, was impressive and got me hooked on what could come next. If neither Peach is in peril nor Bowser is the enemy, then what awaits our mustachioed hero?
Pair this with a turn-based system that practically invented timed-hit attacks, or at least made the style popular, and we’ve got a JRPG that’s instantly amusing and intriguing. If you’re interested, I recommend playing the remake version released on Switch.
2 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
One Of The Most Impactful Prologues
Anyone with the slightest presence on social media probably saw countless players and content creators talking about how impactful and assertive the prologue of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is. And they’re not wrong.
As soon as we start the game, we’re already in the shoes of Gustave. Then, the game entertains us with its battle system. This is where the gimmicks of what Sandfall calls the reactive combat system start to shine, showing that Expedition 33 didn’t come to just do more of the same.
Yet, it wasn’t the battle system that made me want to include the French-made JRPG here, but the narrative. To avoid spoilers – although this info is out in most promotional materials – the whole theme of Expedition 33 lingers in imminent death, in how humanity has an expiration date.
And that’s shown masterfully in the game’s prologue. It was the first time in my JRPG-obsessed life that I cried within the first hour of a game. It’s not exactly fun in the joyful sense, but it was so powerful that it instantly got me hooked and made sure I wouldn’t drop it until I had seen everything it had to offer.
1 Granblue Fantasy: Relink
The Grind Has To Start Somewhere
I’m setting myself up for trouble here. I’ve already mentioned two entries that start with boss fights using the excuse of «it doesn’t get more frantic than that,» and surprise! Here’s another game that also shoves a boss fight on our sorry JRPG face in the first 10 minutes.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a wildly popular mobile/web browser game, which prompted Cygames to try their luck on dedicated platforms like consoles and PC. And they pulled it off, bringing an action RPG with a certain modicum of gacha design and farming, but not to the point of needing to invest our life savings just to get a character.
If I had to sum up the Granblue Fantasy: Relink, I’d say it’s a Monster Hunter-like experience, still wearing the JRPG badge. So expect anime aesthetics, a dedicated story, and characters with luscious hair who love shouting the names of their skills during action-packed battles. Some glorious, fun battles, may I add.
Nowadays, I don’t know if the online community of Granblue Fantasy: Relink is still active. You can play the entire game solo, but depending on your playstyle, that might slow down your grind since no AI is ever going to be as competent as an average player. Still, you can have a blast with this JRPG from the moment you hit New Game.
