Leveling up is considered the most basic element of anRPG, often the deciding factor in categorizing a game as an RPG or not. And while it’s a vital system, there came a point when it started to feel a bit overused.
To refresh leveling up, many RPGs created unique and creative progression systems that often enhance leveling up and give us that satisfying sense of growth as hours of gameplay pass by.
10 Best JRPGs With Unique Mechanics
Some JRPGs stand out solely for their unique mechanics.
While some RPGs follow a standard approach,JRPGsare constantly innovating, introducing progression systems that are as engaging as exploring a dungeon for treasures.
Some JRPGs, even with a linear progression system, still feel rewarding, while others offer more flexibility for characters, letting us create unique builds for our party.
8Tales of Xillia
The Lilium Orb
Tales of Xillia
TheTales ofseries is one of the most creative JRPGs in terms of leveling, progression, equipment, crafting, and other elements. To keep the discussion focused, I choseTales of Xillia, which has a simpler yet creative and engaging system.
InTales of Xillia, we have the Lilium Orb, a fancy name forthe skill tree. As we level up, we gain GP, Growth Points, which can be invested in the Lilium Orb. Activating a simple node increases a character’s stats.
Interestingly, some nodes in the Lilium Orb can’t be selected outright. They’re activated only when you acquire all the surrounding nodes, closing a square and gaining everything within that shape. These inner nodes can be skills, artes, or more powerful buffs.
We can choose how to develop our characters, andXilliaalso rewards us for making smart decisions. The system has roots in other RPGs, but player agency reigns supreme here. We can decide which skills to unlock and different ways to strengthen the characters.
As in any JRPG, you can unlock all nodes in the Lilium Orb at max level. But it’s still an unusual progression system that keeps us pondering and eager for the next level-up and where we’ll invest our hard-earned growth points.
7Dragon Quest XI
Hidden Skill Panels
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of An Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest XI’sprogression system is an iteration of other mainline titles in the series and the most creative so far. When leveling up, we earn skill points that can be used on a panel to unlock new spells, attacks, or attributes—not too different from what we see elsewhere.
YetDragon Quest XImanages to offer a sense of customization and surprise for players. Each character can equip two to three distinct weapons. The protagonist can use one-handed and two-handed swords, while Erik can wield daggers, one-handed swords, and boomerangs.
As we level up, it’s up to us to decide if we’ll improve the protagonist’s one-handed or two-handed sword skills, for example. Diversifying and unlocking skills for all weapons is possible, but in the short term, this is less advantageous than focusing on just one.
This is becauseDragon Quest XIhas secret panels, which, as the name suggests, are hidden skills. These skills only appear after unlocking four adjacent panels. This encouraged me to keep investing points in one weapon to see what secret skill would unlock, which often proved genuinely helpful.
Beyond weapons, each character has a unique skill tree. The hero is called Luminary and teaches Zap-type lightning spells, while Serena, the dedicated healer, has a unique skill called Harpistry, where she learns spells to increase resistance to certain elements.
This extends to all characters, each with its own quirks.Dragon Quest XIallows players to customize each member, giving its progression system a creative and fun twist.
6Final Fantasy Tactics
The Job System
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy IIIintroduced the famous Job system, which has spread across multiple mainlineFinal Fantasygames. However, we believe one of its best applications was in the spin-offFinal Fantasy Tactics.
In this tactical JRPG, each party member gains experience to level up and JP, Job Points, to learn new abilities in their current Job. As more abilities are learned, advanced Jobs unlock, expanding the group’s possibilities and skill sets.
Additionally, every character can acquire skills from a different Job, further enhancing their capabilities. For instance, a Black Mage can wield White Magic, while a Monk can devastate enemies with the Dual Wield skill of a Ninja.
The combinations are vast, allowing the player to build any type of character they want.Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Agehas a similar system but adapted to its real-time battle system.
5Lost Odyssey
Immortals Learn from Mortals
Lost Odyssey
Lost Odysseyis considered one of the best, if not the best, JRPGs on the Xbox 360. And for good reason. After all, it was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy. Thus, it’s not unusual that this JRPG progression system has some similarities withFinal Fantasy IX.
The progression system inLost Odysseyblends two familiar modes. In the game, our party is divided into two types of members: mortals and immortals. Mortal members follow a traditional progression format. They level up and, at specific levels, learn new abilities.
Mortals can also learn skills by equipping various types of accessories, encouraging and justifying the use of gear with weaker attributes but valuable abilities.
Immortals, however, don’t learn skills by leveling up. These members can learn new skills by equipping different accessories, but they need to use the Skill Linking mechanic to expand their arsenal.
Immortals can link a skill from a mortal member, and if both participate in battle, the immortal will gradually learn that skill, eventually unlocking it permanently. This creates a symbiotic relationship between mortals and immortals.
The point is thatLost Odyssey’s progression system maximizes the rotation of both equipment and party members in combat. It’s an elegant and refined progression system that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but complements the entire JRPG design.
4SaGa Emerald Beyond
No Level System
SaGa Emerald Beyond
SaGais known for two systems ever-present in nearly all its titles. The first is Glimmer, which teaches party members skills mid-combat, and the second is the isolated attribute evolution. Each member enhances an attribute based on what they do in battle to compensate for the lack of levels.
We’ll useSaGa Emerald Beyondas an example, which is the latest original mainline release. The calculations in the game’s backend are complex, but essentially, each character improves an attribute tied to their combat actions. So, if a character uses a Thin Sword, their mobility increases, while a character casting spells will see their Intelligence grow.
Similarly, characters who take more physical hits in battle will have a higher chance of increasing their Endurance, while those struck by non-physical attacks will gain Acuity as a consequence.
The progression system inSaGa Emerald Beyondencourages a diversity of characters, each with their own specialty, allowing them to become even more proficient in their roles.
3Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
Exploration-Based Affinity Growth
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
You read that right. I’m not talking aboutXenoblade Chronicles 3, but rather its DLC,Future Redeemed. I loveXenoblade.I think it’s one of the greatest JRPG series of today, but despite its excellence, they never really nailed the exploration aspect of the game.
ButXenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemedcame to, well… redeem this feature across all the other series titles. Here, exploration is meaningful and intimately tied to the progression system. Everything we do in the game—defeating enemies, collecting items, and talking to NPCs—contributes to strengthening our characters.
As we explore, we earn AP, which can be invested in a character’s Affinity Growth. With this, a character can learn or improve their Arts and Skills and boost their stats, thus making exploration easier.
Additionally, exploration also becomes worthwhile even if a container doesn’t hold a good item, as it will count toward your Affinity Goals and grant you more AP. It’s one of the best progression systems for players who search every nook and cranny in a JRPG.
2Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Skill and Specialties
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
InStar Ocean: The Second Story R, each level increases characters' base attributes and can also teach them new Arts or spells. However, the most exciting part is how each character earns SP upon leveling up, which can be invested to improve a technique or level up a skill.
Skills inStar Ocean: The Second Story Rcome in all shapes and sizes. Some skills boost an attribute, like HP, while others increase EXP gained in battle at the cost of reducing overall character power. There are even combat skills that trigger randomly and provide a boost during battle.
Best of all, depending on which skills you have and their levels, they can serve as requirements to unlock a Specialty. Specialties vary widely. Some providecrafting systems, like Blacksmithing or Cooking, while others allow you to call Bunny, a mount on the world map, or summon a Carrier Pigeon to buy items from town.
Skills and Specialties complement each other, creating a rich progression system inStar Ocean: The Second Story R. Those who explore this feature can keep delving deeper into the system and exploiting it much like speedrunners do.
1Breath of Fire III
Choosing a Master
Breath of Fire III
Lastly, a game with a seemingly simple progression system on the surface, yetBreath of Fireenthusiasts know it can be deeply explored to create entirely different builds than in a regular playthrough.
Breath of Fire IIIhas a classic JRPG system. Characters gain experience in battle, level up, and learn skills. Ryu, the protagonist, is a bit different, as he can find Dragon Genes around the world, and with a combination of three of these, he transforms into various types of dragons, an absolute marvel.
However,Breath of Fire IIIintroduced the Master system, which is also seen inBreath of Fire IV. Masters not only teach new abilities but also influence which stats are developed upon leveling up.
Mygas, the wizard master, increases Intelligence and AP gains each level but reduces Power and Defense. Ryu would have evenly distributed stats if leveled masterless, but if apprenticed to Mygas from the start, he becomes the best spell caster in the game.
This can be applied to other characters and masters, customizing each character’s growth. By training with Fahl, Peco can become a defensive powerhouse, making him nearly immortal in battle thanks to his innate ability to recover HP every turn.
On the other hand, without any master, he becomes one of the most disposable characters in the game. It’s a simple yet sleek progression system that prioritizes the player’s choice.
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