Summary

  • Older JRPGs can have shorter runtimes in modern remakes.
  • Remakes like Star Ocean and Final Fantasy enhance graphics.
  • New remakes enhance original character development.

Older JRPGs can often have inflated runtimes due to the conventions of the time. This length can get cut down significantly when the title is remade for modern audiences and modern conveniences are added. The games listed below still give players a lot of bang for their buck, however.

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They prove that the original story and the mechanics still have a lot of weight and value beyond the tendency of older JRPGs to make players grind. In some cases, the remake goes down a different route and is pretty much an entirely new game with an entirely different structure.

All times are taken from howlongtobeat.com

10 Star Ocean: The Second Story R

26 Hours

Systems
Top Critic Rating: 85/100 Critics Recommend: 97%
Platform(s)
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Released
November 2, 2023
Developer(s)
Gemdrops, Inc.
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

The HD 2D aesthetic fits a lot of JRPG remakes. It acknowledges the validity of the sprite-based art style while still updating the graphics. Star Ocean: The Second Story R still retains the feel of the 90s JRPG while looking fresh thanks to this innovative mesh of new and old.

The gameplay changes are more subtle and serve to modernize the game rather than give it an entirely different feel. Still, fans of the old game will get a lot by going through it again with the new 3D environments and the beautiful lighting.

9 Final Fantasy 3

30 Hours

JRPG
Systems
Platform(s)
Android, iOS, Nintendo DS, PSP, PC
Released
November 14, 2006
Developer
Matrix Software
Publisher(s)
Square Enix

As special as it was to receive a Final Fantasy 3 remake for the Nintendo 3DS, it is funny to call this game a remake since it was the first time gamers in North America got their hands on this particular adventure. In some ways, the 3D graphics almost age the game more than the original sprites.

All the same, this remake benefits from giving the main characters actual personalities and backstories. Some simple details about the characters go a long way toward creating an attachment between them and the player.

8 Dragon Quest 3 HD

30 Hours

Systems
Top Critic Rating: 85/100 Critics Recommend: 93%
Released
November 14, 2024
Developer(s)
Square Enix, Artdink
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Some might wonder why Dragon Quest 3 was remade before the first two games in the series. In Japan, the game was an absolute phenomenon and is what catapulted the series to the legendary status it holds today. It is also chronologically the first in the timeline, so there is some logic in releasing it first.

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The HD 2D visual facelift is nice, but Dragon Quest 3 is still an RPG of its time. Players should not go in thinking they will have a revelation and wonder how such a game could have been made so long ago. All the same, it is a great JRPG adventure for fans of the genre.

7 Final Fantasy 4

31 Hours

Final Fantasy 4 (3D Remake)

JRPG
Systems
Released
July 22, 2008
Developer
Matrix Software
Publisher(s)
Square Enix

Final Fantasy 4 originally came out in the West as Final Fantasy 2. By the time the remake came around, the confusion around the naming convention had been cleared up. The 3D graphics certainly help this version stand out from the crowd of other Final Fantasy 4 re-releases and remakes.

It unfortunately lacks some content found in other versions of the game. The visuals are still enough to make this a novel way to experience the story even for those intimately familiar with this game.

Final Fantasy 4: The Complete Edition for the PSP is arguably a more definitive edition to play, and it has more features.

6 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

32 1/2 Hours