Fans of JRPGs who want to play with other people should try the following games, which have the best co-op gameplay in the genre.
RPGs are known to be one of the easiest types of games to play. That doesn’t mean they are easy, though, because some of them will repeatedly kick a player in the groin if they aren’t careful. I think of the Dark Souls games, but even the first Dragon Quest can be hard.
These two examples are perfect because grinding through levels makes them easier to use. The grind takes a lot of time and effort, but it can help make any RPG easier. Co-op options are always great to see because friends can also help with problems. These are some of the best co-op Japanese RPGs from the past and the present.
Dungeon Explorer 2
Dungeon Explorer 2 is a game that not many people may have heard of because it came out on a console that didn’t make much of a splash in the West when it came out. The TurboDuo might have been a great console on its own, but its high price kept many people from trying it out.
It’s too bad, because the console had a number of good games, like Dungeon Explorer 2. The game was a pretty typical JRPG with co-op, and it was a lot of fun to play with friends. Since it came out on a pretty unknown console, it is now just a forgotten piece of gaming history.
Trials Of Mana
The Mana series is probably one of the most well-known JRPGs with two or more players. Most games in this series let you mess around with your friends in huge fantasy worlds that are a lot of fun to explore for many reasons.
Trials of Mana, a JRPG that was first made for the SNES and is a lot of fun to play, is one of these games. The game was also remade in 2020, but fans may be disappointed to learn that this remake doesn’t have co-op, which is a shame. Still, if the lack of co-op gaming is a deal-breaker, players can always boot up a copy of the original game and play with friends.
Tales Of Berseria
The last main game to have co-op was Tales of Berseria. Most of the games in this series have it, but Tales of Arise went against the trend. In battle, the AI-controlled party members can be taken over by three other friends.
The co-op session ends when you are not in battle. Having friends play with you during battles makes the game easier, but it’s too bad that you can’t do much together. It’s possible that’s why it was taken out of the last game.
Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a video game and anime spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series. Since it’s only for the Switch, this is the best co-op game out of all of them. It’s a real prequel to Breath of the Wild, and there are a lot of quests to do along with the big battles. Couch co-op lets two people play the game together. It’s just mindless hacking and slashing, and it’s best to do it with a friend.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity may not be a full-fledged RPG, but it does take some ideas from the genre. So, it was chosen to be part of this discussion.
Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a co-op game for three players that can also be played online. This side story to the main series is kind of like a retelling of the first game with a few changes. Any more information would give away the story, so players should find out on their own.
It’s also a bit like Souls, but it’s easy for new players to get into because there are different levels of difficulty and it’s easy to set up multiplayer. It’s not the best action game in the series, but the co-op mode makes it a little more interesting.
Dragon’s Crown
The 2D dungeon crawler game Dragon’s Crown reminds me of the old Dungeons & Dragons arcade games. Players can choose from a number of classes to play and can invite up to three friends to join them. It’s one of the best games from Vanillaware that didn’t get a lot of attention.
But it has a strong fan base and isn’t too hard to play on PlayStation systems. A port to other consoles and a sequel would be nice, but for now, this original game should be enough.
Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & 2
Phantasy Star Online Episodes 1 and 2 were a hit on every system they came out for. It wasn’t quite an MMO, but it was pretty close because it could be played online. It also had couch co-op, which was a little harder to play back in the day because each character was represented by a small cube.
It was a setback, but players didn’t care because the game was so good. Emulation makes it hard to play this old game now, but the newest entry, Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis, is also worth a look.
Secret Of Mana
One of the best SNES RPGs of all time is Secret of Mana. Most people may not have known this, but the game could be played with three people at once. For this third port on the console, players had to buy an extra accessory, but it was well worth it for this action RPG.
Trials of Mana, the game that came after the first, also had co-op in the original SNES version. This feature was taken out of the remake, which is a shame for Trials of Mana. Both SNES games still work with two players, so you should look for them.
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was the first main game in the series to have co-op play and the ability to change how your character looks. Players could get together with up to three other people wirelessly to form groups of up to four.
Players could hang out with the main group or go off on their own to do quests. Combat stayed turn-based, which is still a unique way to do things in a multiplayer game. Because the DS lets you talk to other people, this game became a must-have for people going to conventions in the summer of 2010.
Eternal Sonata
Eternal Sonata is one of the most creative JRPGs on this list, and maybe even of all time. It lets players go into the mind of a dying Frédéric Chopin, who was a real composer who lived in the early 1800s, and see the amazing fantasy world that grew in his mind just before he died.
It’s a great idea, and Eternal Sonata runs with it thanks to its beautiful and colorful art style. It really stood out on the PS3, which has been criticized by many for having too many games with drab and aggressively gray colors. The fact that co-op works pretty well in this game, with a few exceptions, is the icing on the cake.
Elden Ring
FromSoftware’s latest challenging action RPG is Elden Ring. It has been a huge hit in 2022 since it came out in March and doesn’t need an introduction anymore. People still play it alone or with other people in “co-op parties.”
Before this, games like Souls were praised, but 8 Ball Pool is on a whole different level. People tend to do this in open-world RPGs because there is so much to do. With rumors of DLC coming soon, Elden Ring will keep RPG fans around the world interested for another year or two.
