The Best JRPGs To Release On The Xbox 360

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 24, 2025 8 Views 10 Min Read
The Best JRPGs To Release On The Xbox 360
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The seventh console generation was perhaps the last time that every brand had a distinct identity of its own. The Nintendo Wii provided a family-friendly experience centered on innovation, often featuring colorful titles that emphasized gameplay over graphics. The PlayStation 3 leaned heavily on its strong third-party support and symbiotic relationship with big-budget Japanese developers. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was largely focused on realistic, brown-tinted shooters with Xbox Live multiplayer integration. This led to a dearth of JRPGs on the system.

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Microsoft commissioned some developers to make Xbox 360-exclusive JRPGs in a bid to entice Japanese audiences to the console. Other publishers simply went for a multiplatform launch alongside the PS3. Here are the best JRPGs on the Xbox 360: though few, they are fascinating.

8

Blue Dragon

Combat in Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360.

A couple of console generations before the 360, Square Enix had launched PlayStation into the stratosphere by switching to the brand for its Final Fantasy titles. Microsoft sought to capture lightning in a bottle again by signing on its creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi. With Sakaguchi’s new studio, Mistwalker, at the helm and Akira Toriyama contributing art designs, Blue Dragon was an assured slam dunk.

The game features an innovative job system based on shadows, allowing you to explore an open world at your own pace. Despite its beautiful graphics and sound design, Blue Dragon is fairly retro in its gameplay ethos: turn-based and slow-paced. Luckily, JRPG fans are known for their patience.

7

Eternal Sonata

Frederic Chopin thinking with a stern look on his face

Even people who don’t play JRPGs agree that the genre holds some of the best that video game music has to offer. Eternal Sonata turns this concept inward by basing its entire premise on music: classical music, to be precise. To complete the concoction, tri-Crescendo brought on Motoi Sakuraba, one of the greatest Japanese video game composers.

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Eternal Sonata is set within the dying dream of Frederic Chopin. The game features a hybrid turn-based combat system where timing is as important as it is in playing an instrument. The art style is cute and whimsical, the soundtrack elegant, and the story satisfying.

The PS3 version of Eternal Sonata was launched a year after the Xbox 360 version, with new playable characters, costumes, and dungeons.

6

Resonance Of Fate

Resonance of Fate - Vashyron attacking a gunman in Resonance of Fate

Resonance of Fate is barely coherent. You’ll feel lost at the start: the cutscenes seem to be playing out of order. Yet while the plot eventually makes sense, it would be fine even if it didn’t. The real reason to play Resonance of Fate is for the gameplay.

This is one of the most stylish games of the seventh generation. The gunfights make The Matrix look like child’s play. It also features a rocking soundtrack and complex, thoughtful gameplay reminiscent of Valkyria Chronicles. This is one of Sega’s most underappreciated ventures.

The Japanese version of Resonance of Fate was titled End of Eternity. The PC remaster lists both titles.

5

Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Reimi Saionji smiling while sitting in a spaceship from Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

In another universe, Star Ocean would have been as big as the Tales series; it even featured some Tales alumni. Sadly, it was not to be, but the series has still seen some rough-hewn gems in its time. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is one such gem.

With a greater emphasis on science fiction and improved gameplay mechanics, this is one of the most refined Star Ocean experiences on the market. It also gives you more than your money’s worth: the story spans three discs, making it one of the largest Xbox 360 titles.

4

The Last Remnant

Irina Sykes holding flowers in The Last Remnant.

If you want JRPGs for your system, you’d better have Square Enix on speed dial. Microsoft understood this, and the result was The Last Remnant, a unique and fresh take on turn-based RPGs. The combat revolves around the grouping of both enemy units and your party, with their abilities being affected by factors such as morale.

A knight from Chivalry 2, the warmonger from For Honor, and a sword from Guild Wars 2.

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The Last Remnant is a characteristically dark, mildly Western-inspired Square Enix JRPG. It fits right in with the Final Fantasy titles of the era, and while its quality is not on par with the FF titles on either side of it, the story makes up for it.

3

Record Of Agarest War

Grey looking at the viewer during a romance scene in Record of Agarest War.

Record of Agarest War is Idea Factory’s take on Fire Emblem with a dash of Romancing Saga. This game has languished in obscurity due to its scattershot localization and publishing schedule, but it remains a hidden gem.

In Agarest, the protagonist isn’t a single character. Rather, your entire bloodline is the protagonist, and their stats are affected by how happy your marriages are. Its dating sim mechanics are more substantial than in Fire Emblem, and the tactical RPG gameplay is enjoyable. Being an Idea Factory title, it’s also packed full of fan service.

The Xbox 360 version of this game is actually a port, but it’s more definitive than the PS3 version as it features new voice acting and new dungeons.

2

Tales Of Vesperia

Karol asks why the party is meowing in Tales of Vesperia.

The pinnacle of classic Tales gameplay, Tales of Vesperia was one of Microsoft’s most ambitious forays into the JRPG genre. Commissioning Namco to make an Xbox 360-exclusive Tales game was a power move on par with buying an MVP before the football season starts (don’t ask us, we don’t play football.)

This is as good as side-view combat gets in Tales. You can chain attacks like a fighting game, and the difficulty balance is exquisite. Challenging and enthralling, but never unfair, Tales of Vesperia is one of the best JRPGs on the Xbox 360. It also features one of the most likable Tales protagonists, and its story is a top-notch take on environmentalism.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, Tales of Vesperia’s status as an Xbox 360 exclusive was short-lived. A year after the Xbox 360 launch, Namco Bandai published an expanded edition on the PS3, featuring new scenarios and playable characters. The expanded edition was only available in Japan until 2019, when the game’s definitive remaster was launched worldwide.

1

Final Fantasy 13

Lightning approaches a disarmed Snow in Final Fantasy 13.

Final Fantasy 13 was unfairly maligned in its time for its linear structure, often being mocked as a corridor simulator. Here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter how linear the first half of Final Fantasy 13 is, because in spectacle, engagement, and polish, the game is second to none from the seventh console generation.

The second half also opens up into being nearly open-world, rendering any complaints of linearity moot. Final Fantasy 13 is one of the most focused and dazzling experiences on the Xbox 360. The visuals push the Xbox 360 to its limits, and the series’ ATB battle system never felt this good.

Split image of Lara Croft, Dante (rebooted design) and Lightning from Final Fantasy 13.

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