The Xbox 360 has Japanese-style role-playing games that range from classic party battles to fast combat you can switch into almost immediately. Start with Lost Odyssey for turn-based fights and a long story. Try Tales…

Items27The creator’s order
  1. 1Lost Odyssey (2007)Lost Odyssey (2007)8.3IGDBReleased Dec 6, 2007Kaim’s memory stories give the Xbox 360 release its most memorable changes of pace. In battle, equip rings and time the button press to improve an attack. The contrast between a quiet story and a fight that asks you to pay attention makes it a strong place to start.0
  2. 2Blue Dragon (2006)Blue Dragon (2006)7.9IGDBReleased Dec 7, 2006Akira Toriyama’s designs give this original Xbox 360 game an immediate identity. The party’s shadow classes let you build a role across simple turn-based fights, then take a useful ability into a different job.0
  3. 3Tales of Vesperia (2008)Tales of Vesperia (2008)8.2IGDBReleased Aug 7, 2008Pick the original Xbox 360 edition for Yuri Lowell’s first release. You steer a character directly and link attacks and artes in real time. The later Definitive Edition adds material from the Japanese PS3 release, so the two will give returning players different runs.0
  4. 4Eternal Sonata (2007)Eternal Sonata (2007)7.5IGDBReleased Jun 14, 2007The original Xbox 360 game mixes a fictionalized Chopin story with timed, free-moving turns. Light and shade affect available moves and even some enemies. It is a good choice if you want party battles where moving a few steps can matter as much as your target.0
  5. 5Infinite Undiscovery (2008)Infinite Undiscovery (2008)6.0IGDBReleased Sep 2, 2008Choose this Xbox 360 action RPG when you want battles that start where you encounter enemies. Capell can call on a party member’s ability to change how you approach an obstacle or a fight, an unusual emphasis among the console’s big role-playing games.0
  6. 6Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009)Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009)6.7IGDBReleased Feb 19, 2009Take the original Xbox 360 release if you want to see how the game first handled its planet-hopping adventure. In the real-time battles, a quick move out of an enemy’s view lets a character counter from an opening. It rewards learning the enemy’s stance.0
  7. 7The Last Remnant (2008)The Last Remnant (2008)6.7IGDBReleased Nov 20, 2008The original Xbox 360 release makes you command unions, or groups of characters, across large turn-based battles. The commands available depend on how each group is placed and what it can do. It rewards someone willing to learn how squads complement each other.0
  8. 8MagnaCarta 2 (2009)MagnaCarta 2 (2009)6.7IGDBReleased Aug 6, 2009This Xbox 360 RPG was developed by South Korea’s Softmax and plays in the Japanese console tradition. Manage stamina in real time, then switch a character out after a chain to keep an attack going. It has a different rhythm from the console’s traditional party battles.0
  9. 9Resonance of Fate (2010)Resonance of Fate (2010)7.0IGDBReleased Jan 28, 2010The original Xbox 360 version asks you to plan acrobatic gun runs between turns, switching who builds damage and who makes it stick. The shifting city map and the timing in its fights suit a player who wants to learn a system over several sessions.0
  10. 10Enchanted Arms (2006)Enchanted Arms (2006)7.0IGDBReleased Jan 12, 2006Pick the Xbox 360 release if you want a turn-based party RPG built around grid placement and recruitable golems. The grid makes the first battles readable, while a bigger roster lets you experiment with more attack patterns later.0