Best JRPGs for Players Tired of Open World Bloat

It's hard to escape the open-world game these days. Every genre has decided that it's the only path to the future of video games, but in my opinion, there is plenty of good to come from games that have a more straightforward approach to a game.

JRPGs have taken to the open world formula as well lately, with games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth giving you a ton of meaningless side quests to check off while exploring the world, and it often derails not only the plot, but the gameplay as well.

We're going to check out some JRPGs that free you of that burden. Games from both the old age and the newest golden era of JRPGs to give you straightforward fun from start to finish.

8 Shadow Hearts

The Darker Fantasy

Shadow Hearts is a linear and incredibly dark-toned JRPG, but it's also one of the unsung classics of the genre. From the opening scenes, you can tell you're in for a much different flavor of JRPG than usual, with serious themes like death, the afterlife, and guilt at play.

The combat system is the highlight of the game for sure, with an interactive turn-based combat system that utilizes a wheel that you'll need to time your button presses to do more damage with your attacks. It's a great system that evolves throughout the game, and the additional ability to transform into various otherworldly beings only adds to the combat complexity.

It's a somewhat ugly-looking game, but it fits the aesthetic, and as long as you can get through some of the more decidedly un PC elements of the game, you'll find an absolute gem of a game that doesn't waste an ounce of your time.

7 Tales of Arise

Fast-Paced JRPG Action

Tales of Arise is a return to form for the Tales franchise, which really was the standout title in a barren year of 2021 in video games. It was a huge move by the Tales franchise, though, opting for a more action-oriented style of gameplay while keeping the classic linear level system with a bit more flexibility here.

Make no mistake, this game isn't short, but it keeps you on track from start to finish. There are no endless maps with tons of quest markers to overwhelm you here, and while there are plenty of places to explore, the destination is always clear and pretty easy to get to with a few monsters and towns as the only things standing in your way.

It's a gorgeous-looking game with hours of thrilling fights to take part in and amazing-looking combos to pull off. It's got a bit of flak for its story, but it at least tries something new in that realm, introducing us to a world involved in slavery, political ambition, and a race for power that eventually goes off the rails, but the ride is more than worth it.

6 Sea of Stars

A Tribute to the Past

Sea of Stars wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but that's because it's paying tribute to a simpler time in JRPG history, where everything felt incredibly colorful and full of whimsy. We've lost a bit of that in this era, and it's a good thing that games like Sea of Stars exist for those who wish to see what it was like growing up with JRPGs in the 90s.

The story is somewhat basic, about two friends seeking to become powerful while fighting an evil force threatening the universe called Dwellers, and from there, the journey begins. It's a bit formulaic for sure, but the magic here is in the combat. It's fast-paced, involves combos with your party, and resembles Chrono Trigger in more than one regard.

It's also a brief JRPG, lasting around 30 hours or so, so if you get bogged down by massive worlds with endless things to do, you won't find anything to bog you down here. There are plenty of secrets and optional quests to take on if you so choose, but it doesn't overwhelm you in the process.

5 Octopath Traveler 0

The Journey to Rebuild Your Life

Octopath Traveler 0 is one of the longest games I've ever played. You'd think it's because of the typical, endless, open-world checklists, but that's not the case. The length is built by the main story and the side stories of the characters. It is absurdly packed with content that it can be a bit overwhelming, but at no point did I feel any fatigue from it.

This time around, instead of 8 separate stories, you're following a story about one character and the companions they acquire on their grand quest to rebuild their town and save the world in the process. Despite the look of the game, it's incredibly dark at times, and the combat system is easily the best in the series.

While there are side activities, everything is delivered straight to you most of the time, so while exploration is encouraged, you're not combing every nook and cranny for ages.

4 Vagrant Story

Fantasy Shakespeare

Vagrant Story is one of the unique JRPGs ever made, and it comes in at a crisp 15 or so hours. It's a remarkable game for the PS1 era, with a unique combat system that requires tons of strategy and can be quite difficult in the process. The story is the main event, though, and it's a gripping, mature tale that takes us to a unique Gothic setting in the world of Ivalice, which is where Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy 12 both take place.

At the start of the game, you're framed for a murder, and from there, you unravel a plot full of conspiracies and political intrigue. Though it's only 15 hours, they are used well, giving you gripping story moments, tough boss battles, and not wasting an ounce of your time in the process.

Some have complained this one is too short, but for what it's trying to do, Vagrant Story nails it.

3 Live a Live

The Precursor to the Octopath

Live a Live is a game that didn't get nearly the love it should've got when it came out in the early '90s, but thankfully, 2023 saw a remake. We're lucky to have gotten it because it shows the groundwork for what Octopath Traveler would eventually be built on (speaking about the original Live a Live, of course). Much like that game, you have a variety of heroes to play as, and each one takes place in their own era.

It's a really cool mix of genres, as you'll be playing as a ninja in the feudal era, to a gunslinger in the wild west, and even far into the future. It's structured beautifully, with each story being a decent length, and it all culminates in a wild finale that I promise you will not see coming. There is no open-world bloat here whatsoever, and while it's not exactly a short game, each story rolls along briskly.

It's also got a really cool, grid-based combat system that you just don't see in most JRPGs.

2 Parasite Eve

It's Infectious

Parasite Eve is one of the unique games in Square Enix's lengthy library. Back in the 90s, they were untouchable and weird stuff like Parasite Eve even hit for them. This pseudo-horror JRPG is an awesome game that plays more like Resident Evil than a typical JRPG. With that said, the path is linear as can be, but compelling as hell in the process.

You play as Aya, who on New Year's Eve, finds out she's immune to a crazy virus causing humans to explode. From there, it's a wild ride against a variety of terrifying creatures, and it's done through a pseudo-turn-based real-time hybrid combat system that was experimental at the time but would become much more common in years to follow.

It's as unique a JRPG as there is from start to finish, and though some things haven't aged gracefully, like the controls, for example, the soul of this game is still a must-play for any JRPG fan, and it's a fast ride at about 15 hours or so as well.

1 Chrono Cross

The Beauty of Time and Place

Chrono Cross is one of the more underappreciated games out there. Though it released to rave reviews, it's known as a disappointing sequel, but on its own, it's one of the best JRPGs ever made. It does have an overworld, but it's very small and everything you do in this game is done on your own accord.

This is from the old days, where open world bloat didn't exist. The guided path was yours to discover, and it makes for a thrilling and epic journey across time. It's got one of the best JRPG combat systems out there, letting you customize your characters' skillsets to your liking. Speaking of those characters, there are tons to recruit, with many having unique situations needed for them to join your team.

It's not full of bloat for sure, but there is a lot to explore between the two worlds, with plenty of chances to find secrets and optional characters and all that JRPG goodness you could ask for. It manages to do it in an organic way, and it's a lesson that modern JRPGs should absolutely heed as the genre has taken off once more.