Jason DittonThe PlayStation line of consoles and handhelds is, other than in that curious period in the 2000s where “realistic” brown third person shooters ruled the landscape and day, is well-known for the sheer number of quality RPGs that’ve graced our screens. The immediate thought, obviously, is the Final Fantasy series, but that’s merely scratching the surface. Strategy RPGs ala Tactics Ogre Reborn, action RPGs in the Tales of Series, to tactical ones such as the Divinity games, you name a subgenre, it’s going to be on a PS Platform, no matter what it is.
So, let’s take a deeper look in the catalog, shall we? With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Legends of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and RAIDOU Remastered: Mystery Of the Soulless Army in the recent rearview, and Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road and Super Robot Wars Y in the relatively near future, it’s a interesting time to be able to look at what’s currently available. Everything on this list is on PSN as this list is being written, and all are worth checking out.
SaGa Emerald Beyond
The SaGa franchise is the premier series for the phrase “offbeat RPG.” I could just fill this entire list with Akitoshi Kawazu’s brainchild, but that would be lazy writing. Emerald Beyond, in particular has a difficult to explain combat system, both some of the shortest and longest campaigns in the game, and a truly astonishing variety of settings and characters, none of which are even remotely close to the same tone as one another. However, that simply means that there’s likely going to be a campaign for everyone should one want to give it a shot.
Visions of Mana
Visions is… a rough ask, if you happen to know what happened to the team that made it shortly after it’s release. However, it’s wholly worth your time should you be interested. It takes a bit for the combat system to fully open up, admittedly, but the world, the characters, and the writing are largely phenomenal, and when the team build does open up? Some of the most fun you can have in an action RPG.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel series
Featuring a surprisingly deep story, in a beautifully drawn world, with a cast of charming characters. Also, you’re in a tank the majority of the series, the characters are young anthromorphic animals, and the tank you ride in has the option to fire one of the aforementioned children out of it to instantly end a battle, at the cost of that child’s life for the rest of the game. Greatly reductionist, as all of these blurbs are, but Fuga 3 just came out, all of are on PSN and, as of now the trilogy is complete. There’s a wider story here, as it’s part of CyberConnect2’s Little Tail Bronx universe, but you’ll have to dig elsewhere to find the rest.
Live A Live
I genuinely do not know if Live A Live counts as niche anymore, however, I also do not wholly care. A series of relatively short stories with different genres, from the space horror of Cube’s Distant Future chapter, to the relative mundanity of the Present’s tournament arc, and the two final chapters which need to be played to believe. There is something in here for you, if you like RPGs.
Strangers Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
First off, please stop laughing, this this is aware of the unfortunate reputation that this title gained when it was first announced. Secondly, Strangers of Paradise is genuinely one of the biggest surprises to come out of Square Enix in the last five years. I was amongst the many that made fun of it on first sight, and freely admit I disregarded it for months after. Then I picked it up on sale, after hearing surprising things about it, and… probably one of my favorite games of 2022. Surprisingly good character-writing, fantastic recontextualization of the origin of the Final Fantasy titles, and Jack is probably in top three male leads in the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole. After Zidane and Cloud, in that order.
Moon
Moon, otherwise known as the anti-RPG, is the exact opposite of SoP gameplay-wise, but a curiously influential title in it’s own right. Sadly, mostly known for influencing Toby Fox’s Undertale and Deltarune (The latter of which has Chapter 3 and 4 out right now, as of this writing, and are some of the best RPGs available in their own rights) these days, but it’s a frustrating masterpiece in its own right. Use a walkthrough when needed, though, it’s that sort of game.
Kowloon High-School Chronicle
Kowloon is an early ’00s dungeon crawler, originally released solely in Japan back in the early oughts until just a few short years ago. Build relationships, explore a sprawling dungeon, get involved in a deep if… occasionally uncomfortable at times, story. It’s a late-90s early 2000s anime game. If you’re familiar with the tropes of the time, you know what I mean. It’s an unique experience, for a genre that’s made a curious, if niche, comeback in the last few years. If you like Kowloon, try Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi after.
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions
Captain Tsubasa, partially brought up here as a counterpart to Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road releasing in August of this year, is a soccer anime RPG where you can raise your own original player and build relationships with the cast of the legendary anime series. It’s a truly fascinating and enjoyable title, even if you’re wholly unfamiliar with both the series and soccer as a sport. It should not work, but it does in ways that are astounding.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition
“Wait, this is Chrono Cross, this doesn’t count as niche!” Technically correct, I admit. However, you don’t get much more offbeat than CC, for… both good and bad. Most of the characters are one note, certain plot points and story areas are pain (looking at the dwarf area in particular), and there are some rough patches for people that loved Chrono Trigger, admittedly. However, this is just for me. For all of it’s flaws, it has some fantastic story beats, moments, music especially, and Kid, on the right in the picture above, if one of my favorite female video game characters in fiction. This contributor adores Chrono Cross, and if they can justify plugging it anywhere, they will.
Resonance Of Fate 4K/HD Edition
Resonance of Fate is an slice of life, action film RPG. It stars Vashyron, Zephr, and Leanne, three fascinating and genuinely intriguing leads in a episodic gun-fighting title where be leads wardrobe and weapons are infinitely customizable, and the battles are never not entertaining. Then it gets wild in later acts. It builds up naturally, and it’s never out of left field, but it goes places. It’s also occasionally insufferably difficult, but nothing’s perfect.
This is just the start of the rabbit hole, as a reminder. RPGs are a glorious, vast, and varied genre, and I haven’t even touched some of the “more notable” subgenres in the field. If one does a little digging, there’s a lot to find, no matter what kind of RPG you’re looking for! I know that I’m missing any number of titles, but that’s solely because there’s not enough time in the world to get into them in this one article. That being said, however, is there anything that you’re particularly fond of that you think especially deserved to be mentioned here? Please, let us know in the comments section below!