Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Action JRPGs, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. Finding Paradise, Yakuza 0 and Touhou Mystia's Izakaya lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 85/100, out of 28 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Action JRPGs (2026)”: Finding Paradise (90.0/100). Close behind: Yakuza 0 and Touhou Mystia's Izakaya.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 28 games catalogued
Players and critics agree on Finding Paradise, which is rarer than it sounds in Action JRPGs. Hence the first place.
Players and critics agree on Yakuza 0, which is rarer than it sounds in Action JRPGs. Enough for the podium: number 2.
Touhou Mystia's Izakaya is carried by its players more than by its reviews. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 99%. That puts it at number 3.
No argument here: ASTLIBRA Revision wins over players and critics alike. That gets it into the top 10, at number 4.
Players and critics agree on NieR:Automata™, which is rarer than it sounds in Action JRPGs. Number 5, inside the top 10.
No argument here: Monster Hunter: World wins over players and critics alike. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 507,962 Steam reviews. That gets it into the top 10, at number 6.
No argument here: CrossCode wins over players and critics alike. Number 7, inside the top 10.
No argument here: Kingdom Hearts III wins over players and critics alike. Number 8, inside the top 10.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. Number 9, inside the top 10.
No argument here: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age wins over players and critics alike. Number 10, inside the top 10.
Players and critics agree on Fortune Summoners, which is rarer than it sounds in Action JRPGs. It lands at 11 of 20.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 12 of 20.
Ys: The Oath in Felghana is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It is the oldest game in the ranking (2005) and still here. It sits at 13 of 20.
Monster Hunter Rise is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 14 of 20.
Tales of Berseria is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 15 of 20.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is more loved by critics than by the average player. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 92/100. It lands at 16 of 20.
Final Fantasy XVI is more loved by critics than by the average player. It is the newest on the list (2023), and has already earned its place. It lands at 17 of 20.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It sits at 18 of 20.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is one of the few Action JRPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 19 of 20.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It sits at 20 of 20.