Among the many tropes that the JRPG genre has perfected over the years, one of the most interesting ones is the road trip mentality that has become a key part of this style of game. Many a fantastic JRPG has dedicated itself to this long-standing trope.
The prospect of taking off with some friends, traveling across the land, and stopping an ancient, all-powerful evil has been a part of some truly fabulous JRPGs. Some of them, however, have avoided this trope.
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While games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest have almost made this trope their entire identity. I’ve often found myself drawn to the ones that subvert that concept. Indeed, many of my favorite JRPGs are the ones that either avoid, or outright ignore, the road trip theme.
So, if you’re looking for a quiet night in, I’ve got you covered. Sit back and enjoy these JRPGs that ignore one of the most common tropes in the genre.
8
Vagrant Story
Explore The Depths Of Lea Monde
Vagrant Story doesn’t just ignore the road trip mentality. It breaks it in half, focusing on an insulated, singular location.
The trip through the crumbling, fictional city of Lea Monde is still an absolutely gorgeous experience all these years later. It’s devastating to me that no one has tried to recreate Vagrant Story today.
Vagrant Story is all about finding the truth hidden in the darkness, exploring every crevice of the underground tombs. There’s no grand adventure to be had here.
It’s all about story, character, and thematic execution. All of that comes naturally, as it’s a game built around saving and surviving a single location as opposed to the entire world.
7
The World Ends With You
Survive The Reapers’ Game
The Nintendo DS had already accumulated a fascinating library of JRPGs by 2007. Genre staples like Final Fantasy and Pokémon were present and accounted for, but it would take three years for the console’s greatest JRPG to emerge.
The World Ends With You takes place entirely in Shibuya. There’s no trip across a world map, no voyage to distant lands.
It is one of the most outstanding JRPGs that I’ve ever played. I unfortunately missed it when it came out, but put a lot of time into the Switch update from 2018.
Packed with that signature Square Enix style, and an incredible combat system, The World Ends With You is one that you simply can’t skip.
6
Parasite Eve
The Cinematic RPG
Much of my childhood was trying to replicate the same feeling of bliss that Parasite Eve creates in me. Survival horror JRPGs are rare, but Parasite Eve represents the absolute best of this complex mash-up.
Parasite Eve takes place exclusively in New York City, following NYPD’s Aya Brea as she attempts to survive the night. It has a certain Y2K-era charm to it that is unmatched, even by some contemporary titles.
The pacing and structure of this game is perfect, as it leverages intense body horror with calming exploration through the frozen streets of New York. It is often described as ‘the cinematic RPG’, which fits the game like a glove.
5
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Explore Post-Apocalyptic Tokyo
The PS2 was home to some pretty remarkable JRPGs. Many of them still hold up today, and that is especially true in the case of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
Nocturne is a brutal, unforgiving exploration of humanity’s final days following an event known as Conception. The aftermath of that event is set in Tokyo, where this small, isolated tale of survival unfolds.
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You’re not joining up with friends to go on a cross-country road trip. There’s no open-ended 3D world map to explore.
It is still one of the darkest, most uncomfortable JRPGs I’ve ever experienced. Its sinister world design, punishing combat, and nihilistic narrative are still so impressive over twenty years later.
4
Persona 5 Royal
Take Your Heart
It’s been almost a decade since Persona 5 first launched, and in that time, it’s established itself as one of the most important JRPGs of all time. The revised version, Persona 5 Royal, somehow managed to improve what was already perfection.
Set in the bustling city of Tokyo, P5R is the kind of game that doesn’t come around very often. Although it feels huge, it exists within a fairly small, isolated game world.
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector once opined he’d like to make a game that was “an inch wide and a mile deep.” Persona 5 Royal is about as close as we’ve ever gotten to that vision.
3
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Turn-Based Yakuza Simulator
In what turned out to be series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi’s final game in the Yakuza franchise, Like A Dragon shifted its focus from real-time beat ’em up action into a full-blown turn-based JRPG. It was a bold, daring move, but one that the series benefited from immensely.
Yakuza had been producing some amazing games, but the change helped to revitalize the IP. It wasn’t just a gimmick, either, as Like A Dragon took inspiration from JRPG contemporaries to build its bold new vision of Yakuza.
Like A Dragon takes place largely in a fictionalized version of Yokohama, but the franchise’s iconic city of Kamurocho does appear in the later chapters. In totality, however, Ichiban’s journey through the outlandish criminal underworld is contained in a singular location.
2
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
It’s Not Time To Mosey Just Yet
While the original version of Final Fantasy 7 is a textbook example of the road trip JRPG, the first chapter of the remake trilogy focuses entirely on the party’s time in Midgar. The outside world of Gaia is seen and referenced, but not actually explored in this title.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake recreates the cyberpunk city of Midgar in gorgeous detail. Exploring its numerous side alleys and hidden areas is simply fabulous.
You really get to understand these new versions of the classic characters in a much more intimate, personal way as a result. The payoff of the game is getting to now experience the road trip, and the journey to that is one that you have to play if you’ve ever enjoyed JRPGs.
1
Mother 3
Welcome To Nowhere Islands
Mother 3 isn’t just a game that ignores the road trip trope. In fact, director Shigesato Itoi specifically called out the trope during development, envisioning Mother 3 as a game that was about a small city that changed over time.
The ambitious final game may have been scaled down quite a bit, but Mother 3 is still one of the most innovative, heartbreaking JRPGs ever created. The fictional Nowhere Islands serves as the game’s main location, and in all my years, I’ve never played a JRPG that affected me as much as Mother 3.
It shifts between melodrama, comedy, tragedy, and philosophy in such a smart, delicate way. There are plenty of 2D JRPGs, but none of them are as consistently excellent as Mother 3.
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