The Best of Anime Video Games: A Ranker Collection of 10 Lists

Anime video games sit in a sweet spot where over-the-top storytelling, stylish art, and crunchy combat all collide.
They take everything fans love about animedramatic showdowns, found-family squads, and ridiculous power-upsand let
you press the buttons. Think of this guide as a Ranker-style collection in text form: ten themed lists you could easily
imagine scrolling through, voting on, and arguing about with friends.

To build this “collection of lists,” we pulled ideas and picks from major gaming outlets and guides that regularly
rank the best anime games and JRPGs across PC, consoles, and mobile. That includes deep-dive lists of the best anime
games, best JRPGs, and platform-specific roundups of anime and manga titles. The result is a curated, fan-friendly
tour through the anime gaming universewhether you live for competitive fighters, story-heavy JRPGs, or gacha games
you promise you’ll quit “after this banner.”

How a Ranker-Style Collection Works for Anime Games

Ranker collections usually take one big topic (here: anime video games) and slice it into multiple themed lists. Each
list has its own vibe“best of all time,” “best on Switch,” “best fighting games,” and so onso fans can vote within
the subcategory that fits them best. It’s not just about which game is #1 overall; it’s about discovering new favorites
inside the niche you care about.

This article mirrors that approach. You’ll find ten lists, each with explanation, examples, and quick notes on what
makes those games stand out. Use it as a blueprint for your own ranked lists, or as a cheat sheet when you want to
sound extremely informed in the next “best anime game” group chat argument.

List 1: All-Time Essential Anime Video Games

These are the heavy hittersthe games that show up in nearly every “best anime games” or “best JRPGs” guide. They blend
anime-style visuals with strong mechanics and stories that stick with you long after the credits roll.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is basically a playable shonen anime about stylish teenage vigilantes who fight corruption by literally
punching people’s warped psyches. It pairs turn-based combat with social sim mechanics, letting you split time between
dungeon crawling and hanging out with your friends at cafés, batting cages, and the world’s most cursed public transit.
It’s often listed as one of the definitive modern JRPGs thanks to its sharp writing, unforgettable soundtrack, and bold
art direction.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

With character designs and animation by Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni feels like stepping into a feature-length anime that
never ends. Underneath the cozy visuals is a classic JRPG about grief, bravery, and hopping between worlds. Many
best-anime-game and best-JRPG roundups praise it for its heartfelt story and timeless, painterly world.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Dragon Quest XI combines Akira Toriyama’s iconic art style with a modernized but comfortably traditional JRPG blueprint.
It’s full of bright colors, expressive monsters, and goofy side stories that feel like filler episodesin the best way.
Anyone who wants a long, polished adventure with classic anime vibes can safely start here.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

From the creative minds behind Persona, Metaphor: ReFantazio brings that same high-style anime energy into a completely
new fantasy world. Deep political intrigue, turn-based combat with real-time twists, and lavish character designs make
it a go-to recommendation in recent “best anime games” lists for players who want something modern and ambitious.

List 2: Best Games Directly Based on Anime Series

Licensed games used to have a reputation for being rushed cash-ins, but that’s changed. Recent guides to the best anime
adaptations highlight titles that respect both the source material and the players’ time.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles

This arena fighter lets you relive key arcs from the Demon Slayer anime with cinematic battles and story chapters that
function like interactive recaps. Simple inputs, flashy specials, and faithful recreations of breathing techniques make
it a crowd-pleaser for fans who want to swing a sword like Tanjiro without memorizing a 40-page combo guide.

Attack on Titan 2

If you’ve ever wanted to zoom around a ruined city using vertical maneuvering gear, Attack on Titan 2 delivers. Its
movement system is still one of the most satisfying in any licensed anime game, capturing the frantic aerial ballet of
the show while letting you create your own recruit and fight alongside familiar characters.

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 blends Musou “one-versus-a-thousand” action with the absurd elasticity of Luffy’s powers.
You mow down armies of enemies with flashy specials while blitzing through legendary arcs from the manga and anime.
It frequently appears in “best anime game adaptations” lists for how well it translates the series’ chaotic energy into
moment-to-moment gameplay.

List 3: Best Original Games That Feel Like Anime

Some of the most beloved “anime games” never had an anime series first. Instead, they borrow anime’s visual style, pacing,
and melodrama and build original worlds around them.

Genshin Impact & Honkai: Star Rail

Live-service hits like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail mix gacha pulls, seasonal events, and ongoing story arcs in
a way that feels very anime. You get character archetypes straight out of a weekly series, full voice acting, and
limited-time story beats that fans dissect the same way they would new episodes. They show up often in “best anime games
on PC and mobile” lists thanks to their lush visuals and constantly expanding content.

NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata may not be based on a specific anime, but the character designs, existential themes, and wild tonal shifts
feel like a prestige late-night series. Many PC and console guides file it under “anime-style action RPGs” because of its
stylized combat, philosophical storytelling, and dramatic boss fights.

Code Vein

Often described as “anime soulslike,” Code Vein pairs harsh, dodge-heavy combat with big hair, bigger weapons, and
elaborate post-apocalyptic drip. With its sequel on the way, it’s a common recommendation for players who want something
darker and edgier than your typical bright shonen world without losing the anime flair.

List 4: Best Anime JRPG Epics

JRPGs are the backbone of anime-inspired gaming. They deliver long-form character arcs, complex party dynamics, and that
moment when you realize the “go beat the demon lord” plot is actually about political corruption, grief, and friendship.

Persona 3 Reload & Persona 4 Golden

Recent lists of best JRPGs and best anime games almost always mention the Persona series. Persona 3 Reload modernizes a
classic with updated visuals and QoL changes, while Persona 4 Golden remains a gold standard for small-town murder
mysteries with lovable casts, social links, and a surprisingly cozy vibe for a game that starts with a corpse on a TV
antenna.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem: Three Houses feels like teaching at an anime military academy. You manage lesson plans, tea times, and
battlefield tactics while watching your students grow from awkward newbies into terrifying war machines. It’s often
ranked among the best JRPGs for its branching story paths and heavy replay value.

List 5: Best Anime Fighting Games

Anime fighters are where flashy art and mechanical depth really collide. Competitive players and casual fans both look to
these games for big combos and bigger character rosters.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ is consistently mentioned as one of the best anime fighting games of all time. It nails the look and
feel of the anime with 3v3 tag-team battles that can turn an online match into a full-blown tournament arc. Easy-to-learn
input shortcuts help newcomers, while advanced mechanics give fighting game veterans plenty to lab.

Guilty Gear Strive / Xrd and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

Modern fighting game guides love pointing to Guilty Gear and Granblue as examples of how anime visuals and deep mechanics
can coexist. Their cel-shaded art styles look like high-budget openings, while the systems under the hood reward lab time,
matchup knowledge, and a little bit of stubbornness.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R

For JoJo fans, All-Star Battle R is a dream: a sprawling roster, lovingly recreated poses, and dramatic, panel-perfect
supers. It shows up regularly in best-anime-game lists as a celebration of everything eccentric about the JoJo franchise.

List 6: Best Visual Novels & Story-Heavy Anime Games

If you care more about jaw-dropping plot twists than frame data, visual novels and story-centric anime games are where
the magic happens.

Danganronpa Series

Danganronpa wraps courtroom drama, murder mystery, and high-school anime tropes in a neon pink bear suit. Best-anime-game
and best-PC-anime lists frequently highlight it for its memorable cast, wild plot turns, and intense “class trial”
sequences. It’s basically a thriller anime with rhythm-game cross-examinations.

Steins;Gate

Often mentioned in articles that bridge games and anime, Steins;Gate exists both as a visual novel and a beloved
time-travel series. The game version lets you navigate branching routes based on how you use a hacked phone, making the
emotional gut punches hit even harder because you helped cause them.

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

For players who love escape rooms and psychological horror, 999 is a staple recommendation. Guides to the best anime-style
visual novels often include it for its tight writing, branching endings, and “I need to talk to someone about this” final act.

List 7: Best Anime Games on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo’s hybrid console has quietly become a powerhouse for anime fans, with many guides dedicating entire lists to
Switch-exclusive or Switch-friendly anime titles.

Pokémon Mainline Games & Spin-Offs

While the Pokémon games technically came before the anime, most people experience them as one big multimedia universe.
On Switch, entries like Pokémon Sword and Shield, Legends: Arceus, Scarlet and Violet, and various spin-offs let you
live your own trainer saga with a roster that now numbers in the hundreds.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Other Strategy Titles

Fire Emblem: Three Houses pulls double duty here as both a JRPG epic and a flagship anime-style game on Switch. Add in
titles like Astral Chain, various anime fighters, and portable versions of multi-platform JRPGs, and the system turns into
a handheld anime binge machine.

List 8: Best Anime Games on PC

PC has evolved into an anime game hub, especially for visual novels, fighters, and live-service titles. PC-focused guides
list everything from big-budget releases to niche indie experiments.

Dragon Ball FighterZ, Persona 4 Golden, and FF7 Remake Intergrade

On PC, anime fans can go from competitive fighting to 100-hour story campaigns in a couple of clicks. Dragon Ball
FighterZ offers online battles and tournaments, while Persona 4 Golden and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade give PC
players access to some of the most stylish anime-flavored RPGs ever made.

Visual Novels and Niche Indies

PC is also where you’ll find a lot of niche visual novels, otome games, and indie anime-style projects. Curated lists of
the best anime games on PC highlight this diversity, showcasing everything from courtroom dramas and horror romance
stories to rhythm games starring virtual idols.

List 9: Best Mobile & Gacha Anime Games

Mobile anime games used to be written off as low-effort tie-ins. Now, whole articles are devoted to ranking massive mobile
titles with deep combat systems and enormous character rosters.

Fate/Grand Order & Dragon Ball Legends

Fate/Grand Order is an infamous time sink, combining visual-novel storytelling with turn-based battles and a gacha system
that has fueled countless memes. Dragon Ball Legends offers flashy, swipe-based fighting on your phone, turning short play
sessions into mini anime episodes filled with supers and transformations.

Bleach: Brave Souls, Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, and More

Mobile-centric lists of best anime games often group together action-RPGs and arena fighters based on major series like
Bleach and The Seven Deadly Sins. These games let you build dream teams that would never share the same screen in the
show, all while grinding story chapters, events, and PvP ladders.

List 10: Underrated & Up-and-Coming Anime Video Games

Finally, a Ranker-style collection needs a list for the underdogs and next big thingsthe games that may not dominate
mainstream conversations yet, but show up in “hidden gem” or “most anticipated” sections.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact and Other New Adaptations

New anime fighting games and arena battlers based on fan-favorite series are constantly in the works. Industry watchers
track these titles closely, comparing them against past successes and failures to see which ones might break out and earn
a permanent spot on future “best anime games” lists.

Code Vein 2 and Other Sequels

Sequels to anime-style action RPGs are also on the horizon, promising expanded systems, more elaborate stories, and even
more elaborate character customization. Preview coverage and early hype often highlight how these games refine what fans
loved in the originals while embracing current trends in action and RPG design.

Cross-Media Projects and Anime Adaptations of Games

The relationship between anime and games now runs both ways. Just as anime get game adaptations, popular games are being
adapted into anime series with major streaming partners. These crossovers create a loop: people watch the show, play the
game, then go searching for more anime games in a similar stylefeeding right back into collections like this one.

Player Experiences with the Best Anime Video Games

Lists and rankings are fun, but anime video games really come to life in the experiences people have with them. For many
players, the first “real” anime game might have been a classic like Dragon Ball FighterZ or a portable Pokémon title that
made bus rides feel like mini training arcs. Those early hours of learning basic combos or building a first team often turn
into long-term fandom, cosplay ideas, and late-night theory-crafting about which character is secretly the strongest.

Multiplayer anime games add another layer. Fighting game fans remember the exact match where they first pulled off a
dramatic comebackmaybe a last-hit victory as Goku, or a match-saving Roman Cancel in a Guilty Gear set. These moments
feel like anime climaxes because they’re built from the same ingredients: escalating tension, flashy visuals, and the
sense that everything comes down to one final clash. Online lobbies and local tournaments become social hubs where players
trade tips, share fan art, and turn salty losses into future training motivation.

Long-form JRPGs and visual novels create different but equally powerful memories. It’s common to see people talk about
Persona games or Ni no Kuni the way they talk about favorite anime seasonsremembering specific story arcs, side
characters, and emotional beats. Spending 80 hours with a cast gives you time to see characters grow, fail, and grow
again, and that slow burn is part of what keeps these titles high in “all-time best” rankings. Players often finish a
series like Danganronpa or Steins;Gate and immediately go hunting for something else that can deliver a similar emotional
punch.

Mobile and gacha anime games add a social, almost ritualistic dimension. Daily logins, co-op raids, and time-limited
events turn a game into a routine. Pulling for a favorite character becomes a shared experiencesome people get what they
want in a single ten-pull, others wind up telling horror stories about how many in-game resources they burned before
finally seeing that rainbow animation. Community guides, tier lists, and fan-made spreadsheets act like living Ranker
lists, constantly updated as new characters and balance changes drop.

In the end, “best of” collections for anime video games are less about declaring an official champion and more about
organizing the chaos. They give newcomers a roadmap (“start with this JRPG, then try this fighter”) and give veterans
a place to argue, reminisce, and discover titles they might have missed. As new games launch, sequels arrive, and more
crossovers blur the line between anime and gaming, these lists will keep evolvingjust like a Ranker page where the
votes never really stop coming in.

Conclusion

Anime video games cover an enormous spectrum, from traditional JRPGs and competitive fighters to visual novels, mobile
gacha games, and experimental indies. A Ranker-style collection of ten lists doesn’t just crown a single “best” title;
it maps out the whole ecosystem so players can find their own favorites. Whether you’re in it for deep storytelling,
stylish combat, collectible characters, or just the thrill of seeing a beloved anime world rendered in 3D, there’s
something on these lists for you.

Use this collection as a starting point: build your own rankings, compare them with friends, and keep revisiting as new
games rise through the ranks. The anime landscape changes fastbut as long as developers keep mixing bold art, big
feelings, and satisfying gameplay, these lists will never run out of new contenders.