The team at Watch Mojo have been racking their brains together to work out the best JRPG by original release year. The list kicks off back in 1996 with the sublime Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together and ends in 2025 with Digimon Story: Time Stranger. Check out Watch Mojo’s choice picks down below:
- 1996: Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together
- 1997: Final Fantasy VII
- 1998: Xenogears
- 1999: Pokémon: Gold and Silver
- 2000: Skies of Arcadia
- 2001: Final Fantasy X
- 2002: Kingdom Hearts
- 2003: Tales of Symphonia
- 2004: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
- 2005: Kingdom Hearts 2
- 2006: Tales of the Abyss
- 2007: Blue Dragon
- 2008: Valkyria Chronicles
- 2009: Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
- 2010: Xenoblade Chronicles
- 2011: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- 2012: Persona 4: Golden
- 2013: Fire Emblem Awakening
- 2014: Bravely Default
- 2015: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
- 2016: Final Fantasy XV
- 2017: NieR Automata
- 2018: Octopath Traveler
- 2019: Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- 2020: Persona 5 Royal
- 2021: Tales of Arise
- 2022: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- 2023: Octopath Traveler 2
- 2024: Metaphor Refantazio
- 2025: Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Don’t say the name “WatchMojo” it makes me vomit. Just kidding, but this list is just whatever. I find it strange that Pokemon gold and silver were picked over FFIX.