Best RPGs Where Fashion Matters

Getting an RPG with the ability to dress up characters can be a lot of fun. For example, the costume changes in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can look cool and goofy in cutscenes. Most games that have costume changes like that are there purely for cosmetic reasons.

However, other games, specifically RPGs, have built systems around fashion. Wearing an outfit may boost stats when in a certain area of the game, for example. Clothing may also get dirty or torn, which can affect gameplay too. There aren’t many examples that lean into fashion or clothing, but these examples will give players plenty to think about. They will be ranked based on how key fashion plays into the mechanics.

The 3rd Birthday

Keep Your Clothes On Aya

The 3rd Birthday is the third game in the Parasite Eve franchise. A lot changed with this PSP entry, but Aya Brea was still the protagonist. This time, she used a machine to travel back in time and prevent New York City from being sucked into another tragedy, which also granted her the ability called Overdive.

During combat and exploration, players could befriend NPCs to join Aya temporarily. If Aya took enough damage, Aya’s clothing would tear, hinting to players to switch to a new body. Overdive would switch Aya’s brainwaves into one of her NPC allies, which would switch out her gear, replenish her health, and in turn restore her clothing. While Aya couldn’t become a fashionista in the game, clothing was used in a unique way to aid gameplay.

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus

Beach Happy Ninjas

Most Senran Kagura games follow the same plot lines and gameplay mechanics. Like Musou games, players can choose from a variety of teen girls who wield unique weapons and have distinct skill sets. Each character can be dressed in two different outfits at a time. Players will begin levels with their traditional clothing, and when they reach a certain state, they can transform into their powered-up ninja form.

Like The 3rd Birthday, clothing can be torn to indicate health loss in these games. Characters will also take more damage with more skin showing, so it would behoove players to choose the most clothing possible in exchange for having less revealing characters. Most entries are available on Steam and scattered across multiple consoles. Senran Kagura: Estival Versus stands out thanks to its wide variety of characters and bigger levels compared to the entries that started on portables.

The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

A Link To The Dressing Rooms

Fans can argue all day whether Zelda games are RPGs or not, but for the sake of fashion, let’s discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes because it has a unique approach to clothing. The game is centered around co-op as three players can connect their 3DS systems, which is different than previous multiplayer Zelda games that featured four-player co-op. The game can be finished alone, but it’s easier and more fun with a full party.

Beyond co-op, the big gimmick revolves around getting different costumes for Link via story progress and purchasing outfits in town. Each new outfit is almost like a class change in an RPG, as they will bestow each Link with a different ability. The Big Bomb Outfit, for example, gives Link the ability to use Big Bombs. A more interesting support costume is called the Cheer Outfit, which comes complete with pom poms and can boost team Energy Gauges by 50%. Outfits can change the dynamic of party layouts and open up new pathways in dungeons, so it’s encouraged for players to strategize with friends.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed

Protect Your Skin From That Wicked Sunlight

• Developer: Acquire
• Publisher: Xseed Games (NA)
• Released: August 12, 2014 (NA)
• Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, PS4

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed has a similar clothing system to Senran Kagura games and The 3rd Birthday. While it could be said that the game is little more than fan service with all of the costume changes, there is a strategic reason behind the clothing choices. Players begin in Akihabara, a bustling district in Japan known for promoting nerd culture. The nameless protagonist gets turned into a Synthister, which is like an artificial vampire that is weak to sunlight in exchange for incredible strength.

To try and reverse this process, players will go around Akihabara looking for leaders and taking down Synthisters in the process. To defeat them in battle, players will have to strip as much clothing as possible before they destroy them with sunlight in battle. Players can be as fashionable as they want with their hero, but it’s better to be fully dressed to prevent sun damage. Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed is an overlooked and very silly game, but fun if players are willing to get sucked into the absurdity.

The World Ends With You

Fashion In The Afterlife

The World Ends With You is an echelon above many games for a variety of reasons, between its initial DS release and its eventual Switch remaster. Players begin with Neku, a quiet teenager, who winds up in a game of death in a sort of purgatory-like state that resembles Shibuya in Japan. To get revived, Neku has to win The Game, and each new week gives him a different partner. The first partner is Shiki, a teenage girl and budding fashion artist.

During combat, players can equip Pins, which give Neku different abilities like thunderbolts or fireballs. Pins and clothing belong to fashion labels in Japan, which are valued based on trends. Trending gear can boost effectiveness depending on where players are located, so players need to check their map regularly to see what to wear. It’s a cool system that was unfortunately hindered by the DS as clothing would not physically change on Neku or his partners, but that’s only a small ding in an otherwise forward-thinking DS RPG.

Infinity Nikki

Dress To Impress

Infinity Nikki, despite what some may think after they downloaded the game, is not the start of a new series. Instead, it is the fifth game in a franchise that is about a decade old. That said, Infinity Nikki is definitely a step above the previous releases as it features an open world, a bizarre story, and plenty of traversal options thanks to costumes. Some outfits can be unlocked in the story, some through collecting the right materials, and others through purchasing them via the in-game store.

It is a free-to-play game with familiar mechanics after all, but it is a deep RPG regardless of the stigma attached to gacha-based games. Certain dresses can make Nikki glide, and others will unlock combat abilities. It’s a pretty chill open-world game overall where fashion, exploration, and good vibes trump all, but it is not boring by any means. It may look like a game aimed at girls, but anyone can have a good time with Infinity Nikki.