We all love JRPGs: exploring ridiculous dungeons, progressing through over-the-top melodrama, and inevitably fighting God (or something similar) at the top of a castle.
Yet so many great games in the genre expect you to gain XP and treasure through grinding the same levels over and over.
10 Best Long-Running JRPG Franchises Ranked
JRPGs have been around since the advent of gaming, and they still persist today. Here are the ten best long-running JRPG series.
Sure, if the gameplay is good, the grind can be fun. But even if it’s fun—what if you don’t have the time?
Fair enough! There are only so many hours in the day. So, to help you make the most of your limited gaming sessions, let’s check out ten great JRPGs without level-grinding.
10Fire Emblem
Tactical Combat One Map At A Time
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Don’t want to grind the same level repeatedly? Well, in the firstFire Emblemgame released in the westthere is no way to play prior levels.Grinding is impossible.
While modern entries in the series have bonus missions, out-of-level training, and similar features, the OG just focuses on story missions. Combined with the series’infamous use of character permadeath,andFire Emblemcertainly provides a strategic challenge without even considering grinding.
(Also, it’s one of my personal favorite videogame stories—beautiful and tragic, well worth your time.)
9Eiyuden Chronicle
Over 100 Heroes, Grinding Not Included
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
By the creator of the PlayStation classicSuikoden,this modern descendant features a cast of over 100 recruitable heroes. Who would want to grind that many characters? The simple answer is absolutely no one.
As a result,XP progression and leveling up are very forgivinginEiyuden Chronicle.This reduces the amount of grinding pretty nearly to zero, since just a handful of battles—which you’d do anyway while exploring a new area—are enough to bring new recruits up to level.
8Beyond Galaxyland
Sci-Fi Adventure With Balanced Leveling
Beyond Galaxyland
Taking a look over into the indie side of JRPGs,Beyond Galaxylandis our first example of a JRPG where youcouldgrind … but it’s never required. Instead,progressing through the game produces sufficient XPfor the next mission.
On the other hand, it’s pretty easy to over-level if you’re into cleaning up sidequests. Considering the strong completionist streak in JRPG fans, there’s a risk that the final battles will be underwhelming.
Beyond Galaxyland Review
Looking to scratch that JRPG itch? Beyond Galaxyland vies to be the genre’s best in 2024.
7Chrono Trigger
Steady Progression Backwards Through Time
Chrono Trigger
Often considered one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, one oft-overlooked aspect ofChrono Triggeris its smooth, steady leveling. Despite having a maximum level of 99, all that’s actually required to beat the game is a party in the 50’s.
Why the high-level cap? Well,Chrono Triggeris damn fun, and clearly, the designers believed that while designing its iconicactive time battlingsystem. Later, it was used heavily in theFinal Fantasyfranchise, soit’s no wonder the game offers room for growth—but only if youchooseit.
6Persona 5
Don’t Skip The Fights
Persona 5 Royal
Despite the enormous runtime required to finishPersona 5,the game features very little “filler” to bump your level up. So long as you consistently engage in fights while exploring the “palaces” of humanity’s collective unconscious, it’s unlikely you’ll ever need to catch up with the main story.
If you frequently flee a palace’s shadows while exploring the dungeon, though, later in the game you might find yourself under-leveled. Your best bet isusing your overworld mobility to ambush enemy encounters,rather than avoiding them entirely.
10 JRPGs That Deserve Full Remakes
Some fantastic JRPGs have been left behind over the years. These are the best classics that deserve full modernized remakes.
5Undertale
Make Friends, No Levels Required
Undertaleis justly famous as an indie JRPG where you can complete the game without leveling up a single time. And not because speedrunners discovered an easily-used exploit.
Rather,Undertale’sunique combat system lets you choose when and why to battle. This game stands out not because of the gameplay’s refinement, but becauseyour story choices let you avoid grinding.
That said, there still may be a bit of a “skill grind” the first time you play.Undertaletakes notes from “bullet hell” games in its combat system. Its learning curve isn’t brutal, but may be a new experience for some gamers.
4Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Wonderful Blend of Character Level And Player Skill
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)
The concept that a great JRPG is about both character level and player skill is exemplified byPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door(and theother JRPGs in the Mario franchise).Get good with action commands, and you can clear anyPaper Mariogame with minimal battling.
That’s not to say that the casual experience is a grind-fest!The Thousand-Year Doorfeatures a sharp drop in XP once you’re suitably leveled for an area.
This doesn’t just “deter” players from grinding—it’s also a signal that no grinding is necessary. Leveling up isn’t very frequent, either, so each time you get to choose how Mario improves, your options are meaningful.
3Chrono Cross
OK,NowYou Can Flee From Fights
Chrono Cross
Although it’s the sequel to the venerableChrono Trigger,the franchise gets two entries in this list because both are JRPG innovators. One common theme of avoiding grinding is to defeat any enemies encountered.
InChrono Cross,you canrun from anything, even boss encounters.Heck, most of them you can even runaroundon the overworld and continue your exploration!
Defeating bosses is still required to beat the game. However, this amount of freedom makes side-stepping the grind an interesting option alongside Elements andChrono Cross’sother twists on the JRPG formula.
XP Share From Journey’s Beginning
Pokemon X and Y
Old-school Pokémon is a classic example of JRPG level-grinds. The modern games, however,give you the Experience Share right from the beginning.
Keep this device turned on while playing any Pokémon game sinceX / Yand you’ll get a smooth progression through the game. Pokémon featured grinding because you had at least six monsters in your pocket to keep around the same level. Now, the game handles it for you.
1Octopath Traveler
Eight Journeys To Juggle Difficulty
Octopath Traveler
InOctopath Traveler,you choose one hero from a group of eight and then meet the rest as you continue to explore the world. Each character’s journey is organized into multiple episodes of increasing difficulty.
These are spread across the world map so that exploration is required to complete your story—and along the way, you’ll meet and complete the stories of the other heroes. This structureeliminates grinding because you always have a story mission availableat your level.
Of course, there’s the additional sidequests, optional dungeons, secret bosses, and so on. Everything you’d expect from a JRPG!
And really, that’s whyOctopath Travelermakes the top of this list. It feels like the quintessential JRPG experience, but its cast is scattered across a world so wide you’re never left grinding to get past a prohibitive wall.Octopath Traveleris the perfect JRPG if you love the formula, but hate the grind.
10 Strongest JRPG Protagonists, Ranked
Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the strongest of them all?
