The best JRPG with high replayability based on story branches

Key foods

• Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together offers multiple story paths with impactful decisions
• Star Ocean: The Second Story changes drastically based on the initial selection of characters
• Front Mission 3 has two distinct narrative paths set by an initial decision

Unlike many Western RPGs, JRPGs are not usually known for having branching story lines. They don't tend to encourage replays to see how the story unfolds depending on the decisions the player makes. The following games are exceptions.

These titles have great stories that play out in different ways based on key decisions or even more subtle gameplay changes that some players may not even be aware of. RPGs are long, and it's a big ask to make gamers go through them multiple times to see all the content they need to see, but that just goes to show how great these titles are.

6 Ogre Tactics: Let's stick together

Making tough decisions that may cost lives

This is considered the leading turn-based strategy game Final Fantasy Tactics It is easy to see similar DNAs in both games. Both of them have a dark and political storyline. However, Tactics: Let's stick together your from Final Fantasy Spin-off by offering players to influence the narrative.

Several key decisions affect how the story unfolds. Depending on what the players do during the game, some of the main characters may die early in the story. Most decisions revolve around moral choices, but some fall into the gray area. Sometimes, players don't even know how a dialogue choice can affect the future.

In the PSP version and the 2022 re-release, players can go back after beating the game and see how those other decisions played out without starting over.

5 Star Ocean: The Second Story

It's impossible to recruit everyone in a playthrough

on the surface, Star Ocean: The Second Story It feels more basic than other PS1 JRPGs of the era. The graphics still use sprites instead of the polygonal models that other series like Final Fantasy However, the game has more running under the hood that makes it more advanced than its graphics suggest.

For starters, it's impossible to recruit every party member in a single game. To get bigger, the game changes significantly based on the initial decision of whether to play as one of the two characters. After that, choices throughout the story continue to affect the ending. Players will want to beat it twice to get more of what the game has to offer, but even more games allow gamers to see more than what is intended at the end of the game.

4 Forward mission 3

Two scenarios that diverge depending on a decision

Forward mission 3 It has an interesting approach to narrative for its time and makes the game twice as long. At the beginning, players choose one of two scenarios, and from then on, the story of the game changes in two extreme directions. There is some overlap in the combat and gameplay, but they are two separate stories.

They also play differently enough that it doesn't feel like déjà vu. Forward mission 3 It wasn't the only game on the PS1 to let players choose between scenarios and main characters, but it was rare for RPGs. Resident Evil 1 And the sequel also allows players to choose between two main characters.

3 Riviera: The Promised Land

Part JRPG, Part Dating Sim

• Publication date: July 12, 2002
• Developer: Sting Entertainment
• Publisher: Atlas, Sting Entertainment, 505 Games
• Platforms: Wonderswan Color, Game Boy Advance, PSP, iOS, PC, Android, Nintendo Switch

Riviera: The Promised Land It combines JRPG elements with the familiar sim genre. Due to this fact, players can expect a lot of dialogue choices during the narrative beats. Adventure is a unique twist on both gameplay styles, with odd twists on mechanics like exploration that don't actually give players free rein.

The main character, Ein, has conversations with other party members, and the kindness players show each of them affects how the game plays out, as well as how it ends. Riviera It has had an interesting release history, originally released on the Wonderswan Color exclusively in Japan before making its way to the US on the Game Boy Advanced. A few years later, a remaster was released on the PSP, and now it's also available on Windows.

2 Triangle strategy

Decision making is the core mechanic

Triangle strategy It will feel familiar to those who played it Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics: Let's stick together. It involves turn-based strategy combat in a medieval fantasy setting with rival kingdoms at each other's throats.

Decision-making is a central feature of the adventure, with the game essentially pausing for players to discuss their decision with key party members before moving forward. This mechanic adjusts the scale of belief Triangle strategy Apart from the other games on this list. The game also allows players to know when the effect of the decision has ended and the main, unalterable part of the story continues.

1 Fire sign: three houses

Play the game three times for three different houses

As the name suggests, Fire sign: three houses It has three distinct paths that players can take after a short introduction. Even after making this choice, the first half of the game is not very different for either house. However, once players reach that point, the changes cannot be missed.

three houses The gameplay offers a lot of choices in progression and build customization, so playing even on similar tracks provides a chance to experience the classes and how the sides fight in battle. Even if one half of the game is the same, it's worth going through it three times to see everything the game packs into the package.