8 Best JRPGs Balancing Combat And Puzzle Mechanics

Key Takeaways

• JRPGs offer amazing game mechanics & likable characters
• Best JRPGs balance combat and puzzle mechanics naturally
• Some classic JRPGs like Persona 5 Royal deliver thrilling experiences

The JRPG genre is one of the most popular in the gaming community, as it offers wonderful plots, amazing game mechanics and likable characters with interesting backstories. JRPGs normally have various action sequences, classes, jobs, and abilities that players can explore to get the best possible experience.

JRPGs have been around since the early days of gaming, and they’re still going strong, as many amazing titles have come out on the Nintendo Switch. While some decide to stick to one game mechanic or another, there are others that choose to combine puzzles and combat to make the gaming experience very interesting. Here are some of the best JRPGs that balance combat and puzzle mechanics.

8 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky

A Great Title That Still Holds Up Well Today

• Great combination of puzzles and combat
• Two siblings training together to become warriors

The story of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel focuses on Estelle and Joshua Bright, who are training to become combat specialists known as bracers for the Liberl Kingdom. When their father disappears, they’ll have to set out on a journey through five different regions and their adventure will begin.

While not as well received as other titles on this list, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel still offers a very interesting experience that combines puzzles and combat, making it a classic JRPG that many players still love.

7 Etrian Odyssey Nexus

Lots Of Mysteries To Discover In Lemuria

• Explorers from all over are summoned to discover the mysteries of Lemuria
• This was the last Etrian franchise title released for the 3DS

Etrian Odyssey Nexus has a very interesting premise revolving around the princess of Lemuria gathering the best explorers in the realm to discover the many mysteries in the kingdom. Seeking valuable treasures, glory and to make a name for themselves, these explorers will face any dangers they encounter and try their best to overcome them.

Like other JRPGs, this title manages to successfully combine combat and puzzle mechanics very naturally, offering an experience that never feels forced. Etrian Odyssey Nexus was the last game of its franchise to be released on the 3DS, and many players agree that it went out with a bang.

6 Alundra

A Young Boy’s Noble Purpose To Help People

• Many similarities with The Legend of Zelda
• Alundra can enter people’s dreams and defeat their nightmares

Alundra is a timeless PS1 classic that players who were around when the console was popular will probably remember quite fondly. Sharing many similarities with The Legend of Zelda,

Alundra follows the story of a young man of the same. He can enter the minds of people and see their dreams, so he takes on a noble endeavor to help them defeat their nightmares and return the inner peace to their psyches.

The combat mechanics of this title are a little restricted compared to more modern alternatives, but it still manages to deliver a great experience that balances combat and puzzles.

5 Tales Of Symphonia

A Heroic Quest To Save Sylvarant

• Players are tasked with saving the world
• Some players find the puzzles tedious

Taking place in the dying world of Sylvarant, Tales of Symphonia presents players with an interesting premise that comes paired with a great gaming experience. Since Sylvarant is running out of mana (the energy source needed to support life and magic), players will be tasked with taking on a perilous journey to regenerate the world.

While this title doesn’t fit into the classic premise of protecting a city that many JRPGs use, the stakes are arguably higher, as it’s the world and the life inside it that’s at risk. Some players love the puzzles in Tales of Symphonia and others find them a bit tedious. Whatever the case, the balance between puzzles and combat almost always feels perfect.

4 Final Fantasy 10

One Of The Best Final Fantasy Titles To Date

• Sports superstar Tidus is swept to another world
• The Cloister of Trials tests players and forces them to figure things out

The story of Final Fantasy 10 follows Tidus, a sports superstar from Zanarkand who is swept to another world where he meets Summoner Yuna. Together, their task will be to save the world Spira from a mysterious threat only referred to as Sin. This title is considered by many to be one of the best installments in the franchise, offering a thrilling experience full of adrenaline-rushing moments and likable characters.

The closest Final Fantasy 10 comes to delivering puzzles in the very sense of the word is the Cloister of Trials, which will put players to the test and task them to figure out how to progress through them.

3 Chrono Trigger

An Exciting Trip Through History

• The game covers different time periods
• Seven playable characters

Taking place on a fictitious version of Earth, Chrono Trigger presents players with a story that involves several time jumps, different periods in history, and most importantly, an exciting gaming experience. The game ranges from 65,000,000 B.C. to 2300 A.D., where players will find themselves on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth.

With seven playable characters from the different eras in the game, Chrono Trigger is a timeless classic that many players will likely remember fondly. This title inspired many others that resemble it in one way or another, so players have no shortage of options if they want to relive a similar experience.

2 Golden Sun

A Treasure From The Game Boy Advanced Era

• Players can upgrade their characters and help small settlements
• Arguably one of the greatest JRPGs ever made

Golden Sun is one of the greatest JRPGs on the Game Boy Advance. A group of “Adepts”, who are synergy-attuned individuals and inhabit the world of Weyard, are sent from their homes on an arduous journey to prevent a mighty force known as Alchemy from being released.

Throughout the story, players will be able to upgrade their characters, save small settlements and dive deep into the lore of Golden Sun. While it might not be as popular as the Final Fantasy franchise, many players agree that it’s a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

1 Persona 5 Royal

The Ultimate Puzzle Experience

• Crossword puzzles and procedurally generated dungeons
• Joker and friends become the Phanton Theives of Hearts

Persona 5 Royal is an outstanding title that has captivated players ever since it was released back in 2019. When a high school student by the name of Joker is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is forced to move to another school. There, he meets a group of other students, and together, they discover a powerful element that gives them unimaginable abilities. With them, Joker and his fellow students become the vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Persona 5 Royal has one of the best puzzle mechanics in any JRPG, as it not only offers crossword puzzles that players must complete and exam answers they must remember, but also the infamous Mementos, which are procedurally generated dungeons that will confuse players more than once.