Once upon a time, anime games were a pretty niche genre in the west, especially when the only offerings were those Japanese console developers like Sony and Nintendo decided to translate. As the culture around anime became more mainstream over the decades, more and more Japanese developers saw an opportunity to bring their games to the western world, creating huge followings for certain series.
The truth is, even if you don’t like anime – the many video game anime series of varying quality – these games cover almost every genre, so there’s bound to be something in here that you’ll connect with. If you do like anime though, this is the list for you, as these games define the genre.
Final Fantasy XIV
Any Final Fantasy game is worthy of being on this list, but Final Fantasy XIV brings the great genre of MMORPGs to the table, creating an ongoing series with more and more content coming a few times a year. If you’re looking for a bottomless pit of content then A) You must be a One Piece fan, and B) the best MMOs are where you should look, and FFXIV is definitely in that category.
Doki Doki Literature Club
A cute little visual novel with adorable anime girls and that’s all…Yup. Nothing else to see here.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Continuing our look into visual novels that are deeper than you’d think, Phoenix Wright combines intense storytelling action with unique puzzle mechanics as you attempt to solve an increasingly ridiculous string of murders. If you want all your classic anime tropes like a world that blends Japanese and western culture, aggressively on-the-nose character names, and way too much pointing, then this is your paradise.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
When it comes to Dragon Ball Z, a fighting game is the only way to go. Previous games like Budokai 3 might be a little cleaner from a gameplay perspective, but if you want a genuinely beautiful fighting game that captures the atmosphere and overwhelming style of the series, Dragon Ball FighterZ is the only viable choice.
Genshin Impact
Back into the world of online games, Genshin Impact feels unique because of how seamlessly it manages to blend a single-player JRPG with an open-world environment. Beware if you’re vulnerable to gacha mechanics because this one can be quite the drain, but the incredible gameplay and charming characters are enough to make up for it.
NieR: Automata
Anime isn’t all bright colours and silly tropes. If you prefer something with a more muted colour palette and deep, introspective character writing, then NieR: Automata is second to none. This game has exceptionally clean hack and slash gameplay which carries a sombre but beautiful story about what it means not just to be alive, but what it means to feel emotions. To say any more would spoil an amazing experience, just make sure you don’t put it down the first time the credits roll.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Do you like anime with a huge cast of quirky characters, all of whom fulfil one or two narrow tropes? Then have I got some great news for you because Fire Emblem: Three Houses has a character for just about every trope you can think of, and watching them all interact is a joyous experience. That’s on top of some carefully crafted strategy gameplay that will keep you on your toes at all times.
Octopath Traveler
Like Fire Emblem, Octopath Traveler brings a full cast of characters and has fun watching them interact, but they also all get their own stories that help define them. Octopath Traveler refines the classic style of JRPG gameplay to the finest it’s ever been, giving you all the feel of a retro game with all the benefits of modern game design.
Xenoblade Chronicles
You can pick any game in the series and you’ll be satisfied with this. They’re giant open-world adventures that take you through loads of different (but equally impressive) types of areas. There are loads of side quests and characters to get involved in, and emotionally charged main stories that will have you bawling your eyes out at the drop of a hat. They’ve got a little something for everyone.
Persona 5 Royal
The Persona series is pretty hard to beat when it comes to anime games. They have an intense sense of style that lodges in the memory after just one look at a trailer, and the gameplay has almost bottomless depth. It’s a life sim that sees you build bonds with your allies and grow your skills, and it’s a dungeon-crawling JRPG with extensive stats and combat mechanics. The way they blend together is something no other series can match, and they are more anime than just about anything else on the market, and now P5R is coming to Xbox, Switch and Steam, so there’s no excuse.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
