10 JRPGs Where Your Choices Mean More Than You Expect

JRPGs aren't usually known for game-changing decisions, but instead for their stellar world-building and well-written characters. In saying that, there have been a few games in the genre that deviate from this norm, making players question their choices and the impact their decision can have later on.

These can manifest as different routes stemming from which optionable content you chose to tackle (or rather, didn't), who you choose to live or die, or even seemingly unimportant dialogue choices which actually, were pretty important in retrospect. It's these kinds of games that offer more player agency in a genre that doesn't really offer a lot.

I say that as someone who loves JRPGs, and believes that not every game needs to make you feel anxiety about every choice you make. Sometimes, you really do just want a game that offers you a truly unique experience during your playthrough, and one that doesn't give you the same fixed ending despite your unique roleplaying experience.

So, without further ado, we're going to look at 10 JRPG games that break from this linear convention, and feature some pretty intricate outcomes depending on the decisions you, the player, make during your playthrough.

10 Persona 5: Royal

How You Choose to Spend Your Free Time Can Have Major Ramifications

Persona 5 is all about forging stronger bonds with your companions to awaken new powers (and gain some pretty nifty buffs too). But in Persona 5 Royal, this is taken to the next level as maxing out your rank with three characters is vital in unlocking the third semester and the true ending to the game.

Early in your Persona 5 journey, you'll be introduced to the school councillor, Takuto Maruki and the exchange student Kasumi. These are new additions to Persona 5: Royal, and come with their own Confidant storyline. As part of Royal, Akechi also has an official confidant route, which will be important to max out, as he is also vital in the game's third semester.

If you fail to max out Akechi and Maruki's confidants, the game will end as normal after defeating Yaldabaoth. While Kasumi isn't mandatory to unlock the third semester, you'll need to complete at least the first five of her ranks by December 22nd to get to see the remainder of her story. Sadly, this does mean you'll need to hang out with them instead of going to the jazz bar with Makoto every other night, but experiencing the third semester will make it all worth it.

9 ​​Chrono Cross

Open-Ended Choices Have More Impact Than Thought

Chrono Cross can feel like an overwhelming experience due to its open-ended adventure, but it's one that can feel so satisfying once you figure out its narrative puzzle.

This pseudo-sequel to Chrono Trigger takes place in the same world as the first game, but in an alternate series of timelines with tons of characters to recruit. Eventually, you'll also be asked to make crucial decisions after certain events in the game, only to realise the outcome of said decisions far later into the game.

It's also entirely possible to lock yourself out of recruiting certain companions in your playthrough depending on these choices, making it pretty enticing to try out different decisions on a second run to see how your journey can differ.

Of course, it wouldn't be a JRPG without several different endings to choose from. What makes Chrono Cross so unique, is that there is one specific ending so obscure it's almost impossible to get it without a guide, thanks to several highly specific criteria that need to be met to trigger it.

8 Tactics Ogre: Reborn

Dynamic Alignment System Impacts Your Chances to Recruit Allies

Tactics Ogre is an SRPG for players who want their choices to have major consequences in their playthrough. The game is set during a civil war which started after the previous king died without an heir. You play as Denam Pavel, a rebel who works with the local resistance to stave off any occupying force that threaten their lives.

The game cleverly uses a dynamic alignment system that tracks each choice you make, and can result in a variety of characters being recruitable or not. These choices can also lock you out of certain battles that take place. While the game does end up in the same location regardless of the choices you make, your wildly varying journey to one of the three endings in the game will depend on your choices, making for a pretty unique experience.

7 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Missing a Quest Could Doom Your Run

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is maybe the most unique game in the franchise, and it's one I have a love/hate relationship with. That's because the game, much like the Persona series, is on a clock. Every minute you spend in the game will use up its in-game time, meaning just wandering around the town to get your bearings can use up this finite resource, adding to the stress of the game.

What this also means is that certain quests and NPCs are locked behind certain dates and times, making it possible to miss them if you're not following a guide. Which you might want to consider, as you'll need to complete a certain number of side quests to earn enough points to receive the "true" ending of the game. Even the most minute of small quests can end up being more important than you realize, and running out of time to complete them could result in you failing to save a character's soul, ending your perfect playthrough.

6 Valkyrie Profile

Who You Recruit Can Lock You out of Other Companions

Valkyrie Profile can either be someone's favorite or least favorite JRPG of all time, and a lot of that comes from how gameplay ties into its narrative. In a lot of ways, this PlayStation classic is almost a blueprint for Lightning Returns in that you'll have to maneuver through various time constraints, which may force players into using a guide to keep track of all the missable encounters possible. You'll also

You play as Lenneth, a Valkyrie tasked with gathering fallen souls to prepare for an epic battle once Ragnarök arrives. Each chapter will give you a set amount of time, and each choice you make will take a chunk of it, so you'll need to tackle things economically to make the most with what you have.

There are an abundance of characters you can recruit, but doing so can block you off from others, and depending on when you recruit certain characters, you'll end up altering your story path completely. It's a decision which can make you feel like you're in charge of fate itself, but such a powerful responsibility does come with tough consequences.

5 Final Fantasy VI

Seemingly Minor Choices With Surprising Outcomes

Final Fantasy 6 is one of the most beloved entries in the franchise, and at the time of its release, pushed the JRPG medium to its limit. One of the most standout features in the game is how it rewards keen-eyed players with hidden choices most may miss.

Depending on your choices, it's possible to miss recruitable characters, with one even dying if you miss potential context clues given to you. After a climactic sequence during the mid-sequence of the game, players will find themselves in a desolate location, and asked to bring fish to a sick man. If players don't manually check if the fish is good or not in the menu, feeding the character bad fish will result in the man's death, leading to a pretty upsetting sequence afterward.

It's small moments like this that cement Final Fantasy 6 in gamers' minds as an all-time classic with something new to discover each time you play.

4 Triangle Strategy

"I Love Democracy"

Triangle Strategy is a lot like Tactics Ogre: Reborn in that both are set within the backdrop of a war, taking control of characters who must do everything they can to survive. Due to the high-risk scenarios you'll find yourself in, you'll be asked to make some tough choices which may conflict with your own morality.

These impactful choices come in the form of a voting system. After key battles, you'll have to vote for which course of action based off of three key values: Utility, Morality, and Liberty. Unfortunately for Mass Effect players, this goes beyond your simple Paragon and Renegade option, as not all options are often the most "correct". You'll also have to convince certain party members of your choices, meaning the dialogue options you choose throughout the game will help sway your companions to your side.

Depending on your choices, this will send you down three distinct paths, with a fourth that brings everything together. Much like Tactics Ogre, these are rather "fixed" states, but your journey with these characters and your choices in who lives and dies will make for a playthrough as unique as anyone else's.

3 Shin Megami Tensei IV

Pick your Alignment

The Shin Megami Tensei series is known for its wide amount of choices that can influence the outcome of the game's story and its companions. However, the fourth entry in the series takes it to a new level by introducing an alignment system that can tip the outcome of the game's story.

You play as Flynn, a samurai devoted to protecting the Kingdom of Mikado from hostile demons. As you continue your playthrough, you'll come to learn more about the nature of these demons and the reality behind the holy war you find yourself caught in the middle of.

Depending on your connection to this conflict, you can find yourself giving different answers that can shift your alignment in the background. These come in the form of Law, Chaos, or Neutral, and determine the ending of your playthrough. This mechanic is surprisingly obtuse, as even challenge quests can affect your alignment. If you're someone who loves pouring over in-game conversations and the impact of dialogue choices, then this game is sure to be for you.

2 Unicorn Overlord

Exile? Or Death by Exile?

Unicorn Overlord is a gritty SRPG that sees players take control of the exiled prince Alain, as he leads a campaign across the fictional realm of Fevrith. Despite its name, we don't really see any unicorns throughout the game's runtime. What we do get, however, is a gripping story that offers players some pretty impactful choices.

After story-relevant battles, you'll be given the choice to let certain characters join you, let them go, or sometimes execute them on the spot. This means you'll get several opportunities to side with different characters during your playthrough. Which you might want to do, as there are a variety of different endings in the game that can be unlocked depending on the choices you make.

If you're also someone who loves a good romance in the game, there are several characters you can pursue that will tie into your character's ending.

1 SaGa: Emerald Beyond

Six Different Playthroughs With Several Major Choices

JRPGs are often criticized for their very linear storytelling, which is why the SaGa series is so beloved amongst fans for providing an experience with multiple branching paths depending on their choices. In Emerald Beyond, players will be asked to make major decisions from the get-go, with their first, most notably, being who they want to choose as their main character.

In this refreshing JRPG, you'll get to choose from six different characters, all of which have branching paths in their own story arcs. Players will also get the freedom to choose where they want to go, meaning each playthrough can be entirely unique depending on which order you want to tackle things. SaGa: Emerald Beyond's immense amount of choices also extends into its Glimmers system, which unlocks new skills in combat based on how you use other skills. So, if you're looking to try a different build on another playthrough, the option is there for players looking to master it.