Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) are among the most critically and commercially successful genres in gaming. Like most other games, they can take place in numerous locations, from distant galaxies to foreign fantasy lands. Yet some of the best use a very familiar place as their main setting: school.
These games make the most out of their premises by having the action happen in a school and placing the player inside a well-known environment that might even evoke some memories. Role-playing games are all about involvement, and using a school as the setting only increases these JRPGs' sense of immersion.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The sixteenth entry in the Fire Emblem series, Three Houses takes place in the fictional continent of Fódlan, divided between three ruling powers. Players control Byleth, a former mercenary and the newest teacher at a school located within the Garreg March Monastery.
Released in 2019, Fire Emblem: Three Houses received positive reviews. Critics praised the school setting, battle mechanics, and the narrative. However, the game's difficulty attracted some negativity, with critics comparing it unfavorably with previous entries of the revered series.
Persona 5
The most recent entry in the long-running series, Persona 5 takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows Joker, a high-school student who transfers to a new school. Throughout the year, he and other students discover their secret abilities and form a band of vigilantes, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
Universally acclaimed since its release, Persona 5 ranks as one of the JRPGs of all time. The game's distinctive visual style and gameplay received particular acclaim, as did Joker's characterization. The school setting is vital to the game's narrative, making it a perfect option for players wanting to revisit high school.
Tokyo Xanadu
Tokyo Xanadu is a spin-off of the 1985 game Dragon Salyer II: Xanadu. Set in an alternative reality, the game follows Kou Tokisaka, a student living alone on the outskirts of Tokyo. Following an encounter with a classmate, he unwittingly becomes part of Nemesis, a group that tries to close portals to the nightmare realm of Eclipse.
Released in 2015, Tokyo Xanadu received positive reviews from critics, who praised the gameplay and narrative. The school setting allows Kou to form bonds with other of Nemesis, enriching the plot and providing much of the game's emotional weight.
Final Fantasy Type-0
A part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis, Final Fantasy Type-0 focuses on Class Zero, a group of students in a magical academy on the Rubrum Dominion. Following an attack, the Class jumps into action, discovering secrets about the war and its existence.
Although acclaimed for its narrative and gameplay, the game received considerable criticism for its camera and artificial intelligence. Still, Type-0 makes the best of its class dynamic and features one of the best villains in the Final Fantasy series, making it worth any player's time.
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Released in 2010, Valkyria Chronicles II is the sequel to Valkyria Chronicles. The narrative focuses on a military academy where cadets fight against a rebel group launching an ethnic cleansing campaign. A sequel came out the following year, although Valkyria Chronicles III was famously never localized.
Valkyria Chronicles II received very positive reviews, with particular praise going to its replay value. The game deftly blends action and lore without trying to hide or diminish the dangers of war and the involvement of youth soldiers in the conflict.
Mana Khemia
The Mana Khemia series begins with Alchemists of Al-Revis, a 2007 JRPG that follows Vayne, the son of a famous alchemist invited to the Al-Revis Academy. The sequel, 2008's Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy, features the school's fall from grace (literally) and the subsequent efforts to recruit new students and secure funding through sponsors and spokespersons.
Both games received positive reviews. Although alchemy is the draw to the series, the everyday life of the Academy provides the backbone of the story, making this JRPG much more school-oriented than most other games.
Blue Reflection
Blue Reflection is a 2017 JRPG. The plot centers on Hinako Shirai, a magical girl who received the power to fight and move freely after a knee injury left her unable to continue her ballet career. The game's narrative follows Hinako's experiences at school, where she bonds with her friends and classmates, and her incursions into a different world where she uses her newfound powers to fight monsters.
The game received average reviews from critics. However, fans embraced it, and the game even received an anime adaptation. Blue Reflection's school setting allows Hinako to develop abilities based on her friendship with other classmates, making it vital to the narrative.
GrimGrimoire
Blending elements of the JRPG and real-time strategy genres, GrimGrimoire follows Lillet Blan, a trainee witch at the Tower of Silver Star magic school. Following an attack by an evil wizard looking to steal the Philosopher's Stone, Lillet becomes trapped in a repeating cycle.
GrimGrimoire received praise for its incorporation of RTG elements and narrative but earned criticism for its controls and clumsy audio. The plot takes place within the school, making it the perfect claustrophobic adventure. A remaster for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch will release in July 2022, but only in Japan.
The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel
First released in Japan in 2013, The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel got localized and published elsewhere in 2015. The game follows Rean, the teacher of Class VII at Thors Military Academy. The plot sees the students step outside the Academy and travel the Erobonian Empire, learning new things and experiencing adventures while a civil war looms in the background.
The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel received positive reviews, with praise going to its narrative, setting, and socio-political background. A sequel came out in 2014, following the same characters and employing the same dynamic as the first game.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
The original Caligula Effect takes place within a virtual reality program known as Mobius, in which the participants live idyllic lives in a high school setting. The plot focused on a group of students who became aware of their situation and formed the "Go-Home Club," coming into conflict with Mobius' overseer Program, Mu, and its ers, the "Ostinato Musicians."
The Caligula Effect received mixed reviews upon release. However, its remake, The Caligula Effect: Overdose, fared much better, with critics praising the game's setting, sci-fi themes, and battling system.
