Summary

• Cel-shading ensures timeless visuals in games like Zelda & Okami, attracting players to unforgettable adventures.
• JRPGs like NEO: The World Ends With You embrace cel-shading, offering stunning environments and compelling gameplay.
• Dark Cloud 2 and Jeane d'Arc use cel-shading to enhance gameplay and create memorable experiences for players.

Cel shading is one of the best ways to ensure a game's art style ages gracefully. Games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Okami show the power of cel-shading, with these games being hailed among of the greats for many reasons, including their timeless visuals. So, it's easy to see why many JRPG fans love the idea of playing through amazing games that make the most of this visual style to let players enjoy a piece of eye candy that takes them on an adventure for the ages.

There are many cel-shaded JRPGs that do justice to this art style while making the most of its genre's trappings. While games that push the boundaries when it comes to state-of-the-art graphics should be praised, there's something about using a different art style that ages better and attracts many players. Combining this with the tropes of Japanese role-playing games can lead to a memorable experience that can last for dozens of hours and leave fans wanting more after the journey ends.

5 NEO: The World Ends With You

The Sequel To A Stylistic JRPG That Incorporates Cel-Shading

The World Ends with You was one of the best games on the DS, making the most of the console's dual-screen to let players enjoy a fun and invigorating combat system. The switch to a single screen was done pretty well in the updated releases, letting players enjoy Neku's adventures as he tried to regain his memories while being forced to participate in a twisted game. So, it's easy to see why fans were more than happy to see that a sequel to this game was finally greenlit in the form of NEO: The World Ends with You.

While there are some aspects of the game that can feel shallow, the sequel is worth checking out for fans of the original. In a bid to modernize the title, NEO: The World Ends with You employs 3D environments and cel-shading to make the various locations of Shibuya look downright amazing to traverse. The visuals of the game are one of its strongest elements and will compel many people to stick with this spirited adventure till the very end.

4 Dark Cloud 2

A Highly Underrated JRPG With A Tantalizing Art Style

Dark Cloud is one of the most underrated JRPGs of all time. It was made by the same developers known for their work on Professor Layton and the Ni No Kuni series. If players weren't interested in this title, then the sequel did a great job of making massive improvements to ensure that more people were compelled to check out a JRPG that deserves all its plaudits and then some.

The cel-shaded art style has gone a long way in ensuring that the game ages like a fine wine. There are so many gameplay facets to interact with that players can feel overwhelmed at times, but Dark Cloud 2's lengthy runtime means that players will get acclimatized to these systems in no time. It's a beautiful JRPG that more people should check out if they want to check out quality games in this genre.

3 Jeanne d'Arc

Combines Medieval Fantasy Elements With The Well-Known Story Of Joan Of Arc

Players who owned a PSP know just how many quality games were loaded on this console, with one tactical RPG, in particular, combining fantasy with historical elements to let players enjoy a great time. Jeanne d'Arc is an underrated role-playing game players must check out, especially if they love the story of Joan of Arc and want to check out an original take on this story that lets players control this titular heroine as she fights off the demons threatening to destroy the world.

The in-game visuals feature a hefty dose of cel-shading, so it should be no surprise that this game was developed by none other than Level-5. The developer is experienced when it comes to this art style, and many people argue that Jeanne d'Arc was able to work around the PSP's hardware limitations by employing this art style to let players enjoy a great time with this title.

2 Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

The Studio Ghibli-esque Visuals Add To The Game's Charm

Most people know of Ni no Kuni because of its art style alone, with fans of Studio Ghibli's movies loving how similar this series looks to the animation style of this beloved studio. The first game in the duology is an excellent debut that deserves its time in the spotlight, but it's the sequel that many fans hailed as one of the best cel-shaded RPGs players can get their hands on.

Revenant Kingdom serves as a massive improvement over its predecessor while employing the same cel-shaded visuals that got many fans excited for Wrath of the White Witch in the first place. While some people argue that the story of the first game was more immersive, the enhancements to the combat system make the moment-to-moment gameplay of Revenant Kingdom vastly superior to its predecessor.

1 Persona 5 Royal

The Art Style Upgrade Went A Long Way In Helping The Persona Series Become Mainstream

Atlus wanted Persona 5 to shatter the glass ceiling of the series and make it more mainstream than ever. This was accomplished by an engine overhaul coupled with a cel-shaded art style that was as stylistic as they come and made the setting of modern Tokyo come to life in the best way possible. To make things even better, the updated release of Persona 5 Royal ironed out the kinks, made some much-needed translation updates, and included additional content to let players spend more time with the beloved Phantom Thieves.

It's no stretch to state that the striking art style of Persona 5 Royal is a major reason why players fell in love with this title. The visual style is perfectly in line with the upbeat nature of the narrative, injecting a lot of pizzazz into the game and ensuring that it captures a player's attention till the very end of a JRPG where players will fall in love with the characters by the time the adventures of the Phantom Thieves draws to a close.