26, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT Ben Veress is a Contributing Features Writer at DualShockers based in Melbourne, Australia. He has been covering games professionally since 2021, with experience writing features, lists, reviews, and news across gaming, tech, culture, and entertainment. Before joining DualShockers, Ben wrote for Kotaku AU, Gizmodo AU, Vice AU, Pedestrian.TV, Quest Daily, Blunt Magazine, Impulse Gamer, and Inkl. At Pedestrian.TV, he served as the publication’s sole tech and gaming writer, leading coverage of major gaming releases and events for one of Australia’s major youth publications. He holds a Bachelor of Communications in Media from RMIT University and was nominated for Best Branded Content Journalist at the Australian Samsung IT Awards in 2025. Sign in to your DualShockers account We're approaching the end of the Final Fantasy 7 remakes, with the final installment, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, releasing in March next year. It's a historic moment for the JRPG franchise, with original creators Tetsuya Nomura and Motomu Toriyama returning to their original game, helping bring its story into a new era while making it feel fresh and exciting for long-term players as well. It's this impressive reimagining of the games that has JRPG fans clamoring for similar remakes to beloved JRPGs that deserve a full remake to bring them to a new era. I can't say I disagree. There are so many great JRPGs from the late 90s to the early 2000s that could absolutely flourish with a similar overhaul. And I'm not talking about a simple graphics upgrade – no, I'm talking about a complete remake, with voice acting, a remodeled world, and in some cases, gameplay overhauls. Here are our picks for the best JRPGs that deserve the Final Fantasy 7 treatment. 8 Final Fantasy 9 An Underrated Gem Ready To Receive Its Flowers Final Fantasy 9 JRPG Released July 7, 2000 Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand Collapse Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been brewing for the last few years. Whether this is going to look like a 2D-HD style reimagining, or something closer to Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined, I think it's only a matter of when, not if. To this day, the game remains one of the series' most beloved cult classics, thanks to its beloved cast of characters and charming setting. Due to it being released right at the end of the original PlayStation's generation, you could tell the game's vision was straining against the hardware available at the time. Still, it did wonders with what it could at the time (minus certain jump rope minigames), and has captured fans' wonder and amazement. Selfishly, I would also love to see Alexander and Bahamut duke it out with the graphics we have today. I'd also love to see the devs get another go at resolving some of the more grating story moments, like its infamous shoehorned final boss. Final Fantasy 14's most recent expansion, Dawntrail, also drew plenty of influence from Final Fantasy 9's story, mirroring its most poignant themes about cherishing life and accepting mortality. It's not hard to imagine several players have been converted to fans of the game, which would make a proper remake very timely. 7 Vagrant Story An Ambitious Story Deserving The Hardware To Back It Vagrant Story JRPG Released May 15, 2000 Developer(s) Square Publisher(s) Square Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand Collapse Vagrant Story is an incredibly underrated JRPG by modern-day standards, and is ripe for a major remake. Even back then, the game was incredibly ambitious, which is why it still has such an enduring reputation. Which is upsetting, as there aren't many ways to actually play the game without coughing up a small loan for a vintage copy. Much like Final Fantasy 9, the game is unfortunately held back by the limits of the original PlayStation. Even at the time of its release, its setting, tone, and combat systems were groundbreaking, pushing the envelope for what gamers thought JRPGs could do. Which is all the more impressive, as it doesn't come across as dated to this day. A grand remake could capture an audience eager for moody political fantasies, while also refining its combat systems and delivering a far greater cinematic experience. The city of Leá Monde is ripe for a modern 3D reimagining, and has the potential to become one of the most iconic locations in gaming, should it get the recreation it deserves. Here's hoping this cult classic can get the attention it deserves before it ends up becoming an old collector's relic. 6 Lost Odyssey Deserving of a Run Back Lost Odyssey JRPG Released February 12, 2008 Developer(s) Mistwalker, Feelplus Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand Collapse Lost Odyssey remains one of the Xbox's best hidden gems. Despite the console rarely receiving JRPGs, this 2008 title became one of the best of the generation, and it's a tragedy it's nigh-impossible to play to this day. That's right. For whatever reason, Xbox has refused to release a digital port for the game for later consoles, which is a head-scratcher given its cult fanbase. Which is why I think the game is a solid candidate to receive a remake, especially if Xbox is keen on breaking into the JRPG market. At the time of its release, Lost Odyssey was a surprisingly mature JRPG that focused on memory and grief. Despite its high-fantasy, action setting, it was a surprisingly introspective journey that blended turn-based combat with captivating writing. You know, like what all great JRPGs feature. With the recent acclaim of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I'd argue there's even further proof that an audience for this kind of mature JRPG is out there, and a remake would help Lost Odyssey receive the attention it's always deserved. 5 Parasite Eve Bring Me the Third Parasite Eve Game Parasite Eve Horror Action RPG Released September 9, 1998 Developer(s) Square Publisher(s) Square Genre(s) Horror, Action RPG Powered by Expand Collapse Parasite Eve is a beloved JRPG title that also offers up some of the most nightmare-inducing body horror you can think of. The first game is set in New York City, and follows the police officer Aya Brea who, while investigating a series of bizarre incidents tied to a woman called Eve, discovers a bio-horror crisis threatening to end all of humanity. The game's atmosphere has an unmatched oppressive aura, and Aya herself is a stellar protagonist, who is incredibly relatable and grounded. As the city continues to come undone and resemble a nightmare, Aya's characterization really shines, and it's a shame that she isn't in the same conversation as Leon Kennedy or Isaac Clarke for best horror game protagonists. Which is why I think the series deserves a modern-day remake. If the recent Resident Evil games proved anything, it's that audiences are keen for horrifying sci-fi body horror. Hell, even Stellar Blade, (albeit controversially), is proving that there's a keen audience for this kind of game. Even more, the wait for a sequel has been taking so long, that developers IceSitruuna have taken it upon themselves to develop the upcoming Parasite Mutant, which they're coining as a spiritual successor to the franchise. Still, none of these are direct sequels or an official remake, which leaves us back to twiddling our thumbs. 4 Xenogears Bring On More Mech-Focused JRPGs Xenogears JRPG Released October 20, 1998 Developer(s) Square Publisher(s) Square Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand Collapse A lot of the remakes I've asked for so far leave most of the game's initial story relatively untouched, with only light changes to beef up the storyline. But if there's any JRPG that could use Final Fantasy 7 Remake's approach to remaking the story, it's Xenogears. Make no mistake, I love Xenogears' story, and think it was immensely ambitious for what it was at the time. Fei's motivation to save the world extends beyond his identity as "the hero of the story" and his personal investment in reckoning with his trauma, making for a gripping story. Which is why I think the game is still ripe for a modern-day remake that can push the story's presentation to match its ambition. Even the most staunch of fans would admit it can rely too much on exposition (and let's not even get into the second-disc compression). A remake would help launch this game into becoming the word-of-mouth title it deserves to be Besides, who doesn't want more well-written video games that let you pilot mechs? I rest my case. 3 Legend of Dragoon A Classic JRPG That Deserves More Legend of Dragoon JRPG Adventure Released December 2, 1999 Genre(s) JRPG, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse To this day, The Legend of Dragoon has remained one of the most enduring cult-classic JRPGs of the PlayStation era, and yet, it's remained dormant for over 25 years. According to the game's original executive producer, Shuhei Yoshida, the team was working on a sequel, which was in the midst of its pre-production cycle before being cancelled for unknown reasons. Given the title's influence is now well-known, I can't think of a better way to re-introduce it to a modern world than a full-fledged remake worthy of its stature. There are so many elements of Legend of Dragoon that could be enhanced with a remake. Just thinking about how the Dragoon transformations would look on current-gen hardware is enough to have me waving my debit card in the air madly to manifest it. A remake would also help to polish some of the title's weakest elements, such as its pacing issues and rough script localization which often undercut the game's emotional stakes. Given Sony's track record with iconic single-player campaigns of late, I think Legend of Dragoon has the potential to be another breakout title. 2 Blue Dragon A Solid Crowd Pleaser Blue Dragon TV-14 Adventure Anime Fantasy Cast See All Erino Hazuki Keiko Nemoto Masaya Takatsuka Romi Park Release Date April 7, 2007 Finale Year 2008 Network TV Tokyo Directors Akira Shimizu, Kayo Nayuki, Hayato Goda, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Naoki Horiuchi, Naomichi Yamato, Matsuo Asami Powered by Expand Collapse Blue Dragon is one of the most crowd-pleasing JRPGs I've ever played, and I don't mean that as a knock against it. It's got a classic adventure story, a unique but intuitive battle system, and most importantly, really cool dragons. The initial game released in 2006 and was helmed by Dragon Ball Z's Akira Toriyama and Final Fantasy's Hironobu Sakaguchi, who at this stage needed no introduction to garner interest in a new JRPG. While the game had some great ideas (especially with its Shadows system), it would unfortunately be overlooked in the global market. But with the success of the recent Dragon Quest remakes, I'd argue that Blue Dragon is in a prime spot to receive a promising remake of its own. Ideally, this would go beyond the standard Dragon Quest remakes and push the envelope further with a more refined take on its combat system and story pacing. I'd also argue that recent hits like Persona prove that the game's Shadow system can still work today. One of the more noticeable flaws of Blue Dragon was that the game's party didn't feel as connected as they should have been. A remake has the perfect opportunity to fix this flaw, while also deepening your connection with them, and perhaps, even their own unique Shadows, making who you bring into battle all the more important. 1 Chrono Trigger Chrono-Cally Down Bad for a Sequel Chrono Trigger RPG Released March 11, 1995 Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Genre(s) RPG Powered by Expand Collapse Chrono Trigger is one of the most celebrated RPGs ever to exist. While it did have a pretty great sequel with Chrono Cross a few years later, this entry would go underappreciated by fans. Which has left the series in a bit of an odd place knowing that was the final impression we'd be left on. It's still a mystery to me why the Chrono Trigger series has remained dormant for the last 20 years, despite being such a beloved JRPG that transcended its genre. With the recent release of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined, which set an incredible benchmark for classic JRPG remakes, I think Chrono Trigger should also be up for consideration. Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined proves that there is a way to remake a popular cult classic about time travel, while also adding new features to it to help bring it to a modern day standard. But I think, given that Chrono Trigger is one of, if not the most popular JRPG of all time, it's well and truly deserving of a full-blown remake of Final Fantasy 7's caliber. Much like the Cloud-focused entry, Chrono Trigger also lends itself remarkably well to a modern-day video game structure, and that's not even getting its incredible side content. I can already imagine gamers reacting similarly to Baldur's Gate 3 after stumbling into one of the best quests in the game after trying to figure out what the Rainbow Shell does, or that they fought Lavos earlier than expected. If there's any game on this list more deserving of a full-fledged remake, it's Chrono Trigger. As Final Fantasy 7 looks to wrap up its decades-long remake journey, here's hoping Square looks beyond its flagship franchise for equally deserving games worthy of a passionate remake.
Comments (0)
Loading comments…