The Best JRPGs With Space Exploration

Key Takeaways

• Infinite Space
  offers a mix of
  Star Trek
  , handheld gaming, and sci-fi anime in a vast space exploration adventure.
• Cosmic Star Heroine
  is a traditional JRPG with turn-based combat, linear storytelling, and interplanetary travel.
• Phantasy Star 4
  uses space exploration as a narrative tool to venture across planets, creating a sense of wanderlust.

When people talk about JRPGs, it is understandable that most people’s minds turn to a fantasy world. However, there are plenty of JRPGs that have delved into many different aesthetic genres. From hyperstyled modern-day esthetics to traversing through the stars in an epic spacefaring adventure.

There are also plenty of sci-fi JRPGs that, while having camera angles looking down at the planet, do not feature any form of actual space exploration — such as Xenogears, or the iconic Xenoblade Chronicles games. It is also worth noting that fans of the JRPG genre who want an epic space adventure check out the Western action-RPG franchise, Mass Effect. However, these JRPGs manage both, offering sprawling stories and plenty of space exploration.

8 Infinite Space

On The Go Space Exploration

• Developers: Nude Maker, PlatinumGames
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Release: June 11th, 2009

Infinite Space feels like an amalgamation of Star Trek, classic handheld gaming, and a sci-fi anime. There are many different crew members to recruit and ships to build, each with their own noteworthy stats and abilities to be mindful of. Battles take place between both troops on the ground, and vessels out in the depths of space.

The protagonist sets sail through the stars, and players can make various narrative choices as they progress through the game’s story. Players looking for a game about exploring different galaxies full of astral bodies will find plenty of them in Infinite Space.

7 Cosmic Star Heroine

A Homage To Classic JRPGs

• Developers: Zeboyd Games
• Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
• Release: April 11, 2017

Players looking for a JRPG that is more like a traditional Final Fantasy affair should give some of their attention to Cosmic Star Heroine. This game utilizes a turn-order display that players can use to plan their tactics in advance — as well as decide which skills their party will use in their desired order. Battles begin with enemies and allies sorting into two sides and duking it out through turn-based combat.

The narrative is a story of intrigue and betrayal, with a fairly straightforward plot to follow. The game does not give players the vast freedom of modern JRPGS, nor does it give them numerous side activities outside the main story path, making it quite linear. Players will still travel to various planets and space stations throughout the game, giving them plenty of spacefaring excitement.

6 Phantasy Star 4: The End Of The Millennium

The Capstone Of The Phantasy Star Storyline

There are many different Phantasy Star games in the series, but out of all of them, Phantasy Star 4 is regarded as one of the best among its JRPG peers, before the series put a larger focus on its online games. It may not give players the grandeur of piloting a ship firsthand, but it utilizes space exploration as a narrative tool to let players venture across numerous planets throughout the galaxy it is set in.

Traveling to a new planet is thrilling and gives a sense of excitement to see what new elements it will hold. Players will get a familiar sense of wanderlust associated with other JRPGs, as the esthetics feel eerily similar to those of a fantasy world but, at the same time, alien to them. Each entry in the series is linked, and players will get the most out of this game by being knowledgeable about past entry events.

5 Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

For Players Looking For A Lot Of Lore

Xenosaga is a lore and story-heavy ordeal, something that might scare many players away with just how much of a focus the game puts on this over other features. Players of JRPGs along the lines of The Legend of Dragoon and White Knight Chronicles might be fascinated by the game’s use of calling in mecha to aid them in space battles.

Players will be able to have characters pilot these mecha in battles using a resource called Ether Points, or EP for short. This mechanic can add some strategic depth to battles, but should be used sparingly.

4 Xenosaga Episode 2: Jenseits Von Gut Und Böse

Answering Questions From The First Game

• Developers: Monolith Soft
• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Released: February 15, 2005

Players who were enthralled by the world of Xenosaga Episode 1 will be happy to know that the game is part of a trilogy. Should the game have stopped at the end of the first game, many fans would be up in arms to know what happens next, including expanding deeper into the story and lore — such as the nature of the Zohar.

The German text of this title translates to “Beyond Good and Evil,” which ironically is a title shared with another iconic sci-fi game that also involves interstellar travel. Players will need to make their way through the first game prior to this one; otherwise, they will be hopelessly lost.

3 Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Charting The New Frontier

Star Ocean: The Last Hope is not one of the highest-rated Star Ocean games out there. In fact, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is regarded as a better game by comparison. However, this prequel to the franchise is all about the aftermath of a global war and humanity looking to the stars as a means to a better future.

The game features a plethora of different locations and environments, with each feeling unique and creating a sense of excitement for players. This captures the very spirit of exploration and makes this game exactly what players might be craving.

2 Rogue Galaxy

A Vast Galaxy To Explore

Rogue Galaxy is one of the best action JRPGs players can hope to find on the PlayStation Store. The game features a significant amount of space exploration, with numerous alien worlds that feel vastly different from each other. Each of them offers a new part of the story, reasons to return at later points, and new allies to recruit. Players can freely move back and forth between planets and will even face off against giant monsters in the process.

Rogue Galaxy is a masterful execution of gameplay, storytelling, and visuals, all wrapped into an action JRPG experience that few games come close to equaling. One of the biggest selling points for JRPG fans is how deep of a story they will get out of this game, with completionists needing to put in over 100 hours — with every moment feeling well worth it.

1 Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Start With The Second Story

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is the remastered version of the second Star Ocean game, which serves as one of the best in the entire franchise. Players will venture between many different—and visually stunning—planets throughout the game. The game’s backgrounds are gorgeous, the sprites have depth, and the gameplay is fun and engaging. Despite its name, the game features an all-new cast set in the same universe, making this the perfect starting place for new players.

Planets will offer many quests, puzzles, and enemies to give players the complete JRPG package, but there are not only just planets to explore. Players will also find themselves traveling to various space stations. Any player looking for a space-faring JRPG experience needs to try Second Story R.