These JRPG video games have some of the darkest story themes known in the ever-popular genre.
JRPGs have been a staple in the gaming industry for decades, with their lighthearted tone being quite recognizable. Many classic JRPGs follow a tale as old as time itself, with players taking on the role of a plucky hero who sets out on a grand adventure to save the world from some great evil. These games are upbeat and optimistic, instilling a sense of joy and wonder as players go through these titles and beat the dastardly villains to aim to achieve their own nefarious goals in many ways.
RELATED: Turn-Based JRPGs With Just One Playable Character
However, some JRPGs choose to take a different approach and fare all the better for it. These games are darker and grittier, often dealing with mature themes that don’t really appear in most JRPGs. Suffice it to say, these games often subvert the traditional tropes of the genre, presenting a more complex world that is not simply black and white as most people would assume from a JRPG.
Shadow Hearts is a tantalizing combination of Lovecraftian horror and real-life history — specifically, the throes of World War 1. Suffice it to say, players can expect a game that is pretty dark and mature, with unique gameplay mechanics that further hammer in just how brutal the world really is.
Shadow Hearts features a unique Judgment Ring battle system, where players must hit timed button prompts to deal damage. The fact that this game’s bad ending is canon is proof enough of just how depressing this experience can really be!
Final Fantasy Type-0 takes place in a world ravaged by war, where a group of students from a magical academy must fight to protect their nation. The fact that the introductory cutscene of this game shows soldiers being finished off in a brutal manner explains why this Final Fantasy title was rated M, which was rare for the series.
The story may have its faults, but Type-0 is an interesting spinoff that fans should definitely check out. Fans should be ready to deal with the ending, which is bound to be a tearjerker for reasons that are better left unspoiled.
The very fact that Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne starts with the onset of the apocalypse should be proof enough of just how dark the game can really get.
