JRPGs With Timeless Graphics
- JRPGs have always excelled in their graphics, from classic 2D sprites to newer 3D models, creating visually beautiful experiences.
- Games like Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and Pokemon Black and White showcase the importance of art style and graphics in enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Titles like Persona 4 and Kingdom Hearts demonstrate how timeless graphics and art styles can make a game visually remarkable, even years after their release.
Japanese role-playing games, also known as JRPGs, have built what is now one of the most important genres in the entire gaming industry. This is for many reasons, like their gripping storylines, their loveable characters, their innovative mechanics, and their legendary music.
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But there’s another area in which JRPGs have always shone, and that is their graphics. From classic 2D sprites all the way to newer 3D models, these titles are always an excuse for talented developers to improve their craft and create beautiful experiences that look amazing even to this day. The best part is that they will most likely stand the test of time and look great forever.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch
That Studio Ghibli Magic
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS3, Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedJanuary 22, 2013Developer(s)Level 5Genre(s)Action RPG
This amazing monster taming JRPG developed by Level-5 is a great example of how important art style and graphics can be for a video game. They joined forces with Studio Ghibli in order to create the visual identity of this title, and it worked exceptionally well.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch feels like a lost Studio Ghibli movie. It looks truly fantastic, thanks to its cel-shaded graphics and the studio’s classic art style & character designs. While its sequel and its remaster obviously look better, the original version from 2010 still holds up.
Pokemon Black And White
The Peak Of 2D Pokemon
Pokmon Black
Platform(s)Nintendo DSReleasedMarch 6, 2011Developer(s)Game FreakGenre(s)RPG
Pokemon fans are currently unsatisfied with the 3D models of modern games. They don’t look bad per se, but most of them feel like the classic sprite-based look was better. This is mainly because of the last generation that used 2D sprites, Pokemon Black and White and their sequels, Black 2 and White 2.
Game Freak finally took full advantage of the Nintendo DS’s capabilities and created impressive sprites for Pokemon; they are full of detail, and they actually move during battles. On the other hand, most of the world map was created with 3D graphics, so both styles ended up mixing impressively well. The Pokemon Black and White games look amazing to this day, and they’re comparable to modern HD-2D RPGs like Octopath Traveler.
Persona 4
The Best-Looking Game On The PS2
Persona 4
Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS Vita, Switch, PS4, PS2, Xbox OneReleasedJuly 10, 2008Developer(s)AtlusGenre(s)JRPG See at Playstation Store
Nowadays, titles like Persona 5 and Persona 3 Reload are constantly praised because of their outstanding visuals and colorful art styles. But there’s an argument to be made that the series wouldn’t be where it is now if it wasn’t for Persona 4.
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This game was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2 in 2008, 2 years after the PlayStation 3 was already out. This was a bold decision from Atlus, and it wound up being worth it because Persona 4 is probably the best looking video game in the PS2’s library, so they definitely knew how to use the console’s technology to their advantage. The original release still looks so good that its enhanced version, Persona 4 Golden, didn’t really change its graphics.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Mario’s Best Paper-Based Adventure
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Platform(s)Nintendo GameCubeReleasedOctober 11, 2004Developer(s)Intelligent SystemsGenre(s)RPG, Adventure
Every role-playing game in the Mario series holds up to an extent, like Super Mario RPG or the Mario & Luigi series. Among Mario fans however, there’s nothing better than the Paper Mario series, of which the most beloved entry is the second, known as The Thousand-Year Door.
Like its predecessor, this game utilizes a unique paper-based art style with 2D models on 3D environments that looks like nothing else in the industry, to the point that many indie RPGs have tried to replicate it. Despite the GameCube not being as powerful as its contemporaries, The Thousand-Year Door still managed to look really impressive, so it’s not surprising that it seems like its upcoming remaster will not change the visuals very much.
Kingdom Hearts
That Classic Disney Magic
Kingdom Hearts
Platform(s)PS2ReleasedSeptember 17, 2002Developer(s) Square EnixGenre(s)Action RPG
When Square Enix joined forces with Disney in order to create a unique 3D video game with recognizable characters, they were clever enough to also bring in the studio’s classic animated magic. In order for everything to combine seamlessly, the original Kingdom Hearts features cel-shaded graphics that make both Square Enix and Disney characters look equally good. Not to mention all the colorful worlds that Sora, Donald & Goofy have to visit.
The franchise just switched to HD graphics as recently as 2019, with the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. Before that, every other game in the series used the same timeless cartoon graphics as the first title. It worked perfectly, seeing as all of these games look truly remarkable for the console they were released on.
Breath Of Fire 4
A Different Perspective
Breath of Fire 4
Platform(s)PS Vita, PS3, PC, PS1ReleasedNovember 28, 2000Developer(s)CapcomGenre(s)RPG
The fourth entry in Capcom’s now forgotten Breath of Fire franchise, Breath of Fire 4 may not be the best game in this series, but it’s definitely the best looking overall. This is a perfect example of how the original PlayStation was more suitable for 2D sprite-based games than it was for 3D experiences.
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Capcom games usually look beautiful, but the sprite work in Breath of Fire 4 is truly outstanding. The characters and monsters look equally great; their sprites are extremely detailed but also manage to convey tons of emotion. The isometric viewpoint helps the player take a better look at everything, which is definitely worth it.
Suikoden 2
A Beautiful Cult Classic
Suikoden 2
Platform(s)PSP, PC, PS1ReleasedSeptember 29, 1999Developer(s)KonamiGenre(s)JRPG
Suikoden may not be the most popular JRPG series out there, but it managed to gain a cult following for many reasons, with one of them being their beautiful sprite-based graphics that look fantastic even to this day, and Suikoden 2 is the best example of their quality.
Suikoden 2 originally didn’t earn much attention because it was released during a time when games like Final Fantasy 7 were revolutionizing the industry with their 3D graphics. Many years later, those 3D graphics aged horribly, whereas the detailed sprites of Suikoden 2 still look amazing. That’s why there’s barely a difference between the original PS1 release and its recent HD remaster. This game just looks that good.
Chrono Trigger
Akira Toriyama’s Magnum Opus
Chrono Trigger
Platform(s)PC, iOS, PlayStation (Original), Android, Nintendo DS, SNESReleasedMarch 11, 1995Developer(s) Square EnixGenre(s)RPG
Squaresoft’s outings on the Super Nintendo are said to be the best era for the JRPG genre. This was when Chrono Trigger was first released, which is often considered one of the best role-playing games of all time, with its timeless sprite-based graphics being one of the many reasons for its success.
Chrono Trigger has a charming art style designed by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame that made it look like no other game that came before. All of this is especially impressive that this game features a time-travelling story that is set during different time periods, yet all the levels and characters manage to blend in seamlessly. It’s no surprise that all subsequent re-releases of this game kept its original art style.
Final Fantasy 6
The Most Timeless Final Fantasy Game
Final Fantasy 6
Platform(s)Switch, PS4, PC, iOS, Android, Game Boy Advance, PS1, SNESReleasedOctober 11, 1994Developer(s)Square, Square EnixGenre(s)RPG
Final Fantasy 7 has always been in dire need of a remake because of how poorly its 3D graphics aged, but most fans did not think the same about Final Fantasy 6. This was the last mainline entry in the franchise to utilize 2D sprites and, as a result, is one of the best looking Final Fantasy games of all time.
The sprite work in Final Fantasy 6 is truly some of Square’s very best. Every single character, creature, and environment looks incredible. It even makes good use of Mode 7 in clever ways, and it all culminates in the climactic battle against Kefka Palazzo, which somehow looks like a beautiful painting that was made on a Super Nintendo. That’s why many fans prefer to play the original version instead of the subsequent re-releases, because that art style just looks so much more timeless.
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