10 Most Addictive PS3 JRPGs to Keep You Busy

The PS3 is known as the time when the JRPG saw its fall, following the golden age of the genre in the mid 90s to the early 2000s. However, just because we stopped getting Final Fantasy games every year and most of the other big-budget competitors moved onto other genres doesn't mean there weren't some amazing ones on the console.

New franchises threw their hats into the ring, and old franchises had some surprisingly good entries that we can now look back on right now and see there was a lot of good there.

We're going to check out some of the most fun and addictive JRPGs on the PS3.

10 Lost Dimension

JRPG Among Us Style

Lost Dimension is a hidden gem on the PS3 that has a unique premise. You are part of a group of people climbing a mysterious tower to confront a terrorist who is essentially holding the world hostage with a bomb. The combat is real-time, but it's tactical with both melee and ranged options for how you want to approach each battle. The huge hook, though, is that at the end of each level, you speak with your team and try to deduce which character is the traitor.

The reason this is so addictive is that it changes each playthrough, and while it's not the toughest thing to deduce who it is that's working for the terrorist, it's still a really cool gameplay mechanic that can have different outcomes that happen each playthrough. It's not a long game either, and for any fans of anime like Gantz or games like Among Us, this is a weird-as-hell fusion between the two. Throw in some Squid Games in terms of the tone, and you've got a weird and addictive game that deserves more eyes.

9 Folklore

Fairytale Gone Very Wrong

Folklore is one of the more unique JRPGs out there, with an aesthetic that is different from anything you've seen and some of the more interesting gameplay out there too. But the addictive thing about it is seeing how the story unfolds. There is a murder mystery at the heart of it all, and you choose between two characters, each one with a unique path to take, and both are necessary to see the full story.

The gameplay is action-based, but it's the exploration of the world that kept me coming back time and time again. There is a really cool use of folklore here, with weird creatures both alive and dead to interact with, and it feels like a fairytale but in the way they used to be told. This game is dark with some really serious themes at play, and seeing where it all goes is just a surprise.

8 Valkyria Chronicles

The Anime War

Valkyria Chronicles is a fantastic game that started a lengthy series of its own, and it first came out on PS3 during a time when the JRPG was not making a big impact. Luckily, it changed that with a fascinating reimagining of World War 2 and some incredibly compelling gameplay. It's real-time combat with some unique twists, including turns for you and your enemies and also manual gun aiming, which, for me, was a first in the JRPG world.

It's incredibly addictive because each battle provides a new challenge, whether it be the units you're facing, the environment you have to navigate, or just how best to place your team on the battlefield to get the best results. Battles are long and difficult, but very rewarding nonetheless, and it's probably the best game in the series and stands up great even today.

7 Tales of Xillia

Excellent Combat

Tales of Xillia is a rock solid entry in the Tales of series, and the reason it's so addictive isn't the story, or the characters, or even the world; it's the combat. It feels like a fighting game in JRPG form, with combo attacks, different team-up abilities, and the ability to switch between your party at any time. It's so fun to fight, and the enemy variety makes it easy to dive right into fight after fight.

I think what makes the combat so addictive is how new pieces to it open up throughout the game. Linked arts, Over limits, massive combos, it almost becomes something like a Devil May Cry game after a while, as there are so many options regarding how you want to fight your enemies. You can also juggle them in the air, and the different party members all have something interesting to give to the combat system as well. I love the Tales of series, but no game has me more pumped to fight in than Tales of XIllia.

6 Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Worlds Collide

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix is an incredible 3 in one package, and while everyone knows how great Kingdom Hearts 2 was, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is the gem in here. Previously only available on PSP, this is the most serious entry in the franchise and my favorite by far. It's addicting because you've got three separate playthrough with Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, and each one illuminates the story in a way that greatly impacts the overall Kingdom Hearts story.

It's also got the best combat in the series, with some incredibly tough battles that require you to master the various systems at play, and in this version of the game, you get all the secret bosses added to test everything you've got. The story here is great, and it's got a show-stealing performance by none other than Leonard Nimoy as Master Xehanort, who makes for a scary and compelling villain. It's the first time the series really felt like its own story and not just a hodge podge of other games, and it's a shame they didn't continue that vibe.

5 Final Fantasy XIII

The Slow Burn

Final Fantasy XIII does have quite a few missteps, but it's addictive because the combat opens up more and more as the game goes on. So even if the story isn't gripping you, the combat will, because it's such a drip feed when it comes to your options. You do only control one character, but the way you get more and more control over how your party supports whichever character you're controlling makes the combat become a thrilling mini puzzle to figure out.

When you start fighting the tougher bosses, you may find yourself begging for turn-based fights to come back because this combat gives you no room to breathe, and you need to consistently monitoring your party health, stagger meters and which paradigms you're shifting to. It's not for everyone, but there are a lot of fans of this combat system, and it's what makes Final Fantasy XIII one of the more fun games in the series to play.

4 NieR

The Ugly Beauty

Look at that picture. That's the main character right there. That's who you play as in NieR, and, as you might imagine from the main character, this game is ugly as sin. Greenish brown is the color of choice throughout this game, and despite that, it's an absolute classic. NieR has one of the best stories in gaming history for sure, but the gameplay is also really fun too, and what makes it so addicting is how incredibly varied it can be.

You have side-scrolling missions, ones where you're fighting massive bosses, ones where you're exploring ancient temples, and ones where towns are in chaos as you desperately fight to save people. It's messy as hell, and it's consistently intriguing, with you needing to fight your way to that next story bit. It's an imperfect masterpiece that you have to play once in your life, and as soon as you pick it up, it's impossible to put down.

3 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The Legend Begins

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is the beginning of an epic saga of games, and, to me, the most addictive thing about the game is the in-media res opening that has you in the middle of an intense military operation. It's such a cool opening mission, and your characters are all dealing a ton of damage, and you have abilities and spells for days. And then all of a sudden, you're warped back in time to Rean's first day at Thors Academy.

That pull kept me going in this game. I wanted to see how that mission came to be about and how we would find our way to unlock all these awesome characters and their special abilities. I kept wanting to push through mission after mission as the stakes rise and rise, and by the time you finally find yourself back in the opening mission, you're locked in and just begging to see how this story concludes. It's a game where the story and the characters are the thing to hook you. It's like playing through your own personal anime show, and it's written and paced in a way that reflects that.

2 Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Live for the Fight

Star Ocean: The Last Hope is not the favorite of the Star Ocean series, but it's got the best combat system by a large margin. The combat is incredibly addictive here, with various mechanics at play, like getting behind your enemies with the Blindside move and also various special attacks that keep the combat fast and energetic. It's a testament to the combat that people like this game, because it has some of the most painful characters, terrible voice acting, and all-over-the-place storylines in the genre.

But all that goes out the window when the combat starts. It's impactful as hell and remains fresh throughout the experience by introducing new characters with each step in the story you take. The bosses are very difficult here, so you need to figure out a way to master the combat system if you're going to make any progress in this one.

1 Resonance of Fate

Bullet Hell

Resonance of Fate is an awesome game, but damn, if it doesn't have a barrier to get to the good stuff. It's got a compelling story and a one-of-a-kind world when it comes to JRPGs, but the addictiveness of it is the combat. It's really hard to get a grip on and will require you to go to the tutorial arena to figure out just what the hell is even happening. However, once you start to learn about how this all works, you'll be hooked.

This is some of the most cinematic and over-the-top looking combat you've ever seen. It's like The Matrix fused with a JRPG, and while it's a bit ridiculous looking, it's so fun to play, and there are so many kinds of variations to how you build up your party and while it can get to be a lot to manage, for those that give it time, you'll find an amazingly addictive game.