While most people would agree that the renaissance era for JRPGs was mostly on the first two PlayStation consoles, that's not to say that the representation of this genre on the PlayStation 3 was lackluster by any sense of the imagination. While it's true that the advent of more polished real-time combat systems had thrown the once-booming turn-based combat present in most JRPGs into a state of irrelevancy, there's no denying the fact that this genre still had some shining gems on the PS3 regardless.
However, due to the rather muted fanfare surrounding this genre, there were a ton of great JRPGs released on the PS3 that never really got the love and adoration that they deserved.
Updated April 13, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: The PlayStation 3 was graced with a series of excellent JRPGs that have gone on to become pretty successful in their own right. It's a massive achievement for a genre that was considered dated when this console came out. However, it can't be denied that some JRPGs got more praise and recognition than others, with the most underrated JRPGs on the console mentioned below.
15 Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles is an excellent strategy JRPG that takes a unique look at the very concept of war itself and how combat can be carried out in such a chaotic environment. The singular battle system makes for the highlight of this title.
Of course, as is often the case with most good JRPGs, the story and characters of Valkyria Chronicles are also pretty great in their own right. The game is part of a series with three more mainline titles, which means that most players won't be starved for content by the time the first game ends.
14 Tales Of Xillia
The real-time combat of the Tales series has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with Tales of Arise being the most notable title in the series in this regard. However, older games in the series still have their charm, even though their combat systems might be a little dated by comparison.
Tales of Xillia is a great title in this regard, with many fans considering it to be the best game in the Tales series. Any fan of action JRPGs should give this title a whirl, more so if they enjoyed some of the more recent Tales games.
13 Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
Disgaea is a strategy JRPG series that many fans of the genre are pretty familiar with. Each game in the series features hardcore strategic gameplay and a post-game that can take hundreds of hours to complete.
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness is no exception in this regard, featuring great combat, riveting stories, and interesting characters in one of the franchise's best games. More people need to check this game out to see why so many people love the Disgaea series.
12 Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny
Rune Factory is a spin-off series from Story of Seasons that combines management and JRPG gameplay to great effect. The series is full to the brim with excellent games, with the titles being so popular that it dropped the Story of Seasons references after its second installment.
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny is one of the better games in the series and really flexes the franchise's strengths. Farming around and fighting enemies in the game is still a blast to this day and something that any serious simulation fan will want to experience for themselves!
11 Fairy Fencer F
The big names behind Fairy Fencer F should be enough to entice any JRPG fan to give this game a shot. Yoshitake Amano and Nobue Uematsu both worked on this JRPG, which is genuinely surprising given how little promotion it received in the west.
Fairy Fencer F might not be the most mind-blowing game around, but it gets the job done for those looking for a classic JRPG experience. Anyone who really wants to check out this game should look out for Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force, an upgraded release with more content and better visuals.
10 Eternal Sonata
The idea of roaming around in Frédéric Chopin's mind hours before his demise is an excellent concept that Eternal Sonata executes in brilliant fashion... which is why it's a shame that not many gamers have heard about this underrated classic.
The select few who picked up and played Eternal Sonata found themselves enjoying what is most certainly one of the greatest and most unique JRPGs ever released for the PlayStation 3.
9 Resonance Of Fate
While Resonance of Fate did end up driving people away due to its drab art style and a weird world map that felt unnecessarily convoluted at times, players who stuck around to enjoy the good bits found that there were quite a few excellent moments woven into this title.
The combat of Resonance of Fate is undoubtedly its saving grace, and the act of jumping in the air and shooting enemies is something that never gets old no matter how many encounters the player must power through.
8 Tales Of Graces F
The Tales of... series has consistently churned out great JRPGs that never end up enjoying the spotlight for some reason or the other. While Tales of Berseria did end up being somewhat notable in its own right, the franchise is still very much niche for all the wrong reasons.
One need only look at the immense quality of Tales of Graces F and its disproportionate commercial performance to understand why this is the case. The combat in this title is excellent, and the story does a serviceable job of keeping things in motion without getting too overbearing either — something that a ton of JRPGs struggle with.
7 The Guided Fate Paradox
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that The Guided Fate Paradox is the most underrated and unknown game on this list, which is quite a shame given its immense quality.
The gameplay is deep and engaging while the story ends up touching on a lot of serious points in a tasteful fashion while still maintain an air of lightness that would endear fans of any JRPG to this tale in an instant.
6 Star Ocean: The Last Hope
When the fourth Star Ocean game was released, the horrible voice acting was the first and most jarring thing that people noticed, to the point where most people actively gave up on the title without even getting to the good part.
Thankfully, the PS3 release included the original Japanese voice acting as well, allowing players to switch out one of the most infamous video game dubs of all time and enjoy the brilliant combat and serviceable story of a worthy entry in the Star Ocean series.
5 Enchanted Arms
Before kickstarting the Souls series and establishing itself as one of the best AAA developers around, From Software was a company that was very much trying to find its identity as a developer.
While some of their games didn't hit the mark, Enchanted Arms was a turn-based role-playing game that definitely oozed a ton of quality. However, it never really enjoyed the popularity it deserved and has remained an almost-forgotten gem for the longest time.
4 Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
On a whole, one can definitely call the entire Disgaea series underrated — a shame, since the excellent stories and tactical combat that accompany every game in this brilliant series are worth a try for anyone into the genre.
Disgaea 4 is no exception to this, featuring an endearing cast of characters and challenging combat that will keep players hooked for hours on end.
3 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel
The Legend of Heroes is another excellent JRPG series that hasn't received nearly enough praise for creating incredible lived-in worlds and brilliant characters who end up shining in some of the best stories in any JRPG.
Trails of Cold Steel is one such title that is definitely worth checking out for anyone who wishes to play an incredible and addictive JRPG. Just keep in mind that there are four games (with more to come) in this particular arc, which means that players who do end up falling in love with this title will be in it for the long haul.
2 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
While most people might find it odd that Lightning Returns has made the cut for an underrated title — given the fact that it did experience strong sales — one has to remember that this game has been somewhat unfairly grouped in with the entire Final Fantasy XIII trilogy as one of the lowlights of the series.
This isn't even remotely the case — Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 is a brilliant JRPG that ends up integrating a fast-paced and exciting combat system, coupled with a story that is bound to keep fans thrilled... especially if they enjoyed the first two games in the trilogy as well.
1 Folklore
An incredibly unique action RPG that has unfortunately been overlooked by the masses, Folklore is a vibrant and pulse-pounding JRPG that is in dire need of a remake or a re-release on modern consoles so that people finally realize what they missed out on.
The Irish setting of this game is pulled off masterfully, allowing players to explore a world rife with mythological detail and a gorgeous art style. Of course, it helps that the combat is also great with the innovative use of "folk" to dish out damage in battle.
