Summary
RPGs are not for everyone.
Naysayers of the genre often decry the reliance on grinding to get past certain bosses or dungeons.
While many Western RPGs manage to avoid this problem, it is almost always a feature inmany classic JRPGs.
Let’s be real, these RPG parties really shouldn’t have been able to save the day.
The games below which come from both the west and the east all manage to avoid grinding.
Paper Mario’s spiritual predecessor, Super Mario RPG, recently received a remake for the Nintendo Switch.
The remake further enhances the balancing to make grinding a complete non-issue.
We recommend playing this game as well, in addition to the Paper Mario titles.
12Phantasy Star 4
Metacritic Score Unavailable
Phantasy Star 4 is the classic JRPG perfected.
Phantasy Star 6 was $99 when it came out on the Sega Genesis in North America.
Now, it can be found for a much cheaper price on most Sega Genesis compilations.
It introduces some interesting mechanics unique to the genre that make battles feel unique.
All the entries can occupy your time for literally hundreds of hours.
Thanks to the enemy’s difficulty scaling to your level, none of this time is spent grinding.
Everyone has their personal favorite Elder Scrolls game, butSkyrim is the most popular and easiest to play.
9Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 10changes some things about the franchise’s formula.
As long as you understand the systems, Final Fantasy 10 is not hard to beat without grinding.
Doing the endgame side quests will take more time and repetition, however.
8Mass Effect
BioWare’s classic science fiction epic brought the company real mainstream attention.
The combat in Mass Effect manages to feel engaging and interesting without going into the deeper RPG mechanics.
you could also get through the game without ever having to grind.
Even if you end up under-leveled, skill can help get passed without the monotony of grinding.
Because of this, the game gives you no downtime to simply grind.
You are constantly encouraged to keep pushing forward and develop your base and troops as the narrative continues.
The game is more about balancing resources than simply accumulating experience points.
The first entry, in particular, is a relatively short RPG.
Even on the harder difficulties, grinding is not necessary if you are a skilled player.
It mixes real-time elements with tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics andTactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.
Even with this linear path, Valkyria Chronicles takes a solid 30 hours or so to complete.
