10 Most Essential Japanese Video Games

10. Persona 4

Persona 5 might have the flash and panache, but Persona 4 was the first one to truly blow up worldwide, alongside having one of the better-paced stories in the franchise.

Seeing your custom-named hero arrive in Inaba to stay with their uncle Dojima, you're quickly thrust into a "hunt-the-serial-killer" plot, backed by a cocktail of awesome elements that make Persona as a series pop.

There's a phenomenal electro-jazz-pop score by returning composer Shoji Meguro, the time management side of gameplay means you have to juggle crime scenes and clues with nighttime excursions into demonic dungeons. High school life routinely inserts itself too, as exams come and go, your social circle expands, characters can be romanced or maybe you all decide to go away for the Summer.

Combat is again turn-based but snappier than ever, with a great cast, solid writing and some brilliant twists and turns keeping everything moving perfectly.