Best JRPGs With Short Main Stories

Most people assume that JRPGs feature massive stories that can take hundreds of hours to complete, which is right in most instances. Most games in the genre come jam-packed with content, compelling players to rack up lengthy playtimes as they go through an engrossing story.

Anyone daunted by these lengthy playtimes will be glad to know that some JRPGs are more reasonable in this regard. If a few hours is all that a gamer can spare every day, these Japanese role-playing games will be right up their alley.

Main Story times are taken from HowLongToBeat.

8 Vagrant Story

Main Story: 24 Hours

Vagrant Story is one of the best JRPGs on the PS1, and it’s a shame that more people didn’t check it out back in the day since it came at the tail end of the console’s lifespan. The world of Ivalice feels quite immersive, with Vagrant Story featuring a unique battle system with a single protagonist at the helm of things.

Exploring the ruined city of Lea Monde and relying on powerful equipment to help Ashley become as strong as possible is imperative for players to reach the end of a complex yet rewarding JRPG. The best part is that the story doesn’t overstay its welcome and lets players have a great time throughout this wild adventure.

7 Chrono Trigger

Main Story: 23 Hours

Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, whisking players away on a grand time-traveling adventure. The fact that this game has so many iconic set-pieces without wasting the player’s time is a testament to its immaculate pacing.

It feels like the game can constantly surprise players with every step of their riveting adventure. In New Game+, the time taken to complete the game is even shorter if players choose to defeat Lavos at varying points in the story other than the intended ending.

6 Live A Live

Main Story: 22 Hours

Live a Live is an ambitious JRPG that didn’t witness a release outside of Japan back in the day, only for this title to receive an HD-2D remake. Fans were glad to see this amazing game get the respect it deserves as players checked out numerous scenarios with an antagonist who takes on the form of the Lord of Dark, Odio.

After completing each scenario and witnessing how Odio was bound to such a tragic fate, players can either help the Lord of Dark take over the world or stop him in his tracks. The fact that so many scenarios can be completed in a criminally short time is a testament to how well-paced and engaging Live a Live is.

5 Golden Sun

Main Story: 22 Hours

A GBA JRPG that used Djinns to influence everything from summons to job allocations, Golden Sun is an excellent game that more fans of the genre need to check out. It’s a shame that Nintendo fans haven’t seen another game in this classic series, since the mechanics toyed around with in these games are pretty engaging and encourage creativity.

The best part about Golden Sun is that it doesn’t take a ridiculously long time to complete. Players can stick to the main path and complete the main story in no time at all unless they choose to go out of their way to complete a wealth of optional content present in this beautiful game.

4 The World Ends With You: Final Remix

Main Story: 17 Hours

The World Ends With You is one of the most stylish JRPGs that takes place in modern Tokyo. Fashion trends influence a player’s effectiveness in combat, encouraging them to try out different pins to smash their foes.

While the complexity of the game’s combat on the Nintendo DS is lost in later releases, this has the added effect of making the game easier to get through. A player who knows what they’re doing can help Neku unravel the conspiracy behind the twisted game he’s a part of in under 20 hours, making for a satisfactory conclusion to a brilliant JRPG.

3 Final Fantasy

Main Story: 15.5 Hours

Final Fantasy is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, ushering in a new era where this genre dominated in Japan before exponentially increasing its popularity in the PS1 era. The first game in the series is as simple as they come and let players control four Warriors of Light in an epic quest to save the world.

As one would expect, Final Fantasy can be completed in a reasonable amount of time, especially since the game isn’t all that complex. As long as players have a balanced party and keep themselves stocked with powerful equipment and magic, defeating Chaos at the end of the game should be more than manageable.

2 Super Mario RPG

Main Story: 12 Hours

Super Mario RPG is one of the most accommodating JRPGs players can get their hands on. The remake does a great job of polishing the experience and making it even faster to get through for players who want to experience this legendary title for themselves.

With a runtime of only twelve hours to get through the main story, it’s easy to see why Super Mario RPG is a great introduction to this genre for fans. The remake looks beautiful and is jam-packed with imaginative levels and engaging bosses that are paced brilliantly.

1 Parasite Eve

Main Story: 9.5 Hours

During an era when players expected most JRPGs to whisk them away on incredible adventures for hundreds of hours, SquareSoft took everyone by surprise with a mature game in the genre that featured elements of body horror and let players control a solitary protagonist.

The story of Parasite Eve is engaging enough without being too complicated, with the game letting players explore various levels in New York as they try to stop Eve from forcing humanity to evolve. The rollercoaster ride this game takes players on is short yet engaging, and players who want more from this game after reaching the end can try to conquer a new dungeon added in New Game+ where players ascend the Chrysler Building and uncover a secret ending that sheds more light on the plot.