2021 is Shaping Up to Be One of the Best Years for JRPGs

At the start of the year, I found myself practically addicted to Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. I dibbled and dabbled in the series’ previous entries, but they never truly grabbed me until I hopped into the latest entry. The fast-paced battle system, focus on creating items via alchemy, lovable cast of characters, and happy-go-lucky feel of it all kept me entertained for the entirety of January. Once February came around, I meant to give Ys IX: Monstrum Nox a spin but for some reason or another I missed out on it. Based on the footage I’ve seen and reviews I’ve read about it, I need to remedy that mistake ASAP and see what all the fuss is about. February also produced a nice lineup of JRPGs worth checking out, such as Bravely Default 2, Persona 5 Strikers, and the complete editions for both Nioh games.

Once March came through, the rate of quality JRPGs dropping in 2021 increased exponentially. Yakuza: Like a Dragon made its way over to PS5, Monster Hunter Rise made big waves on the Nintendo Switch, and the long catalog of Kingdom Hearts games finally made its way over to PC via the Epic Games Store. April kicked in and brought with it a vastly updated version of a cult classic, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139….I ended up putting a bunch of hours into that one and came away impressed by the improved visuals and stronger combat mechanics. Everyone told me I’d be left sobbing like a baby after experiencing its many endings and I’m here to say they were definitely onto something. The rest of the JRPG pack from April delivered plenty of gems as well - SaGa Frontier Remastered, the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV migrated over to the Switch & Google Stadia, and Death end re;Quest finally dropped on the Switch.

May is currently unfolding as I type this and it’s giving JRPG fanatics an updated rendition of one of the hardest games in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster. I passed on it when it originally launched on PS2, but I might give it a chance this time around since it features a more manageable difficulty level. By the way, if you missed out on Dragon Quest Builders 2 you can take it for a spin once it drops on Xbox One.

When the months of June and July come into the picture, there’s a wide range of dope JRPGs to choose from. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade marks the arrival of the PS4 exclusive to PS5, which will come with a whole new side story that focuses on the mischievous ninja Yuffie. I enjoyed every minute of the base game, so I’m all the way in for that worthwhile piece of add-on content. The Legend of Mana is getting revived for a release on the Switch, which is something I’m looking forward to since I poured plenty of hours into it back on the first PlayStation.

Scarlet Nexus is an all-new IP from the team behind Bandai Namco’s Tales of… series - it’s all about psychokinesis-powered saviors, has that anime art style I love so much, and looks like it’ll have the sort of fast-paced combat mechanics I always get a kick out of. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis may become your next go-to MMORPG addiction once it launches worldwide. Disgaea fans should be more than overjoyed since Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny will finally land on our shores. And once July kicks in, NEO: The World Ends With You will drop (shout out to Square Enix for finally bringing that cult classic franchise to consoles).

One of the biggest JRPG releases of the year is without a doubt Tales of Arise. A bunch of extended footage finally came out for the game after a painfully long period of silence and it definitely looks amazing. I’ve already marked September 10th as an off day ‘cause I want to take my time exploring its massive world and get caught up in all of its intense battles. Bandai Namco and the development team behind this one are clearly looking to take the Tales of… franchise to a higher level of mainstream acceptance, so here’s hoping Tales of Arise helps them reach that lofty goal. The rest of the year is littered with a wide swath of JRPGs worth taking a chance on, too - The Caligula Effect 2, Digimon Survive, Shin Megami Tensei V, Rune Factory 5, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are among the many goodies possibly coming our way in 2021.

There’s still plenty of games out in the ether that are probably in development as we speak and haven’t been announced yet - I just hope the lot of them are of the JRPG variety. Fingers crossed that Final Fantasy XVI somehow someway lands on PS5 at the close of the year (that's probably not gonna happen, but I can still dream can't I?).