Best JRPGs That Play Like Visual Novels

Key Takeaways

• JRPGs and visual novels share long, dialogue-heavy stories with twisting plots and riveting characters.
• Games like Persona 3 Portable blend JRPG and visual novel elements to offer epic narratives.
• The World Ends with You combines linear storytelling with stylish battles and exploration, making it engaging.

It’s easy to state outright that JRPGs and visual novels are completely different genres that can be differentiated at a glance. The truth is that most JRPGs have a linear, dialogue-heavy story that can go on for a long time, something that visual novel fans are familiar with. These stories are lengthy, full of riveting characters, and revolve around numerous plotlines that can be head-turning at points. However, players who love such epic narratives will find the JRPG genre to be full of games right up their alley.

Fans of visual novels can find JRPGs to be rather daunting to get into, so games that combine both genres serve as an easy starting point for these games. Thankfully, several Japanese role-playing games fit the bill here, letting players enjoy a long narrative with several twists and turns that keep players railroaded for quite some time before the gameplay side of things finally rears its head.

1 Persona 3 Portable

The Free Roam Sections Are Changed To Feel More Like A Visual Novel

With the launch of Persona 3 on the PlayStation Portable, Atlus had to cut some corners to fit the entirety of this game on a console that was weaker than the PS2. The result is Persona 3 Portable, a game that is incredibly lengthy and can have its slow-paced moments as players ascend to the top of Tartarus. Removing the free-roam sections of the game and turning it into a visual novel of sorts where players explore the map by moving an icon around is a simple and innovative way to work around the PSP’s hardware limitations.

The best part is that none of the game’s complex combat goodness is lost in this port. In fact, players who want a more challenging experience can play this game with a female protagonist, which is the only time in the series that Atlus has experimented with such a concept. New Social Links, story events, and romance partners can be unlocked if players choose to play as the FeMC, and it’s a shame that Persona 3 Reload didn’t bring back this much-welcome addition to Portable in the remake.

2 Sakura Wars

A Combination Of A Dating Sim, Visual Novel, And Action JRPG

When people think of JRPG-visual novel hybrids, the first thing that comes to the mind of many players is Sakura Wars. The 2019 game is a great entry point into the series, letting players enjoy a fun action-packed video game with heart-warming bonding moments and dating sim elements where players must endear themselves to their teammates and choose a romantic interest for the long haul.

The switch to an action-based combat system worked well for Sakura Wars, and players who may find the setting to be a bit too weird for their tastes should bite the bullet and give this game a shot. The plot moves along like a visual novel at a slow pace, letting players familiarize themselves with the main cast before the narrative starts chugging along, with the episodic format giving each portion of the narrative some much-needed breathing room as players tackle demons in the 1940s while uncovering a much bigger controversy at the heart of things.

3 The World Ends With You

The Story Is A Linear Slow Burn Interspersed With Combat And Exploration

One of the most stylish and engaging JRPGs players can get their hands on, The World Ends with You was one of the most innovative games to ever be released on the Nintendo DS. It made the most of the dual screens to integrate a hectic combat system where players controlled two characters at the same time to take out monsters and tough foes. At the heart of this tale is Neku, an amnesiac teenager who is forced to participate in a deadly Reapers’ Game where he must complete daily missions or die.

The central mystery of this story is a riveting one that slowly unfolds with lengthy plot sequences that involve a ton of reading. This is interspersed with exploration and combat that exhibits a ton of style, with players having to follow the various fashion trends of Shibuya to enhance their effectiveness in battle. The plot is one of the best things of TWEWY that players will love reading through, battling tough enemies until the advent of a plot twist that redeems this story and makes its final leg a blast to get through.

4 Utawarerumono: Mask Of Truth

A Game That Combines Tactical RPG Gameplay With Visual Novel Elements

A lengthy tactical JRPG with visual novel gameplay that is as engrossing as they come, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is an easy recommendation for fans of this hybrid genre. The game serves as the finale of a trilogy that fans should ideally play first before getting into this story-heavy title.

The tactical combat is serviceable and gets the job done, but it’s the character development and overarching narrative that makes Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth one of the best visual novel-JRPG hybrids players can get their hands on. Given how the previous game ended on a cliffhanger, the revelations in this final title are a joy to uncover and make for a rewarding conclusion to a trilogy that deserves way more love than it gets.

5 Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

A Side-Scrolling Action RPG With An Interesting Story That Flows A Lot Like A Visual Novel

A side-scrolling action JRPG that received an updated release to improve the gameplay side of things, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is one of the most underrated games in this genre that more players need to check out. The high fantasy setting and a story revolving around five characters make for an epic tale set in the continent of Erion, with the plot being quite text-heavy and giving off a lot of visual novel vibes from the very moment the story becomes a major focus.

The war between Ragnanival and Ringford revolves around the Crystallization Cauldron and how it directly feeds into the end of the world via Armageddon. It’s an epic narrative that unfolds over seven books, with only five being apparent from the get-go before the other two rear their heads in a unique narrative structure that makes this game feel like a visual novel in the best way possible.