Best JRPGs in dystopian fantasy worlds, ranked

Summary

• Western franchises like Fallout and Horizon offer colorful, dark dystopian gaming experiences with extensive exploration options.
• Japanese role-playing games like Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 present complex, never-ending conflicts in dystopian environments.
• Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter and NieR: Automata offer dark, challenging gameplay that pushes players to their limits in gritty post-apocalyptic worlds.

As dark as it may be, it can be fun to play games set in dystopian future scenarios. One of the largest franchisees today Stand out It's about rethinking the future from the perspective of the 1950s. Players can travel through post-apocalyptic wastelands and explore ruins, befriend factions and fight hundreds of mutants.

A prettier version of Stand out is that horizon Series, which is also dark, but at least there is vegetation. However, both of these franchises are Western creations. So what about Japan? Have you done dystopian or post-apocalyptic RPGs? Let's figure out these entries and rank them based on how bleak their future really is.

8 Wild arms 3

The Old West in Space

Wild arms 3 takes place on a planet that resembles the Wild West frontier of North America. It's a large desert with not much going on thanks to an ancient war, so the scale is somewhat dystopian as the people living on the planet Filgaia are going through hard times. Bandits roam mercilessly and this is where the four core groups of heroes come into play.

They all try to do a job and come together to unite and fight against a rival hunter group of explorers. It is a low stakes plot and focuses more on character development and adventure. As dreary as this turn-based RPG can be, it's quite colorful thanks to the cel-shaded art style.

7 Scarlet Nexus

Two campaigns, one future

Scarlet Nexus takes place in a world in which humanity is holed up in big cities. Outside these cities there are abandoned piles of buildings and highways, and they are also haunted by mutants. To keep these cities alive, psychic hunters are trained to forge materials, fight monsters, and find answers.

Players can begin the game as either Yuito or Kasane and work their way through an interwoven narrative where the two heroes and their party cross paths. In order to be able to partially exploit the full scope of this action role-playing game Stories from Team at Bandai Namco requires players to go through it at least twice.

6 Shin Megami Tensei 5

Reset the apocalypse

Shin Megami Tensei 5 is the latest mainline entry in the franchise. Tokyo is destroyed one day and when players wake up as their voiceless hero, they are bound to a powerful suit after merging with a demon. However, all is not lost as players are told that they can save humanity by preventing this tragedy from occurring.

To do this, they must befriend monsters to join their group and fight against various enemy factions from demons to angels. Finding answers in the wasteland will help heal humanity's fate from battle to battle, or at least that's the general premise.

5 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

A never-ending war breaks out

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is deceptive because it looks like a beautiful world to roam around in, minus the giant monsters. However, what makes it dystopian is the fact that two sides of a war are fighting in a never-ending conflict. Those who fight and die in battle are miraculously transported to the afterlife, similar to the Sending process Final Fantasy 10.

The dark secret is that these “dead” people are brought back to life through a cloning process and are condemned to fight the same war for eternity. There's more to this than just heavy spoilers, but the heroes of this story are finally able to fight back after learning harsh truths.

4 Sandland

Demons, Dinosaurs and Mechs Oh my God!

SandlandHow Wild arms 3takes place in a desert landscape, but there is a lighthearted comedy between the screams of fear from thirsty citizens. Demons and humans fight over water supplies, but early in the game there is an uneasy alliance between a human explorer and the demon prince.

Together they form a group and search for a legendary water supply to save everyone. Will they find it or will demons and militaristic humans stop them? This latest project by Akira Toriyama is aimed at fans of Dragon Ball.

3 Resonance of fate

Cowboy Bebop, but in a city

Resonance of fate is another story about the death of a planet and humanity having to hide in big cities. The catch to this story is that these cities float high above the polluted earth as if they were flying structures.

All life forms are squeezed into tiny living situations, and those at the top gorge themselves while everyone else has to work hard just to get something. The game stars three heroes who try to do odd jobs in the city to improve their status. The story is episodic and resembles an anime Cowboy BebopSo it's easy to get back in and out.

2 Breath Of Fire: Dragon Quarter

It's hard to breathe underground

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is a dark game that many will find difficult to get through. Humanity has retreated underground, so the lack of sunlight on top of scarce supplies is already a painful existence. In the main plot, the hero Ryu smuggles a young girl out of the reach of the military who wants to experiment on her.

This is dark, but the truly dark part of this game is the challenge level, as a meter increases with every action, from walking to fighting. There is a way to create a “Game Over” screen by dawdling and forcing players to start over from scratch. Luckily things carry over, but this time loop is enough to drive anyone crazy.

1 NieR: Automata

Become like gods

NieR: Automata is one of the most famous dystopian games of all time. It's another post-apocalyptic scenario where humanity is forced into space after a robot rebellion. In order to reclaim the planet, the Society sends androids to investigate, and this is where 9s and 2b come into play.

How Scarlet NexusTo get a complete picture, several runs are required, only in this case there are three main characters. In fact, to reach the true ending, players must literally delete their save file. This is the ultimate test for every gamer out there.