5 best JRPGs to play after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive’s standout RPG has made a significant impact on the gaming world with its thought-provoking narrative, distinctive visual style, richly immersive world, and challenging gameplay.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes a lot of inspiration from classic JRPGs — conventions such as turn-based battles, strong character stories, party systems, and leveling up — but mixes in fresh ideas of its own. The combat stands out in particular, blending traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time action like timed dodges and counterattacks. It makes for a fun, fast-paced system that’s grabbed the attention of both longtime JRPG fans and people new to the genre.

If Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was your introduction to the JRPG genre and you’re looking for similar titles to dive into next, you’re in luck — we’ve curated a list of the five best JRPGs to play after Expedition 33. These games offer comparable gameplay mechanics and evoke many of the same emotional and narrative beats that made Expedition 33 so memorable.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Developed by Intelligent Systems and Kou Shibusawa, and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical JRPG that first launched in 2019. As the title hints, you choose from one of three student factions — the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer — each offering its own storyline, characters, and perspective on a larger conflict.

The combat is turn-based like in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but it plays out on a grid, with players carefully moving units around the battlefield and planning their strategy several steps ahead.

What makes Three Houses one of the best JRPGs to play after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the way it blends deep strategy with a morally complex story and a cast of characters you really get to know and care about. The choices you make shape the entire game, and with multiple branching paths and endings, there’s tons of replay value — especially if you loved the emotional weight and layered storytelling of Expedition 33.

Final Fantasy X

As one of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s key inspirations, it’s no surprise that Final Fantasy X remains one of the best JRPGs to dive into next — especially if you were drawn to Expedition 33’s emotional storytelling and haunting world.

Much like Clair Obscur, Final Fantasy X follows a tight-knit group of characters on a solemn pilgrimage, not just to save their world, but to challenge the very cycle of death and sacrifice that holds it hostage. The journey is filled with personal loss, moral dilemmas, and a slow unraveling of the traditions that once defined the characters’ sense of purpose.

Both games explore generational trauma and the emotional burden of legacy. In Final Fantasy X, each character is forced to confront painful truths about the world they live in — truths that demand they break from the comforting lies of ritual and redefine what it means to fight for the future.

Of course, we can’t overlook Final Fantasy X’s iconic soundtrack. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, and Junya Nakano, it’s widely celebrated for its emotional depth and memorable melodies — with standout tracks like “To Zanarkand,” “Suteki da Ne,” and “Otherworld” that remain instantly recognizable to fans even decades later.

NieR: Automata

PlatinumGames and Square Enix’s NieR: Automata, an action RPG released in 2017, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where androids wage war on powerful machine enemies on behalf of a long-extinct humanity. While it’s not technically a JRPG, it still stands out as one of the best games to play after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 thanks to its JRPG elements and emotionally resonant narrative — a powerful exploration of grief, trauma, and existential questions delivered through multiple characters and shifting perspectives.

Like Expedition 33, NieR: Automata features a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Keiichi Okabe that deepens the game’s immersive atmosphere and emotional impact.

While its combat uses real-time action instead of turn-based systems like Expedition 33 and other JRPGs, NieR: Automata shares Expedition 33’s introspective tone, striking world design, and thought-provoking storytelling — making it a natural next step for players seeking a similarly profound experience.

Persona 5

While Persona 5 may differ greatly in tone, setting, and execution from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we’d be remiss not to include it on this list of the best JRPGs to play after Expedition 33. Beneath its modern-day Tokyo backdrop and slick, anime-inspired aesthetic, Persona 5 delivers a similarly powerful experience — one driven by emotionally rich characters, deep themes, and stylish presentation.

At its core, Persona 5 is about rebellion. You play as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, a group of high school students who infiltrate the subconscious worlds of corrupt adults to “steal” their twisted desires and force them to change. Like Expedition 33, the story is built around a cast of characters who resist an unjust, oppressive system — only instead of ritualized death, it’s societal corruption, apathy, and abuse of power they’re trying to upend.

Combat is classic turn-based but elevated with real-time-inspired mechanics, such as baton passes, follow-up attacks, and exploiting enemy weaknesses for powerful chain combos. Every battle is fast, flashy, and packed with personality — just like the rest of the game.

What truly sets Persona 5 apart is its bold, unmistakable style. From its hand-drawn menus and kinetic transitions to its expressive character designs, the game oozes charisma. That style is matched note-for-note by Shoji Meguro’s genre-blending soundtrack, a fusion of acid jazz, funk, rock, and electronic elements that gives Persona 5 an unforgettable soundscape. It’s not just background music — it’s part of the game’s identity.

And like Expedition 33, Persona 5 shines through its emotionally driven character arcs. Each party member is fighting a personal battle — against shame, trauma, or injustice — and the game takes the time to explore each one deeply, giving the narrative real emotional resonance.

If Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 left you craving another JRPG with strong thematic storytelling, turn-based combat with a modern twist, and a unique artistic vision, Persona 5 is a perfect — and stylish — next step.

Chained Echoes

Another standout title that, like Persona 5, opts for a more stylized and less realistic visual approach than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the critically acclaimed indie gem Chained Echoes — and it easily ranks among the best JRPGs to play next.

Chained Echoes pays loving tribute to classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Suikoden through its detailed pixel-art style. But it’s far more than just a nostalgic throwback. Its turn-based combat system introduces a clever Overdrive mechanic that rewards smart move selection and careful management of battle tempo, creating fast-paced, tactically engaging encounters. Much like Expedition 33, it values thoughtful strategy and rewards experimentation in a way that keeps every battle fresh and satisfying.

While its 16-bit visuals evoke a retro era, Chained Echoes tells a surprisingly mature, emotionally grounded story, exploring themes of war, trauma, and redemption through a diverse and compelling cast of characters. The experience is further elevated by Eddie Marianukroh’s atmospheric soundtrack, which beautifully blends nostalgic melodies with emotional depth — much like Lorien Testard’s hauntingly immersive work in Expedition 33.

What’s even more impressive is that Chained Echoes was developed almost entirely by a single creator, Matthias Linda, yet it stands toe-to-toe with major studio JRPGs in terms of polish, pacing, and depth. It’s a true labor of love that resonates with anyone who appreciates storytelling, world-building, and refined gameplay mechanics.

Even Ben Starr, who voices Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has publicly praised Chained Echoes as an essential follow-up for fans.

“If you’re loving Expedition 33 right now, go and play Chained Echoes. That is a beautiful, beautiful RPG with a stunning 2D art style,” he said in a recent interview.

Whether you’re chasing another emotional narrative or looking for a finely tuned turn-based combat system, Chained Echoes delivers — proving that style, heart, and depth aren’t limited by budget or scale.

What did you think of our picks for the 5 best JRPGs to play after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Did we hit the mark, or is there a favorite of yours we missed? We’d love to hear your thoughts — share your own recommendations (or disagreements!) in the comments below.