Summary
JRPGs are often highly sought-after titlesdue to their compelling stories, memorable characters, and breathtaking worlds. This is evident in the more popular long-running titles from established developers like Square Enix, Atlus, and a slew of other talented and dedicated game development companies.
This is why it’s always unfortunate when news breaks about an upcoming JRPG being canceled. For a variety of reasons, some JRPGs do not see the light of day and leave the fanbase pining for what could have been. That said, here are some of the canceled JRPG titles that would’ve been a blast to play had they been released.
5Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Metacritic Score: 83 (Final Fantasy XIII)
Square Enix is synonymous with JRPGs, thanks to thewidely successfulFinal Fantasyfranchise. While each mainlineFinal Fantasytitle stands alone in terms of its respective narrative, the more popular ones have gotten numerous spin-off games. That said, one of the more divisive mainlineFinal Fantasytitles isFinal Fantasy XIIIdue to its linearity. Amid that, however, it spawned two sequels:Final Fantasy XIII-2andLightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIIIoff thestrength of the game’s characters.
A third spin-off game was in development calledFinal Fantasy Versus XIII.The game was supposed to be a companion title toFinal Fantasy XIIIandFinal Fantasy Agito XIII, a mobile game. The theme ofFinal Fantasy Versus XIIIwas about “fantasy based on reality” and had elements pertaining to the realms of the living and the dead. This title would have been part of theFabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasyseries that was available on the PlayStation 3.
Sadly, the concepts, themes, and story beats ofFinal Fantasy Versus XIIIwereultimately used in otherFinal Fantasytitles,namelyFinal Fantasy XV. This includes Noctis’ arc having similarities to the Warrior of the Light, the black car concept that eventually became the Regalia, and even the logo art and color scheme.
4Shadow Hearts 3
Metacritic Score: 76 (Shadow Hearts: From the New World)
Shadow Heartswas a series of JRPGs created by the game developer Nautilus on the PlayStation 2 that continued the story of its predecessor,Koudelka, from back in the PlayStation 1 era. The series was set between the 1890s and the 1920s and also featured magical realism and themes of cosmic horror. Among the threeShadow Heartsgames, the second one,Shadow Hearts: Covenant, is regarded as the best game in the series.
Shadow Hearts: From the New Worldwas officially the third title in the series,but originally, that wasn’t supposed to be the case. Matsuzo Machida, the series creator, wanted to continue the story of protagonist Yuri Hyuga, the main character from the previous games, inShadowHearts 3.
However, the original third title experienced a lot of challenges during its production, particularly due to its tight production schedule. During its development, Machida’s concepts were scrapped for a lighter tone compared to the previous games. This resulted in Machida leaving the company and a game that is far from being complete.
Shadow Hearts:From the New Worldwas released back on August 02, 2025, to generally positive reviews. Meanwhile, Machida, Miyako Kato, and Yoshitaka Hirota, the people behind the first twoShadow Heartsgames, are working on a spiritual successor to the series calledPenny Blood,which is slated to be released in 2025.
3Chrono Break
Metacritic Score: 92 (Chrono Trigger), 94 (Chrono Cross)
Chrono Triggeris arguably one of the best JRPGs of all time. Sportinga memorable cast of characters,a compelling story and sidequests, amazing graphics for back in 1995, and a ground-breaking, time-oriented,turn-based combat system, it set the bar for future JRPG titles moving forward. Its sequel,Chrono Cross, is also praised by many as an excellent follow-up to the first title, picking up the multiple time periods theme, putting some twists in its narrative, and fine-tuning its combat system to go alongside a huge cast of playable characters.
With bothChrono TriggerandChrono Crossbeing huge successes, fans of the franchise eagerly await a third installment. Square Enix and former series developers Masato Kato, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and Takashi Tokita confirmed thatearly plans for a thirdChronogamewere brewing: Square Enix had even filed for the trademark for its potential title,Chrono Break,back in 2001.
However, plansdid not progress into the development of a third game,and eventually, most of the development team left the company or focused their efforts on other Square Enix titles likeFinal Fantasy XI. Tokita also mentioned that some elements of his planned third title were eventually adapted intoFinal Fantasy Dimensions II,which he was working on back in 2017.
This, along with the trademarks for the game expiring and Square Enix not announcing any plans to continue work on the game, has led many fans and devs in the company to fileChrono Breakaway as a canceled title.
2Skies of Arcadia 2
Metacritic Score: 84 (Skies of Arcadia)
While Sega couldn’t keep up with Nintendo and Sony, many gamers who owned a Dreamcast fondly remember the amazing titles that they got to play. One of these was the much-adored JRPGSkies of Arcadia. Players get to experience the story of Vyse, an intrepid Air Pirate, and his companions as they explore the airways of Arcadia with their airships. Exploration was a key element in the game, with six available regions that each have corresponding areas where players can land on, venture forth, and encounter various NPCs and enemies.
Skies of Arcadiagot rave reviews upon its release back in 2001; it utilized the Dreamcast’s hardware to provide players with the ability to fly through the 3D skies with steampunk-esque airships, giving their characters facial expressions and creating a thriving world. Its story and JRPG elements, which are reminiscent ofFinal Fantasy VIIandVIII,lead to successful salesand a GameCube portcalledSkies of Arcadia Legendsback in 2002.
Amid its success, however, the developers’ efforts to work onSkies of Arcadia 2didn’t materialize. This included an untitled game for the Game Boy Advance, and planned PlayStation 2 and PC ports. Its main characters had brief cameos in other Sega games likeValkyria ChroniclesandSonic the Hedgehog. Kenji Hiruta, one of the game’s developers, called for fans of the game to support the development of a Remastered version and a possible sequel back in 2020, butits progress has not borne any fruit yet.
1Vagrant Story 2
Metacritic Score: 92 (Vagrant Story)
Vagrant Storywas one of Square Enix’s sleeper hits for the original PlayStation. It introduceda new combat systemwhere players needed to get close to enemies, open up a spherical grid, and target specific limbs to attack and disable. This, along with deep weapon customization mechanics for its time, stellar art design, and a gripping narrative, made this game a hidden gem that garnered a sizable fanbase for years after its release.
As Square Enix focused their efforts on creating newFinal Fantasygames, keen-eyed fans noticed thatFinal Fantasy TacticsandFinal Fantasy XIIwere set in Ivalice, the same place whereVagrant Story’s narrative took place. This led to even more clamor from fansto have Square Enix develop aVagrant Story 2to further dive into Ashley Riot’s backstory.
Yasumi Matsuno, the director ofVagrant Story, took to X (formerly Twitter)to address some news about a possible sequel.He mentioned that his early drafts forVagrant Story 2would have dealt with the premise of how someone’s mind creates barriers to dealing with or coping with heavy trauma. Matsuno went on further to state that this theme of mental trauma was used inFinal Fantasy XIV,while alsoteasing about the possibility of aVagrant Storysequeldown the road.
