JRPGs with the Best Action Combat

Key Takeaways

• Final Fantasy’s first Action JRPG entry, Mana, started with a Zelda-like combat style.
• Ni No Kuni successfully blended real-time and turn-based gameplay elements for an excellent experience.
• Kingdom Hearts combines Disney and Square Enix properties, impressing with new combat features.

When it comes to Action JRPGs, there are a lot of long-running franchises to explore, as well as some more recent options. Some games even started as more traditional RPGs before adopting any action elements into the mix. One of the cornerstones of a JRPG is having a party of characters, which is why many Action RPGs that players are fond of might not be listed due to controlling only a single character.

Each franchise has been looked at as a whole and includes how much of a fan following they have accrued, their scores across multiple entries, and how much they have evolved over the years. Sadly, there are some truly astonishing Action JRPGs that have no other entries to make them a franchise, such as Rogue Galaxy.

8 Mana

Final Fantasy’s First Action JRPG

• First Release: Final Fantasy Adventure (June 28, 1991)
• Latest Release: Visions of Mana (August 29, 2024)
• Developers: Square, Square Enix
• Platforms: Game Boy, Super NES, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Android, iOS, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

The Mana games’ first entry was titled Final Fantasy Adventure in the US but would use an entirely different combat system, with something more akin to The Legend of Zelda. This first entry featured playing as just a single character, but as the franchise went on, it would eventually become known as the Mana series and feature a party of different characters filling different roles.

The games offer players plenty to do besides sticking to the mainline quests, and players looking for a franchise to binge will have over a dozen entries to make them fall in love with this franchise. While it is worthy of being on this list, it isn’t able to keep up compared to some of the other entries.

7 Ni No Kuni

Blended Real-Time and Turn-Based

• First Release: Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn (December 9, 2010)
• Latest Release: Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds (June 10, 2021)
• Developers: Square, Square Enix
• Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOs

A lot of turn-based fans feel real-time takes away from the strategy element by forcing quick thinking and reactions rather than completely informed choices. On the other side of things, real-time fans can feel that turn-based just is not as engaging or as fun as real-time. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch blended both of these into a truly astonishing experience, coupled with a Studio Ghibli anime film feel.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom dropped the turn-based elements to be a much more action-focused experience, telling just as good a story in the process. Players who have never tried either of these should give both of these Action JRPGs a look, as they still hold up to this day across every category. There are also various non-Action RPG entries in this franchise.

6 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Remade for a New Generation of Gamers

• First Release: Final Fantasy 7 Remake (April 10, 2020)
• Latest Release: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (February 29, 2024)
• Developers: Square Enix
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

A lot of fans grew up with Final Fantasy being a turn-based affair. However, as the years have gone by, the franchise strayed from this format for faster-paced real-time combat systems. Final Fantasy 15 was one of the first Final Fantasy games to truly be an Action JRPG, and this would carry over for every game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake line of games.

These games expanded on numerous lore elements and presented the story of the original game in a much more cinematic experience, utilizing some of the best modern gaming technology. If things get too hard for players, they can explore and grind in order to gain levels while also experiencing non-combat portions of the game to tackle harder foes afterward.

5 Star Ocean

A Space Age Fantasy Epic

• First Release: Star Ocean (July 19, 1996)
• Latest Release: Star Ocean: The Divine Force (October 27, 2022)
• Developers: tri-Ace
• Platforms: Super Famicom, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Game Boy Color, PSP, PS Vita, PC, iOS, Android

While games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest started out in the 80s, they were strictly turn-based affairs. Star Ocean made the scene in 1996 with a much more engaging and action-centered approach to combat. This would continue to evolve and improve into a very long-running franchise.

The more recent games have much larger-scale fights, which can see players take to the air and come crashing back into the fight alongside their allies. Both the Star Ocean and the Xenoblade Chronicles games approach a similar idea but execute it in completely different ways.

4 Tales

Stylish Anime Action RPG Visuals

• First Release: Tales of Phantasia (December 15, 1995)
• Latest Release: Tales of Arise (September 10, 2021)
• Developers: Bandai Namco Studios
• Platforms: Android, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, GameCube, iOS, Windows, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Super Famicom, Web Browser, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

It is such an incredible experience to see how different Action JRPGs started out back on old-school consoles. Each pursues its own unique feel and provides a unique experience. The first Tales game utilized side-scrolling to close in on enemies while still keeping all the elements of a typical JRPG — down to stat screens underneath the combat encounter. The games also have a very bright and colorful aesthetic.

The games would evolve into 3D fighting grounds, put more emphasis on being able to defend oneself from incoming attacks, and eventually incorporate large cinematic-style attacks. Modern Tales games, also known as Tales of, still have an iconic battle scene that needs to be triggered by running into enemies, while some Action JRPGs allow players to trigger battles within the overworld themselves.

3 Ys

A Gem That Needs More Attention

• First Release: Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished (June 21, 1987)
• Latest Release: Ys X: Nordics (September 28, 2023)
• Developers: Nihon Falcom
• Platforms: NEC PC-8801, Sharp X1, MSX2, FM-7, NEC PC-9801, Sharp X68000, Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, NES, Super NES, Nintendo DS, Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, TurboGrafx-CD, Apple IIGS, mobile phones, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PlayStation 5

Another Action RPG that started as a single character without a party is the Ys franchise. The game saw many style changes, from top-down to side-scrolling, but has adopted a more mainstream approach that aligns with what to expect from an Action JRPG — complete with party members.

This might not be the best choice for players looking for an Action JRPG series to binge, but Ys 9: Monstrum Nox and Ys 10: Nordics are clear winners in the genre that any fan will want to pick up if they are not familiar with this franchise.

2 Kingdom Hearts

If Disney Were an Anime

• First Release: Kingdom Hearts (March 28, 2002)
• Latest Release: Star Ocean: Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (November 11, 2020)
• Developers: Square, Square Enix, Jupiterh, h. a.n.d, BitGroove Inc, Success, indieszero
• Platforms: PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mobile phone, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Web browser, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch.

Kingdom Hearts made its debut on the PS2 console and has seen releases across countless different systems. Almost all of these titles have been collected together into remastered collections. The game combines elements of Square Enix properties alongside those of iconic Disney and Pixar characters.

Kingdom Hearts has just as much a fan following as Final Fantasy but cemented itself in the Action JRPG genre rather than a traditional one. The franchise has a distinct feel to its combat, with each game also trying new things to push the franchise forward and continuing to tell a story with a massive depth of lore.

1 Xenoblade Chronicles

The Sci-Fi Experience AJRPG Fans Need

• First Release: Xenoblade Chronicles (June 10, 2010)
• Latest Release: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (March 20, 2025)
• Developers: Monolith Soft
• Platforms: Wii, New Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch

The Xenoblade Chronicles games have always offered unforgettable experiences, which can be credited to many of their features. They have the typical JRPG fantasy world feeling but with a massive injection of sci-fi and mecha into the mix. Giant monsters, large space battles, and boosting through the air in mech suits are just some of the things players can expect to be interwoven into their experience.

Both the original game and Xenoblade Chronicles X received remasters in the 2020s, meaning players can experience almost every game in stunning detail along with a solid gameplay experience.