JRPGs and Tactical, a mix that surely wouldn’t result in a game that’s longer than it needs to be, with fluff, random battles, and filler plots, right? Okay, humor me.
Making a no-filler JRPGs list was already an undertaking because, let’s be honest, JRPGs are practically filler by nature. And that’s exactly what the fanbase wants! Otherwise, Naruto wouldn’t be topping the most-watched anime charts to this day, and even my dad has already built filler tolerance. Yeah, my 60-year-old papa loves a ninja.
But I digress! What I’m saying is: relatively speaking, there are some all-killer, no-filler tactical JRPGs out there that are a bit more straight to the point and don’t drag as much as their peers.
In this list, I’ll point out some of them, even though, at the end of the day, they’re still a bit of a slog and have more fodder battles than needed. Ah, hell, I don’t know why I’m explaining myself. I’m still gonna be wrecked in the comments. Let’s go, troopers!
8
The DioField Chronicle
Real-Time Strategy JRPG
The DioField Chronicle is probably the most modest game on this list, but it fits the prompt to a T. If you like tactical JRPGs but not turn-based with grids, this is your go-to.
That’s because The DioField Chronicle is a real-time strategy JRPG. In battles, all units act simultaneously. There are no turns, no rounds, no splits. To make sure we’re doing alright with our orders, we can pause, command the units, and watch the brawl unfold.
I did everything the game had to offer, including the platinum and the DLC, and I feel like DioField’s ambition was greater than its execution. Like every good Square Enix tactical RPG, it has a political plot packed with betrayals, twists, and backstabbing.
However, the narrative is extremely rushed, many story beats are resolved in the background with just a narration, and the world-building, carefully described in an in-game book, ends up being tossed aside in favor of a quick resolution. Well, if you wanted no filler, that’s exactly what The DioField Chronicle offers.
7
Front Mission 3
Everyone Loves Mechas
Sci-fi isn’t my favorite theme in games, but if there’s one game involving giant robots – in this case, Wanzers – that I’ve always loved, it’s Front Mission. In battles, each Wanzer has multiple breakable parts, and as we destroy them, the mechs start losing functionality. It’s delicious to dismantle an enemy and then squash its human pilot like an ant.
Because of that and other reasons, I believe Front Mission 3 is a great tactical RPG for those who want to play one without having to slog through fluff. Its political plot, grounded in semi-real-life events, is dense, lore-heavy, but engaging. The narrative branches into two different stories, and no matter which one you pick, you’ll be left anxious.
At each stage, we can also evolve our Wanzers, buy new parts, and even learn new skills. It’s always a breath of fresh air that seems to renew the gameplay without giving that feeling of drag or slump.
The original Front Mission 3 is kind of old, released in 2000 for the PS1. Luckily, Forever Entertainment remade the first three games, and you can play Front Mission 3: Remake at your leisure – though the classic is way better.
6
Vandal Hearts
Blood Will Spill
If you want a more mature tactical game, blood-splattering, and older characters, I present to you Vandal Hearts, one of the most underrated PS1 JRPGs. Story-wise, I believe Vandal Hearts 2 would fit the bill better, but the simultaneous-turns battle system is horrendous, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
One of the features that makes Vandal Hearts dynamic is that its battles are resolved quickly. Often, it’s possible to defeat an enemy with just one precise sword strike to the jugular. On the flip side, enemies can also kill allies just as fast. That way, positioning, distinct classes, skills, and tactics are much more valued than in other tactical RPGs.
As for the story, we play as Ash after he tries to uncover a conspiracy in the government. The upper echelon, however, finds out about Ash and his comrades’ efforts and ousts them, leaving it up to the protagonist to handle everything alone. It’s a great plot that, believe me, won’t twist everything else in the name of friendship.
5
Fire Emblem: Awakening
The Perfect Balance
One of the most common praises about Fire Emblem: Awakening is how it is perfectly paced. In a world of JRPGs and tacticals, that’s high honor indeed. I’m not talking in comparison to other Fire Emblem games, but about this one specifically.
First, it doesn’t involve wandering around to manage your castle or students. Even if that’s your cup of tea, you know how these mechanics can pile up in the long run and sometimes end up being more filler than needed.
Even so, Awakening features the Support system, where characters interact with each other, boosting stats and even entering relationships. But it’s so flawlessly executed that it doesn’t interrupt your progress whatsoever.
Fire Emblem: Awakening is halfway between a tactical RPG that offers robust gameplay customization and a charismatic cast, but without diving too deeply into the social or relationship elements that have nothing to do with the strategic combat part of the game.
However, maybe that snapiness wasn’t as effective narrative-wise, since Fire Emblem: Awakening is rarely recognized for its story. One of the reasons is that the plot starts interesting, but soon everything that was introduced, including Chrom and Lucina, feels underused. Overall, it’s still a great title for whoever wants a no-nonsense tactical JRPG.
4
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Final Fantasy Tactics Father
One of the perks of doing a remake is that the developer can gather feedback from the original game and apply it to this new version. That’s precisely what Tactics Ogre: Reborn did, and the reason why it’s on the list instead of the previous releases. The quality of life improvements make the entire gameplay more fast-paced.
A practical example: in the previous versions, when changing class, the character’s level was tied to it. Meaning, a level 15 Warrior would reset to level 1 if they became a Knight. In Tactics Ogre: Reborn, the level is tied to the character, so this newly made Knight will still be level 15. No more grinding by punching your own party is necessary.
And I know that out of this list, Tactics Ogre: Reborn has the biggest campaign. But no filler doesn’t mean short. It means the game keeps you engaged for its entire duration. And since you have three distinct paths that change according to your choices, you’ll be quite invested in what’s going on in Valeria during the game’s course.
3
Triangle Strategy
Who Named It As Such
One of my major complaints when playing tactical JRPGs is investing myself in a battle for thirty, forty minutes, or even an hour, then losing it like a doofus and watching all the progress go down the drain. It’s so infuriating, and one of the reasons why I only play a few tactical games a year.
However, now and then, a game comes along full of empathy that understands the struggles of adult life and always tries to respect the player’s time, like Triangle Strategy. All the progression and difficulty in this Square Enix JRPG is designed to esteem the player, rather than punishing them for being as talentless as I am.
For instance, even if you lose a battle, all the experience earned stays, so your characters are always getting stronger. If by chance all enemies are at a higher level, we’ll start leveling up from practically every action taken against them, quickly closing the gap.
All of this helps speed up the gameplay and keeps our focus on what matters: the progress, the next story beat.
Still, Triangle Strategy isn’t streamlined just out of the kindness of Square’s heart. The game has four endings, and if you want to see them all, you’ll need to go through at least four playthroughs. While we do have a New Game+, it only carries over units, items, and money (which helps), but you won’t start the game bulldozing through every enemy.
2
Final Fantasy Tactics
Impossible Not To Love
Final Fantasy Tactics still stands as my favorite tactical JRPG of all time. This masterpiece has it all: beautiful characters, an insane story with a poetic narrative flow, and clever gameplay reinforced by the Job system. Granted, I know it’s not the most beginner-friendly and can scare newcomers off, but if you get past the first chapter, only glory awaits.
We follow the life of Ramza Beoulve, whose heroic journey was erased from the annals of history but is being uncovered bit by bit by the player. What seems like a plot about class hierarchy and feudal disputes soon proves to be something much bigger, but without ever losing the plotline or doubting the player’s intelligence.
With every new main battle, there’s a new development, whether it’s related to the broader stage of Ivalice or just the growth of a secondary character. The most important aspect is that everything connects to the bigger picture, and all our questions – at least the ones I understood – are answered.
And if, for some reason, you’re someone who doesn’t care that much about story in games (why are you playing JRPGs?), there’s still something here for you.
The Job system is fantastic, letting you mix distinct abilities between all of them to form your own powerhouse. Of course, in the end, you’ll end up with a battalion of Dragoons just like me because it’s the best Job in gaming, but the option to use others is there.
1
Unicorn Overlord
One Of The Finest Tactical JRPGs
Vanillaware announced that they ran out of money during the development of Unicorn Overlord. Once again! The same thing happened with 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. And if that isn’t a testament to the developer’s trust in their own creation, I don’t know what is. Luckily, it paid off.
The core inspiration behind Unicorn Overlord is Ogre Battle, and we can see that clearly in battle. Instead of controlling each individual’s action in a squad, we set tactics, and they act on their own. At first, I found it strange, but then I got used to it and thought it was a clever design choice, because if I had to give out commands in every single battle, it would’ve been exhausting.
Because of that, each encounter, even if some battlegrounds are massive, gets resolved quickly. I felt like Sun Tzu, leading my whole army through simultaneous combat and crushing my enemies.
In the downtime, I could explore the world map, liberate new towns, upgrade them, recruit more soldiers, buy gear, and even build my rapport with the characters. There’s so much to do that I never felt bored – and as a 100%-addicted JRPG player, the game was a paradise for me.
The best part is that everything is optional. If you don’t want to do side content and just beeline the campaign, you can. Unicorn Overlord is one of the few tactical JRPGs that respects the player’s time while still delivering a complete experience regardless of your playstyle.
