Sony has been on a roll with their PlayStation line of consoles, with the PlayStation 3 suffering the only speedbump — and that too a minor one — in an otherwise smooth cruise where they’ve pretty much cemented themselves as the number one console developer of the modern age.
So, it only goes without saying that the PlayStation 4 would be no exception to this rule. The console absolutely blew everyone’s expectations away with the sheer number of exclusives that Sony had in the palm of their hand, turning the once-heated console war into nothing more than a one-sided showcase of nothing but utter abject humiliation.
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One of the many reasons for the PlayStation 4’s dominance in the market was definitely the focus they placed on RPGs, supplying fans of this niche with must-play games that have become the stuff of legends due to theiramazing combat, beautiful visuals, an amazing story… and, of course,the massive hoursthat people can sink into these masterpieces.
Keeping this in mind, here are ten of the longest RPGs ever released for the PlayStation 4.
10Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom — 73.5 Hours
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witchwas a breath of fresh air that was released during a time when gritty games had become the norm in the new generation of gaming. So, it was only a given that the sequel for this brilliant title would be hyped through the roof.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdomwas a marked improvement over its predecessor in every way possible. The combat was refined, the visuals looked even more beautiful somehow, and the story was truly riveting stuff.
The only thing that remained constant was the playtime, which was already quite high in the first game as is.
9Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age — 81 Hours
The initial release ofFinal Fantasy XIIwas quite successful in its own right, although one might argue that the combat systems were a bit slow and limiting.
This was all changed inFinal Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, which is easilyone of the best remastersthat Square Enix has procured. Even with the speed-up function that hastens combat encounters, the game is still extremely long and always enjoyable at every step of the way.
8Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition — 84.5 Hours
The original release ofFinal Fantasy XVwas fairly decent, although it was pretty clear that there was a ton of stuff missing from the final version.
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This was rectified inFinal Fantasy XV: Royal Edition, which incorporated all the improvements that had been made to the game since release along with the inclusion of the DLC chapters that finally flesh out the side characters in a manner that was much required.
7Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth — 91 Hours
At a glance,Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuthmight not seem like it is worth a player’s time. However, the depth of the mechanics present in this title is truly immense and is bound to satisfy any JRPG fan that manages to get a hold of this title.
The fact that this game can reach almost a hundred hours of playtime and not feel like a slog at any time shows just how underratedDigimon Story: Cyber Sleuthreally is. JRPG veterans should definitely give this game a whirl — it’ll definitely prove to be quite entertaining indeed.
6Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age — 104.5 Hours
IfDragon Quest VIIIwas the entry point into the series for fans back when it released on the PS2, thenDragon Quest XIis definitely the way to go for people who have a PS4 and want to finally experience the goodness of this illustrious JRPG series.
The original game was enough of a blast as is, but there’s actually an enhanced edition — previously exclusive to the Switch — that will be released for all major platforms on December 2020. The massive number of inclusions present in theDefinitive Editioncan certainly warrant a second 100+ hour playthrough for anyone who’s played the game before.
5The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III — 116 Hours
TheTrailsseries is one of the more underrated JRPG series around, and it’s quite refreshing to see this franchise receive the love it deserves with the massive popularity that theTrails Of Cold Steeltrilogy has enjoyed over the years.
With a fourth game on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to delve into this franchise, withTrails Of Cold Steel IIIbeing a highlight that will promise more than a hundred hours of pure JRPG goodness.
4Tales Of Berseria — 119 Hours
Speaking ofunderrated JRPG series' that have only started to get some much-deserved love quite recently, one can’t help but mention theTales Of Berseriaseries, which is easily one of the best games in theTalesseries.
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The story told inTales Of Berseriais certainly quite intriguing, promising hours upon hours of pure, unadulterated fun in the form of an action-JRPG that is quite a blast to play through.
3Disgaea 5: Alliance Of Vengeance — 120 Hours
It would be impossible to talk about JRPGs with massive runtimes without mentioning a series notorious for making players play for hundreds of hours to complete a whole host of sadistic challenges.
Compared to the other titles in the franchise,Disgaea 5is actually kind of tame when it comes to its endgame challenges, requiring only around 120 hours to explore the bulk of the game’s content.
Only is used rather liberally in this context.
2Persona 5 Royal — 133 Hours
The originalPersona 5was as perfect as a JRPG could get, so it’s amazing to see how muchPersona 5 Royalhas improved a seemingly perfect formula.
From new battle mechanics to the addition of new story beats, there’s no end to the sheer number of ways in whichPersona 5 Royalhas wowed fans with its improvements. Playing as the Phantom Thieves has never been better, and people would be more than willing to sink their teeth into a game they’ve already spent a hundred hours in.
1Monster Hunter: World — 200 Hours
TheMonster Hunterseries was fairly niche for the longest time… that is, beforeMonster Hunter: Worlddecided to knock everything out of the park with what is undoubtedly the best game in the franchise.
The shift from handheld to consoles proved to be a brilliant decision on Capcom’s part, allowing them to make the most of the latest hardware to craft a truly gorgeous world that would entice new players into the franchise, while simultaneously giving veterans of the franchise a new look into a series they love with all their heart.
The 200+ hours that people will put into this game is time well spent indeed.
NEXT:10 JRPGs That Define The Genre (& Aren’t Final Fantasy Games)
