Despite the PlayStation 2 being a veritable JRPG machine, the genre had a rough transition into the HD era of gaming. The early years of the PlayStation 3 were practically barren for the genre as developers struggled to adapt to the technology. Thankfully, this seemed to turn around as the console reached the end of its lifespan.
Despite the console being home to what are now considered to be classics of the genre which experiment with gaming archetypes in unique ways, many gamers missed out on the wonderful JRPG the console had to offer. If you fall into that category, consider checking out some of these fantastic PlayStation 3 JRPGs.
9 Final Fantasy XIII
Fantasy in HD
Despite releasing many mainline titles on prior PlayStation consoles, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise received only two entries on the PlayStation 3: Final Fantasy XIII and XIV. Because Final Fantasy XIV’s PlayStation 3 version is no longer playable this list shall be highlighting the thirteenth entry instead.
Being a franchise which is always changing up its gameplay style from entry to entry, FFXIII plays very differently from previous games, with a gameplay system which has the player select multiple actions for a single character before they perform their turn. While this style of combat begins much slower than some other entries, as the game progresses it can become quite fun to customize which skills each party member has and strategize during combat. Despite how fun it is though, Final Fantasy XIII ranks at the bottom of this list as any JRPG fan worth their salt has already played this title.
8 Persona 5
From Niche to Mainstream
After how popular their PS2 JRPGs were, gamers around the world waited in anticipation to see what the series would bring to the PS3. While the wait was long, 2016’s Persona 5 was recieved incredibly well and launched the franchise into mainstream popularity with its fun gameplay loop in both battles and day-to-day life situations. Combine that with a cast of incredible Phantom Thieves, and you’ve got the recipe for an incredible adventure.
Despite being a fantastic game, Persona 5 ranks quite low on this list as the public consciousness considers this title a PlayStation 4 game similar to how Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild is considering a Nintendo Switch game, and with how the Persona series is all about how the public consciousness affects reality, it feels only appropriate that it would affect its placement.
7 Enchanted Arms
Old-School FromSoft
While FromSoft is solely known for their Soulslikes nowadays, the company used to have quite a bit of variety in their catalog. Enchanted Arms, one of the first RPGs to be released for the PS3, was one of these titles. The game features a grid-based battle system similar to an SRPG, where the player will need to focus on where their units are positioned and whether or not their attacks will reach the opponent.
Enchanted Arms may be a bit more aged than other games on this list, but it’s still a great load of fun and has all the quality one would expect from a FromSoft title. If you are interested in a game which is both fun and an interesting look into the history of one of gaming’s current superstar studios, then consider picking up Enchanted Arms.
6 Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
The Coziest JRPG
Next up on the list is Level-5’s Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a JRPG about a boy named Oliver who loses his mother and travels to a fantasy realm. Aside from an emotional story, what truly makes this title stand out amongst the PlayStation 3’s catalog is its Ghibli-like art style. When taking into account how gaming in the early 2010s strived for realism, having a title which looked like Ni No Kuni was a breath of fresh air for the console.
While Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a game with near-perfect visuals, it still must rank low on this list due to its very basic combat system, which consists almost entirely of basic attacks and collecting HP orbs. At no point will this title give JRPG veterans the kind of in-depth experience other titles in this list are capable of providing.
5 Eternal Sonata
A Musical Adventure
While Eternal Sonata was also technically released on the Xbox 360, many still consider this title to be a PS3 exclusive as the Xbox version contains many flaws such as enemies giving too much EXP, missing cutscenes, and many other balancing issues which simply make it less fun to play. If you ever want to try this title, make sure you pick it up on the PlayStation 3.
4 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
An Academic's JRPG
Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes franchise has been a mainstay title among JRPG fans for decades. Similar to Persona, this franchise has roots tying itself back to gaming’s dawn as it was the spinoff of another series. While the PSP title in this series, the Sky games, are considered some of the best games in the series, what truly made these games skyrocket in popularity were the Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel games for the PS3.
The gameplay of these titles has always been very unique among JRPGs as they require the player to position their characters each turn in order to both hit enemies and avoid attacks which typically cover a line or circle radius of the battlefield. If that sort of strategic element to turn-based combat interests you, the Trails of series will give you plenty of content with over a dozen games to play through!
3 Resonance of Fate
Challenging Yet Rewarding
Even before the publisher bought Atlus, Sega was a very frequent name in the JRPG scene. Their now classic PS3 JRPG, Resonance of Fate, is one of their more obscure titles but it still has a place in some gamer’s hearts because of its very unique combat system, which has the player moving their party members around during their combat turns and even making them jump as they fire bullets.
Resonance of Fate may be a niche title, but it still occasionally gets featured in crossover titled like Project X Zone. If those cameo appearances have made you interested in this game, however, consider yourself warned, as this title is not for casual gamers. The difficulty of this game is not to be underestimated. From the very first dungeon, the game will force you to stay on your toes and be ready to lose battles. If you want a very unique JRPG which isn’t afraid to give veterans a challenge, then Resonance of Fate may be right up your alley.
2 Tales of Graces f
Tales Of at its Best
While several long-running JRPG series only released one or two titles on the PlayStation 3, Bandai Namco kept up their track record of constant Tales Of releases via new games, ports of old games, and improved versions of other titles. Tales of Graces f is the latter, as this improved port of their classic Wii RPG features a myriad of new content for fans to experience.
Tales of Graces f has always been one of the best games in the Tales Of franchise. From dungeon design to how unique each party member is, everything which makes this franchise great was on full display in this title. Any JRPG fan who has ever been interested in Namco’s premier JRPG series should check out this title. Just make sure not to forget to do the infamous missable hankerchief quest.
1 Atelier Ayesha
A Journey of Alchemy
While the Atelier franchise itself has been around for over three decades, it only began to be known in the West during the series’ PS3 era, which saw the release of two different trilogies of games: the Atelier Arland Trilogy and the Atelier Dusk Trilogy. While all of these games are fantastic in their own right, the best Atelier game released for the system is easily Atelier Ayesha, the first game in the Dusk Trilogy.
From the very first moment the player hears the soundtrack of this title, they will know they’re in for a journey like no other. Every aspect of this game is almost perfectly designed. From the gameplay loop which sees players juggle their calendar days between creating items or traveling to the field to its fantastic party of characters which are all expertly written and designed. If you are a fan of JRPGs, there is no better game to play on the PS3 than this title.
