From Pokémon to JRPGs: Turn-Based RPGs to Try Next

Every kid who played Pokémon learned about turn-based combat. It's all about type advantages, party building, smart switching, and resource management over long journeys. But how Pokémon designed their systems is not how Pokémon created the systems. They polished them for a younger audience. Japanese Role Playing Games (JRPGs)... the genre that made the systems that Pokémon borrowed for their games, is undoubtedly the genre that made them. Going back to the age-old genre feels like opening a new dimension to the same games.

As a Pokémon fan, I have played every game from Red and Blue to the newest one, Scarlet and Violet. When I reached my late twenties, I asked myself what else I was doing with my life and collected everything Pokémon. I was tired of the same formula. Then I received a copy of Persona 5 and my whole world changed. I realized that turn-based combat was more complex than what I previously thought. There was more to consider about weaknesses, party composition, and the narrative treated me like an adult.

Why Pokémon Fans Like JRPGs

The shift from Pokémon to other JRPGs is more simple than one may think. At their core, both games are really the same. You create a party of different characters (or Pokémon) and use their unique abilities to win. There is a rock, paper, scissors elemental system that is used to exploit weaknesses of the enemy. Both have a structured campaign and save points to manage resources.

Where JRPGs differentiate is depth. Pokemon simplifies its combat to keep it accessible to all ages. JRPGs target older audiences and add layers of complexity. Persona has social links that power up your team. Final Fantasy has job systems that customize every character. Dragon Quest has stories that are simple enough to wrap around heavier themes.

Starting on the Nintendo Switch

A solid JRPG guide for Switch can point you toward titles that match your preferences without wading through hundreds of options.

If you have a Switch, then you have access to one of the strongest JRPG collections on a single console. The system is a port of other systems, classic re-releases, new entries into established franchises. A good JRPG guide for Switch will show you thirty hour experiences up to a hundred hour epics.

If you're a Pokemon fan, Octopath Traveler is a very naturally starting point. The game has a turn based combat system and exploiting a weakness will break the enemy’s defenses and deepen the combat developed rhythm of building and going. The game has a nice pixel art style reminiscent of the earlier Pokemon games. Each of the eight characters has a different perspective on the world.

Branching into PlayStation

If you are willing to invest in deeper stories the PlayStation ecosystem opens even more doors. The PS5 has some of the most ambitious JRPGs so far. Icicle Disaster has a curated set of recommendations for that system so you can cut through the hundreds of titles.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth picked the good parts of the original & remade it using a new style of combat. It's a mix of real-time action & turn-based command style fighting. People who liked the new gameplay style in Pokemon Legends Arceus will enjoy Rebirth. Pokemon Legends also tells a good story that stays with you for a long time.

The Persona Gateway

Any list of recommendations for Pokemon fans should include Persona. Your character attends school, makes friends and then has to manage their free time within the time limit of a school year. While this is different to Pokemon, once you get to know the system it is very rewarding. The thrill of catching a Pokemon & building your collection is the same as fusing Personas in the game. The satisfaction from completing the Persona collection is the same as completing the Pokedex. Closing in on the victory and marching toward it is important.

The team at Icicle Disaster covers this space regularly with recommendations that feel personal rather than algorithmic.

Dragon Quest for Comfort

If you want comfort in JRPGs, then pick Dragon Quest. The battle system is very simple, and easy to access, making the game very popular. It is the best entry point into the series and is also available on modern consoles. It has a very welcoming and safe feel due to the Toriyama art style.

The Dragon Quest franchise is almost like the antithesis of the mainline Pokemon games. Classic Pokemon games rush players. The Dragon Quest games have slower, more methodical pacing. Battling and grinding is delayed. The journey from town to town is similar to the journey between Pokemon centers. Every member of your party is from the story, and they join your party one at a time. This gives the player time to learn all their abilities and play styles before moving on to the next character. The narrative is more mature, and the game is more fun, yet it respects the player's time and does not rush the player as Pokemon does.

Different Combat Mechanics

There are a handful of other JRPGs available. If you liked the move from turn based combat to action based combat in Pokemon Legends Arceus, you may like these other titles as well. Tales of Arise is a JRPG that uses real time combat. Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana is another JRPG that uses an action RPG battling style. This style engages the player's reflexes, but it does not sacrifice the progression loop that is so satisfying in both Pokemon games and in JRPGs.

Investment

While moving from Pokemon games to JRPGs is a large jump, it is not the largest jump. The most difficult part of this transition is the greater investment in time that is required. JRPGs have longer play sessions than Pokemon games because your investment in the game JRPG is more rewarding. JRPGs offer more narrative and mechanical complexity because Pokemon games choose to avoid those.

Choose one game from this article. Give it a ten hour commitment before making any judgement. Most JRPGs have much slower and drawn out beginnings to establish a world. Once that world is established, it's easy to understand why millions of players view this genre as the height of single-player gaming.