ATLUShas been around for a long time and has garnered a reputation for being a premier developer of JRPG experiences. Their titles always feature challenging gameplay, novel mechanics, strong storytelling, and captivating characters.
Digital Devil Saga Is Atlus' Dark Sci-Fi RPG That The World Forgot About
Hidden within the PS2 era is one of the Atlus’s best narratives.
As such, it’s a worthy challenge to narrow down their vast library to just a handful of titles. But that’s exactly what we’re doing with our list of best ATLUS games.
10Soul Hackers 2
Ghost In the Machine
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date
August 02, 2025
It’s probably fair to say many gamers never played the original Soul Hackers, as it was a Japanese-only adventure. And even when ATLUS ported it to the 3DS in 2012, the game didn’t fare all that well.
Despite that, ATLUS brought us a compelling sequel inSoul Hackers 2.
One of the best things about the sequel is the stellar visual style, which has a touch of cyberpunk and a coat of neon paint. It also contended with the potential dangers of sentient AI, something most games by ATLUS haven’t covered, and something rather poignant in the world today with Chat GPT looming large.
Mix in the usual demon-based combat and cementing bonds with your team, and you have a solid RPG.
9Persona 5 Tactica
Chibi XCOM Mayhem
Persona 5 Tactica
Most of us think of turn-based games when we think of ATLUS. However, we don’t usually equate these to tactical adventures like XCOM.
Persona 5 Tacticathrew expectations to the wind, giving us a streamlined and enjoyable spin-off adventure full of chibi heroes.
Much like the original Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Tactica had a captivating art style. It also brought many familiar faces to the adventure, and introduced new ones like Erina.
While the gameplay might have initially thrownPersonafans, it clicked after spending some time mastering techniques. Techniques like Triple Threat, as well as making good use of cover and Once More attacks.
8Catherine: Full Body
Sexy Time in Nightmare Land
PS4, Switch
June 06, 2025
Like Persona 5 Tactica,Catherine: Full Bodywas a bit of an odd duck. It’s a mature game about romance and nightmares.
If that wasn’t strange enough, it also features quirky puzzles, more than a dozen possible endings, and three potential love interests.
Catherine: Full Body On Switch Is A Solid Port Of A Bizarre Game
Atlus' romantic cult-classic puzzle game is right at home on Nintendo’s console/handheld hybrid.
Though you might not play ATLUS games for puzzles, Catherine: Full Body makes it work. Push some blocks, make life-changing decisions, and try your best not to go crazy in this dreamy and absurd adventure.
7Shin Megami Tensei V
Living Big in the Apocalypse
Shin Megami Tensei V
Waking up in a godless (literally) world full of angels and demons is pretty par for the course with ATLUS. Nevertheless,Shin Megami Tensei Vwas a distinct and innovative adventure from the prolific publisher.
The game successfully took SMT’s traditional mechanics and brought them into a more three-dimensional setting.
You wander a desolate wasteland, and the overworld map is a never-ending dungeon. That said, combat will be familiar to fans, and overall, the game is an apocalyptic delight.
613 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Time-Traveling Kaiju Adventure
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
While tactical games aren’t the standard fare from ATLUS, they certainly published some great ones. A perfect example is13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
It features real-time strategy and even visual novel elements. As if that weren’t enough, it’s also largely nonlinear. Oh, and did we mention that it also has plenty of kaiju?
For those looking for more reasons to gush about 13 Sentinels, Aegis Rim also features time travel, giant mecha, and just a ton of really unique systems that somehow mesh perfectly together. It’s a wonderful mashup of Vanillaware and ATLUS' talents, and it wouldn’t just be a one-off either.
5Persona 3 Reload
Climb Tartarus With Style
Persona 3 Reload
It is nearly impossible to rate the Persona games in an unbiased fashion. Most gamers' favorite title is whichever one they played first. Regardless, gamers have a lot of reasons to fall in love with every Persona game.
Persona 3 Reloadoverhauled a dark and engaging premise with more streamlined systems and a glorious new coat of paint.
Is Persona 3 Reload BETTER Than Persona 3?
I’ve never felt like; so comparable.
Though the original Persona 3 didn’t benefit from the mainstream love of later entries,Persona 3 Reloadbridged that gap well. It also features new story events for cast members who didn’t get as much time originally.
Thankfully, the improved combat makes exploring Tartarus much less stressful than the first adventure.
4Unicorn Overlord
My Little Pony Prince
Unicorn Overlord
Unicorn Overlord is another tactical title that Vanillaware teamed up with ATLUS to publish. It was less like a Persona or SMT title and shared much more in common with something like Fire Emblem.
It takes place in a war-torn kingdom, where a young prince in exile must fight to honor his betrayed mother.
If that wasn’t enough,Unicorn Overlordalso features real-time combat, class promotion, and a vast roster of characters that can join your ranks.
Combined with Vanillaware’s lush artwork and plenty of challenge, it’s a worthy addition to any game library.
3Persona 4 Golden
TV Time for Teddie
Persona 4 Golden
One Persona adventure that really struck a chord with gamers wasPersona 4 Golden. Not only does the game have a wonderful cast of characters, including a deranged Teddie Bear, butthe plot is also really dark and fascinating.
Solving a murder mystery in a town beset by mysterious fog was a novel twist in the series.
Thankfully the adventure got re-released on PC and consoles pretty recently, so even more fans got to experience this gem. The dungeon exploration was more streamlined than in Persona 3, and the combat was more forgiving.
Whether you’re wandering around Inaba or unearthing ghastly clues, this is an excellent example of why ATLUS is so beloved.
2Metaphor ReFantazio
Fiction vs. Reality
Metaphor: ReFantazio
You’d be forgiven for assumingMetaphor ReFantaziowas another Persona game. It was made by many of the same folks, and it definitely shows.
It features similar systems like a day and night cycle of exploration and combat that stresses capitalizing on enemy weaknesses. What sets it apart is a focus on the power of fiction to affect reality, and a general lack of literal demons.
One thing that helps setMetaphor ReFantazioapart is the Archetypes, essentially job classes you can switch between. Best of all, bonding with your team unlocks new classes, and helps you hold your ground against cataclysmic battles.
Though we’ve commented about the art direction in other games on this list, Metaphor ReFantazio is probably the most gorgeous of the bunch - an unexpected delight.
1Persona 5 Royal
Stealing the Show
Persona 5 Royal
It might seem like a classic case of recency bias when placing the most recent Persona game the highest, but there’s a good reason for it.Persona 5 Royaltook all the concepts from previous entries and used them to make a balanced, challenging, and stylish RPG.
While the cast of every game is fantastic, the Phantom Thieves really stole the show. Their suits have swagger, and they summon powerful demons to aid them in battle.
One of the most unique elements was using stealth to make your way through challenging dungeons, as well as the post-game challenge of Mementos and the Third Semester.
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