10 Most Addictive Xbox 360 JRPGs

Technically, the Xbox 360 era was the dark age of the JRPG, but despite that, there were a bunch of games that shone despite the genre having run the well a bit dry at the time.

There were games from series that were already legendary, took steps into the new generation, and ones that came about as a last-ditch effort to reinvigorate the genre before giving in to the new trends dominating the gaming world.

We're going to check out some of the most fun and addictive JRPGs on the Xbox 360.

10 Final Fantasy XIII

The Combat Opens Up, As Does the World

Final Fantasy XIII is far from my favorite in the series, but there is something there that is highly addictive once you give it a chance. The combat system here starts very dull, but as the hours go on, it opens up more and more, and once you have full control over your Paradigms and different role setups and parts of the Crystarium unlocked, the combat morphs from a slow trudge into a lightning-fast-paced thrilling experience.

The bosses in particular demand so much from you, focusing on the enemy's stagger meter as well as you and your party's health, it can get very intense very quickly. Unlike most Final Fantasy games, you can't pause to put in actions here, so you need to think on the fly, plan carefully before battles, and read the enemies mid-fight to know what to do. That gets to be a blast to figure out as the challenges increase and the game world becomes more addictive as well, when it finally lets you out of corridor hell into something of an open world in the second half of the game.

9 Lost Odyssey

The Learning Game

Lost Odyssey is an underrated game in the JRPG world, and it's got one of the more addictive combat systems in the genre. While there are various aspects that make it so fun, such as the timing system that rewards you with more damage any time you attack normally, the most addictive part is the system where your immortal characters learn from the human ones. This means that you can take characters in completely different directions depending on which humans you choose to learn from.

Kaim appears to be your typical stoic warrior, but if you want, he can also become your white mage, healing the party as well as dishing out tons of damage. You can learn various abilities too, such as combo, which allows you to attack multiple times. Overall, it's a system that invites you to keep pushing, as there are always more abilities to learn, which further switch up the combat variety by giving you more and more options to play around with.

8 Resonance of Fate

A New Set of Rules

Resonance of Fate is one weird game. But for those sick of the typical turn-based song and dance that most JRPGs employ, I think you'd fall in love with this bizarre entry into the lexicon. The addictive part of Resonance of Fate is just learning how the combat works. That might seem simple, but trust me, it's not. There is thankfully a training arena to get you familiar with it, and once you get a grasp on how things work here, you'll find it hard to let go.

That's because the combat animations are absolutely amazing to witness in action. It's like the JRPG presents The Matrix in terms of the type of action you'll see here, and it's also the only gun-fu style JRPG out there. Once you get things flowing, you'll be dying to see how you can put those skills to use for the next fight.

7 Tales of Vesperia

The Rewards for Battle

Tales of Vesperia is arguably the best game in the franchise, and a big reason for that is how addictive it is. As far as game worlds go, this one is among the best out there, with incredible color and a full map to explore that's packed with secrets to find and optional activities to take part in. For me, the reason I can't put the controller down is the combat and how thoroughly rewarding it is to fight throughout the game. You're constantly rewarded with new artes, new mechanics, and even new party members that change up the norm as you play.

It's something that a lot of JRPGs fail to deliver on, in terms of that constant rewarding gameplay, but Tales of Vesperia nails this aspect with flying colors, giving you a growing arsenal that doesn't let up until you take down the final boss. There is also something so satisfying about the somewhat simple 2D/3D plane of combat that is lost with the more recent games in the franchise.

6 Record of Agarest War

Throwback Energy

Record of Agarest War is a long JRPG that, at the time it came out, for me at least, felt like a slice of nostalgia that didn't exist in the genre at that time. We were years away from the 2D JRPG Renaissance we're currently in. And for that reason, I felt a joy in the somewhat simplistic but gorgeous-looking 2D warfare we engage in during this game. The fighting is an interesting grid-style system full of special attacks and damage numbers flying all over the place.

That's to say, you've seen it before, but it's done really well here, and battles require you to outmaneuver and outlast your enemy, no matter how small the encounter. The real addicting part is the generations system and how it impacts the story and characters. See, you have a choice of who to marry and reproduce with each generation during the game, and your choices change who the next character is and what stats they have, and ultimately the path of the story. It's a really cool system, and while it's not perfect, it makes pushing through to the next generation a consistently exciting prospect.

5 Magna Carta 2

A Beautiful Flow

I know that Magna Carta is not in anyone's pantheon of JRPG series, but the small collection of games in the series do have some of the most addictive combat in the JRPG world. Magna Carta 2, in particular, is a really fun game that constantly provides you new challenges to overcome with a battle system that doesn't disappoint. Unlike most JRPGs, the action is fully real-time here, with a unique system called Kan that requires you to build up energy to unleash your biggest attacks.

There is also the Overdrive mode, which gives you a crazy increase in power, but leads to Overheat mode, which makes you nearly useless on the battlefield. Figuring out when to switch characters in and out of battle and when to unleash their Overdrive state is a really engaging risk vs reward system that makes the battles feel even more complex. It's far beyond the typical select attack and watch formula we'd become accustomed to over the years.

4 Enchanted Arms

It's Got Soul

Enchanted Arms is actually by FromSoftware, just a few years before they would begin their world takeover, and it's a really interesting JRPG that uses grid-based combat that implements heavy risk vs reward scenarios, but the real juice is within the Golem system. This game basically is adult Pokémon when you break it down, and there are over 100 to collect to customize the way you approach each battle.

It's that hunt for the next great Golem that keeps you coming back. The story isn't the best, and the graphics are a little bit off-putting, but that possibility of another Golem around the corner to give you something new ability wise to play with. There are also tons of attacks for your actual characters to learn, so it's always fun to see what the result of another battle may bring. It's a niche game for sure, but one that's hard to put down after you start it.

3 Nier

The Changing Game

Nier is one of the weirdest games of all time and just about goes against everything you'd imagine a JRPG to be. It's got unconventional combat, strange gameplay segments, and a story that is one for the ages. I think what makes Nier so incredibly addicting isn't really the gameplay, but the story itself. You start out fighting off strange enemies in a post-apocalyptic, modern-looking city. Then out of nowhere, you're in this sort of idyllic village.

It's such a tonal shift, and the story from there gets weirder and weirder to the point that you're just dying to know what's going on. When you finally reach that point, you're then practically begging to replay the game with the ability to hear what the enemies have been saying in a strange language this whole time. The revelation reshapes the narrative entirely and makes you doubt everything and anything the game tells you from that point forth. It's one of the few games that hooks you with the story and makes you tolerate the gameplay because it's so good.

2 Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Best Combat in the Series

Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a bit of a divisive game in the franchise for story and voice acting reasons, but one area it knocks it out of the park is in the gameplay. This is easily the most addictive combat in the series, and it revolves around the Blindside mechanic. This maneuver allows you to deal damage from an enemy's flank, and depending on the fight, it can turn the tide completely. On top of that, each character plays completely differently from one another, making the ever-growing party you've got on your side an evolving experience to play as.

The game knows this is the moneymaker too, because there are so many post-game challenges to take part in that provide some outrageous challenges that all but the most hardcore and dedicated players will even attempt to approach. It's a testament to the fantastic fighting that takes place throughout the game that the devs knew players wouldn't be able to get enough even after the credits had rolled.

1 The Last Remnant

The JRPG War

The Last Remnant is a wild game that attempted to bring back the JRPG to the mainstream in 2008, and while it didn't exactly hit like it was supposed to, it did introduce an incredibly addictive combat system. It's a group combat system, so instead of fighting as individuals, you fight as a whole unit. With that comes the constantly changing battle conditions. Morale affects everything, from how much you can heal to whether Mystic Arts will be triggered to turn the tide of the battle. You need to consider flanking the enemy, and what's the best approach at the start of every battle.

You also can't really grind in this game, so it's a rare JRPG that rewards you for just pushing forward on the beaten path. This leads to your character relationships improving, which in turn unlocks new options in battle. I'm not going to lie and tell you the battle system doesn't require you to take some time to learn it, but once you do, it's one of the best the genre has ever conceived and a big reason the game has a cult following to this day.