Summary
JRPGscover an immense amount of ground when it comes to themes, topics, andeven narrative styles. This is in no small part due to their decades-long legacy of providing substantial, in-depth stories for players to enjoy, mingling addictive gameplay with some incredibly dense worldbuilding.
Even among horror JRPGs, however, one horror archetype tends to lurk and hide away in the shadows. The humble vampire finds their abode in platformers of such high caliber that their games provide 50% of a famous subgenre’s name, or in intense hack-and-slash SoulslikeslikeCode Vein. However, there are a handful of classic JRPG experiences that let players fulfill their blood-sipping dreams, or take the stake to some fanged foes.
TheEtrian Odysseyseries is one of Atlus' longest-standing collections of titles, and though they tend to be overlooked in the West for the fact they are a bit more technical and focus less on narrative, the overall gameplay experience these dungeon-crawlers provide is an incredibly unique one, not like any other traditional or dungeon-focused JRPG on the shelves today. Adding on to this, there are avariety ofEtrian Odysseygames, so once a player is hooked, they’ll have a wealth of titles to choose from.
The Vampire subclass inEtrian Odyssey Nexusis available to players who gain the Scarlet Evil Eye accessory. It’s not a choosable class in terms of character creation, but it grants characters vampiric abilities on top of their chosen class, and it also grants an awesome pair of portraits for them to use.
Bravely Defaultand its sequel are some of the best JRPGs Square Enix has put out to date, and that is quite abroad list of titlesto top. The innovative job system leaves players with the option to cycle through a variety of disciplines and choose the one they think best suits one of the four central characters and their skill sets. There’s a fantastic array of jobs in both titles, showcasing Square Enix classics and also jobs that make the setting feel more unique.
The vampire is a job gained inBravely Defaultby defeating Lord DeRosso, an important antagonist who holds a great deal of knowledge and power. It allows players to absorb attributes from their enemies, and even steal their foe’s moves. It’s a strong late-game class that can carry players through to the end of the title if they so desire.
Genre
JRPG, Dungeon Crawler
Atlus' love letter to thefirst-person dungeon-crawler subgenre,Dark Spireappeared early on in the DS’s lifespan as an homage to those classic, Gothic dungeon-crawlers from the 90s. The intense difficulty and fantastic, grim esthetic will keep players engaged for a while, and theEtrian Odysseyinfluences only enhance this utterly unique title.
Many enemies in this game are vampires, or at least vampiric in appearance, alongside Lovecraftian horrors and more classic bandits and dungeon vermin for the player to slash their way through. The game also has a variety of endings based on what quests are completed during the titular journey through the Dark Spire. Those with a DS or 3DS handy should definitely look at giving this underrated title a try, especially if they enjoy some classy vampiric horror.
Within this melting pot of horror, an esteemed family of benevolent vampires is among the many key aspects of the plot. These three games all follow one another (with the bad ending in each game being the canon ending the next game follows, just for fun) but the Valentine vampires remain a prominent fixture within the trilogy.
A Beautiful Indie JRPG
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
JRPG
Evoking some of the features and feelings of thebest handheld JRPGs,Ara Fellis an indie JRPG that proudly wears its classical influences on its sleeve in a game set among floating islands, at risk of falling to a shadowy cabal of vampires. Vampires are front and center as the main antagonists in this expansive game, and learning how to defeat them as they cling to the night is the game’s bread and butter.
Ara Fellpairs this gruesome depiction of classic, classy, blood-guzzling vampires with a vibrant, pixel-perfect world that’s practically begging to be explored. It’s a fantastic title for anyone looking to try out an underrated JRPG title they may have missed from the last console generation.
