Every JRPG Fan Needs to Play 2025’s Most Underrated Games

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Man, 2025 was packed with great RPGs! Everyone was talking about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – it totally swept The Game Awards. I was super excited to see some old favorites get remade, like Final Fantasy Tactics, and honestly, Digimon: Time Stranger came out of nowhere and became one of my go-to games this year. What a year for the genre!

Although many top JRPGs of 2025 have received a lot of attention, some fantastic games haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve. These hidden gems are not only underrated, but also offer unique and engaging experiences that any JRPG fan should check out as soon as possible.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Is Zelda Meets Animal Crossing

Imagine exploring a huge, open world like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but with the crafting and town-building elements of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. That’s the idea behind Another Stella, a new JRPG coming in 2025 from Level-5, the studio known for the Ni No Kuni series.

This game is a sequel to Fantasy Life, which originally came out on the 3DS in 2012, but it features a brand new story and can be played independently. In Fantasy Life i, you play as a member of an adventuring team heading to an empty, uninhabited island. However, as they get close, a strange dragon attacks, scattering the team.

The player wakes up on the island to find it’s not deserted – it’s full of life and home to a bustling kingdom. After becoming friends with a girl named Ren, the player learns they’ve somehow traveled far back in time, to before the island faced its ruin.

The game quickly introduces time travel, which is central to the story. Players will investigate the mystery of the island and try to protect the characters they meet from different eras.

Besides the main story, players will complete various quests that are central to the game. Before starting, each player chooses a starting “life skill.” These skills fall into categories like fighting (such as the Paladin class), resource gathering (like Mining), and crafting (such as Cooking). Players can improve all of these skills and change between them whenever they like.

Players step into a world where they’re tasked with restoring a ruined island. They’ll explore a large world filled with smaller dungeons to find new people to inhabit it. As the island’s population grows, players gain access to new buildings and can customize the landscape, making it uniquely their own.

Honestly, this game is so addictive! What I love is that no two sessions are ever the same. Sometimes I just want to blast through the main story, other times I’m all about grinding classes and getting stronger. Then there are days I get lost exploring dungeons and figuring out their puzzles, or just chilling and decorating my island – it’s got that same relaxing vibe as Animal Crossing, which is awesome. There’s always something different to do, and that keeps me coming back for more.

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Is a Game With 100 Endings

In The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, you’ll experience a story-driven adventure that blends visual novel elements with strategic JRPG battles. The game is set in a world devastated by monsters, and follows Takumi, who is sent to The Last Defense Academy to protect humanity from the ongoing invasion.

The game unfolds over 100 days, blending a story told through visual novel-style scenes with strategic battles. Between fights, players can build relationships with classmates, collect resources around the school, and practice their abilities in training.

In The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, your choices really matter, leading to a story that unfolds differently each time you play. What makes it stand out is the sheer number of possible outcomes – there are 100 unique endings to discover! While some endings are longer and more developed than others, it’s a game that encourages multiple playthroughs.

The game was created by Too Kyo Games, a team made up of Kazutaka Kodaka—known for the Danganronpa series—and Kotaro Uchikoshi, the creator of the Zero Escape games. If you’re a fan of either of those franchises, this game is definitely worth playing, and anyone who enjoys mystery and suspense should also give it a look.

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2025-12-03 21:42