What Makes Level Scaling "Best" in a JRPG?
Level scaling in JRPGs can be a divisive topic among players and developers. When done incorrectly, players can feel punished for grinding, or making their characters stronger. However, good level scaling can give players the freedom to choose how they want to play, while balancing the encounters over a 40+ hour adventure. To rank the top 10 JRPGs with the best level scaling in the world, we have played nearly every major JRPG released.
When ranking each game, we look at four criteria. First is mechanical clarity; we look for systems that inform the player of their action and not through some hidden calculations. Then the most important is player agency; is there a way for the player to control level scaling through choices like using certain encounters, optional grinding, or specific party compositions? Next is the scaling of the game; is the combat engaging and meaningful, or is it the dreaded “weaker as you level up” situation? Finally is the integration of the balance with the storytelling; does the world feel alive, or does it feel like a spreadsheet?
We review JRPGs on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC. For other genres, see our overview of the best RPGs of all time. For our lists, we rank games from 10 to 1, saving best for last. We look primarily at games with intentionally designed scaling, and that is why classics like Final Fantasy VIII and modern titles like Octopath Traveler II are at the top.
#10 — SaGa Frontier Remastered (Cult Classic Scaling)
Akitoshi Kawazu’s SaGa series pioneered the use of level scaling in a way that the JRPG genre would copy for years. Rather than traditional experience points, SaGa Frontier allows characters to enhance specific stats based on combat actions taken during a fight. In addition to this, enemies scale based on the cumulative amount of battles fought instead of the player’s level or current party composition. The 2021 Remastered version implements a new user interface and adds two previously omitted protagonist storylines while keeping true to the original game’s scaling logic. The system also encourages players to experiment with different combat styles instead of simply repeating fights for easy experience. Although SaGa Frontier remains divisive due to its obscure scaling mechanics, the game never explicitly states what triggers a character’s stat growth, many of its contemporaries followed the philosophy of action-driven organic scaling. This game also continues to influence many of today’s JRPGs despite its age.
#9 — Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection (Stratum Scaling)
Atlus' Etrian Odyssey series built its scaling systems around stratum design. In the series, each stratum (a level in the dungeon maze) has unique enemies that fall into a certain level range. Leveling up before entering a new stratum causes recurring difficulty spikes, which causes predictable difficulty spikes. The Origins Collection bundles the first three Etrian Odyssey games on the Nintendo Switch and PC. One of the things that makes scaling so unique in The Origins Collection is the ability to see enemy levels in the stratum, which allows players to know when to grind or adjust their party before entering the stratum. Since players must map their own movements through the levels, planning around the visible enemy levels is more strategic and rewarding than the alternative. Etrian Odyssey shows that visible enemy levels is a positive tension creator, in contrast to the faceless algorithms that exist in many other RPGs.
#8 — Persona 5 Strikers (Action Party Scaling)
Based off the Persona anime series, this new spinoff from Atlus and Omega Force has changed the series turn based battle mechanics into real time action and has also kept the franchises individual character scaling party mechanics. Each player is able to Phantom Thief party member individually with time and weapon mastery, giving players the ability to develop specific characters without the rest of the party character needing to be developed. This scaling system encourages players to swap between party members helping to avoid the action JRPG “main character carries everyone” issue. Unlike other action RPGs, each player also has the ability to adjust enemy levels based on player performance (i.e. combo count, dodge timing, element use, etc.) to help create a more aggressive enemy response. For the legacy this game inherits, see every Persona game ranked.
#7 — Bravely Default II (Encounter Slider Innovation)
Square Enix's Bravely Default series introduced one of the most player-friendly methods of dealing with level scaling in games as they let players modify the frequency of enemy encounters. In Bravely Default II, players are able to set a cap on the amount of experience points their party can earn, allowing even more fine-tuning of their level scaling which, when used alongside the refined job system, means players can customize their own difficulty through level scaling. This mechanical clarity sets a standard that will be extremely difficult to surpass — nearly all JRPG developers would be wise to imitate Bravely Default II's player-focused progression system.
#6 — Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (Item Creation Scaling)
While action JRPGs have come a long way since the early 2000's, Tri-Ace's fusion of the Item Creation mechanic in character progression creates a remarkably unique system. Instead of the player choosing stats to increase, the player chooses a branching path for the character to naturally flow into, bypassing the issue of unimproved stats across encounters. Instead, player choice maintains an economy of crafted weapons to drive story progress. The player has to keep track of the crafted items, their materials, encounters, and story beats, to ensure they are crafting the most powerful weapons as the economy shifts. Because the crafted weapons allow for control of the player's stats and circumvents the linear damage curve of most JRPGs, makes the game remarkably complex for a game of its time. It also adds a New Game Plus mode that can also invert the game's balance, forcing the player to adapt their crafted weapons to keep up with the game world. This game has remarkably withstood the test of time.
#5 — Dragon Quest XI (Zone-Locked Progression)
The latest main Dragon Quest series uses a different approach to scaling. Zone based progression respects the player and doesn't directly show the underlying math. They have level caps for each area of Erdrea, and above a certain level, enemies will stop providing useful experience. This encourages players to progress in the story instead of grinding in one area. This system was further refined in the Definitive Edition, which featured a new optional difficulty called "Stronger Monsters". The scaling of Dragon Quest XI shows Horii's design philosophy — simplicity for newcomers, but room for veterans to seek out depth. For Square Enix's larger catalog of games, including this series, see best Square Enix JRPGs.
#4 — Final Fantasy XII (License Board Scaling)
When Final Fantasy XII came out in 2006, it introduced a new system called the License Board that broke away from the series' traditional systems. Instead of leveling up to learn new abilities, equip new weapons, or gain stat boosts, players use License Points (gained through battles) to purchase nodes on the board. Each board slot is independent of the character's level. In the remaster The Zodiac Age, a Job System was added, which means now each character has a specific job that defines which segments of the board they can access. This means if a player makes a good decision on which segments to choose, a low-level character can be stronger than high-level characters with poor choices. This system influenced some of the more recent games from Square Enix, including Final Fantasy XV and the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. For franchise context, check out every Final Fantasy ranked.
#3 — Romancing SaGa 3 Remastered (Classic SaGa Scaling)
Romancing SaGa 3 is a pioneer of scaling game mechanics in RPGs. While the game was originally released on Super Famicom (a Japanese video game console) in 1995, it was released on all other platforms in 2019 as a remaster. Like the original, the remasters keeps 8 playable characters along with the branching storyline and stat growth through combat. Unlike most RPGs, enemy levels don’t scale with your characters level, but rather the number of battles fought. This creates a unique challenge as your characters skills can only be used a limited number of times, or else enemy levels will increase. Romancing SaGa 3 is ranked at 3rd on this list as it captures the philosophy of the SaGa series at its best before the later entries began to lose focus with overly experimental multi-character systems.
#2 — Final Fantasy VIII (Iconic Landmark)
The Junction system in Final Fantasy VIII has arguably one of the most highly debated implementations of scaling in JRPGs, and one of the most divisive. With each party member's level, enemies will also level up, meaning there is a harsh balance between gaining levels and having a stock of powerful junctioned magic. This system forces players to utilize mechanics involving magic drawing, item refinement, and card play in Triple Triad if they want to stay ahead of enemies in terms of stats. While critics say that scaling punishes players for progressing through the game the way they should, defenders argue that it is valid to force players to engage with mechanics that are often optional in most JRPGs. No matter which side you take in this debate, it is undeniable that Final Fantasy VIII was the first of its kind, and it influenced many games to come with its approach to enemy scaling. In numerous interviews, Yoshinori Kitase, the director of Final Fantasy VIII, spoke about the design philosophy behind the junction system, and even after 20 years, it is still a system that is analyzed by RPG developers today.
#1 — Octopath Traveler II (HD-2D Chapter Perfection)
The reasons for JRPG scaling problems have been cracked by Octopath Traveler II, and that is why it takes the number one spot. Each of the game’s eight protagonists has a four-chapter story arc, and each of these is tied to a specific level range. This design choice prevents the player from experiencing frustration if they are under-levelled or having the story trivialized due to over-leveling. The game also encourages strategic party switches through their crossover paths that modify fight scaling based on which characters are in the party. The game’s engine adds to the fight scaling experience by using ‘visual telegraphing’ that shows players which enemies they will be fighting, and the color palette even vary based on difficulty. Such careful and considerate design is largely absent in modern gaming, and Octopath Traveler II showcases Square Enix and Acquire’s utmost dedication to this genre. For more information on JRPG evolution, check out history of JRPGs.
FAQ — Common Questions About JRPG Level Scaling
Before we get to the FAQ, let’s mention three games that just missed the cut for our top ten. Xenoblade Chronicles X incorporates level-gating along with environmental challenges, which provides an interesting alternative to traditional scaling. Unfortunately, this system feels more punishing rather than rewarding. While there is nothing wrong with the scaling in Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition, it is too safe to break into our top ten. Pokemon Legends Arceus has scaled habitats-based progression, but unfortunately it falls outside our criteria focus for JRPGs.
What is the best system for level scaling in JRPGs?
For us, Octopath Traveler II has set the standard with its chapter-locked progression. This approach eliminates the frustration of both under-leveling and over-leveling making the game too easy. Each protagonist has a set of four chapters which means the levels are tuned to specific bands. This means the encounters scale depending on which party members are present.
Why is level scaling in Final Fantasy VIII controversial?
In Final Fantasy VIII, the Junction system directly scales enemies to the average level of your party, which makes the game harder without thoughtful management of your character’s magic stockpiles. Because of this, players typically feel underprepared for the scaled enemies if they’ve played the game as they would any other traditional JRPG and ground for levels. Players are expected to draw magic, refine items, and play Triple Triad cards to keep their magic stockpiles to stay competitive against the scaled enemies.
Which JRPGs give me options for difficulty control?
Bravely Default II is the most accommodating to players, giving them an encounter rate slider as well as a level adjustment slider to control how much experience they can earn. Dragon Quest XI's Definitive Edition has a Stronger Monsters option for increased difficulty. In the Etrian Odyssey games, players can see the levels of enemies for each stratum which allows them to strategize ahead of time for grinding.
Is level scaling a mechanic unique to JRPGs?
No. Level scaling occurs frequently in both The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as well as in many open world action games. While it may seem that level scaling is more apparent in JRPGs, they are often more chapter-locked, zone-locked or stratum based compared to Western RPGs, where the mechanics often operate through hidden equations.
Methodology and Sources
To create this ranking, the Icicle Disasters editorial team considered many hours of playtime across different consoles and generations. Where we could, we consulted developer interviews and design retrospectives from official publications from Square Enix, Atlus, and Tri-Ace. There are equal consideration for the four ranking criteria — clarity of mechanics, player agency, balance of encounters, and integration of narrative. We specifically chose to not include games where level scaling is incidental and designed (most action-RPGs and most Western open-world games). For shared editorial coverage of JRPG mechanics, including discussions of scaling, see best ranked games from Atlus and JRPGs with the best stories. With new JRPGs entering or redefining the boundaries of this scaling design space, we will continue to update this list.