While sharing my story in the article about thefirst games each writer bought, I went through my PS1 collection, which I had gathered while sailing in some dubious seas. I no longer do this, so don’t report me.
While scouring my collection, I came across several titles that are largely unknown to the public, some of which I had even forgotten about. Then, it hit me. What if I wrote an article about the most obscure PS1JRPGs? And here we are.
10 Games That Will Make You A JRPG Fan
There’s a good reason why Japan has always been one of the leaders in gaming.
One disclaimer: these are not hidden gems, meaning they’re not necessarily good games. Still, you might find a JRPG here and there and have a good time. Or maybe discover a mechanic that, if properly refined, could have turned into a full-fledged idea that escaped obscurity.
Anyway, let’s get to it. Time to meet some weirdos out there on the PS1 that never saw the light of day.
All entries listed here had international releases.
10Thousand Arms
Flirting Your Way To Victory
Thousand Arms
Thousand Armsis possibly the best-known game on this list, which should give you an idea of how obscure some titles are.
In this JRPG, we play as Meis Triumph, a spirit blacksmith. After his hometown is attacked, he wanders the world until he discovers that the attack wasn’t isolated and some evil forces are building up a plot.
As usual for the time, the battle is turn-based. One character stays in the front, attacking and taking hits, while two stay in the back row, using magic or items. However, the twist inThousand Armslies in itsunusual progression system.
As a blacksmith, Meis needs to collect spirits scattered around the world to strengthen weapons. But there’s a second requirement: building intimacy with the girls.
Yeah, you read that right. This JRPG features social elements, allowing the player to go on dates with female characters to increase their intimacy by picking the right choices and giving gifts.
As their intimacy grows, we can raise weapon levels further and learn more spells. It’s an intriguing and refreshing mechanic, even though I always got the answers wrong and continuously lost intimacy with every female being in the world. It’s a miracle I’m married today.
9Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth
Yet Another Tactical JRPG
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth
The PS1 is consideredthe golden age of JRPGs, and many credit that to its turn-based games. But did you know the console has a vast library of tactical RPGs? Most are forgotten and obscure, such asHoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth.
The game has all the staples of a tactical game: a world map governed by icons and menus, unit recruitment, and grid-based battles.Hoshigamidoesn’t have a class system. Instead, each character has an element, a weapon, and a God worshipped, which changes the skills they learn.
What setsHoshigamiapart from other tactical JRPGs is its R.A.P. System, a gauge that grows as a character takes action. When it hits 100 percent, that character’s turn ends, so it’s possible to save it and act multiple times in a row. There’s also a Coinfeigm system that mimics equipable spells.
The game’s plot has us control Fazz and his team of mercenaries as they try to stop the Valaimian Empire from conquering the world. I wouldn’t say it’s a remarkable or memorable experience, especially considering thatFinal Fantasy Tacticswas available at the time.
8Battle Hunter
JRPG With Extraction Elements
Success, Agetec
Release Date
June 04, 2025
Battle Hunteris like eating junk food. It’s not good for you, but it’s highly addictive. I remember spending hours playing this game, even though it didn’t offer anything new.Battle Hunteris a mix of RPG, grid-based exploration, deck builder, and extraction elements. Exactly, extraction.
The entire game takes place in randomly generated stages with exploration in tile-based environments. We use dice to move our character and collect items on the map. The goal is to find a relic before the other Hunters and then reach the exit floor, ending the round and pocketing money with all the items collected.
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If we cross the same tile with another PC-controlled hunter or a monster, a battle starts that is ruled by the cards we have in hand, plus four random ones. Each card has an attack or defense value that, when added to our equipment, determines the damage dealt.
The catch is that if we lose the battle, our items go to the winner, and if we die in battle, we lose everything. See? Extraction elements! That’s the whole gameplay loop ofBattle Hunter.Simple but deadly addictive for a weird adolescent like me.
7Saiyuki: Journey West
Before Black Myth: Wukong
Saiyuki: Journey West
If you thought Wukong only showed up inBlack Myth: Wukong, you’ll be surprised to know there’s a tactical RPG released in 1999 that already retold the stories of the Monkey King. The only reason I became interested in the game is that Wukong is called Son Goku here, and I was obsessed withDragon Ball.
Saiyuki: Journey Westhas us follow the Buddhist monk Sanzo as they journey west with a cast of characters based on the Chinese novel of the same name. There are some poetic liberties and tweaks to enhance the gameplay, but the story is essentially the same as the source material.
The combat inSaiyukiis standard tactical fare. So routine that I’m even struggling to say what it brought new to the table. Hmmm, oh yeah, every character can Werechange into a beast! Except for Sanzo, our spellcaster with magical buffs.
When the Werechange gauge is filled, one character can transform, boosting attributes and unlocking new abilities. That’s it for innovations.Saiyuki: Journey Westwas primarily a game designed for those familiar with the novel or who wanted to explore the story through another medium.
6Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena
My Favorite Hidden Gem
Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena
Imagine my surprise when, in 2020,Brigandine: The Legend of Runersiawas released. I was positive thatBrigandinewas a fever dream of mine because I had never met anyone else who had played the game on the PS1. But then, a successor appeared. What a lovely surprise.
Brigandineis that kind of game that, at first glance, seemed so bad it was good. My younger self cared a lot about visual presentation, and in that regard,Brigandinewas sloppy. However, underneath the unattractive graphics, there was a highlystrategic and engaging JRPG.
At the beginning of the game, we choose one of five nations (there’s a cheat to pick the sixth), and we must defeat all the others to achieve victory.
The game’s view is presented on a world map, where we capture new castles and expand our armies with new knights and monsters. When we invade an enemy territory, the game shifts to a battleground.
Each unit has a movement, attack, and skill range determined by tiles on the battleground. By defeating a knight, every creature allocated in their squad flees, the easiest way to win a clash. When victorious, we capture the territory for ourselves and expand our influence until we control it all.
The progression inBrigandinegot me hooked with its replayability. When reaching certain levels, both knights and monsters can evolve. Knights change class, and monsters transform.
For example, a mere ghoul can turn into an almighty Vampire Lord upon hitting level 20.Brigandineis the type of obscure JRPG that could very well be considered a hidden gem.
5Eternal Eyes
Playing With Dolls
Eternal Eyes
I promise this is the last tactical RPG featured in this list. As I said, the industry was riding a hype wave of strategy games because we had a lot of them and then some more. And well, where there’s demand, there’s supply… some pretty weird ones as well, likeEternal Eyes.
InEternal Eyes, our protagonist duo learns they possess the power to control Pappets, a type of doll. With this newfound talent, they must stop the Goddess of Destruction. Luke is the only human we direct in battle, as the rest of our party is made up of dolls.
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Ok, to be honest, even though the game calls them dolls, they’re pretty much monsters, each of the 169 with their own shape and skills. These Pappets are also the main highlight of the game, featuring a progression system similar toPokémon.
We can give Jewels to our Pappets, and they will evolve, changing into another one. As we acquire new wooden dolls, we can transform them into unique monsters by granting them different Jewels, and so on. That’s the whole gist ofEternal Eyes:making new dolls, filling your Pappet Book, and battling with them in tactical-based battles.
4The Granstream Saga
Should Have Stayed Obscure
The Granstream Saga
In theory,The Granstream Sagashouldn’t be that unknown. After all, it was published by Sony and developed by Quintet, the creators ofIllusion of GaiaandTerranigma. Still, very few know it. However, I don’t blame that on poor marketing but rather on the game’s almost nonexistent qualities.
If you look it up, you might get excited sinceThe Granstream Sagawas conceived as a spiritual successor toTerranigma. With its polygonal style and 3D movement, the game tried to use the PS1’s full capabilities. It didn’t succeed, and the result was something bizarre - one of the weirdest and least entertaining JRPGs I’ve ever played.
In the role of Eon, we must prevent the planet from falling into the ocean. To do that, we clumsily explore several dungeons with a top-view 3D camera and battle enemies in a 1v1 duel.
When engaging an enemy, our perspective, and I say this with huge quotes, is akin toOcarina of Time’sZ targeting, in the way the enemy is centered and our character strafes around.
Once a battle starts, we can attack, block, and cast spells. The whole thing looks good on paper, but once every combat starts to drag too long, or the camera presents itself as your worst enemy, you’ll lose all interest in our faceless protagonist’s journey and just dropThe Granstream Sagafor something better.
3Azure Dreams
True Roguelike Experience
Azure Dreams
Nowadays, roguelike games with procedural dungeons and tile-based movement are often referred to asMystery Dungeonand are developed by Spike Chunsoft. However, occasionally, other studios created such JRPGs, like theAzure Dreams.
As with most roguelikes, death is never the end but always a reset. As you exploreAzure Dreams' randomly generated dungeon, you earn money, equipment, and eggs, which hatch into familiars that follow the protagonist, Koh, in his climb up the Monster Tower. Once he dies, however, everything is lost.
Except for familiars and town upgrades, which can be made by investing our hard-earned money. Building new buildings unlocks new features and makes dungeon diving easier, even though Koh’s level is always rolled back to 1 upon entry.
Dungeon traversal and combat are similar to otherMystery Dungeons. Each character acts in sequence, either walking a tile, attacking, or using another command. Additionally, the familiar accompanying Koh needs to be fed periodically. Otherwise, the fifteen-year-old orphan will be lonely and, most likely, will die. Oh yeah, he will die a lot.
2Monster Seed
You Reap What You Sow
Monster Seed
Monster Seedis a really rough JRPG, not excelling in any one area, but it’s honest in its attempts. The game begins abruptly, with our protagonist, Daniel, getting beaten up by potential antagonists and waking up in a nearby village. Since he’s poor, it’s time to work.
Daniel is a Ruler, someone who can control monsters, the whole gimmick ofMonster Seed. By mixing seeds, a solution, and a temperature mechanic that I have no idea what’s for, we create new monsters. Battles take place in a small field laid out in grids where Daniel can summon monsters that act on their own.
Although the game had potential, it was never explored. The story doesn’t make sense, and the localization is subpar - we can give the monster an order called Suicide. I mean, what the hell, game. The entire loop is way too basic and tedious, making it a chore that gets frustrating fast.
Monster Seed is one of those games I only suggest playing for some empirical research reason, as I did, or if you’re doing a marathon to finishevery PS1 JRPG, and the prize is a brand-new apartment.
1Blaze & Blade: Eternal Quest
The Character Creator Is Nice
Blaze & Blade: Eternal Quest
We control a party of four in their adventure to repel evil. That’s it forBlaze & Blade: Eternal Questplot. Onto the gameplay!
But yeah, there’s not much to see in this JRPG in terms of the story, as the focus was clearly on the action. For instance, you start the game and must create a party of four from eight different classes - sixteen in total if you count female options.
Then, you distribute each character’s attributes, choose an element and a speech pattern, and the adventure starts. If you intend to play it, go for the PC version since it significantly improves the graphics. And should I play it, Murillo? I hear you asking.
Well, let’s see. The game is summed up by exploring dungeons, forests, and various biomes while facing monsters in real-time, leveling up, equipping gear, and collecting treasures.
Some classes, such as Priest and Sorcerer, learn spells at certain levels, while others, like Warrior, will only know how to swing a sword for the entire playthrough.
All to say thatBlaze & Blade: Eternal Questwill get repetitive fast. You can mix things up by inviting a second player and letting them control one of the characters, something you’ll want to do because the AI is dumber than I am.
But, as I’ve stated several times, there’s a perfect non-enjoyable reason why this PS1 JRPG is obscure and never hit the spotlight. So, well, your call.
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