The anime aesthetic is a style that’s been a mainstay of games for years. 2D and 3D art styles reminiscent of the animes we enjoy as well as tropes and story beats that we are familiar with continue to excite us no matter how many beach episodes we watch.
Not all JRPGs are considered “anime” although many might apply. The main differences are usually the art styles and the presence of familiar tropes.
12/12 Blue Reflection
Blue Reflection is an interesting game that isn’t as popular as many other big-name franchises, but it still deserves recognition. Any lovers of Persona will feel right at home playing this as the gameplay hits on similar themes you might enjoy such as the depth of connections you will make with your party members and the turn-based combat. It’s also made by the developers of the Atelier series, meaning experienced hands made it.
While much of the game is indeed fantastical, the themes and story focus much more on the cute characters and their lives. It zeroes in on the day-to-day of the characters as they continue to go to school and spend time with each other. Battling monsters is just as important as hanging out with your friends after class in this game. Be warned that it has quite a niche appeal and gamers who enjoy much more engaging plot lines might not enjoy it as much as someone who prefers a light-hearted experience.
11/12 Scarlet Nexus
You’ll find that Bandai Namco is the publisher of many stellar RPG titles, many of which are indeed anime styled. We have them to thank for funding not only long-standing series’ such as the “Tales of” series, but also new IPs such as Scarlet Nexus.
Scarlet Nexus is a surprisingly great game that plays similarly to our favorite hack-and-slash Platinum Games titles but with a decidedly much more anime look and feel to it. The combat is smooth, and it is hard not to get swept up in the action with how cinematic the attacks are. While the main appeal may be the combat, its story and setting are quite enjoyable as it has a unique theme that some might find to be a bit “brainy.”
10/12 Disgaea
Many SRPGs (Also known as tactical RPGs) tend to be more serious in nature, lending them to the themes of battle and warfare as do most strategy games. Disgaea on the other hand presents itself as almost a parody of the subgenre.
There is no doubt that the Disgaea series would be counted among a list of great anime RPGs. Its humorous story is balanced by its purposefully deep gameplay mechanics that show that the developers truly understand SRPGs. If you liked games such as Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre, or Final Fantasy Tactics, you’d be doing yourselves a disservice not to check out Disgaea.
9/12 Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
If you are familiar with anime, then chances are you are familiar with Studio Ghibli, a classic anime studio that’s made some exceptional animated movies. They are also known for their collaboration in the development of the Ni No Kuni series.
The charming art and graphical style are undoubtedly part of the game’s greatest selling point. The storytelling as well is reminiscent of their style, which makes the whole game an enjoyable, wholesome experience. The gameplay is likely the last reason you would decide to play it, but rest assured that it does stack up to the standards set by the incredible work done by both Studio Ghibli and the developers, Level-5.
8/12 Tales of Symphonia
Quite possibly one of, if not the best Tales of game in the series. Released for the GameCube in 2008, Tales of Symphonia is vibrantly colorful and charming to both play and look at.
The combat takes place in an instanced 3D environment that allows you to move and position all the characters of your party and set up attacks as you please. The story, while it may seem to be typical fantasy anime fare, has a few tricks up its sleeve that keeps it interesting alongside the cast of enjoyable characters as the Tales games are known for. This title is all around a good game that stands the test of time many years later.
7/12 Phantasy Star Online: 2
PSO2 is a must-play for anime RPG lovers that also enjoy an MMO experience. It’s one of the most popular MMOs in Japan, and with good reason.
The amount of character customization you are allowed is one of the many advantages it has over single-player games. Thirteen classes, a robust character creator, and most importantly an endless flow of cosmetics to collect for your characters. The story is also something to behold as it not only has 10 years’ worth of content, but it also has the inspiration of the previous Phantasy Star games (MMO and single-player) to refine the lore into something very special. PSO2 as well as its budding sequel, New Genesis are both free to play, so the only thing there is to lose from trying it out is time.
6/12 Megadimension Neptunia VII
Neptunia is a franchise that it is very likely you have passed over on account of being too anime. It’s half visual novel and half RPG, it’s completely focused on the cast of cute girls, and the biggest appeal of the games is the cutesy art and writing.
However, underneath its layers of more and fan service lies some genuinely great RPGs. Like Disgaea, there is a lot of parody that might go over your head if you are not as familiar with RPGs, but at the same time, there is much fun to be had both with the story and the gameplay. Although it would be recommended to start at the beginning (Re;Birth1), Neptunia might not be a franchise for everyone. If you find yourself interested, Megadimension Neptunia VII is lauded as one of, if not the best game in the franchise and could be the one to make you a believer.
5/12 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Awakening launched the series back to its rightful place as a household name after the brief funk that was the previous few games. Since this revitalization of the series, Fire Emblem has been consistently been hitting it out of the park in terms of sales.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses has since become one of the top sellers for the whole series due to bringing what they had learned from Fire Emblem: Fates to a much wider audience. The biggest appeal is the approach to characters and how you interact with them. Much of the game takes place inside a school, giving players a chance to not only play a closer role in developing the stats of their characters but also get to know them better as they talk and spend time together. This, combined with FE’s usually impeccable gameplay combines for one of the best games in the series.
4/12 Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact made a name for itself by becoming a worldwide phenomenon and bursting out of the mobile gacha scene. It is playable on PC and while it is pretty light on mechanical complexity, the amount of gameplay at your disposal is quite staggering.
Obviously inspired by Breath of the Wild and other open-world RPGs, the game is packed full of quests, collectibles, and activities to do all around the world. Mihoyo comes from gacha roots, however, and are experts on making likable characters after the popularity of Honkai Impact 3rd. Almost every character is well received and whether it’s their abilities, their looks, or their personality they all have their fans and of course, tons of fan content as well. With so many interesting personalities, it’s hard not to get swept up in exploring the bright, vibrant lands of Teyvat.
2/12 Persona 4
If you were to ask people which of the two Atlus series’, Persona or Shin Megami Tensei, is the better, the most popular answer would likely be Persona. The SMT franchise is known for its excellent gameplay, its spin-off series, Persona, is much more committed to a wholesale role-playing experience that hooks in all who play it.
Persona 4: Golden is a common nomination for the best Persona game due to its impeccable story and characters. The most essential component of an anime is likable characters and if you were looking for an RPG where you could find some, this game is definitely one of the bests.
