Best JRPG Overworld Map

Like any video game genre, JRPGs are no stranger to seeing tropes and traditional systems tossed aside over time. Many a JRPG franchise has seen its most common, recurring elements jettisoned for something more contemporary.

Thankfully, one of my favorite classic JRPG tropes has not entirely gone away. It's not as common these days, but the traditional, 3D world map from JRPGs of yore still has its place.

I love the sense of scale and progression this trope brings. It's especially fun when you've spent time in a small, isolated location, only for the game to reward you with a huge, open-ended 3D world map to discover.

They may not be as big as they were during previous eras of JRPGs, but the world map still has a place in the genre. I've decided to rank ten of them right here, so let's take a gander at the best the genre has to offer.

8 ReGaia

Harvestella

Harvestella joined the ranks of many JRPG farming sim mash-ups that often get announced during Nintendo Directs. But where others in this ubiquitous genre have felt a bit underwhelming, Harvestella has far more meat on its bones than it initially seems.

While the farming sim elements are a major part of the game, it's also just a legitimately great JRPG. And with that commitment to classic JRPG quality comes a 3D world map.

It has all the delight and charm of traditional JRPG world maps. The perspective is great, the overworld theme is simply gorgeous and exploring it is a genuine treat.

If you haven't played Harvestella, don't let the farming simulator systems scare you away. This is one of the most overlooked JRPGs of the past decade.

7 Luxendarc

Bravely Default

Bravely Default was doing quite a bit to retain the classic JRPG formula during the 3DS era. In addition to its battle and job system, Bravely Default also included a traditional 3D world map.

The world of Luxendarc is one that echoes some of the best 3D world maps in JRPG history. It's big, expansive and has an excellent piece of music to guide you on your way.

While Square has continued to evolve Final Fantasy into something more contemporary over the years, Bravely Default has been carrying the torch for the classics. This absolutely delightful JRPG is one of the best that the 3DS had to offer, and its world map is a standout in the genre.

6 The Bionis & The Mechonis

Xenoblade Chronicles

Not many JRPGs have physical, living beings that act as its world map. That's just one of the many brilliant things that Xenoblade Chronicles does.

Taking place on the huge, endless backs of the Bionis and the Mechonis, Xenoblade Chronicles is just one of those games that you have to play if you enjoy JRPGs. This timeless classic is still one of the most impressive technical feats ever achieved.

The map is huge, and in spite of that scale, never feels too big. You are always on the hunt for items, enemies, secrets, it's teeming with both danger and discovery all at once.

5 Ni No Kuni

Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch

Translated from Japanese, Ni No Kuni means Another World or Second Country. And in Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, that is exactly where young Oliver finds himself following the game's tragic opening.

Following the death of his mother, Oliver goes on a journey to a distant land. It's here where Oliver struggles with the pain of grief, forging ahead in the wake of tragedy and finding bravery in the darkest times of one's life.

The 3D world map is dotted with towns, caves and hidden secrets. There's simply no JRPG world map that looks like this one.

Exploring it as Joe Hisaishi's breathtaking musical score sweeps in is a feeling that is impossible to recreate today. Not many JRPG world maps have topped this one, as it is the perfect blend of brilliant art direction and massive scale.

4 Arcadia

As tragic as it is, Skies of Arcadia: Legends remains without a contemporary port. This means that not many people have experienced the dazzling world of Arcadia, which is heartbreaking to think about.

This wonderfully made JRPG is set in a world where ships and pirates reign supreme. But instead of the open ocean, Skies of Arcadia takes place in the world above.

It is one of the most incredible JRPGs of all time. The combat, music and story are all top-notch. It's a JRPG that a lot of modern games in the genre could learn from.

Soaring through the world of Arcadia on a pirate ship just feels excellent. The consistent art direction sells the whimsical beauty of the world in such an honest, earned way.

3 The World Of Light

Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King

While a lot of JRPG franchises have been keen to explore ways they can change in drastic ways, Dragon Quest has shown that it doesn't need to. And in one of its finest hours, it was never more obvious how important this franchise is to the JRPG genre.

With Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, the series continued to hone the formula that made it so successful. That certainly included the 3D world map, which is present and accounted for in DQ8.

You are tossed into The World of Light almost immediately as the game begins. This is a game about adventure, and the world truly defines each chapter of that adventure.

Each arc plays out through your own natural progression of the world. It's truly one of the genre's most enjoyable world maps, as it feeds into the story in absolutely fantastic ways.

2 Midgard

Valkyrie Profile

To this day, I still haven't played a JRPG quite like Valkyire Profile. A lot of games have used Norse mythology in fun ways, but Valkyrie Profile presents it in such an operatic, theatrical way.

The gravitas of the story and its expansive themes is apparent right from the jump. You truly feel like you're in the middle of an ongoing saga.

That drama unfolds directly into the exploration of the world map. Even all these years later, I'm so impressed by how beautiful it is.

Soaring through the map feels great, even for a game that's this old. The sense of scale, speed and movement is intoxicating.

1 Gaia

Final Fantasy 7

The exhausting trek through the cyberpunk dystopia of Midgar in Final Fantasy 7 almost feels like its own game in a way. Back in the day, I really felt like I'd been on a journey that reached a climax, only to step out into the enormous 3D world of Gaia.

It was obvious to me that this story was just beginning. And that world became something I would come to cherish over the next two decades.

The PS1 hardware limitations didn't matter. They almost became secondary, as this incredible 3D world map would become the standard for the genre moving forward.

Square pulled the camera back, let Nobuo Uematsu go to work on creating a lush overworld theme, and just let the world speak for itself.