Games

JRPGs With The Most Creative Dungeons And Environments

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30 seconds ago

January 15, 2025

Christoph Rediske

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Summary

Table of Contents

JRPGs like Octopath Traveler, Earthbound, and Baten Kaitos offer unique, imaginative settings beyond traditional high fantasy worlds.
Each game showcases surreal, bizarre, and creative locations, from fantastical dungeons to titanic stone beings and flying landmasses.
The design and environments of these games elevate the experience, blending vintage art styles with modern consoles and weaving rich, imaginative worlds.

The JRPG genre has been a cornerstone of the video game industry for many years. In all that time, developers have had the chance to push the games in some very distinct ways, letting their imagination flourish.

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These JRPGs feature plots that are way too embellished and can take wild turns.

This is perhaps most evident in the design of the game’s settings. Some may assume that the majority of JRPGs take place in traditional high fantasy worlds, but there are some games with wildly original and creative settings and environments that totally disprove this notion.

1

Octopath Traveler

A Wonderful New World

While Octopath Traveler does hew pretty close to the traditional fantasy trappings of its genre, its environments and dungeons shine thanks to the remarkable “HD-2D” art style that the game pioneered. Octopath Traveler‘s locales gracefully combine vintage style with the beauty of modern gaming consoles.

The dungeons themselves boast a great deal of variety as well. Fans will find themselves journeying through sinister waterlogged caves, secret catacombs, and grand and opulent mansions in their quest to unite the eight main characters and lead them through their stories.

2

Earthbound

Getting Weird

Systems

The legendary Earthbound is notorious for its surreal and avant-garde storyline, wherein a group of psychic children must save an increasingly unusual world from the clutches of an eldritch alien monstrosity. The horror of Giygas is countered by the strange and often humorous nature of the world; puns and jokes abound.

This wacky tone makes for some truly off-the-wall locations. One of the most infamous is Dungeon Man, a titanic stone individual who contains a dungeon within his own body, all because of his love of dungeons. Surreal realms like Magicant fill out the ranks of this bizarre classic.

3

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean

Cards On The Table

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean

Systems

Released: November 16, 2004

Baten Kaitos is a rather unique JRPG, combining the turn-based gameplay hallmarks of the genre with collectible cards. The game takes place in a world where people can store the essence of items in cards and use them later to their advantage.

This odd card-based economy is not the most surreal aspect of Baten Kaitos‘ world, however. The game takes place in a realm where humans have been forced to occupy airborne landmasses, living there for so long that they’ve evolved wings for easier navigation. The realm of Baten Kaitos is rich with surreal and dreamlike imagery, which heightens the sense of unreality that pervades the title.

4

Final Fantasy 10

Built For Blitzball

Systems

Released: December 17, 2001

Final Fantasy 10 takes place in a grand, oceanic world, dotted with small villages and coastal towns. Despite the constant threat of an evil whale-like titan known as Sin, the culture in FF10 is vibrant and colorful; party members and NPCs alike sport vibrant and elaborate outfits.

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Despite this world’s perilous status, the setting is still rich with colorful and architecturally striking buildings. As Tidus and his allies journey to defeat Sin, they’ll visit some truly surreal locales, and the vast spherical bubbles where the time-honored sport of Blitzball is played only emphasize this sense of imagination and wonder.

5

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Out Of A Fairy Tale

While this action RPG, unlike its predecessor, was not created in partnership with Studio Ghibli, the inspiration from that legendary studio is very apparent in every corner of Ni No Kuni 2‘s vibrant world. The game takes place in the whimsical realm of Ding Dong Dell and the three countries that share a world with it.

As players assist the recently deposed King Evan and his companion, a realm-shifted politician from Earth, in their quest to retake the throne, they’ll travel all across this fanciful environment and meet the strange creatures who call it home. By colliding mystical whimsy with tense politics, Ni No Kuni 2 is able to produce a very unique setting.

To Change The World

RPG

JRPG

Action

Adventure

Systems

Released: October 11, 2024
Developer(s): Studio Zero

Atlus’ recent fantasy RPG takes place in a troubled fantasy world where prejudice and discrimination have caused unrest on a massive scale. As would-be monarchs race to claim a recently vacated throne, this mystical realm threatens to come apart at the seams.

The art direction and environments in this game elevate it to remarkable new heights. The grand, imposing architecture of monumental structures like the Grand Trad Cathedral put the society of Metaphor: ReFantazio in a class all its own, and surreal and grotesque dungeons like the grueling Sandworm Stomach emphasize the bizarre and treacherous nature of the world the protagonists are trying to save.

7

Final Fantasy 7

Saving The Planet

Released: January 31, 1997

The world design of Final Fantasy 7 undoubtedly contributed to the game’s status as one of the most renowned JRPGs of all time. The clash between the natural beauty of Gaia and the encroaching industrialization of Shinra is as relevant today as it was in 1997, and it makes for a truly unforgettable world.

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As Cloud and his allies battle against Shinra and the evil Sephiroth, they’ll explore every corner of this vibrant world. High fantasy and industrial machinery is a combination that isn’t too uncommon today, but Final Fantasy 7 definitely pioneered it.

8

Chrono Trigger

Adventure Through Time

The illustrious Chrono Trigger remains a paragon of the JRPG genre decades after its release, and it’s easy to see why. The central time travel premise offers up a bountiful variety of dungeons and realms to explore, from the distant, prehistoric past, to the far-flung future.

Even modern JRPGs struggle to hold up to Chrono Trigger in terms of variety and creativity. With dungeons, allies, and enemies spanning the full breadth of this fantasy realm’s massive timeline, there’s a lot to see.

9

Persona 5

Changing Hearts

Released: September 15, 2016
Developer(s): Advertisement

P-Studio

Persona 5 stars a group of teens with the mysterious ability to venture into a cognitive realm made of the distorted desires and perceptions of exceptionally evil and misguided people. Each of the game’s dungeons, therefore, is built around an antagonist’s delusion, with twisted caricatures representing the unique and twisted way in which they interact with the world around them.

This makes for some truly surreal and unforgettable dungeon designs. Fans must navigate unreal locations like twisted Egyptian pyramids, space stations, casinos, and massive bank vaults. Every puzzle and challenge they face along the way is influenced directly by how their target sees the world and how they can correct this flawed and often exploitative perception.

10

Xenoblade Chronicles

On The Shoulders Of Giants

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Xenoblade Chronicles has what is certainly one of the strangest settings in JRPG history. The entire game takes place on the backs of two titanic beings, locked and frozen in eternal conflict. These two titans were large enough to support multiple biomes and societies, and now their inhabitants are carrying on their ancient battle for them.

As Shulk and his allies battle the sinister robotic Mechon, they learn more about the origins of their mechanical foes and the history of machine intelligence on the opposing titan. Both physically and historically, these two massive titans hold countless secrets for fans to discover.

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