The best action JRPGs that aren't part of a franchise

summary

• Good action games often spawn sequels, such as the Soulsborne franchise.
• Standalone experiences can provide players with fresh content.
• Many underrated games like Ever Oasis and Heroes of Ruin deserve more recognition.

A good action game will usually spawn a line of sequels. For example, many did not understand it well at first, Demon spirits gave birth dark souls, which was then created blood borne and Alden Ring. They are all separate entities, but they belong in the same franchise because they share similar vibes.

It's great that the Soulslike genre has blossomed, but other games, and sub-genres, aren't so lucky. With these few examples, maybe that's the point. It's okay to have standalone experiences if it gives players something new to jump into. So, whether these examples deserve sequels or not, they're all great.

7 Beyond the Labyrinth

A great escort mission

• Developer: tri-Ace
• Publisher: Konami
• Release Date: January 19, 2012 (Japan)
• Platform: 3DS

Beyond the Labyrinth It was a 3DS game released in Japan. It was a collaboration between Tri-S, for which it is best known star oceanand Konami. Players escort a mysterious girl through a maze high in the sky, and can control party members in a hybrid of turn-based strategy and first-person action. Eventually, even a girl can gain power. This is ultimately a great escort mission, except with less hassle.

Although this is one of the hardest games in the system, thanks to the few ways players can heal or save. Also, understanding the color-based weaknesses of enemies can be challenging. But as hard as the game is, Beyond the Labyrinth Fascinating, especially since it never left Japan.

6 No code

Like a vampiric spirit

No code Developed within Bandai Namco, the same developer/publisher that also puts out most of the FromSoftware Soulslikes. It takes place in the post-apocalypse, where humanity has been transformed into vampire-like creatures called revenants.

Thanks to the elixir, the revenants can still control their humanity, while another part of the population is unfiltered and transformed into monsters. Players can customize their character and gain a variety of weapons and powers as they level up to take on these mutants. There is online co-op, but players can hire NPCs to accompany them on hunts.

Breaking the fourth wall

Get in touch One of the weirdest RPGs on the DS, especially how it breaks the fourth wall. There's a pixelated professor living inside a literal DS, and players are likely thrown into alien worlds and take on a more abstract art style when they encounter them.

The core adventure begins on a beach in a lot Zelda-The same way with added RPG elements mixed with weird humor mother series. This is an unrealistic game that takes a few tries. It was experimental, but something many fans liked Get in touch In time, already Undertale He came to pay his respects mother series.

4 Never an oasis

A Sandy World Builder

Developer Grezzo is getting the recognition they rightfully deserve thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. A game that didn't get the praise it needed Never an oasisA 3DS action RPG that was released after the Switch came out. Many 3DS games suffered in the post-Switch world without ports, and this was one of them.

Players explore a vast desert area with many party members who support them Metroid– Abilities to get past restrictions eg. By building their city, or oasis, players gain more ways to interact with the dungeon. The combat and gameplay loop was simple but solid, and it would have done well on the Switch if given the chance.

3 Heroes of Destruction

Diablo for 3DS

• Developer: N-Space
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Release Date: July 17, 2012 (NA)
• Platform: 3DS

Heroes of Destruction was an early 3DS title that offered players the best Diablo Clone on the go. Players can connect with friends for four-player co-op sessions which is when the RPG is really cooked. Players could choose from four premade characters, such as the Gunslinger who obviously used guns in their attacks, or the more battle-ready Vindicator, which was the Lion Knight.

The game wasn't perfect by any stretch, but for a Square Enix-published game, it deserves better than a one-off. The same is true for Dungeon Siege The series, which Square Enix took over publishing, began and ended Dungeon Siege 3Which is also ignored Diablo– Like an action RPG with good co-op.

2 The endless search

Undetected is correct

• Developers: Tri-S, Xbox Game Studios, G-Style
• Publishers: Square Enix, Xbox Game Studios
• Release Date: September 2, 2008
• Platform: Xbox 360

The endless search RPGs published or created by Square Enix are par for the course when it comes to weird names. This was again a collaboration with Tri-S. It is also an action RPG where players can traverse dungeons with large parties.

Music played a big role in the game, as the protagonist Capel could use the flute to discover hidden areas. It was a great RPG made exclusively for the Xbox 360, and it never left the console with an enhanced port. However, it can still be played on modern Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility.

1 Soma Bringer

Before Xenoblade history

• Developer: Monolith Soft
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release Date: February 28, 2008 (Japan)
• Platform: DS

Soma Bringer Monolith was made by Soft Games, which most may know from the various “Xeno” games Xenoblade Chronicles. Players can create a character, choose a class and weapon, and then set out on an adventure. Monsters appear in real time, and combat is action-based without any transitions.

Players can recruit two AI-based party members, and they will randomly attack to assist in battle. There's also multiplayer if players want to create three-player co-op sessions wirelessly on the DS. The game never got a sequel, and it never left Japan, but there is an English fan patch for it.