Discovering the best JRPGs for Android.
The library of JRPGs for Android has been getting bigger over the past years. It is mostly dominated by classic games that were ported to android with updated visuals and controls to support touchscreen. However, more free JRPGs are coming out with unique features such as gacha elements where you have to roll a dice, and idle gameplay that works best for mobile.
Here are fifteen games you need to play on your android mobile devices.
15. Shin Megami Tensei Liberation Dx2
Shin Megami Tensei Liberation Dx2 is a game developed and published by Sega after they acquired Atlus back in 2017.
It is a free-to-play game that has simplified gameplay mechanics of the classic Shin Megami Tensei games such as summoning and fusing demons, and a turn-based combat system. The game has over 160 unique demons from the original series, and each has its own skills and strengths. It also has an auto-battle and speed-up mode for those casual players.
14. Fire Emblem Heroes
Fire Emblem Heroes is the first Fire Emblem game on mobile. It is also a freemium game, which has gacha elements. However, it still retains the essence of a Fire Emblem game which is a strategy RPG at its core.
You can challenge other players around the world, summon heroes with different rarities, and masterfully win your battles with strategy, and there are a lot of things to be done in Fire Emblem Heroes with the constant updates from Nintendo.
13. Another Eden
Another Eden is a free-to-play game on android, and thus, has the same gacha system. However, what is great for Another Eden is that you are not obliged to keep rolling to get characters as you will easily get characters for free that will join you as you play the main campaign.
It has a great storyline with an amazing soundtrack, and the story is from the legendary Masato Kato, who was one of the scriptwriters for classic games such as Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VII. Unfortunately, it does not have idle gameplay features for grinding, so it may take time to grind items in this game, but it is still a fun game, regardless.
12. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a port of the PSP version of the same name, although this game goes way back to the 2000s with its first release on the first PlayStation. It is a premium game, but it is a well-made port with little to no in-app purchases.
It has a great story for being released from the golden age of JRPG, and the unique gameplay mechanics translate well to the mobile port. You gather and recruit characters during your journey, and send them to help fight against the Vanir. There are 24 playable characters, and thus, it has some good replayability for two or three playthroughs.
11. Romancing SaGa Re;UniverSe
Romancing SaGa Re;UniverSe is a free-to-play JRPG in the Romancing Saga series, as it is a sequel to Romancing Saga 3, which is set 300 years after the events of the latter.
Despite having gacha elements, this game boasts to be not a pay-to-win game as you can progress in the game naturally without resorting to purchasing anything just to progress. You can also play both in idle or manual, depending on your preference.
10. Monster Hunter Stories
Originally released for the 3DS, Capcom ported Monster Hunter Stories to mobile, which is a great spin-off game for the Monster Hunter series.
It is a premium Android game that is worth every penny. Monster Hunter Stories has great visuals for a mobile game, has an interesting story, plenty of monsters to tame, several dungeons and locations to explore, and it is optimized to be played on mobile.
9. Disgaea 1 Complete
Disgaea 1 Complete is a great strategy RPG ported from the Nintendo Switch/PlayStation 4 version, although the game was first released back in PlayStation 2. It is one of the best Disgaea games in the series.
Being a full-blown strategy/tactics RPG, it has an amazing storyline, and each battle gets to be more intense. One of the best aspects of Disgaea games is that despite being a grind fest for a strategy RPG, it is extremely fun to do it as you get powerful weapons by grinding in the Item World, and it is challenging as ever.
The mobile port has auto-battle, speed-up, and cheat shop, which is great for casual gamers.
8. Chaos Rings III
Chaos Ring III is a very underrated gem considering the series is mainly released on mobile and PlayStation Vita, the last handheld console from Sony.
It definitely has a high-quality production, especially for its story, and that is rarely seen on a JRPG that is solely released on Android or any mobile platform. The gameplay mechanics are similar to Final Fantasy as it is a turn-based JRPG. I can even say that it was ahead of its time when it was first released on Android.
7. The World Ends with You: Solo Remix
The World Ends with You: Solo Remix is a port of the beloved The World Ends with You from Nintendo DS.
Participate in the Reapers’ game as you play as Neku and complete the mission set by the game. It is such a weird and unique game that I must say is timeless and works well on mobile. Although, of course, being a DS game before, they had to revamp the combat system to be optimized on single-screen devices. It is truly one of the best JRPGs for Android.
6. Tower of Fantasy
Tower of Fantasy is one of the modern free-to-play games on Android. It is developed by Hotta Studio and published by Level Infinite globally. Both are from Chinese developers, but despite this, it can easily be noticed that Tower of Fantasy takes inspiration from modern JRPGs such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
It has the aspect of JRPGs through and through, but it is an MMORPG with a mix of gacha elements for its weapons and characters. You can encounter other players in the same server/world, you can raid with a party, or play against other players in PvP.
5. Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest V for Android is an amazing port of Nintendo DS port of the same name. It is highly recommended to get the game as it is considered as a classic and one of the best JRPGs of its time.
What is great about this game is that it is optimized to be played vertically, so you can play this game one-handed. Plus, it has auto-battle, which is a nice touch if you do not want to fight all your battles especially if you are grinding for levels.
4. Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is a classic PlayStation 1 JRPG, and considered as one of the best and pioneers of what a JRPG should be, and I am glad that Square Enix decided to port this game at the start of the rise of mobile games ten years ago.
It is a timeless classic with an iconic story, visuals, and soundtrack. The combat system is amazingly well-done and is ported nicely to mobile platforms. This is definitely a must-play for those who have an Android device and love JRPGs.
3. Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is another Chinese-developed game. Although, I believe Genshin Impact is the first one to take inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and incorporate the gacha system with a continuous story that is being updated little by little into the game.
Unlike Tower of Fantasy, Genshin Impact focuses on the single-player experience, while retaining co-op raids if you want to play with friends. The visuals are amazing, and it was mind-blowing to see them on Android. You definitely need a beefy device so you can play it on high settings without lag. Nevertheless, it is a great game with interesting storylines and action-packed gameplay.
2. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is what I consider the best strategy RPG to date. It is disappointing that Square Enix has not yet created a remake or remastered version of this game as it truly deserves one. Nevertheless, I am glad that people can still play it on their Android devices.
It is a strategy RPG with a great storyline that will keep you hanging or asking for more. It is full of betrayal and deceit, which makes it one of the darker Final Fantasy games you can play. There are plenty of jobs to choose from, create a great party, and indulge yourself in the story of how Ramza, the protagonist, saved the world.
1. Final Fantasy VII
Let’s be honest, Final Fantasy VII was a masterpiece when it was first released in 1997, and it still holds up even today.
Even if you have played the remake already, I would still highly recommend that you play the original as they are two different games. The remake is more of a reimagining of the original game, so it is not a 1:1 remake. The story is amazing and iconic, and the gameplay is what pioneered JRPGS back then.
Final Fantasy VII is a game every JRPG fan should play regardless of their age.
