Summary
- Chrono Trigger is a classic low fantasy RPG with a mix of sci-fi and time travel.
- Final Fantasy 7 offers a modern setting with advanced technology and magic via Materia.
- EarthBound presents a bizarre yet charming low fantasy RPG with psychic abilities in a retro setting.
The concept of a low fantasy game can mean different things to different people. Generally, low fantasy can be as vague as someone possessing magic in our reality. For example, the Harry Potter series is a fine book example, as wizards and witches exist among the normal dregs of society. Even though the wizarding world is fantastical, which players can enjoy via Hogwarts Legacy, it’s still a bit grounded.
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That’s a Western example, but Japan has dabbled in low fantasy games too. The JRPG genre has covered all manner of fantasy realms, and low fantasy is just one of the many. Let’s rank these low fantasy JRPGs based on how true to life they can feel with just a bit of mysticism throughout, from magic to psychic powers. Could these examples happen in real life?
8
Chrono Trigger
Discovering Truths About The Past
Chrono Trigger begins in a modern day setting, with technology being a little more advanced than what society was like in 1995. Magic is nowhere to be found, but there are robots and even experimental time devices that send the story into high gear when Marle falls into the zone and Crono has to go after her.
In the past, they discover magic is real and monsters are more prevalent. Chrono Trigger is a great low fantasy, sci-fi, and time-travel game all rolled into one. It’s a classic turn-based RPG that most SNES fans have at least heard of, if not played themselves.
7
Final Fantasy 7
Modern Magic
- Released
-
January 31, 1997
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Final Fantasy 7 is the closest to a modern setting that the Final Fantasy series has ever ventured. The opening city setting of Midgar seems contemporary with 1997 society, albeit with a bit more advanced technology, from robots to giant reactors that power everything.
Magic does exist though, created via crystallized orbs called Materia, and there are monsters too. Anyone with Materia can use magic, from fire to lightning, and it’s a big draw of the game. The modern, low fantasy setting of Final Fantasy 7 is probably why so many people jumped into it, even if they hadn’t played an RPG before on the PS1.
6
EarthBound
The Absurdity In The Mundane
- Released
-
June 5, 1995
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
EarthBound was designed to give off a retro “Anywhere USA” vibe. The towns are simple, as are the people who inhabit them. Even though players fight creatures in turn-based battles, many of the game’s enemies are just animals or weird people.
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The four heroes aren’t even that extravagant, as they are call hildren who possess psychic abilities and everyday items being used as weapons, like bats and yo-yos. It’s one of the most bizarre RPGs on the SNES and this is why so many players were charmed by it.
5
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
If Only Life Were This Carefree
Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver were the two DS remakes that recreated the second generation of Pokemon games. They are well-beloved because they secretly contained the map from the first game as post-game content.
Both regions of Johto and Kanto resemble Japanese society, albeit from lower populated areas. The biggest distinction is the Pokemon that people can capture and befriend to do anything from battling other Pokemon to surfing the sea. Of all the low fantasy games out there, this is probably the world most players want to inhabit.
4
Parasite Eve
The X-Files Go To New York City
- Released
-
September 9, 1998
- Developer(s)
-
Square
- Publisher(s)
-
Square
Parasite Eve is borderline low fantasy and could be better described as sci-fi, but it’s still worth discussing no matter how one would technically categorize it. The game takes place in New York City with everything being as normal as things could be in 1998. That is except for a being named Eve mutating the animals and humans around her to become monsters or puddles of goo.
The protagonist, Aya, is a detective who awakens latent psychic abilities and can do everything from shooting fireballs to healing herself. It’s one of the best horror premises any video game has attempted, that’s for sure, and a great turn-based/real-time hybrid.
3
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
A Hawaiian Vacation In The Mind
- Released
-
January 26, 2024
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest main entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. It follows the hero, Ichiban, who came from Japan to Hawaii to find his real mom. Ichiban is a giant nerd who loved playing RPGs as a kid.
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So, when players get into turn-based combat, they are seeing battles through Ichiban’s eyes. He imagines allies and enemies have classes and can use special attacks that border on magic. Is this happening, or it is all in Ichiban’s head? It’s kind of a big mystery that never really gets addressed beyond a few jokes, but the world that players experience certainly has its fair share of low fantasy aspects, real or not.
2
The World Ends With You
One Last Chance At Revival
The World Ends With You starts with the hero, Neku, waking up in Shibuya Crossing, a famous recreation of a famous place in Japan. Neku later learns he died and is in a world in-between the real world and the world of the afterlife. He has been chosen to play a game, and if he wins, Neku can make a wish to revive himself.
It may seem like a bizarre plot, but no one knows what happens to us when we die. The World Ends With You could be spot-on, complete with giving competitors magical skills through pins and fashion accessories. It’s an interesting way to work low fantasy elements into the setting, since they exist right over top of the real world.
1
Persona 4
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Persona 4 is a chill game at first. Yu, the protagonist, moves to a new city in Japan to stay with his uncle and cousin and to attend a new school. Life is boring until a series of murders happen around town and Yu awakens an entity inside of himself called a Persona.
Personas give their host magical abilities like elemental magic and combat is hosted in turn-based battles. Outside of battles and crawling around dungeons, players will hang out with friends and go to school as Yu, just like a normal teen. Persona 3 and Persona 5 are good low fantasy games too, but the murder mystery and associated characters will help keep players engaged in Persona 4.
