Most Satisfying Skill Mastery Systems In JRPGs

Key Takeaways

• JRPGs are exploring fluid class systems that allow players to personalize their characters through skill mastery.
• Titles like Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake and Disgaea emphasize taking skills across classes for progression.
• Games like Bravely Default 2 and Shin Megami Tensei 5 reward skill mastery with passives that carry over between classes.

Combat is a core part of many JRPGs, whether they’re slow-paced, easygoing titles or difficult, tactical experiences. The main question that games have around combat is a tricky one – how is combat tied to progress? Every battle from simple grunt encounters to epic boss fights should in some way be driving the party forward, pushing them onward, but is there any way to do this besides following a linear level path?

Many JRPGs have been experimenting with a more fluid style of classes that brings with it ways to customize and swap around features. As JRPGs become more expansive and open-ended, the skill and class systems follow suit. Some titles let players keep a handful of their old abilities when taking on a new class, or reward players who focus on a particular skill set for an extended period of time. These JRPGs tackle skill mastery in a variety of different ways, but each rewards the player who becomes proficient with them or the class attached to them.

8 Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake

Players Can Take Skills And Spells Across Classes

The newly released Dragon Quest 3 remake has revitalized this game in stunning, iconic HD-2D style. Part of this revitalization is a new class that interacts with the game in new and interesting ways. Among all the classes, however, players have the chance to personalize them through skill mastery.

Changing classes at a certain point of skill mastery lets players take some spells or skills with them from the old class to the new one, increasing their utility and rewarding those who properly explored the old class before moving on.

7 Disgaea

Mastering Skills And Classes Is Vital To Success

The first Disgaea game is iconic for a host of reasons, not least of all because of the incredibly novel gameplay style that has been carried on throughout its many sequels since. Part of this gameplay loop is attempting to become comically overpowered, with stats that can be capped at five digits.

But getting one’s stats to the iconic 99999 is not as simple as taking a break from the story to do a little bit of grinding. Players need to master skills and classes, reach their highest point of potential, and then start again with a new class, carrying boosted stats with them based on how well they mastered all the facets of the old class.

6 Bravely Default 2

Passive Skill Mastery Is A Core Feature

Bravely Default 2 is truly the definitive experience for the unique battle system that Square Enix pioneered back on the 3DS with the original title. Mastering asterisks in this game is vital to progression, as it gives players passives that can be carried over from one job to the next.

From the cunning gambler to the fearsome hellblade, the unique and powerful classes available in this game all have powerful passive skills that, once earned, can be utilized by that character across any of the other classes.

5 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance

An Excellent Skill Acquisition Mechanic

Among some of the hardest titles in the series, Vengeance is a title to look out for if players are looking for a true challenge. Part of the thrill of this game, however, is overcoming this challenge with powerful skills.

Mastering and learning all the skills a demon can learn often allows them to learn other skills from a broader, random pool that, when synthesized with that demon’s stats, can lead to some incredibly overpowered combinations.

4 Legend Of Legacy

A Game Built Around A Unique Skill Mastery System

• Released (Initial): January 22, 2015
• Developer: FuRyu, Cattle Call
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS

Unlike many titles on this list, the skill mastery in Legend of Legacy is not supplementary to the level-up system – it is the level-up system. Rather than gaining xp to follow a linear path of stat increases and move acquisition, skills level up with use in this title.

This means a character that focuses on the bow will master it over time, learning more skills and abilities to utilize with that weapon and becoming more effective with it overall. It’s essentially the crux of this game that opts to focus on combat and exploration over story.

3 The Alliance Alive

A Game That Innovates On Its Predecessor

Made by the same people who made Legend of Legacy, Alliance Alive was generally much more well-received and feels a lot more like a complete title. The unique skill mastery elements here are augmented with character-specific skills the player can specialize in over time.

This game is quite challenging, and those who lose at the final hurdle are hit with a bad ending, so it’s important players master their skills early. Giving each character one or two weapon types – or magic disciplines – to follow means they’ll attain a host of powerful skills to utilize against foes.

2 Romancing SaGa 2

An Iconic Skill Mastery System

Serving as the inspiration for some of the titles on this list, Romancing SaGa 2 is one of the best games in the SaGa series and helped pioneer the skill-mastery system that supersedes traditional level-up mechanics.

Individual weapon skills increase with use, so players will need to take a more focused approach to skill mastery and ensure each character is fulfilling a particular niche in the party, complete with a weapon focus, to ensure they’re getting the most out of the skills this game offers.

1 Dragon’s Dogma 2

Vocations Reward Skill Mastery Greatly

The host of vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 all function in unique, specialized ways, and each provides a unique experience of how the world is explored. The mysterious Trickster provides a wildly different gameplay experience to the greatsword-touting Warrior or the agile Archer.

Similar to titles on this list like Bravely Default 2, mastering skills through particular vocations in this game gives players powerful passive buffs that can be carried over with the character to any other vocation, letting them synthesize passive and active skills in unique and creative ways.