8 Best JRPGs That Balance Combat and Puzzle Mechanics

Key points

• JRPGs offer amazing gameplay mechanics and likable characters
• The best JRPGs balance combat and puzzle mechanics naturally
• Some classic JRPGs like Persona 5 Royal offer exciting experiences

THE JRPG the genre is one of the most popular in the gaming community, as it offers wonderful plots, amazing game mechanics, and likable characters with interesting stories. JRPGs normally have various action sequences, classes, jobs, and abilities that players can explore to get the best experience possible.

JRPGs have been around since the dawn of gaming and are still going strong, as many amazing titles have come out on the Nintendo Switch. While some decide to stick to one game mechanic or another, there are others who choose to combine puzzles and combat to make the gaming experience very interesting. Here are some the best JRPGs that balance combat and puzzle mechanics.

8 The Legend of Heroes: Paths in the Sky

A fantastic title that still holds up well today

• Great combination of puzzle and combat
• Two brothers train together to become warriors

The story of The Legend of Heroes: Traces of Cold Steel focuses on Estelle and Joshua Bright, who are training to become combat specialists known as bracers for the Kingdom of Liberl. When their father disappears, they must embark on a journey through five different regions and their adventure begins.

While it wasn't as well received as other titles on this list, The Legend of Heroes: Traces of Cold Steel it still offers a very interesting experience that combines puzzles and combat, making it a classic JRPG that many players still love.

7 Etrian Odyssey Nexus

Many mysteries to discover in Lemuria

• Explorers from around the world are summoned to uncover the mysteries of Lemuria
• This was the last one Etrian Franchise title released for 3DS

Etrian Odyssey Nexus has a very interesting premise that revolves around the princess of Lemuria bringing together the kingdom's best explorers to uncover the kingdom's many mysteries. In search of precious treasures, glory and making a name for themselves, these explorers will face all the dangers they encounter and do their best to overcome them.

Like other JRPGs, this title manages to successfully combine combat and puzzle mechanics in a very natural way, offering an experience that never feels forced. Etrian Odyssey Nexus it was the last game in the series to be released on the 3DS, and many gamers agree that it went out with a bang.

6 Alundra

A young boy's noble purpose to help people

• Many similarities with The Legend of Zelda
• Alundra can enter people's dreams and defeat their nightmares

Alundra it's a timeless PS1 classic that gamers who were around when the console was popular will likely remember very fondly. Share many similarities with The Legend of Zelda,

Alundra follows the story of a young man of the same. He can enter people's minds and see their dreams, then undertakes a noble effort to help them defeat their nightmares and bring inner peace back to their psyche.

The combat mechanics of this title are a bit limited compared to more modern alternatives, but it still manages to offer a fantastic experience that balances combat and puzzles.

5 Tales of the symphony

A heroic mission to save Sylvarant

• Players are tasked with saving the world
• Some players find the puzzles boring

Set in the dying world of Sylvarant, Tales of the Symphony presents players with an interesting premise that is paired with a great gameplay experience. As Sylvarant runs out of mana (the source of energy needed to sustain life and magic), players will be tasked with embarking on a perilous journey to regenerate the world.

While this title doesn't fit the classic premise of protecting a city used by many JRPGs, the stakes are arguably higher, as it is the world and the lives within it that are at risk. Some gamers love puzzles Tales of the Symphony and others find them a bit boring. In any case, the balance between puzzles and combat almost always seems perfect.

4 Final Fantasy 10

One of the best Final Fantasy titles to date

• Sports superstar Tidus is transported to another world
• The Cloister of Trials tests players and forces them to figure things out

The story of Final Fantasy 10 follows Tidus, a sports superstar from Zanarkand who is transported to another world where he meets the summoner Yuna. Together, their task will be to save the world of Spira from a mysterious threat simply called Sin. This title is considered by many to be one of the best entries in the series, offering a thrilling experience full of adrenaline-pumping moments and likable characters.

The closest Final Fantasy 10 comes to provide puzzles in the truest sense of the word is the Cloister of Trials, which will test players and task them with figuring out how to progress through them.

3 Chronometric trigger

An exciting journey through history

• The game covers several time periods
• Seven playable characters

Set on a fictional version of Earth, Chronometric trigger presents players with a story that involves several time jumps, different historical periods and, above all, an exciting gaming experience. The game spans from 65,000,000 BC to 2300 AD, where players will find themselves in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth.

Featuring seven playable characters from different eras of the game, Chronometric trigger is a timeless classic that many players will likely remember fondly. This title has inspired many others that resemble it in one way or another, so players have no shortage of options if they want to relive a similar experience.

2 Golden sun

A treasure from the Game Boy Advanced era

• Players can upgrade their characters and help small settlements
• Probably one of the greatest JRPGs ever made

Golden sun is one of the greatest JRPGs for the Game Boy Advance. A group of “Adepts”, who are individuals attuned to synergy and inhabit the world of Weyard, are sent from their homes on an arduous journey to prevent the release of a powerful force known as Alchemy.

Throughout the story, players will be able to upgrade their characters, save small settlements and immerse themselves in the plot Golden sun. Although it may not be as popular as the Final fantasy franchise, many players agree that it is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

1 Persona 5 Real

The ultimate puzzle experience

• Procedurally generated crosswords and dungeons
• Joker and his friends become the Phantom Heart Thieves

Persona 5 Real is a great title that has captivated gamers since its release in 2019. When a high school student named Joker is accused of a crime he didn't commit, he is forced to transfer to another school. There he meets a group of other students and together they discover a powerful element that gives them unimaginable abilities. With them, Joker and his fellow students become the vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Persona 5 Real has one of the best puzzle mechanics in any JRPG, as it offers not only crosswords that players must complete and exam answers that they must remember, but also the infamous Mementos, which are procedurally generated dungeons that will confuse players more than once.