The year 2020 was a good one for fans of the JRPG genre especially for the nostalgic gamers that grew up classics such as Trials of Mana and Final Fantasy VII. However, it’s unfortunate that most of these remakes and remasters were better than any original IPs which may have released that year according to Metacritic.
Even with it being the year of the remake, 2020 was still a great year for gamers, and remakes of games like Final Fantasy VII and Demon’s Souls absolutely deserve all the accolades and praise. In such a difficult year, it’s been a pleasure for most gamers to be able to escape reality and dive into a different world for some of the best forms of escapism available. Even though this top ten from Metacritic is dominated by remakes and remasters, every game on this list deserves a place in any RPG fan’s collection.
Updated on May 5, 2021 by Michael Llewellyn: Despite an eventful year that caused several delays and postponements, the year 2020 served gamers well. With lockdowns in effect around the world, JRPGs served as the perfect form of escapism for fans. There were AAA JRPG mega-hits like the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Demon’s Souls to keep players happy for hours. However, there were several smaller scale JRPGs from 2020 that fans should definitely consider adding to their collection.
15 Langrisser I & II – Metascore 71
- Developer: Developed by Career Soft and remastered by Kadokawa
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch and Ps4
- Genre: Strategy RPG
Originally developed by Career Soft the same studio that created the more recent Growlanser series, the Langrisser series are considered spiritual predecessors. The first two Langrisser games were released in 1991 and 1994 respectively.
Just like the Grolanser games, Langrisser I & II are tactical RPGs but the gameplay is more reminiscent of the classic Fire Emblem and Advance Wars games. The updated visuals look nice and clean and the stories are still as interesting as it was back in the 90s.
14 Brigandine: The Legend Of Runesrsia – Metascore 75
- Developer: Matrix Software
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch and PS4
- Genre: Tactical RPG
A sequel to the 1998 PS1 cult classic Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena, this tactical RPG developed by Alundra developers Matrix Software was highly anticipated by its fans. As a grand strategy game, Brigandine: Legend of Runersia is something of a niche title.
Yet, despite this, the game is surprisingly accessible for newcomers and has a rich storyline and deep characters. For players looking for a challenge, however, the higher difficulties will certainly cater to that, and the game is filled with hours and hours of content.
13 Trials Of Mana (Metascore 76)
- Developer: Square Enix
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Genre: Action RPG
In a year of remakes, remasters, and reboots, the Trials of Mana remake was one of the most hotly anticipated games of the year for fans of JRPGs. It’s true that it didn’t have the same budget as the Final Fantasy VII Remake did and there’s quite a bit grinding but Trials of Mana is still a great game.
It has a solid battle system with an excellent character customization system that’s surprisingly flexible. In addition, it’s very faithful to the SNES original, and being able to play from different perspectives added longevity to the game.
12 Ys: Memories Of Celcetta – Metascore 77
- Developer: Nihon Falcom
- Systems Released: PS4, PC, and PS Vita
- Genre: Action RPG
Originally released on the PlayStation Vita in 2013, the PlayStation 4 port of Ys: Memories of Celcetta doesn’t feature much in the way of enhancements but it’s still a fantastic adventure game.
It’s a reimagining of the fourth game in the Ys series but it serves as a great introduction to gamers that are new to the series. It doesn’t have a deep and complex story like a Final Fantasy but it's still a thrilling one. Additionally, the gameplay and puzzle-based mechanics rival The Legend of Zelda of series.
11 Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin (Metascore 79)
- Developer: Edelweis Studio
- Systems Released: PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC
- Genre: Action RPG and Farming Sim
Released in late 2020, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is an action RPG developed by a two-man team in the Edelweiss Studio. It was released on the PC, Nintendo Switch, and the PlayStation 4 and despite being classified as a JRPG it’s also a farming sim.
The contrast in genres seems to blend perfectly as both playing styles complement each other and offer the kind of depth that not many big-budget AAA releases can match. It’s true that the resource management side of the game won’t appeal to everyone but for those looking for something a little different Sakuna is an easy recommendation.
10 Ys Origin – Metascore 81
- Developer: Nihon Falcom
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Ps Vita, Xbox One, and PC
- Genre: Action RPG
Originally released on the PC in 2012, it seemed unlikely that a console version of Ys Origin would see the light of day. Thankfully, fans of the Ys series were in luck and the game was released on the PS4/Vita and Xbox One in 2017 and 2018.
A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in 2020, and Ys Origin serves well as a starting point for new players. More importantly, as a prequel, it fleshes out the mythology and lore surrounding the Ys series.
9 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Metascore 81)
- Developer: Atlus
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Traditional Turn-based
Released in early 2020, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore was released on the Nintendo Switch as the definitive version of the JRPG crossover of Fire Emblem and Persona on the Wii U. The game combined the modern-day setting of the Persona series with characters from the Fire Emblem series.
The mash-up of characters and themes works surprisingly well but most fans agree that it isn’t quite as good as either franchise. It’s still a solid JRPG and the game definitive deserved more exposure on a more popular console system.
8 Trails Of Cold Steel IV (Metascore 81)
- Developer: Nihon Falcom
- Systems Released: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia
- Genre: Traditional Turn-based RPG
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is the final entry in the Cold Steel series and the seventh in the Trails series that released in Western territories. The series was developed by Falcom, the same team that created the Ys series, and is one of the most ambitious sagas in gaming. It has great characters, immense world-building, and an excellent combat system.
The series is a slow burn and players really need to start from the beginning to fully appreciate the series. However, as a conclusion to the long-running series, Trails of Cold Steel IV is an epic finale that will please long-time fans.
7 Nioh 2 (Metascore 85)
- Developer: Team Ninja
- Systems Released: PS4 and PS5
- Genre: Action RPG
The Nioh series is considered by many fans of the series to be the best of the many Souls-like action RPGs that have hit the market since Dark Souls became a huge success. Nioh, however, has been successful in making Nioh its own thing by borrowing elements from the equally punishing Ninja Gaiden series.
The combat is beautifully fluid and varied and features some of the best and the most strategic swordplay in the genre. While it’s not massively different from its predecessor, Nioh 2 still takes everything from the first game and makes it better in every way from the side quests, the visuals to the epic boss fights.
6 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – Metascore 85
- Developer: Vanillaware
- Systems Released: PS4
- Genre: Tactical RPG and Visual Novel
With games like Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown releasing to critical acclaim the developers Vanillaware carved out a niche of their own. Their combination of modern storytelling with old-school gameplay mechanics on a 2.5D backdrop allowed the studio to make some of the most unique games of the prospective generations.
However, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim may be their best title yet. It’s a visual novel adventure game with real-time strategy combat. The game is set in the near future where a war between giant mechs and Kaiju has become a way of life. The game’s narrative is non-linear offering its players hours of gameplay. There’s time travel, mechs, Kaiju, and a story with so many twists and turns that even veterans of JRPGs and visual novels will be surprised.
5 Yakuza: Like A Dragon (Metascore 85)
- Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Systems Released: Ps4, Ps5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Traditional Turn-based RPG
Prior to this entry, the Yakuza series has always been an action RPG with a fighting system that has more in common with the likes of Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. With the newest entry in the series Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the game not only introduced a new protagonist but a completely new combat system.
Now the game has adopted a new turn-based combat system that has more in common with the Dragon Quest series than it does its own predecessors. The system is now more flexible and customizable than ever and it’s just as entertainingly hilarious as it is brutal.
4 Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Metascore 87)
- Developer: Square Enix
- Systems Released: PS4
- Genre: Action RPG
One of the biggest releases of the year was also the more hotly anticipated games of all time especially for fans of the 1997 classic was the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Thankfully, the game more than lived up to fan’s impossibly high expectations with its stunning production values, great combat system, and the way it fleshed out already well-established characters in the FF7 canon.
The only real disappointing thing about this remake is that it’s only the first part of a series that may become a trilogy. It’s not the complete story that everyone hoped for but it is an excellent start in what is sure to be an amazing series.
3 Xenoblade Chronicles: The Definitive Edition (Metascore 89)
- Developer: Monolith Soft, Nintendo
- Systems Released: Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Action RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles: The Definitive Edition is the remastered and expanded RPG epic that originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010. It was one of the best games of a generation and that remains the case in this expanded version.
Not only does the game come with completely reworked visuals built for the Nintendo Switch but the music has been reworked allowing players to switch between the old and new soundtrack. In addition, it comes complete with the expansion Future Connected which is set one year after the events of the original game.
2 Demon’s Souls (Metascore 92)
- Developer: FromSoft
- Systems Released: PS5
- Genre: Action RPG
Released as a launch title exclusively for the PlayStation 5, Demon’s Souls is a remake of the cult hit that released exclusively on the PlayStation 3. It’s the origins of the hit series Dark Souls and both share many of the same themes.
Remade from the ground up, the visuals are absolutely stunning. Additionally, the improvements made to the game’s mechanics and smoother framerate not only make it one of the best JRPGs released in 2020 but one of the launch titles ever.
1 Persona 5 Royal (Metascore 95)
- Developer: Atlus
- Systems Released: PS4
- Genre: Traditional Turn-based RPG and Dating Sim
Released worldwide in 2020, Persona 5: Royal is an enhanced version of the original which launched in 2018 on the PS3 and the PS4. The game was already hailed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time and one of the best games across two generations.
The game combines heavy elements of dungeon crawling and exploration with social interactions and developing relationships with party members. More an extended director’s cut than a remaster, Persona 5 Royal still adds just enough worthwhile content, and quality of life adjustments make it one of the best JRPGs of all time.