In video games, few genres are intended to be as long and immersive as JRPGs, since these games are known for offering players adventures that can take over 100 hours to complete, while following a story full of emotional and over-the-top moments. These games are also remembered for their incredible cast of characters and how the narrative can escalate very quickly, often leading the main characters to defeat gods or similar powerful beings.
Thus, the best JRPGs with over 100 hours of content are those that offer a good amount of engaging content for players to enjoy during that time, whether through exploration mechanics or a compelling narrative. A game can be long for many reasons, but some titles execute this purpose extremely well, making the entire gameplay experience feel completely satisfying in the end.
Few tactical RPGs embrace limitless progression as wholeheartedly as this fifth entry in Nippon Ichi’s long-running series. Disgaea 5 Complete turns its humorous tale of cosmic revenge into a 50-hour prologue, then invites players to sink over 200 hours chasing ever-escalating damage numbers through the procedurally generated Item World and the postgame Carnage Dimension.
Progression revolves around amplifying statistics to absurd extremes. Delving floor after floor inside a weapon enhances its base attributes; mastering Subclasses, manipulating the Chara World, and passing Dark Assembly bills stack multiplicative bonuses until single strikes reach billions of hit points. The result is a self-perpetuating optimization puzzle that rewards methodical planning rather than mindless repetition.
February 25, 2020
T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
Marvelous
One of the main aspects of Rune Factory 4 Special is how players choose to explore the game. If the focus is mainly on the main campaign and discovering all narrative-related events, this JRPG can feel relatively short, taking only 30–40 hours to complete. However, like many other farm sims, the activities of raising animals, growing crops, and managing daily tasks can significantly extend the game’s length.
Rune Factory 4 Special also encourages players to dive into its life sim mechanics, as the JRPG offers a variety of bachelors and bachelorettes to interact with, building friendships and eventually marrying one of the available candidates is a core aspect of the game. This gameplay loop, where players follow the main story while also taking time to engage in side activities, can easily result in hundreds of hours of playtime before completing all available content.
Using time management elements found in other games like the Persona series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes a bold step in the franchise’s formula while offering players the chance to explore one of the most ambitious tactical JRPGs ever made. Under Byleth’s guidance, the game is divided into two distinct acts, with the first functioning as a school life simulator.
The narrative in the first part of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is often the same at school, but the second act can vary dramatically depending on the player’s choice of which house to support, leading to different routes when war eventually breaks out in the JRPG. For those who want to see all the different endings and how the story unfolds through each path, the game offers excellent replayability and can easily take over 100 hours to fully experience.
Some of the most iconic franchises in the JRPG genre have changed a lot over the years, but even with modern mechanics and other welcome new features, Dragon Quest 11 stands out as the best example of how a game can maintain its traditional formula without feeling outdated. The game is massive, taking around 120 hours for players to finish the main campaign and explore some of the side content it offers.
This is because, after finishing Acts 1 and 2, players have the option to access an optional third act, where they can try to prevent some of the tragedies that occur during the main story. While this may lessen the impact of certain events, it also adds even more content to explore. As a result, the postgame of Dragon Quest 11 can be massive, taking the Luminary’s journey well past the 100-hour mark.
While the main campaign of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth can take players on a journey from Japan to Hawaii that lasts around 60 hours, the JRPG itself offers a lot more through its side content and optional activities that Kasuga or Kiryu can engage in during the game. With all those extra options, the full adventure can easily go beyond 100 hours, especially for players who enjoy the minigames.
Like most of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, Infinite Wealth also puts a strong focus on the variety of minigames available during exploration. While some of them are very simple, others are more complex and fun. In this game, for example, Dondoko Island can take dozens of hours to complete, and when combined with side quests and postgame content, it’s possible to keep playing for a very long time.
Just like the other games in the franchise, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is a massive JRPG that can easily take over 100 hours for players to beat the main campaign and complete some of the side content, often related to exploring the different regions of Mira. Also, after getting used to the combat mechanics, this becomes another great aspect of the game, since it’s possible to create different builds for the protagonist.
But one of the biggest highlights of Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is its open world, which can be hard to explore at first glance. However, once players unlock the mechas, called Skells in the game, the experience becomes even more satisfying. It’s possible to reach new areas of the map and face some of the giant enemies that wander around, since battles with Skells, while similar, allow players to fight enemies much stronger than regular characters.
Different from the first game, where the narrative, despite some changes, remains mostly faithful to the original Final Fantasy 7, with expanded story elements in certain parts, Rebirth chooses a different path to follow. In this title, the story features several divergences, but still delivers a massive JRPG that can take over 100 hours to complete, and even longer for those aiming for the platinum trophy.
The main story itself isn’t that long, taking about 50 hours to finish, but this new entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series adopts an open-world philosophy. Players have plenty of places to explore while progressing through the main quest. Furthermore, Rebirth includes many minigames to enjoy, whether during the Gold Saucer segment or in other parts of the gameplay, much like the original used to offer.
10/10
March 31, 2020
M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Atlus, P-Studio
JRPGs made by Atlus are often known for being complex and having long durations, and Persona 5 Royal is probably the prime example of this formula. From its slow start, where players are introduced to the main concepts and mechanics the game offers, it’s possible to notice how massive the journey of the Phantom Thieves can become later on, as the challenges they face grow more intense.
Also, Persona 5 Royal introduces a new third semester for players to explore. Besides the new dungeon and narrative arc, Joker also unlocks new Confidants to interact with during his time in Tokyo. The gameplay loop of this JRPG is also well-designed, since outside the Metaverse, the protagonist has an interesting cast of side characters to bond with, making the discovery of their personal stories one of the best parts of the game.
