10 JRPGs with Outstanding Side Content that Surpasses the Main Story

As any JRPG fan will tell you, no one gets into these games for a short experience. This is, in part, due to the immense number of superb side quests present in so many games within the genre, and if you're a big fan of these kinds of games, that's a good problem to have.

Players who love investing in a game, truly immersing themselves in its world, will most likely perk up when they hear a game has an extensive amount of side content to keep them occupied. In many cases, this side content often outstrips the main story in these games, truly becoming the highlights for a player during their time with it.

Whether it's deep story content that reveals key lore information about the world, a powerful item at the end of an epic questline that makes the effort all worth it, or even tightly-written short side-quests that live rent-free in our heads for years after, JRPG's have an abundance of quests that all kinds of players can enjoy.

Here are our picks for 10 JRPG's with phenomenal side content that's so good, it overshadows the game's main story.

10 Final Fantasy VI

The World of Ruin

Final Fantasy VI is an impressively ambitious JRPG, with much of its second half almost entirely being optional content. After the events of The World of Ruin, your party is scattered all over the new scarred world. After acquiring the Airship and a minimum party size of seven, you'll be able to head straight to Kefka's tower to fight the mad god himself.

What this effectively means is that so much of this post-apocalyptic world is optional, and it's possible to face the final boss without reuniting with your lost companions. Which would be a big mistake, as it's in this new world that Final Fantasy VI's story really shines. For example, in the dungeon to recruit Locke once more, you'll discover his tragic backstory and connection to the Esper Phoenix.

Several new locations that boast a tough challenge for even the most veteran JRPG players will also be made available, prompting you to go out into the world and find the right solutions for them, resulting in satisfying rewards and powerful character-focused story moments.

9 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Absurd Side-Quests that Hook You In Over the Main Story

The Yakuza series is no stranger to side quests, and its JRPG spin-off Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth was no exception, boasting an impressive number of activities to keep players busy. Unlike its predecessor, Infinite Wealth sees Ichiban escaping to the tropical beaches of Hawaii, and the game does not hold back in letting you get lost in this new location, and its beloved side content the series is known for.

These range from a number of charming sub-plots and truly unique side activities that Ichiban and gang can get involved with, which take inspiration from other games. For example, Crazy Delivery is a truly hilarious spin on the Crazy Taxi genre set in the Yakuza universe. There's also DonDoko Island, which parodies other island management simulators like Animal Crossing.

These mini-games first start as lighthearted jokes, but quickly become an activity you can lose hours in, almost forgetting that you have a main story you have to be completing.

8 Xenoblade Chronicles X

An Open-World Science Fiction JRPG that Lets You Discover Its Story

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a major departure from the series' norms, instead letting players loose in a massive sandbox with a wealth of side content to keep them occupied. While the main story is fairly straightforward, it's the game's side content that actually reveals this entry's worldbuilding and the relationships between the various factions in the game.

Exploration is also a major part of the game's side content, which will have you mapping the world map and discovering the full breadth of the world you've landed on. There's also a wide variety of class types, ranging from basic missions to affinity missions and character-focused stories, that keep players entertained as they slowly make progress in one of the most engaging games in the series.

7 Final Fantasy XII

Hunts Galore

Final Fantasy XII is my pick for the most underrated entry in the series. Although I must admit, it's not due to its main story (which is mostly fine!) but due to its impressive side content and superb worldbuilding.

Throughout the game, you'll be able to take on new Hunts, which will have you return to areas you've already been to before to fight superpowered versions of previous enemies, or new superbosses who now inhabit the area. Some of these hunts will also unlock previously inaccessible areas in the game, and once you uncover them, you'll see why.

The Final Fantasy series is already renowned for its impeccable optional content and challenging superbosses, and no title better captures the spirit of this adventure than Final Fantasy XII.

6 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

Form Closer Bonds With Your Companions In Side Content

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel follows a similar formula to titles like Persona or Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where you'll spend your free time building your relationship with characters to strengthen your bonds. As you continue playing, you'll get to complete requests to get to know the other students at Thors Military Academy, expanding your understanding of the game's world.

While this can sound a bit formulaic and exposition-dense, the game's writing is truly impeccable and draws you in to where you're all-too eager to learn more about the world and the characters you encounter. Of course, given that it's a JRPG, you can even take a break and go fishing to unwind if you so desire.

5 Granblue Fantasy: Relink

Fantastic Post-Game Content that Makes Its Main Story a Hurdle

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a JRPG for fans who yearn for a fleshed-out post-game experience that'll offer up new challenges to test your skills. The main story presented in the game is surprisingly short, as the developers here have chosen to flesh out the post-game more instead, offering up over 110 side missions that are entirely unmissable. That means you don't have to feel the pressure of accidentally missing a quest, which is a welcome decision for those wanting to play without a guide.

In many ways, it's possible to view the main story of the game here as a warm-up, with the post-game being where the "true" game begins. Here, you'll get to unlock an extensive amount of customization options, acquire some of the best upgrade materials, and fight some impressively difficult boss battles that'll eclipse anything you fought in the main story.

4 Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Jam-Packed with Charming Side Content

Dragon Quest XI was a major turning point in the series, in part, due to its immense success outside of Japan. Part of that success is thanks to its eccentric cast of characters, but what really shines is its whimsical side content that is surprisingly varied, giving players plenty to do without ever feeling overwhelming.

From monster hunting to hitting the casino, there's plenty to do in Dragon Quest XI's side content, but impressively, the game ensures that the experience remains cozy while you do it. There are also several delightful small stories that have engaging moments for your companions, which make them worth playing through. While you don't have to complete all the optional content, they'll provide you with some of the most powerful gear and abilities, which will come in clutch against some of the game's hardest bosses.

3 Persona 5 Royal

Some Annoying God-Killing Getting in the Way of Your Dating Sim

Persona 5 Royal is a game absolutely stuffed with activities to spend time on, which is intentional, as you'll only have a certain amount of days within a month to complete everything.

One way you can choose to spend your time is by spending time with your confidants, building your relationship with them so you can unlock new abilities, and potentially romance them. It's not uncommon to find yourself looking forward to challenging Hifume to another Shogi match, or bringing Ryuji out to eat more than infiltrating a palace and stealing a villainous character's heart.

There's also the inclusion of Mementos, a 66-level randomly-generated dungeon that you can explore while completing requests from fans of the Phantom Thieves to steal the hearts of problematic individuals inflicting misery on others. It's this loop of fulfilling Mementos requests and spending time with your friends that has players mapping the palace out as soon as they can, so they can enjoy the rest of the month engaging with Persona 5's side content.

2 Chrono Trigger

A Side-Quest Just Barely Better than Its Main Story

Chrono Trigger's main story is one of the most celebrated in JRPG's history, which is why placing its side content on such a pedestal goes to show how impressive the game is.

Much like the final section of Final Fantasy VI, players can fight its big bad Lavos, at any point in the story. However, players would be denying themselves of its greatest subplot, which involved tracking down a rainbow shell.

In this side quest, what starts out as a simple fetch quest turns into a full-blown episodic journey that'll see you use time travel to appease a ghost, to a courtroom showdown, and to an epic confrontation with the villain Yakra XIII, who has vowed revenge against you after you had bested his ancestor in a previous era.

There are also several emotional story beats, which see you reconcile your companion Marle with her family. Plus, your reward for completing this quest is the strongest weapon in the game, which makes the effort all the more rewarding.

1 Monster Hunter: World

A JPRG with Barely a Story to Fuel Its Addictive Side Content

The Monster Hunter series has never been known for its main story, but instead for its remarkable side content, and Monster Hunter: World is no exception. While there are some loose plot points to justify the game's setting and to motivate you to continue hunting, players, for the most part, will be spending their time gearing up for their next big hunt.

In many ways, the main story of Monster Hunter: Wilds is almost considered a tutorial until you can get to the real meat of the game, which is its endgame hunting loop. With the inclusion of the Iceborne expansion, which adds a new Master Rank, a massive monster roster, and a seriously addictive post-game loop, it's hard to argue against Monster Hunter: World's side content being what keeps players coming back just for one last hunt.