8 Popular RPGs Turning 30 In 2025

RPGs always feel special, but they were on another level in the 1990s. In an age where many games were linearly designed, sometimes only consisting of going from left to right, each RPG offered a whole world to explore with the freedom to interact with it on some deeper level.

Related

10 Best Anime RPGs

A timeless game genre in a timeless style

Just talking to NPCs to gather clues about where to go next added a depth to the environment other games of the time lacked. While the novelty has worn off in the thirty years since the games listed below came out, many of them still hold up today as more than just curiosities from the past.

8

Earthbound

A Modern-Day Turn-Based RPG Filled With Weirdness

Earthbound is immediately appealing due to its small-town setting and comedic bent. The aesthetic still holds up today, but a lot of the progression can be obtuse, so do not be scared to play with a guide at your side.

The narrative still makes this 30-year old adventure worth going through despite its difficulty and older sensibilities. It would be a disservice to spoil everything here, but the ending gets weird enough to make David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky blush.

7

Front Mission

Turn-Based Strategy With Mechs

• Released in Japan in 1995

Who doesn’t love mechs? Front Mission puts players in control of these battle robots in the form of a turn-based stategy RPG. The gameplay will be familiar to anybody who played Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together.

Related

Front Mission 1st: Remake – 10 Best Pilots

Here are the best pilots for Front Mission 1st: Remake.

The usage of mechs adds another mechanic to the game its peers in the genre lack. Different parts of the robots can be destroyed to effect their abilities in battle. Damaging the legs, for example, will impact mobility.

6

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

A Particularly Mature Story For The Time

• Released in Japan in 1995

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling together has changed quite a bit since its original release on the SNES in 1995. Through all the refinements that have come in the numerous re-releases, the hard-hitting story and the tough choices you are forced to make as a player remain intact.

The political intrigue of the narrative is still impactful, and it was especially unique when it first came out. It is a little hard to go back to the original release. It lacks many conveniences that the turn-based strategy RPG genre has gone through in the new milennium.

5

Breath Of Fire 2

Lightly Connected To The First Breath Of Fire

Your changes have been saved

Breath of Fire 2

Systems

Unlike a lot of JRPG series, Breath of Fire actually does have some connections with its predecessor. Even though it takes place centuries later, several characters are descended from party members of the original Breath of Fire

There is even an immortal sorceress you can recruit as an optional party member who was a part of the first game’s party. Breath of Fire 2’s gameplay is standard for the time, but it features three endings, a feature that helps it stand out from similar RPGs.

4

Dragon Quest 6

The Sixth Entry In The Legendary Series

• Released in Japan in 1995

As a part of the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest 6 does not offer any huge innovations to the series. Still, it remains a great RPG for 1995. Looking at it today, it might be refreshing to play an RPG with such familiar and defined mechanics as a break from games that present some sort of gimmick that detracts from the pure RPG charm.

Unfortunately, many gamers would not get their hands on it until it was localized in 2011 for the Nintendo DS remake. Unlike the Final Fantasy 3 and 4 remakes, the Dragon Quest 6 remake retains the original 2D perspective.

3

Romancing Saga 3

Turn-Based RPG And War

• Released in Japan in 1995

JRPGs being set during a war is nothing new, but Romancing Saga incorporates it into the gameplay. Depending on who you choose as the main character for the campaign, the mini-war campaign is introduced and utilizes elements of strategy in addition to the traditional JRPG turn-based battles.

6:32

Related

10 Best SNES RPGs Of All Time

The SNES was a powerhouse of JRPGs, and these are the best.

The progression system also helps separate Romancing Sage 3 from its peers. Players do not gain experience points to level up and instead grow stronger as they are used in battles.

2

Arc The Lad

Character Stats Carry Over To The Sequel

• Released in Japan in 1995

Arc The Lad is a turn-based strategy game, only on a smaller scale. The game is relatively short for the genre, coming in at about ten to 15 hours. However, players’ clear data can be transferred over to the sequel and continue with the same stats and level.

It is a good thing, then, that the two games were localized in North America at the same time in 2002. Unfortunately, coming out this late in the PlayStation’s life meant a lot of people had already moved on to PS2 JRPGs.

1

Chrono Trigger

Time Travel And Multiple Endings

What makes Chrono Trigger hold up so well against the wave or retro JRPGs on the SNES? Everything about it is almost the best example of the genre at the time. Every party member is unique and instantly memorable, the story combines whimsy and high stakes, and the battle system is easy-to-understand with smooth level progression that makes sure you never have to grind.

After 30 years, Chrono Trigger is still more enjoyable than many modern RPGs. It’s no wonder so many people are still clamoring for a sequel or some sort of return to the property. Even if that never happens, Chrono Trigger will remain a great RPG for new generations of gamers to enjoy.

Next

9 Best Story-Rich 2D RPGs

Don’t let the 2D era fool you, there are some definite gems with storytelling behind this specific art style.