10 Best Open-World Japanese RPGs

Some of the best open world in JRPGs can be found in these games, making them fun to explore.

Now, “open-world” is almost a swear word. It seems like every other new AAA game is some kind of open-world game, but they rarely make the most of the space and different ways to play that this gives them. Open-world games, on the other hand, are very rare in modern Japanese games.

Even though old JRPGs are some of the games that came before open worlds and gave you a full map to explore, that became much harder to do when games went to 3D. Still, there are more than a few people who try to do it their own way.

Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler is the series that gave Square Enix its beautiful HD-2D art style and very literal naming conventions. It is both something very familiar and something new. Its art is without a doubt its best feature, but it also uses many of the old JRPG features of open worlds in a more modern way.

In this way, it’s not one big open world, but a series of zones that are all connected to each other. But since there are eight main characters in the game, you can go at your own pace and see everything. Each character also has their own special skills in the world, which makes you want to go back and check out old places with new characters.

Shin Megami Tensei 5

Shin Megami Tensei is one of Atlus’s first series and was one of the first dungeon crawlers. It may not be as popular as Happy Wheels, but it was one of the first games of its kind. Shin Megami Tensei 5 was the first game in the series to come out after a long break, and it showed that there were a lot of new ideas for games to try out.

One of these ideas is a semi-open world, which is a big change from the previous games’ dungeon-based exploration. Having a world that is much less linear and gives you some freedom in how you approach enemies and explore areas is a huge change from how previous games worked.

Ni No Kuni 2

Ni no Kuni 2 didn’t do as well as Level-5 had hoped after it came out. Confusing DLC plans and a general lack of communication made things hard for the game. It’s also a shame because the game has some really unique parts that make it stand out from other city-building games.

In Ni no Kuni 2, you play as the young king Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, who has to start a new kingdom because his old one was taken away from him. In a way that’s similar to older JRPGs, the open world acts as an overworld. However, it’s made to feel more like an adventure because it’s made to scale.

Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

Ys is one of the oldest JRPG series, but it has never reached the same level of popularity as other series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Also, unlike most other RPGs, it has always been more of an action RPG that focuses on flashy combat over turn-based tactics.

Monstrum Nox is different from the other books in the series because almost all of it takes place in the city of Balduq. Each character moves around in a different way, and the city has many little secrets for those who are willing to go out of their way to find them. As the game goes on and you learn more skills, it opens up even more.

Dragon Quest 8

Dragon Quest is one of Square Enix’s most popular series, but it wasn’t very well known in the west until DQ11. After that, it became one of the most loved games in the world. It still has turn-based battles, and Akira Toriyama’s art will never go out of style. Even so, Dragon Quest 8 was different from the rest of the series when it came to big changes.

DQ8 was the first game in the series to be fully 3D. It came out in Japan in 2004. Like a lot of other JRPGs, it had both an overworld and settlements that could be loaded separately. But the overworld was also to scale, which made the trip across it feel like a grand journey and not just a quick walk, which was different from other games.

Final Fantasy 15

Final Fantasy is by far Square Enix’s biggest and most popular series around the world. It has inspired many game systems and is still looked to for ideas. As one of the oldest JRPGs, it began with overworlds and towns, which were the first open worlds. It has tried to make open worlds in different ways since then.

Final Fantasy 15 is a choice that isn’t agreed on as the best way to do that. There are games that handle it better technically, but FF15 does it in a unique way. The journey through the world is more important than the world itself. When you see the sun set over the horizon and talk with your friends as you make your way to a motel for the night, the scale seems most impressive.

Yakuza 7

People used to say that the Yakuza series was like a Japanese Grand Theft Auto, but the only thing they have in common is that they both simulate cities on a large scale. Yakuza is so focused on its characters. Not just the important ones, but everyone, from the sad to the crazy, who makes the city feel alive.

The dense cities in the Yakuza games have always been open-world, but they have never been JRPGs. That is, until Yakuza 7. It changes into a turn-based game with a real jobs system. Dragon Quest was a big influence. Ichiban is a fan of the Dragon Quest games and sees himself as one of the heroes from those games. It’s kind of cute and very self-centered in a way that only Yakuza could do.

Dragon’s Dogma

Dragon’s Dogma can never get enough good things said about it. It’s so unique, putting Devil May Cry’s blood into an open-world JRPG and getting a lot of ideas from western RPGs like Oblivion. It’s a great combination that has made a game that is like nothing else. What other game lets you make a perfect copy of any item you want, even the limited fast-travel crystals?

The open world of Dragon’s Dogma isn’t that big, but it’s full of things to do. Every enemy feels different, every NPC has something to say, and every place feels unique. Traveling this world with your own D&D party of pawns who talk about what they see and learn as they go makes the world feel so alive and rewarding.

Xenoblade Chronicles

The Xenoblade Chronicles series is hard to put into a single category because it isn’t just an open-world game. Even though its zones are very big, they are still zones. The thing is, they are so big that they could almost be the size of any other game’s open world, so it seems fair game. Every area feels like it makes sense with the others, and you can even see parts of other zones far away, even if they aren’t in the current zone.

Monolith Soft is good at making open worlds, and helped make the one in Breath of the Wild. They go above and beyond, making a world that seems way too big and can be explored in every way. Xenoblade Chronicles is a real gem, with enemies that are way too strong in early areas and a fun way to fight them.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware has been making these Souls games for a long time, so you may have heard of them. Complex levels that loop back on themselves, a lot of different ways to build, and very hard combat. Then there’s Elden Ring, a small game that has taken the world by storm.

Elden Ring brought a new idea to the Souls game. That enemy who seemed impossible to beat? You can just skip them for now to make your build a little more flexible. On top of giving you more freedom in battle, the game’s open world is huge and beautiful, and you can explore it with nothing but gold glints and an explorer’s heart to guide you.