Why Do People Care About JRPGs?

Kotaku: "Consider this a primer on JRPGs, your introduction to the genre and a piece designed to answer many of your burning questions. Whether you're an expert on all things Atelier or you don't know the difference between Final Fight and Final Fantasy, allow me to help you develop more appreciation for an under-appreciated genre."

[LiamIRL82]

They're the best games ever created. It's the story, the characters, the battle system, the world you're exploring that makes you feel like you're on a grand adventure. I will never forget final fantasy 7,8,9 & 10 and the incredible experiences they gave me.

[CarlosX360]

Yes, I agree. It's more about better implementation between JRPG's vs WRPG's. JRPG's are notoriously much, much deeper than the WRPG's that are out now. I'm still waiting for a Xenogears-killer. I loved Xenogears so much it's not even funny.

[LiamIRL82]

I just downloaded Chrono Cross using my US psn account. First time i have played it as it was never released here in Europe. It's really something else

[CarlosX360]

At least finish the game halfway through Chrono Cross, and then come back to this and edit your post. ;)

Cross is the sequel to the holy grail of RPG's: Chrono Trigger.

[TBM]

for me jrpg's are just better made polished games. for me the best rpg/jrpg of all time is Final Fantasy 6 which is 3 here in the states. to me it had the best characters, story, it has everything i want in an rpg.

i've played some great rpgs during my time from eastern/western developers and no other rpg has managed to top the love i have for FF6(3)

edit
i love the disagree lol

[NukaCola]

I grew up on them. KOTOR was my first full fledged WRPG outside asymmetrical dungeon crawlers like Diablo and Fallout, which are still great. There is something magical that was only found in JRPGs. And sadly that is less and less true everyday. I think JPRGs need to stay away from influences outside Japan. It has truly effected the quality this generation.

I have to say, I think Ni No Kuni is going to be the game to fill that void for me. That is the one JRPG that I have been waiting for a long time. And I want that more than any other RPG coming out any time soon.

EDIT:
Also if anyone has not played these classic JRPGs, I highly recommend:

Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Chrono Trigger
EVO: The Search for Eden (This Fish Frenzy style game meets evolution and created one of the most unique games I have ever played. I highly highly recommend this one and I would love a remake!)

[Oh_Yeah]

deeper as in, story wise? your surely not talking about combat, size of the world, endless customization, charater leveling system, interactive npcs following a schedule, having jobs lol i could go on and on, you cant seriously compare skyrim, fallout, or dragons dogma to a game like final fantasty in terms of features, gameplay and deepness lol jrpgs they just dont match up. western rpgs are almost like actual worlds.

[ljh217]

I enjoy both JRPG's and WRPG'S. Why must they compete for my love so much when I love them equally!?

[Bimkoblerutso]

^ because people are retarded.

Both sub-genres have contributed incredible games to the industry.

[mewhy32]

Well I have to say that many people don't care, me included. They're all the same, doe eyed characters, same ol' battlesystem, story is always the same. blah blah blah. It's not to say that it'a all bad but just always the same.

[PoSTedUP]

because people Persona4, that's why. :)

[thats_just_prime]

Chrono Trigger was one of the best jrpg ever made but chrono cross was god awful.

Great jrpgs

Lunar 1&2
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Legends of Dragoon
Skies of Arcadia
Arc of the Lad

[MysticStrummer]

"JRPG's are notoriously much, much deeper than the WRPG's"

I agree with Ockbar. Only hardcore JRPG fanboys would agree with your statement. Since I'm sure this article will attract them, I'll go ahead and expect many disagrees.

[Zweihanders]

I'd say that JRPGs tend to be emotionally deeper with a much heavier emphasis on the story than most Western RPGs. There are obviously RPGs on both sides that don't conformt to this (like Mass Effect), but usually that is the case. The art style also sets them apart. JRPGs obviously tend to be heavily influenced by Manga and Anime style art, while Western tends to be gritty and realistic. They both have influenced each other in a massively positive way in recent years.

[DrJones]

Because there are a lot of wapanese people among older gamers.
And they are a nostalgic bunch.

[Ripco_Keller]

Yeah, JRPG depth just isn't there except when you get into their tactical rpg's and such (disgaea, fft, tactics ogre etc.)

JRPG - Locked on rails story from a creative fiction writer's wet dream. Simple interface and mechanics.
WRPG - As little story as possible, mostly focused on creating a living breathing world where story evolves as the player interacts with it. Deep, inter-related mechanics, complex interface.

JRPG's have demonstrably more focus on their story than their mechanics, which is why JRPG's haven't evolved for 20 years or so. They figured out how to railroad in a 20 to 1 cutscene to play ratio and hardly look back.

WRPG's are often seen as buggy and unprofessional by comparison because there is so much more depth that it's more difficult to give everyone a perfect play experience.

Get a room of ten people together, have them play any final fantasy for 10 hours, then have another group play any fallout for 10 hours. The first group will have virtually identical experiences, the latter group will likely feel like they were all playing different games.

I'm probably just on an incoherent tangent. I think they both bring great things to the table, I love both, but they have their obvious strengths and weaknesses and sometimes it feels like we're comparing apples to oranges.

[darthawesome90]

JRPG's are like everyone's favorite novels. They have gripping stories and characters. Every time I play one like Golden Sun 1 & 2 or Final Fantasy the story just draws me in.

I honestly don't care about the lack of options in the story which WRPG's have, just like I don't care that my favorite novel "The Game of Thrones" doesn't have the option: To save Winterfell turn to page 67, to destroy it turn to page 133.

[WildArmed]

Aye, there is such a great "formula" for JRPGs.

People knew that's what we wanted, and idk why, they started to deviate from it.

Give us an open world, give us equipment upgrade, give us a leveling system, a well written story, and characters.

The formula has been done to death, and at one point, back in the ps2 days, you could pick up any JRPG and know it'll be good. Then some guy decided to reinvent the wheel and move from what they do best to copying other genres.

Ugh, I miss those days.

[Drake117]

I haven't enjoyed a JRPG since Dark Cloud 2 and Final Fantasy 10 idk if its me or if the quality has gone down or like you said they changed them to much or what.

[WildArmed]

@Drake

"Good" JRPGs are hard to find. JRPGs are already rare as it is, forget finding a "Good" JRPG.
I hear Xenoblade Chronicles is amazing, but I don't have a Wii.

Valkriya Chornicles was a really good game. And I hear good things about Tales Grace F (I plan on getting this soon).

[SpaceGhost]

@drake117 try the Tales series or some of the classic game remakes for the ds, yes they have lost their wimsy graphics but they are just as fun . The tales series are one of the few reaming jrpg series which have are still regarded as amazing.

[Relientk77]

Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, and 10 are amazing

I will never forget them either ever

[AIndoria]

Ah, someone likes Final Fantasy VIII. Finally, sir. Cheers!

[christian hour]

Carlos knows the score :) Chrono Trigger is an amazing JRPG, I never played Chrono Cross so I can't speak for it but it would have a hard time topping its predecessor.

Sadly I had a falling out with JRPG's this gen, mainly because it seemed like everyone forgot what made them good and decided to try be more western with their gameplay and 2 dimensional story.

FFVERSUS13 is what ive been holding out for to restore my faith, but I'm beginning to wonder if we'll even see that game this gen. Square havent made a good FF since 10, 12 for me was the final nail in the coffin and I skipped 13, and just knowing about what 13 promised but ultimately became was enough to put me off trying ANY JRPGS this gen, so please, if anyone can turn me on to one that is as good as the best of the best JRPGS last gen, let me know cos I'd love to play one now :P

EDIT: @Alndoria I never understood peoples dislike with FF8, music gameplay and story were up there with other entries to the series, and there was plenty to explore and discover on your own that enriched the main plotline, more people need to start loving FF8 and hating the new butchery that is FF games this gen.

I wish Hironobu Sakaguchi could somehow pry the IP from square-enix's cold greedy hands.

[SpaceGhost]

@christian hour like I mentioned above try the Tales sereis, and the reason why a lot of people hate final fantasy 8 is that it stopped focusing on groups of characters and even the save the world plotand focused more so on a love story that started to permeate all JRPGS. not to mention the story for final fantasy 8 is beyond retarted, the charcters were retarded and their plans were retarted, just so people can get catpurted or escape.

[christian hour]

SpaceGhost, you are my hero so even though you just destroyed one of my favourite FF games in mere seconds, I cannot hate you for it :P I'll have a look into tales in the meantime, I have seen a lot of good things said about it but I always worried it was coming from the same people that think FF13 is the best game ever, or that turn based battles is "old hat". Anyways, keep rockin it from coast to coast, ol space ghost!

[SilentNegotiator]

"They're the best games ever created"

That's a bold claim. One that I'd certainly disagree with. The most important aspect of a game is gameplay, and "battle systems" are weak.

[Auron]

they may have been the best at one point. but man how they have fallen!

[Lovable]

They satisfy my RPG craving more than WRPGs(well with the exception of very few ie. skyrim and Fall out). Also, I like the artistic/animeish design of JRPGs compared to the plastic and hideous looking design from western developers. Although, seriously, it all comes down to the character and gameplay which I've been accustomed to since the PS1 era.

[AnotherProGamer]

Yeah the thing I like about jrpgs is that they are more creative in design. In wrpg you would see stuff like goblins, skeleton warriors, and giant rats.

[WildArmed]

Oh, good observation.

I never really thought about it, but now that I am. I noticed that's one of the biggest things that bugged me about WRPGs.

[born2live]

Aww come on... no such thing in Mass Effect or in Star Wars:Knights of the old republic... Of course those D&D games are filled with the same stupid creatures everytime (and I say that knowing full well that Star Wars actually works on a AD&D system), but it wouldn't be fair to put all the wrpg in the same bag... There are bad JRPGs too...

[Drake117]

I don't think any one said they were bad just that JRPGs have more creativity in things like enemies and world design. I think i mostly agree too. JRPGs have some crazy stuff that WRPG designers just wouldn't even think of putting in their games. For instance (and i haven't played this game) i think in the new xenoblade game or whatever the game world that the player moves around on is actually two giants or something. Something like that is not currently in WRPGs.

[Ripco_Keller]

I'll second that. Just go through any rpg done by ATLUS and you'll find yourself scratching your head as to what kind of mind comes up with some of these monsters.

[an0nym0us]

It's a cultural thing, but it's just less appealing to a global market.
Most jrpgs games are just really stupid and childish, and limits you too hard. From my eyes, most Jrpgs aren't even rpgs, they have zero choices. You just do what ever the main character does, it's supposed to be the other way around.

Personal i HATE the weapons in most Jrpgs their freaking stupid, and don't do what they were made to do, For Example Two-handed swords. They get swung like daggers, which nerfs Daggers, I mean who loves Sniping Shotguns??

[Lovable]

To be completely honest though, most JRPGs are fantasy Rpg. They are not portrayed to be realistic to begin with...

[wishingW3L]

but there's a huge difference between being realistic to just plain silly like for example: Neptunia and Atelier. These 2 highlight exactly what most western gamers hate the most about Jrpg's.

And I'm not saying that these 2 are bad games but that their presentation is hard to stomach if you aren't a weaboo.

[Lovable]

Well that's because those series you mentioned "cater" to a different type of audience. Just because it's called Jrpgs won't necessarily mean they're all the same and will appeal to everyone who likes Jrpgs.

[TBM]

as much as i enjoyed skyrim it did get repetitive and boring with the constant fetch quests, and once you've killed a dragon it pretty much became been there done that.

give me a jrpg over an wrpg any damn day of the week.

[Hicken]

... do you know what rpg stands for? I'm not even going to explain it to you. Just going to point out that JRPGS and WRPGS go about it in different ways.

As for childish, I can only think of Kingdom Hearts as MAYBE being a series more for kids; most JRPGS tackle some rather mature themes. And because the scope of what you can do is so "limited," the stories are almost always deeper than what you find in WRPGS.

As for your issue with weapons... whatever. That sounds like you just made up something. Who in what game swings a two-handed sword like daggers?

Just another person who has no clue what they're talking about.

[Snookies12]

Actually, Kingdom Hearts while possibly being aimed at people of all ages has an extremely complex and deep story that would go over the head of most gamers, let alone kids... I completely agree with your comment though, JRPGs are MUCH deeper in story BECAUSE you don't have those "choices" to worry about. A good RPG is supposed to be like a good book, you read through it and that's how it happens. Don't see anyone bashing the Harry Potter novels for not allowing you to pick your own adventures lol. XD

[Dark11]

i agree the only thing JRPG need is a mature characters design .. like FF or resonance of fate.

[Ripco_Keller]

Let me digress for a second and say shotguns are actually made to snapshot hit small, far-off things (like say.. birds) and are longer range and more accurate than most games have trained you to believe. Personally if I were on a snipe hunt I would choose a shotgun over a rifle any day of the week and think the terminology evolved oddly with snipers.

As to your actual points.. I mostly agree and have the same principle problems facing JRPG's.
-I /hate/ Kawaii (cutesy anime/high pitched girls).
-I prefer customization (of characters/classes).
-I hate being given no options (story-wise).

[Subzero200]

huh people care about jrpgs?

[ACBAA]

your avatar is japanese, for the record.

[Snookies12]

LOL! Yu-Gi-Ohhhhhh snap! Got him!

[scrambles]

its Japanese and a card game/TV show... that doesn't have anything to do with JRPGs really. He can like one but not the other.

[Kran]

There are some I like; some stand out more than others.

If anything good were to come out of Japan, it would be the endless amount of anime where theres something for everyone, not JRPG games.

Though saying that, really cant wait for Ni No Kuni.

[Snookies12]

I really really love quite a few various anime series, but the majority of it suffers much worse from bad design choices than their games do... You can have an engrossing story without every chick character flashing her boobs or wearing skimpy outfits lol.

[Kran]

Thats the best part...

[Highschool of the Dead] xD

[Lucretia]

absolutely love jrpgs. no matter what i always will.

[lodossrage]

Maybe they like them simply because they do. No need to justify "why" for anyone.

I myself loved JRPG before I even knew the term JRPG from my days playing the old FF games and dragon warrior (aka dragon quest) games on the NES.

And I continue to play them on the PS3 to this day. And I'll keep on doing so until they stop making the genre. Which I hope they never do.

[Yangus]

My favorite video game genre.....
Final Fantasy series..Versus???
Dragon Quest series..
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Grandia
Skies of Arcadia
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Xenoblade
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Ni no Kuni

Jrpgs best video game genre...i think..art,story,battle system,characters,exploring,se crets,adventure....

[SpaceGhost]

why is no one mentioning the godamn Tales series, it is superior to all of the "major" series out their as of now, it has way fewer flops/terrible games then any other jrpg series

granted my favorite JRPGS are still

Crono Trigger
Mother Earth 2(Earth Bound)
Final Fantasy 6 (3 in NA)
and Tales of Symponia
and of course Phantasy star1&2

[FrigidDARKNESS]

It's the Art Work and story telling that folks love so much.

[Qrphe]

Why do people care about genres they like? Why do people care about anything at all?

Why not just NOT like anything?

[alessandro10]

lol Kotaku.... please dont open this page and clock it from your web browsers

[alessandro10]

block it

[YourFlyness]

Just give me a proper Suikoden or Breath of Fire. Waiting for the 6th of both

[chrispen9]

I like J-RPG's because they have characters you can relate to. The stories are usually more mystical than Skyrim or Dragon Age and really have a strange art style. My favorite game of this year is Tales of Graces f. I'd rather have J-RPG's than some bland Western RPG. I love Skyrim but I love Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and the Tales of games even more. If we only had shooters, then the gaming industry would be in trouble.

[born2live]

I'm just tired of the endless cinematics... I wanna kill stuff!

[born2live]

As of now there are 6 disagree-ers - I just wanna know... you guys actually watch the full cinematics everytime? I mean, I'm expecting a game, not a movie, and you could easily spend more time watching the cinematics than actually playing in a lot of the more recent JRPGs...

Don't get me wrong - I've been enjoying JRPGs ever since the firsts final fantasy, phantasy star, dragon warrior and others, but back in those days, you were actually playing a game most of the time... (oh boy, I sound like an old gamer now...)

[Hicken]

First of all, it's part of the story, so yes, I watch the cinematics.

Secondly, I've never played a game where I spent more time watching the cutscenes than actually playing. No, not even FFXIII, which people hate all the time for just that(among other things).

Such gross generalizations more or less prove that you don't play much in the way of current titles, but rather get the majority of your information secondhand.

[SpaceGhost]

because anything that is negative sounding on this thread is downvoted? and props for being the first to mention Phantasy star.

[IQUITN4G]

The fasination for the jrpg does now seem to have dwindled but it was good while it lasted. In the end though the idea of moody teens just doesn't appeal that much past a certain age anyway for the majority. A second truth is games used to be better coming from Japan but western games have now improved to the point they are taken very seriously

Great days really for some of those special games but the more obvious cultural differences in script etc and the necessity for often over quirky and teen based characters seems a bit silly these days. And this is an opinion that is largely shared these days by all but the most hardcore fans because the yare being largely ignored in favour of western design

[izumo_lee]

Where in other genres do we get characters doing 10 billion damage points?

Where in games do we get loli personifications of consoles battling against piracy?

Where in games do characters shoot themselves in the head to summon gods to battle?

Where in gaming does a scientist, frog warrior, cavewoman, robot, travel through time to stop an alien parasite?

Where in games do we see Donald Duck, Goofy & a spiky haired boy go through various Disney locations to find a Heart?

Where in gaming do you find a band of stereotypes go on an epic journey to defeat a mommy's boy hell bent on destroying the world?

In JRPGs that is where & that is why we LOVE them!!!

[TheColbertinator]

Persona!

*shoots head*

[WildArmed]

Well said.
If this doesn't explain why, then nothing ever will.

[TheObserver]

......

*Clap* *clap*

[Corax]

If I'm willing to spend money on a great JRPG that should be enough reason to keep making them.

[Man_Among_Mice]

Why do people care about Kotaku?

[Lavalamp]

Because they bother to read the article rather than scoff at the title and find out that it's a recommendation piece that could potentially help introduce gamers to new JRPG titles.

[ClimateKaren]

Did he say anything about the topic or title, or did he say something about the site? Did you bother to read his comment, or just pick up on the negative tone and reply to it the first way you decided to take it?

[Lavalamp]

Did you? His post is obviously a play on the article's title intended to mock Kotaku for irrelevancy, and I contest that someone who actually read the piece wouldn't have the wherewithal to make such a statement in this particular instance.

[ClimateKaren]

Yeah, it was a play on the title to mock Kotaku for irrelevancy. Not a comment about the article at all. Are you trying to say that this article is so solid that he wouldn't be able to honestly express that sentiment anymore if he read it? Or are you just trying to backpedal so you don't look like you totally missed his point? Should he have to read a Kotaku article each time he decides to slam Kotaku, just to make sure he still thinks they stink?

Regardless of the quality of this particular write-up (which people in this thread are wasting zero time crapping on), people who dislike Kotaku are going to dislike Kotaku. If you honestly believe that this write-up is changing anyone's opinions on them (especially the people involved in the mass exodus that's been taking place there in the past few days) you're delusional.

[Lavalamp]

Of course he should have to read the article if he wants to make a claim about the site. The determining factor of a media outlet's quality is its media.

[ClimateKaren]

I don't know if you're playing dumb or the real deal... Do you believe that he's saying that having never visited the site before? Do you think there is anyone in here who isn't more than familiar with Kotaku? The error here is yours, not his, for assuming that he's making a statement with zero experience. I don't know him, but I promise you that he's been to Kotaku.

Also, for the record, the media is not the sole determining factor in a site's quality, and Kotaku is THE perfect example of that. One of the aspects of running a site that people enjoy visiting relies on your relationship with the community, which has completely gone to shit over at Kotaku. If Hitler wrote beautiful poetry should we judge him on that?

Believe me, Kotaku does not end and begin at this article.

[Lavalamp]

If Hitler was a beautiful poet then I would expect comments in his submissions on News4Poets.com to be something along the lines of: "Hitler was a horrible human being, but this haiku of his is quite beautiful."

And likewise, I'd think it appropriate to see something here that reads: "Kotaku is a horrible site, but this article has merit."

[ClimateKaren]

Ah, here is a question then: would you expect a Jewish person to express their sentiments that way? Or would you give them a pass to speak badly of him without having to mention his merits every single time, just so that people like you can be secure in knowing that they are aware of his poetry? Kotaku have pissed a lot of people off who used to visit and comment there regularly.

Anyway you're reaching at this point, stop it. He shouldn't have to list every aspect of his analysis of Kotaku to give his overall opinion, and he certainly shouldn't have to do it every time he gives his opinion. He thinks they're irrelevant. He said it. You wanted to talk about there article. You missed his point, and now you're trying to act like you took it into account this whole time.

If you stand by what you're saying though, then I'll be looking forward to NEVER seeing you offering a simple opinion on anything. You won't ever say "I loved this game, the gameplay was great", right? You will also tell us how you felt about the graphics, music, storyline, and interface, won't you? Or will you just admit that you're inventing standards of speech right now just to make yourself look right?

[Lavalamp]

Oh I certainly wouldn't give a Jewish person a free pass to discredit Hitler's poetry because of his person on the now-popular New4Poetry.com. Hitler's person has no bearing on the merit of his poetry.

Much like I think Phil Fish is a tactless and unprofessional public figure, but I will not discredit the merit of his work on Fez after having experienced it.

[CLOUD1983]

"Final Fantasy VII - You might as well see what all the hype is about."

Jason Schreier that was extremely retarded of u, ok we get it u prefer FFVI over FFVII but dont go and write this crap on an article idiot, your ironic & moronic way of mocking FFVII show how biased u r.. what's the point to write an article with advices for JRPGs when u write this ridiculous stuff about the KING of the genre? show some respect for the game that make JRPGs popular out of JPN to all over the world and cut this ironic comments.

[izumo_lee]

I totally agree! The dude must have not been alive when FF 7 came out or he would not have said such an ignorant comment.

Love it or hate it i do not care. But to deny the fact what that game did for the genre of JRPGs in the west is asinine.

I guess those who were old enough to be around when FF 7 launched understand the impact the game made in the success of the PS one (this game literally sold consoles) , the success of Squaresoft, the success of JRPGs, & that gaming can be an experience like no other.

[Kratoscar2008]

I love jrpgs but sometimes the protagonists are so awful that i dont stand playing a game (FFXIII, Tales of), in RPGs the definition is "Role" Playing Game but wich role you fulfill when all characters talk? When all characters are themselves and all their actions and opinions are determided even when they give you choices those choices all match with the character fixed personality? For this i would like jrpgs heroes to be as Commander Shepard were you choose EVERYTHING that the character says, Tales of Xillia 2 has me hyped for this.

[ALLWRONG]

JRPG's aren't what they used to be. WRPG's have stolen all the thunder and are just better IMO.

[Hicken]

The funny thing about opinions is that they can be WRONG.

Like yours is, here.

[lodossrage]

They didn't steal any thunder. JRPG games are EXACTLY what they always were. And that's why people actually like them. The only thing people DON'T like about them is that some of them (final fantasy for example as of late) try to be more western. Which is exactly what we DON'T want.

If we wanted wrpg, we'd BUY wrpg. Jrpg needs to stay true to what they are and NOT try to be what they aren't.

WRPG games get the hype they do because most of the are action games or fps games trying to be passed off as RPG just because they have rpg elements.

[MysticStrummer]

"They didn't steal any thunder"
"WRPG games get the hype"
You contradicted yourself there.

WRPGs have more RPG elements than JRPGs do, because WRPGs are more like the original pen and paper RPGs than JRPGs are. Add co-op to a game like Skyrim and the result would be the closest thing to those old school role playing sessions we've ever seen in videogame form. Major changes would have to be made to any JRPG to achieve the same result.

I briefly experimented with JRPGs because of all the hype they used to get, and found them to be not what I was looking for in a role playing game. I know JRPGs have lots of fans, so I hope someone continues to make good ones, but I don't care about them.

[lodossrage]

It's not a contradiction.

They didn't steal any "thunder" because Jrpg have ALWAYS been niche. They still get the same kind of sales, publicity, and attention they ALWAYS did. No more, no less. So unless you're sitting here saying the JRPG was ever a "big" thing, it's not a contradiction.

[Ravenor]

What "ROLE PLAYING GAME" elements are present in a JRPG, but not present in a WRPG? Do they make sense in the context of a real time game?

I enjoy both (Oh I know, a foreign concept here.) and beyond the obvious gameplay differences, both games more or less set out to do the same thing just in a different way.

One genre IS NOT better then another, and really none of you "Harcore" defensive JRPG types have made a compelling argument for it.

Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG.

[lodossrage]

What "compelling" argument needs to be made?

you NEVER saw me say one was better than the other. And what "elements" are present in one over the other comes down to nitpicking at individual games?

I CAN make "arguments" here if you REALLY want. But I don't waste my time because I've seen MORE than enough of the N4G landscape to see people read and believe what the want to read and believe to waste my time with that

[Rock_On_PS4]

JRPGs like Final Fantasy XIII/XIII-2, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and other disappointing current generation JRPGs.
WRPGs featuring Oblivion, Skyrim, Mass Effect 1 and 2(not 3), Fall out 3 GOTY and GTA IV(not an RPG but open world game with choices.

Past JRPG games FF 5-10, Chronno Trigger, Xeno Blade, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 and many others were good/great JRPGs.

Current generation JRPGs have been a let down, big time.

[Qrphe]

There have been great JRPGS in the last years: Kingdom Hearts Birh By Sleep, Final Fantasy Crisis Core, Final Fantasy Type-0, Disgaea 3 and 4, Tales of Grace f, Ni no Kuni, Valkyria Chronicles among others.

As a long-time WRPG fan, I am quite disappointed with the direction such games are going. If you had been a long time Elders Scrolls, Diablo, Fallout fan and WRPG in general, you'd possibly see how disappointing Oblivion (then the further dumbing down in Skyrim), Diablo 3 and Fallout 3 were.

Mass Effect is a great series I won't deny it, but not a great rpg series.

It's all a matter of opinion I guess.

[Thatlalala]

Diablo 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Morrowind(Oblivion & Skyrim), Mass Effect, WoW, Ultima, Fallouts 1,2,3 n N.Vegas, Planscape, Kotor, Dragon Age. Can you notice the pattern? This pattern changed everything.

[Louis_Guzman]

The only pattern I see is bug riddled, ugly games that play the same and with the exception of WoW and Fallout 3, only appeal to a small group of basement dwelling. neckbearded, D and D types. RPGs that actually changed things and sold more than just about anything you listed: Pokemon, Final Fantasy, the Souls series, Kingdom Heats, Monster Hunter, Mario and Luigi, Dragon Quest, Xenogears, Xenoblade, Chrono series and Vagrant Story.

[Ravenor]

BAHAHAHAHA, Planescape? A bad game? Ultima? Baldurs Gate 2? KOTOR? and Dragon Age? You're pissing into the wind.

Man the delusion and ignorance is just ridiculous. If you haven't played the games or didn't even exist, shut your ignorant mouth.

Kinda funny you mentioned some JRPG's that borrowed from MMO or had a more action RPG style to them. Try harder.

[Christopher]

@Louis_Guzman: Anyone that calls the Baldur's Gate, Morrowind, Ultima, KotOR Planescape (especially this game), and Dragon Age games "bug riddled, ugly games that play the same" needs to stop and go play them. Seriously, what you say after that just doesn't even matter anymore considering your level of ignorance regarding these games. Just... seriously, go play them. If you can still say that, then I have no clue what you are looking for in an "RPG" but you obiously aren't looking for what makes RPGs RPGs but perhaps only what makes JRPGs JRPGs.

Mind blown with that type of statement. Mind blown.

Seriously, Planescape is still on a level all its own. Even compared to games from today. Writing, design, gameplay concepts. Hell, BioWare is still stealing gameplay concepts from that game.

Mind blown.

[8bit_Nes_Rambo]

@Thatlalala: I notice a pattern of ultimate suck that ultimately changed nothing. Fallout 3 was good though, when it wasn't glitching, crashing or erasing my saves.

[iMaim]

Maybe some people like to play as androgynous badass's?
You know, just a thought...

[DivineAssault]

why do ppl care about shooters?

[optimus]

Well i tried giving rpgs a chance and liked them to a certain degree after playing mario rpg and suikoden back in the day, but final fantasy 7 made me hate them to the point of wanting to smash it into pieces. I grew tired of the random fights with enemies when i tried to get from point a to b. Then the elaborate 5 minute long spells that you would cast. Not to mention if they don't die with one spell, doing another would take another 5 min.

Sure, they're pretty to look at the 1st 2 or 3 times but after that you just want it to be over and done with. Needless to say, i didn't bother finishing the game. And the whole turn based fighting just makes me cringe now. I like my rpg's to be more heavy on the action, ala' the zelda games...and my main reason for not liking rpg's is No Replay Value. That's right, once you finish it there is no incentive to play it again...maybe if you forget about it after a year, but other than that, no thank you.

[Kratoscar2008]

Zelda isnt a RPG dude.

The magics in 7 doesnt take too long, only summomns take long and they are ENTIRELY optional (Unless you want to take down the hardest Bosses).

Some games have replay value, like the persona and growlanser series, so your points are nule.

Go back to Call of Duty.

[optimus]

Actually in the early years, zelda was indeed marketed as an rpg and as the rpg's that you are used to came around the zeldas were given a subname of an "action rpg"...
as far as you saying "unless you want to take down the hardest bosses in parenthesis", that completely negates your "ENTIRELY optional" statement.

Saying SOME is a lot less than most which my complaints address, so therefore YOUR defense is how you put it...nule.

I take it that people that don't like rpg's automatically like call of duty?? Well aren't you the intuitive gamer. Sherlock holms got nothing on you.

[Gamerpeanuts]

Personally JRPG's are usually better than WRPG games mainly because of the story and characters, but i finx JRPG puzzles more challenging than WRPG, in Chrono Trigger you have to go back in time to open certain doors, and in Skyrim u find 3 symbols in plain sight and then open a door, not as compelling or satisfying. oh and i dont like how WRPG are all repetitive fetch quests, wen JRPG games like The World Ends With You i can play forever.

[Dark_Overlord]

Since the days of the PS2 (and now PS3) I've made it a personal goal to own and play every JRPG released on the console (PS2/PS3) I can :) That's how much I enjoy them :)

[AIndoria]

Why do we eat Pizzas? Why do we run? Why do we drink beer?
Just because some of us fxcking want to and we enjoy them.

[Captain Tuttle]

I don't understand it either. I find JRPG's very hard to relate to, their popularity confuses me.

But whatever, to each his own.

[ShaunCameron]

I feel the same way about WRPG's. Aside from hack & slash action gameplay mechanics, I find them unimaginative and mundane with a rather unhealthy obsession over having more freedom and choices than a player care to make any meaningful use of.

And for the record, I don't really care for RPG's in general.

[Captain Tuttle]

Fair enough. I can totally see that. I don't really like the GTA's for that reason, they're just too open. I ultimately felt the same way with Red Dead Redemption although I tried like hell to like the game. It just seemed pretty pointless to me.

Not every genre is for every person.

[OneAboveAll]

Not a fan of big hair and big eyes. Not a fan of anime to start with. I find it goofy. :p

[-Gespenst-]

Because they're fucking great. At their best, they're the most imaginative, progressive games you can buy.

[PooEgg]

I like JRPGs and I also like Western games. Personally, I think that Japan got a little too focused on handheld gaming and ports and they neglected consoles for far too long. There have been a handful of good JRPGs on consoles, thanks to companies like Atlus and NISA, but the epic games that I would really like to play (Suikoden or Shadow Hearts for example) never seem to materialize on consoles.

[Fullmetalevolust]

I have gotten back and revived my love for JRPG's (it never truly dies) and play them regularly on my saturn and my dreamcast. If you don't like current gen, there are a ton of titles who need attention and who are not as obsolete as one might think.
There are soon to be released titles that I want to play but in the mean time, the classics are what's keeping me happy. Long live JRPG's! It's an aesthetic and a world I cannot live without, it is to me what video games are all about, escapism and adventure in the comfort of your living room.

[JoeSchmoh]

I am so sick and tired of people boxing out the Japanese because they perfect so many things. Ninja was a martial art style that came from china..the japanese perfected it into an 'Art'. They did it with the videogame industry in the 80's when Atari died and saved the industry. Americans just hate not being the 'Best' at everything so we need people to make these step by step blog/articles explaining it. I'm not going to sit back and believe the new frontier/pinnacle of videogames are FPShooters talking **** over mics. That was so last decade..I was playing games online on the dreamcast (through the PHONELINE!). so what!? People just like to think everything is new because of Online Multiplayer/Mics to talk ****! Nintendo brought out touch screen controls with the NINTENDO DS BACK IN 2005. It's 2012 all of sudden Ipads/Tablets with touch screen controls are new!? and Ipads/Tablets are supposed to take over.. HAHAHAHA! GET THE **** OUT! MY @**! YEA RIGHT! Like everything is new because of Facebook/Twitter! hahaha!

[8bit_Nes_Rambo]

Amen brother. In the 80s and 90s Japan had gaming on lockdown, both at home and the arcade. Hell, even in the early 2000s they where still at the zenith of game development.

[Enigma_2099]

... because American RPGs aren't as good?

[JoeSchmoh]

American games are all about shooters..period. Miyamoto even wants to do an FPS game. I'm waiting till the day Metal Gear Solid goes full blown First Person. I'm gonna commit hara-kiri on myself. The First Person virus is taking over everything!

[Tzuno]

Because they are the best genre of games. Amen

[no_more_heroes]

They just feel right. The boss battles, the base camps (whether as towns or little pocket areas on the map that I stop at along the way to level grind), the weapon/accessory upgrades, the side quests (who'd have thought being a glorified mailman could be so fun?) and the story (the great struggle the main character(s) are going through to try and accomplish whatever they're trying to accomplish).

[goldwyncq]

Because unlike WRPG's,they're more than just medieval fantasies or sci-fi. At least most of them have original plots instead of just being restricted to those genres all the time.

[IQUITN4G]

The idea of playing a new jrpg though in the future is something you guys should be worried about. Other than FF, they don't sell as well outside of japan on consoles it seems. Certainly not this gen anyway on xbox and ps3 and that hardly encourages companies to pour money into having them all localized. It does encourage adapting the design to a more western design unfortunately as well so it's a no win situation

[Donnywho]

Grab a translated SNES rom of LiveELive if you've never played it. Amazing JRPG from Square that I never knew about until 3 years ago. So hopefully someone who's never heard about it can discover it too.

[Neko608]

Persona 5 will save us all, I have faith

[Kratoscar2008]

I so want P5 to at least be announced (with pics and all), this game will be the BEST RPG in this generation ever.

ATLUS is my favorite publisher and developer ever.

[Qrphe]

People talk about how JRPGs have lost their spirit yet ignore that WRPGs have been having the same problem just because they've had more mainstream appeal.

[Drabent]

RPGs are the only real games worth $60.

[byeGollum]

hmm.. I've yet to see the credits roll for a RPG game. The only RPG I'm proud to own is Demon's souls and that is Japanese made(I'm nearly done with it, it may be the first I actually end). I've not given up yet, I'm willing to go back and give some other RPGs another chance, branch out.

[PSK22]

Honestly, if it wasn't for JRPGs, I would of never probably have brought a PS3 or even be interested in video games today. So RPGs opened up for other games for me to get.

[UnitSmiley]

I've always loved Jrpgs because of the characters, storylines, and aesthetics.

Characters: You know, actually having a main character with a personality and other supporting characters that you learn to care about as the game is played. Characters that make you feel emotional when something happens to them. Most Wrpgs have so little of this. The main character is usually yourself, which some like but I kind of hate, and the supporting characters? Lol, yeah, I certainly don't hear people talking about a death of a Wrpg character that is as memorable as say Aeris or something.

Storyline: Jrpgs have very imaginative stories that literally take my mind off of most other things. I genuinely care about the world in the game and what is happening to it. Whether it be as odd as giant babies with teeth coming down to devour the world (Drakengard) or as philosophical as fighting against humanity itself (Nier) Jrpgs have unique stories that make you go "whoa, never thought of that before!". Wrpgs? Uhm, go kill the dragons?

Aesthetics: This one is mostly subjective and based on the players preference. I honestly love the aesthetics found in jrpgs. By aesthetics I mean the way the characters are drawn, how the armor looks ect. Jrpgs depending on the game, have imaginative equipment to wear and awesome looking people wearing them. Same with the towns or cities, whether it be more medieval like FF9 or more dystopian like FF7, it is portrayed as something new and fresh. Wrpgs all look the exact same. You could take any location or piece of equipment from any wrpg and put it in another wrpg and it wouldn't look out of place at all. Oh look, a stone castle..with..stones, and generic looking knights with, the same freakin armor as the generic knights in the other wrpgs. There is no uniqueness at all.

That said the biggest problem I do have with Jrpgs is that they occasionally fall to cliche anime moments >_<

[Abolisher of Apathy]

This is something to watch http://penny-arcade.com/pat...

[DrJones]

Because there are a lot of wapanese people among older gamers.

[HmongAmerican]

I care because I like to do battle with bad ass bosses and level grinding. Plus the super awesome magic casting and creature summoning.

[Subzero200]

jrpgs are dead deal with with, and i would like to see at least one person in her name a good rpg that came out of japan that anyone has card about recently.