Top Upcoming JRPGs

Some players believe we’re in a JRPG renaissance, and nothing says that better than the long list of upcoming JRPGs planned for this year and beyond. Let’s take a look at just a few JRPGs we can expect to play before the end of 2016.

Dragon Quest VII

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past was originally released for the PlayStation. In 2013, it was remade in Japan for the 3DS, and the remake was quite successful. For a long time, it looked as though it might never come West, but Dragon Quest VII will be available on September 16, 2016.

Dragon Quest VII is a lengthy RPG with turn-based combat about a hero trying to save the world’s lost continents by visiting their pasts. It is not connected to previous games in the series.

Final Fantasy XV

Just two weeks after Dragon Quest VII, Final Fantasy XV is due out for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 30.

Final Fantasy XV is an action RPG about a young prince’s quest to reclaim his throne and his kingdom’s crystal from the empire of Niflheim. Although it is the fifteenth entry in the series, every main Final Fantasy game stands on its own.

Pokémon Sun and Moon

Meanwhile, on November 18, the Pokémon series will move into its next generation with Pokémon Sun and Moon on the 3DS.

Pokémon Sun and Moon are set in the island region of Alola. Although they have the series’ traditional monster-catching and turn-based combat, they appear to shake up the Pokémon formula quite a bit, with rideable Pokémon, new forms specific to Alola, Z-Moves, trials, and more.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

December 2016 will see the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for the PS4, the final entry in the action RPG series needed to bridge the gap to Kingdom Hearts 3.

This collection contains an HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, an all-new playable episode called Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, and a new cinematic movie called Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover. Unlike the previous examples, this game relies on prior knowledge of the series.

These are a few of the top upcoming JRPGs, but several others—such as Trails of Cold Steel II and Yo-Kai Watch 2—are due out this year as well, with many more set for 2017.

What upcoming JRPGs are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.