Summary
JRPGs, whether they’re turn-based odysseys through magical lands or complex strategical warfare sims, are some of the most popular games in the industry today. Big names like Nintendo, Atlus, and Square Enix have the ambition and budget to put together some serious gameplay andnarrative feats for players to sink some serious hours into.
But video games are a medium that requires active engagement with the world, and there’s no better feat a game can accomplish than giving players an expansive narrative to not just explore but todirectly impact with their choices. Here are someJRPGs with stories that branch based on the player’s decisions.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeanceis a definitive re-release of Atlus' philosophical and theological monster catcher. The world of theSMTseries is one caught in the throes between wild, demonic chaos, and rigid, authoritarian order. The long play time and wide variety of mythological creatures for players to add to their team are the main selling points in this title, but the game does have several endings that change based on the decisions of the player.
The originalShin Megami Tensei 5was met with an overall lukewarm reception, thanks to some underdeveloped characters and bland setting. In the re-release,alongside some traversal changes, most updated narrative features are packaged in the “Canon of Vengeance,” which is reccommended for first time players. The “Canon of Creation” has a host of endings unavailable in the new story line due to the changes in the narrative, so players looking for even more ways to finish off the game can swap over to the Creation Canon after their initial run.
Persona 5 Royalis a game that is built around the player’s gameplay and narrative decisions. This is the definitive version of the title, withall past DLC slotted into one package, allowing players to live out the most extensive version of this RPG/dating sim to date.
The player’s choices don’t just navigate towards one of the various alternate endings; they also dictate how gamers will balance their academic and social life with the duties of the Phantom Thief. For compelling characters, cozy romance, and a realized, reactive Tokyo, players would be hard-pressed to find something that topsPersona 5 Royal.
Considered by some to be the opus of Square Enix’s SRPGs,Tactics Ogrehas been revitalized for its Switch port, bringing the classic to a portable platform.Tactics Ogre: Rebornhas players take the role of Denam, a young freedom fighter leading an order of warriors within the Walister Resistance, a faction at war with the Galgastani nation.
The intricate politics ofTactics Ogre: Rebornmesh with some incredibly deep gameplay and countless unit types to pit against foes in a battle of extreme fantasy chess. There are several paths the story can take based on the actions of the player and the allegiances they choose to make as the narrative unfolds, andthese paths culminate in especially nuanced endingswith details specific to individual choices that the player has made.
Remastered in a vibrant 2.5D style,Star Ocean: The Second Story Rfeatures dual narratives based on which of the two protagonists players choose at the game’s beginning. Certain companions can only be found with one protagonist or another, and beyond this, the game boasts a whopping 99 endings to come upon as players explore a world that fuses sci-fi and fantasy together.
Companions react to the paths the player takes in-game, and many of the endings are only achievable after reaching a specific level of affection with party members. This is a game that offers unrivaled freedom in where the narrative goes, starting from character selection, all the way through to one of the title’s myriad endings.
The ever-popularFire Emblemseries has seen a focus on the relationship between fighters on perilous quests for much of its contemporary lifespan.Fire Emblem: Three Housesfails to disappoint in this area, with the story broadening and going down different paths as players decide which of the major factions to side with - first at the story’s beginning and then later at a more crucial point towards the climax.
Three Housesset an incredibly high standard for the series, one sadly not met by the following game, and the compelling story, characters, and relationship mechanics will stick with players for a long time. For those looking for a narrative that not only branches based on story choices but relationship decisions as well, it would be very hard to topFire Emblem: Three Houses.
Square Enix’sTriangle Strategyhas an incredibly novel means of determining the outcome of the story, and while the player does get a chance of influencing this direction, at the end of the day, the glorious process of democracy decides what path the members of House Wolfort take. The story and gameplay synthesize to provide one ofthe best strategy RPGs on the switch.
The story is balanced between three different worldviews the player can take - Liberty, Utility, and Morality. Each ideology is fleshed out in-game, and while the protagonist might take up one of these views, they will need to be incredibly resolute in their beliefs to convince all of their comrades to take the same path. The exceptional thing aboutTriangle Strategyis not just the sheer variation each story can hold based on Serenoa’s actions, but that these stories are determined not just by his own convictions but by the convictions of his party members.
