Nintendo Switch has the games, especially a boatload of JRPGs to keep you busy for years to come. With so many JRPGs to choose from on the Switch, finding one that speaks to you could be a challenge. So we spent the time going through all the JRPGs on the system to put together this list so you can start your search by finding the best one and going from there.
While all of these games fall under the same general “Japanese RPG” umbrella, each entry on our list has something different to offer.
There are fast-paced hack and slash action RPGs, fantastic comfort food, RPGs with big epic stories, and even an old-school title to sink dozens of hours into.
Let's start with a remake of a modern classic.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Of the two Xenoblade games on Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition gets the easy recommendation. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a lot to love about it, including its story. But XC: Definitive Edition does everything better.
Combat is more varied and easier to get to right from the start. Environments are more interesting, with more secrets to uncover. And best of all, the story begins with a huge bang and maintains its momentum throughout the long adventure.
It's also easier to see Chronicles as a successor to Xenogears in tone and style. What starts out as a tired sci-fi tale of humans versus alien things gets weird pretty quickly, with plenty of unexpected twists along the way.
Definitive Edition softens almost all the ugly points of the original release, with improved visuals, a better map, and more intuitive interfaces. It's a classic through and through, though additional story content is hit and miss.
Check out our review for the full skinny.
Final Fantasy XII: Age of the Zodiac
You can play many Final Fantasy games on Switch, and one of these would be a good choice. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age offers the most value, however, and it has one of the best stories and feature sets in the series.
FFXII takes place in Ivalice, which can already be an indicator of greatness if you've played Final Fantasy Tactics. Like Tactics, FFXII relies heavily on fantasy politics for its story. Some have even called it the result of a Final Fantasy adventure with Star Wars, with XII's team of brave rebels standing up to an evil empire bent on dominance.
This oversimplifies things, of course, as there are plenty of other side stories and character arcs on the way.
Then there is the fight. FFXII's Gambit system is a breath of fresh air that brings a twist to traditional turn-based combat. You don't control every movement of your characters. Instead, you're essentially programming how they act under specific conditions. It takes some getting used to, but it's a totally absorbing system once you get into it.
We said that "The Zodiac Age takes what was originally a mediocre game and turns it into one of the best gameplay-oriented entries in the series." If that sounds like you, it's probably worth a look.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is one of the most unique JRPGs on Switch. You set out to save the world, but it's not your world. It's a Studio Ghibli fantasy world brimming with personality. Nor is Oliver the hero a reluctant, duty-bound hero destined to banish darkness.
He just wants his mother back, and it's the power of simple kindness in his heart that allows him to face the dark forces that threaten this other world. That and the army of familiars he recruits if he's lucky.
Ni No Kuni is Pokémon-ish in that you breed adorable little monsters into huge beat-up machines, but Level-5's bizarre insistence on making recruiting a challenge spoils the experience a bit. It's not as bad as Yo-Kai Watch, but it could be better.
Still, coping with the few bumps in the road is a small price to pay for spending time in this beautiful world and soaking up its heartfelt history.
Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana
Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana has an 8 in the title, but like the other games in the series, it's a standalone title.
Protagonist Adol Christin washes up on the shores of a mysterious island called Seiren, where "mysterious" means "crawling with massive monsters and dinosaurs that shouldn't exist." Adol is, as always, the main focus of the story, but the action shifts to Dana at different points, as past and present gradually intertwine in a grand crescendo.
At its heart, Ys 8 is an action and exploration game, and there are plenty of both. You'll open up new parts of the island as you explore and recruit more castaways - and party members - to your base camp, which also means encountering new monsters.
Fortunately, Adol and co. possess a wide variety of skills that you'll integrate seamlessly when not swapping between party members to take advantage of enemy weaknesses. Story aside, it's this heart-pounding, fast-paced action that sets Ys 8 apart as one of the best JRPGs on Switch.
And if you like what you see, Ys 9: Monstrum Nox is heading to Switch in 2021.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3
You can't get much further from Ys 8 than with The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 on Switch. Trails is steeped in history, with combat steeped in the traditional turn-based style. That's also what makes it so good.
Unlike Ys, Cold Steel 3 isn't fully standalone, but it does offer plenty of ways to catch up with what's going on with the people in Class VII. Yes, it's a school story, but only on the surface.
Beneath it, Cold Steel 3 builds one of the best RPG narratives around the big themes of government intrigue, imperialism and conquest, and giant mechs. It's the kind of game where a national tax plan takes center stage one minute and spells cast at an unhinged would-be terrorist takes over the next, and it's all a major part of the same tightly-knit story.
Spell casting and trail attacks are never a static affair, though they are traditionally structured. Each character uses an orb that you customize with different quartz crystals. These increase stats, allow the use of certain spells, or inflict status issues.
You'll need to fine-tune your setup for some of the biggest fights in the game, while balancing your attack with each character's special skills. There's a lot going on in both story and gameplay, making Trails of Cold Steel 3 one of the most satisfying RPGs on our list.
And did I mention that the soundtrack is excellent? Because the soundtrack is excellent.
Octopath traveler
Octopath Traveler is good at dividing opinions, but we at House GameSkinny are firmly on the “it deserves its place as one of the best JRPGs on the Switch” camp. Octopath Traveler's episodic stories and fragmentary narrative don't work together until the end, though there are connections if you pay attention.
Even if it's not, the character stories are enough to make it interesting - the thief facing his traitor, the merchant realizing the world isn't made up of happiness and butterflies, the apprentice hunter trying to save his mentor. That's a good thing, even if individual abilities don't affect side stories as much as possible.
The combat is even better, which is good since you'll be fighting a lot. Outside of the deep job system with secondary skills galore, Octopath Traveler uses a Bravely Default style boost system. Knowing when to spend boost points to strengthen your attacks is key, and it creates a satisfying ebb and flow in every fight, especially dramatic boss fights.
And if you don't know when to do that, you better learn fast. Octopath Traveler doesn't pull any punches.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a strategy game. But Nintendo calls it an RPG on the official site. It's Japanese, so it works.
Three Houses takes the split narrative style that failed in Fire Emblem Fates and makes it the focal point. You choose one of three houses at the start and guide your students' growth as events suddenly spiral out of control.
And then it happens: your choices determine who will die. Emotional manipulation? Maybe. But it certainly makes the story harder and, more importantly, makes you want to play the other routes to find out what was going on with everyone.
Three Houses changes the combat system enough to keep it interesting, with new monsters, terrains, and weapon types. And while everyone who plays it gets excited for just about everything in Three Houses, it does a much better job of keeping supportive relationships like, well... support, instead of making it the ultimate endgame.
Disgaea 5 complete
Since we're releasing strategy games here, we'd be remiss not to include Disgaea 5 Complete as one of the best JRPGs on Switch. Technically, Disgaea 5 is the same Disgaea formula established with the first PlayStation 2 entry. You play as Netherworld heroes and anti-heroes on their journey to Do A Thing, engaging in over-the-top tactical battles and progressing . to 9 if desired.
It's wacky – like any game with explosive penguins called Prinnies should be. It's also a refreshing take on the usual JRPG setup, even if Disgaea 5 is slightly more serious than its predecessors.
With lovable characters, the item world for eternal grinding, and in-depth character management all being the same, you might be wondering whether to go with Disgaea 5 over the other two on the Switch. While Disgaea 4 Complete+ adds all of the D5 quality of life improvements, D5 has one thing D4 doesn't: every piece of downloadable content.
Stuff like the Gift of HL is included at no extra cost, and who's to say no to free money?
Romance SaGa 3
Romancing SaGa 3 can be a total pain, but the same thing that makes it difficult is what makes it great: minimal barriers.
The story unfolds as you figure out how to move it forward. Instead of achieving goals, you need to talk to people, figure out what's going on, and then act on it. Your actions and choices determine story progression in some cases, locking in specific quest and story paths depending on what you do.
On top of that, Romancing SaGa 3 features multiple characters, much like Octopath Traveler. Their stories follow unique paths that simultaneously paint a picture of the larger story. But SaGa 3 does a slightly better job of showing how it all works together, assuming you can get to the end, of course.
The problem is that sometimes you fly really close to the seat of your pants. The same setup applies to combat and character progression. You are free to find out how it works for yourself, as the game won't tell you. Romancing SaGa 3 isn't for everyone because of that, but if you can master its more heinous elements, there's an adventure like no other here.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
So far, the Switch only has Tales of Vesperia to represent Bandai Namco's Tales of series. However, we are not complaining. It's widely considered one of the best in the series, and with good reason.
Vesperia flips the usual cast archetypes from the start and ends up being one of the most varied and interesting in the series. Protagonist Yuri Lowell is a devious loner, mage Rita's favorite pastime is studying alone and insulting people, and Repede the dog smokes a pipe.
The story is standard Tales fare, a grand, epic fantasy with warring nations, betrayals, and lavish locations you'll visit as you travel the world. Standard doesn't mean boring, though, and the interesting cast of characters keeps it from looking outdated.
It's all wrapped up in the series' signature combat system. Vesperia's combat is half a step ahead of Tales of the Abyss' Flex-Linear system, but half a step ahead of more modern entry combo combat. The flow might not be as smooth, but managing the skills and the points required to use them keeps you on your toes for every battle.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
In a world where traditional RPGs are rapidly losing favor, Dragon Quest XI S shows that the formula still has plenty of life. You'll know what to expect if you've played any of the previous Dragon Quests: turn-based battles, chosen heroes, world-ending darkness, and Akira Toriyama's fabulous artwork.
Dragon Quest XI S has it all, but it performs every part of it – and more – so well.
This is largely thanks to the excellent cast. Everyone gets their story told and the Switch version adds even more with optional additional episodes.
The combat system is the same as ever for the most part, but gets some much-needed upgrades through things like Pep powers and new handy spells and skills. There is also a Dragon Quest version of crafting items, which saves money and is well worth it, if only because you use a “fun sized forge” to craft items. .
Dragon Quest XI S sweetens the deal even more. In addition to these additional character episodes, you can travel back in time to segments from each previous Dragon Quest game with new story content and quests. Plus, you can play the entire game in 2-bit 16D, which makes the slight visual downgrade of the PS4 version more than worthwhile.
So much for our list of the best JRPGs on Nintendo Switch. Of course, there are other contenders, but these are the ones you should start with if you're looking for a brand new JRPG adventure on console. What are your favourites? Join the conversation on Twitter!
