RPGs are notoriously lengthy video games. It’s normal to take a position 50+ hours right into a single title simply to succeed in the credit, and with JRPGs, that does not change a lot. The most important distinction between what makes RPGs and JRPGs timesinkers, nevertheless, is that many Western RPGs provide narrative decisions, which might encourage gamers to restart the sport or see the place a unique choice may lead them.
In the meantime, most JRPGs are linear, and the participant has little company or affect on the narrative, making a single playthrough sufficient to see what the sport has to supply. That’s, till you begin partaking with each aspect exercise a title offers.
10 JRPGs That Take Endlessly To Full
I actually wish to emphasize the “perpetually” within the title.
On this checklist, I am going to characteristic some JRPGs that can provide greater than 100 hours of content material when you deal with the primary story and its further content material. I am not speaking about completionist runs or platinum trophies, since some actions require grinding and artificially inflate the runtime.
As a reference, I used HowLongToBeat for my choice and regarded the primary story plus extras, not completionist knowledge.
10
Hearth Emblem Fates: Particular Version
Three in One
Identical to this version of Hearth Emblem Fates, this will even be a particular entry. Hearth Emblem Fates is break up into three distinct variations known as Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation. In contrast to Pokémon, these variations don’t characteristic small adjustments, however fully completely different gameplay buildings and even plots.
Birthright and Conquest launched collectively, providing completely different views on the battle. Within the former, our predominant character sides with the Kingdom of Hoshido and the gameplay is extra forgiving, whereas within the latter, we ally with Nohr, which comes with a higher problem. Revelation was launched later as DLC and supplied a impartial path via the battle.
The rationale I included this version of Hearth Emblem Fates is which you can play all three variations inside a single title, which exponentially will increase your playtime. One route takes round 40 hours, however when you play all of them, the runtime is tripled, simply surpassing 120 hours. It is a full-course meal for Hearth Emblem followers.
9
Monster Hunter Generations Final
Final Quests
If I wish to be nitpicky, I do not essentially think about Monster Hunter a JRPG. However when excited about video games that supply greater than 100 hours of content material and nonetheless embrace RPG parts, I made a decision so as to add it right here.
Your entire gameplay loop of Monster Hunter is designed to maintain gamers hooked for hours on finish, hacking away on the identical monsters, praying {that a} particular piece of loot drops so you may craft higher weapons and armor, after which face much more harmful foes.
Nonetheless, when you focus solely on the primary story, you may spend round 80 hours in Monster Hunter Generations Final. If you wish to full all of the quests, you may simply add one other 100 hours on prime of that. Sure, you may attain as much as 180 hours of predominant and aspect content material. In whole, there are almost 1300 quests within the sport, sufficient to drown your backlog even additional.
8
Rune Manufacturing facility 4
Each Farm Simulation Is a Time Sink
It appears like dishonest to incorporate a simulation sport right here as a result of, truthfully, who’s counting hours after we’re having enjoyable farming, crafting, getting married, dungeon crawling, and all the things in between. Nonetheless, right here we’re. Amongst all of the video games within the collection, Rune Manufacturing facility 4 is the one that provides probably the most playtime.
And that is with out even speaking about finishing all the things, like maxing out talent ranges or ending the transport checklist. Simply finishing the story arcs, getting married, and fulfilling requests will already assure a boatload of pleasing time, one thing solely a farming sim with RPG parts can ship.
One factor value noting is that, in keeping with HowLongToBeat, Rune Manufacturing facility 4 Particular calls for much less time than the unique. I consider that is due to the Newlywed Mode, the place you begin the sport already married, however I might be unsuitable. What you may’t go unsuitable with, although, is taking part in any model of this sport.
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7
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
Longest Put up-Sport, However Not the Greatest General Sport
Each Disgaea sport splits its viewers into two distinct teams: casuals and hardcores. Informal gamers are those that expertise the primary story, soak within the hilarious plot with its wacky solid of characters, and as soon as the credit roll, they transfer on to the subsequent sport.
Hardcore gamers, then again, purpose to succeed in the utmost degree cap, whether or not that is 9999 or 99999, deal injury within the trillions, and min-max each character. That is an insane ordeal and may simply provide greater than 200 hours in nearly each mainline entry. Nonetheless, when you fall someplace in between, eager to expertise post-game content material with out committing to infinite grinding, then Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice is your finest wager.
The third sport presents probably the most strong post-game content material within the collection with out relying too closely on grinding within the Merchandise World. Remember the fact that it is usually thought of the weakest entry total, however we’re speaking strictly about playtime right here. You may discover further story maps, the Land of Carnage, and even the Raspberyl Mode for individuals who had entry to the DLC or the PS Vita model.
6
Report of Agarest Battle
For the Report, I Do not Suggest This Sport
In whole transparency, this checklist is about JRPGs that supply greater than 100 hours of playtime, which does not essentially imply they’re all nice video games. For example, whereas Report of Agarest Battle offers near 125 hours of predominant and aspect content material, I do not suggest taking part in it as a result of it is extremely repetitive. However that is the great thing about subjectivity, proper?
In the event you take pleasure in or are interested by a strategy JRPG with quite a few time-skip moments, then Report of Agarest Battle is perhaps up your alley. The sport is not fully dangerous and even has some attention-grabbing options, like how selecting a unique associate alters the protagonist’s lineage down the road. The issue lies within the inherent grinding and repetitious fight.
Nonetheless, if that does not hassle you, there’s so much to take pleasure in right here, particularly when you’re attempting to find the true ending (you need to undoubtedly use a information). You may solely achieve entry to the Boundary Zone by attaining that ending, so that you’d higher begin honing your crafting and flirting abilities.
5
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The Gacha System Alone Will Take 100 Hours
Each Xenoblade Chronicles sport is huge, even when you focus solely on the primary story. However when you determine to finish all of the aspect quests, brace your self, since you’ll be spending quite a lot of time alongside Rex in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Whereas the primary Xenoblade Chronicles may also exceed 100 hours, lots of its aspect quests are comparatively mundane, particularly when you determine to assist the wretched Nopons in Frontier Village. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and three, then again, provide much more private and various aspect quests that genuinely encourage participant engagement. Xenoblade Chronicles X does this too, however it’s a unique form of beast altogether.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 options the Blade system, the place you randomly use sources to attract new aspect characters. It feels dangerously near a gacha system, with the important thing distinction being that you simply need not spend actual cash to accumulate sources, although farming remains to be required. Each single Blade comes with their very own storyline that ties deeply into the sport’s lore, making each bit of aspect content material really feel comfortably acquainted.
I accomplished all 100% achievements in Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Version, and I do not suggest it. Now, I am slowly working my method via all the things in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Due to that, I can confidently say that whereas it takes a very long time, it is nonetheless value investing the trouble to really get to know each Blade and unravel the world of Alrest.
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4
Persona 3 FES
The Put up-Sport Is Bundled
To my shock, Persona 3 Reload is a bit shorter than Persona 3 FES. I believed this was on account of gameplay optimizations and quality-of-life enhancements, since finishing the primary story plus extras in Persona 3 Reload provides as much as lower than 100 hours, whereas Persona 3 FES simply crosses into triple-digit territory. However I used to be unsuitable, and there is a good cause for that.
Persona 3 FES is an enhanced model of the unique Persona 3, providing a number of enhancements and an epilogue the place you play as Aigis. The catch right here is that this epilogue additionally seems in Persona 3 Reload beneath the title Episode: Aigis: The Reply, providing almost 30 hours of additional content material. Nonetheless, because it’s DLC and never included within the base sport, its runtime is counted individually.
That is why it made sense to incorporate Persona 3 FES right here (you need to nonetheless play Reload, although), because the epilogue is a part of the bottom expertise. Between learning, aspect jobs, Social Hyperlinks, Persona fusion, exploring Tartarus, and defeating Shadows through the Darkish Hour, anticipate properly over 100 hours if you wish to expertise all the things the sport has to supply. Additionally, let’s not delve into the dialogue of how Persona 3 Moveable features a feminine protagonist route with fully new Social Hyperlink storylines.
3
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Chilly Metal IV
Erebonia Arc Finale
The ultimate entry within the Erebonia arc can be the biggest, providing a bit greater than 100 hours for individuals who deal with the primary content material and its extras. The bottom sport alone offers over 60 hours of gameplay, which is pretty commonplace for JRPGs.
If you wish to full quests and accumulate sufficient Educational Factors to extend your rank, you may have to dedicate much more time. That is not even contemplating the behavior of creating the rounds and speaking to each NPC after every main story beat to catch new dialogue.
Since The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Chilly Metal IV concludes the Erebonia arc, it additionally delivers a number of main plot factors that join intently with the subsequent mainline entry. If you wish to do all the things the sport presents and earn the platinum trophy, anticipate a minimum of two playthroughs and round 150 hours of gameplay.
2
Persona 5 Royal
The Highest Rated JRPG
It is extremely onerous to make a listing of lengthy JRPGs with out together with Persona 5. Lots of the video games right here surpass 100 hours provided that you interact with aspect quests, and that is truthful. Within the case of Persona 5 Royal, nevertheless, you may want to take a position over 100 hours simply to finish the primary story.
Granted, a lot of the secondary content material in Persona 5 Royal is intrinsically tied to the primary story development. In spite of everything, if you wish to advance the calendar, there is not any higher strategy to do it than by growing Social Hyperlinks, enhancing Social Stats, creating new Personas, visiting Mementos, and interesting in different leisure actions.
Even so, the primary plot is colossal. Fortunately for us, the story of Persona 5 Royal is totally unbelievable. To this present day, it stays extraordinarily up to date, showcasing how social media can affect collective cognition. There is a cause why Persona 5, regardless of its runtime and visible novel traits, stays the highest-rated JRPG on critic aggregators.
1
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Greatest Aspect Quests Ever
A lot of what I needed to say about Xenoblade Chronicles could have already been lined within the entry for the second sport. Nonetheless, it is nonetheless value together with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as a result of this sport deserved much more love than it obtained through the years.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is, to me, the most effective JRPGs on the market. It checks each single field of what makes a sport enthralling: story, characters, world, fight, development, exploration, and, after all, aspect content material.
Each aspect quest in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is hand made and connects superbly both to a selected character or to the primary plot itself. Even when aims boil right down to a easy fetch quest or defeating a monster, their execution and affect on the world of Aionios are palpable. They add a lot depth to the expertise that more often than not, they do not even really feel like aspect content material.
If I might make one request to JRPG followers in 2026, it will be to present Xenoblade Chronicles an opportunity. Your entire franchise is a technical marvel on Nintendo consoles and likewise a grasp class in constructing an attractive, addictive world stuffed with vigorous, charismatic, and humanly flawed characters.
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