JRPGs That Were Victims Of Their Own Hype

Key Takeaways

• Hype can make or break a game: don’t let anticipation cloud judgment.
• Failed expectations lead to disappointment for JRPG fans.
• Some games like Final Fantasy 15 underwhelmed after years of hype.

Hype can either make or break a title, with some games doing a great job of capitalizing on this interest to let players enjoy one of the greatest video games ever made. However, the inverse is true if a game fails to live up to its lofty promises and alienates many fans.

The JRPG genre is no exception here, with the recent resurgence of this genre making it clear why fans anticipate these Japanese role-playing games to wow them if the marketing is executed to a T. Unfortunately, some JRPGs fail to deliver in this department and end up being disappointing, as a result.

8 Final Fantasy 15

No Game Can Live Up To A Ten-Year Hype

Final Fantasy 15 is a video game that went through development hell, being rebranded and reworked numerous times before finally releasing a decade after its announcement. For a game that was in the works for so long, it isn’t great to see an incomplete story, puzzling design decisions, and a combat system that provides little to no challenge whatsoever.

However, that’s not to say that Final Fantasy 15 is a bad game, just one that suffered many problems during its development and would never live up to the hype that built up after ten years for one of the most historied JRPG franchises of all time. The game’s beautiful open world, detailed animations, and interesting story made it clear that this game got a ton of things right too, but stumbled in other departments.

7 Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Feels Like A Pale Imitation Of The First Game

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is the perfect title for Studio Ghibli fans who want to check out a playable story with the same charm and light-hearted tone. Fans expected the same from the sequel, but Revenant Kingdom had other plans.

While the art style was retained, the tone of the story was all over the place and failed to capture the charm of the first game. Combat was a major improvement that fans appreciated, but not at the cost of the game’s narrative qualities and a kingdom management system that felt like an afterthought.

6 Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Too Many Tutorials Along With A Story That Isn’t As Strong As One Would Expect

The first Xenoblade Chronicles game and Xenoblade Chronicles X made a strong impression for a series that would become a mainstay on Nintendo consoles ever since. Fans expected the same from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but a wealth of issues prevented this game from reaching the heights of the previous games.

For starters, the game was loaded with too many tutorials that prevented players from enjoying the strengths of the combat system until they’d clocked in more than fifteen hours. This, coupled with a narrative that was nowhere near as ironclad as previous games in the series, led to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 being a game that was a good JRPG, but an average Xenoblade game.

5 Final Fantasy 13

Too Many Linear Corridors Spoil The Broth

If there’s one thing fans remember about Final Fantasy 13, it’s the incessant focus on linear corridors with little to no room for meaningful exploration. The battle system was also far from engaging, with the game promoting cinematic flair over combat mechanics that gave players more control.

It takes way too long for the game to stop tutorializing everything and let players explore an open zone, and it’s too late by that point. Despite having its high points, Final Fantasy 13 deserves the moniker of being a mainline title in the series that failed to live up to this franchise’s lofty standards.

4 I Am Setsuna

Tried To Emulate Chrono Trigger’s Magic With Mixed Results

Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, and it’s a given that any game trying to elicit the same charm as this title would be hyped to the moon and back. This is why I Am Setsuna was so interesting for JRPG veterans, but the launch of this game was underwhelming at best.

The story emulated Final Fantasy 10‘s narrative structure, preventing it from feeling unique. Still, the combat employs tried-and-tested mechanics that are fun to interact with and the world is charming enough to keep players engaged for its decent runtime. I Am Setsuna is a good JRPG in its own right but pales in comparison to the game that inspired it.

3 Kingdom Hearts 3

A Convoluted Story And Weird Battle Mechanics Made This A Hyped Entry Not Worth The Wait

Fans were salivating for a new mainline Kingdom Hearts game after the second title established itself as one of the best titles on the PS2. Spinoffs, sidequels, and other such games existed, but Kingdom Hearts 3 is the game people were waiting for with bated breath.

Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts 3 buckled under the weight of all this hype, featuring a narrative that felt more convenient than satisfying. The changes made to combat split fans down the middle too — some players loved the cinematic flair of the combat, while others missed the challenge and control present in the combat system of previous games.

2 Octopath Traveler

The Dissonance Present In The Narrative Wasn’t Appreciated By Many

Octopath Traveler is a game that wowed many fans with its HD-2D visuals. The graphics and gameplay were universally lauded upon its launch, but fans expecting a cohesive narrative were left disappointed.

The individual stories of each adventurer felt isolated, with the party barely interacting with each other barring some Travel Banter that felt rather forced. To make things worse, the game hides its true ending behind a series of sidequests coupled with a superboss that is ridiculously hard and warrants a perfect playthrough for the heroes to attain victory, which can be too frustrating for casual JRPG fans.

1 Final Fantasy 8

Came Right After The Runaway Success Of Final Fantasy 7 And Split Fans Down The Middle

Final Fantasy 8 is the quintessential example of a JRPG that was a victim of its hype. It follows the coattails of one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, making it clear that the eighth mainline entry had some big shoes to fill.

The Junction system, while innovative, was broken and promoted grinding. It didn’t help that the narrative had some hamfisted moments, but the beautiful visuals of Final Fantasy 8 that were ahead of its time ensured that this game would occupy a soft spot in the hearts of some fans despite others treating it as the black sheep of the series.