5 Western RPG Hates (And Why They Won't Change)

Split-screen.com: "I recently came across an article in the Official XBox Magazine, titled 7 J-RPG Hates (And What Needs to Change). From the rather aggravated response of Japanese gamers via the 2-Chan forums, it's obvious this list is content with lampooning J-RPGs, rather than suggesting much by way of constructive fixing.

"Some elements don't even make much sense - apparently, 'Good Voice acting' isn't criticizing the Japanese VAs attempt in portraying digital characters, so much as it targets the West's VA team for the same title. The rest are rather incongruous: Why do characters buy new equipment and then that change isn't reflected on the actual model? Why do kids join your party? Why aren't heroes evil in some way? Inexplicable list, yes, but it got me thinking. What is it about Western RPGs that could be changed?"

[Raoh]

I hate the way western rpg games look. reminds me of the lord of the rings movie from the 70's

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

fable series comes to mind here....

[Nike]

Was kind of confused with what Fable was attempting, to tell the truth. I mean, just the whole guns and swords thing doesn't gel as well as say Arcanum did. And yeah, for a 360 title, it looks pretty damn dull. :(

[GWAVE]

Western RPGs need to do some bug-testing.

As a general rule, WRPGs are 10 times more glitchy and prone to freezing and crashing than JRPGs.

WRPGs tend to be "quantity over quality". I blame the likes of Morrowind and Ultima for this problem. Yeah, your WRPG has 10,000 quests, but 9,975 of them are fetch quests that take 2 minutes to complete. Yeah, your game world covers 8,000 square miles, but 7,995 of those miles are useless areas. Yeah, you have 150 NPCs in your WRPG, but they only have three lines of dialog.

And before people start cranking on the disagrees, I love WRPGs. In fact, if I were to make a "top 10 RPG" list for myself, most of them would be WRPGs. Still, I'm just pointing out some obvious flaws in the genre.

[Nike]

That of all Western companies, BioWare and Bethesda are the only ones which makes good RPGs any more. Funny how the West has been so badly pwned by the East in this respect. lol

[NaiNaiNai]

this is total fail

western RPGS don't look good compaired to eastern ones is cause, WRPGs try to keep it dark and griddy, so it seems more realistic, JRPGs have pretty boys, bright neon light colors. >.> which one do you think is going to make the idiot like this poster go "OHHHHH pretty colors" T_T
-nai-

[lord_of_balrogs]

This article is fail. Bioshock isn't an RPG.

"But even today, most of the levels or universes revolve around the same typical themes:"

Bull, this applies more to JRPGS than WRPGS. The story is almost the same every time. It usually (but not always) revolves around some feminine young man with spiky hair and a big sword saving the world from the ultimate evil.

"Any one who’s played Mass Effect will agree that while it has a massive amount of content, it’s just plain unclear on how to actually do most of those cool things the game teases you with. A tighter path and more intrinsic gameplay as opposed to simply piling the quests on would definitely be welcome."

Mass Effect was incredibly linear compared to most WRPGS and has fewer quests then most WRPGS. The log book literally hold your hand and tells you where all the quests are. And the battle mechanics, how hard is it to press the right bumper, pick an action, and press A to use that biotic or tech power? Or use the right trigger to fire?

As for the misconception that WRPGs have a crappy story, Mass Effect craps all over this. A story doesn't have to have 15 minute long cutscenes to be good. The author claims WRPGS are more quantity over quality but how long your story is in a JRPG doesn't make it any good. Mass Effect and KOTOR had some of the most immerersive universes and best stories in any RPG I have ever played.

Oh and WRPGS don't revolve around adult men, most WRPGS allow you to customize your features and allow you to be woman or man.

[Tony P]

I agree with you lord of balrogs.

"It’s all well and good to use what works but JRPGs have much more variety in their settings. The worlds they inhabit are more vivid and alive, without the atypical “fire-themed dungeon” or “underground vault”."

I found this sentence particularly hilarious because this is a much more well known cliché in JRPGs.

The best point is the last. More accurately, it WOULD have been in the era of isometric RPGs last gen. Anyone who made the leap from Fallout 2 to 3 can tell you there's a literal world of difference in the complexity of gameplay. I mean come on. The move from Morrowind to Oblivion sacrifices hundreds of options in favour of mass appeal. It is no more complex than learning fire trumps ice in an FF. And if you still can't hang, you can turn the difficulty down during the game. I don't see that in JRPGs at all.

[Maywell]

I always hate how most WRPG show... dark and grey, guns and bombs. Ugly and too manly character, even the female looked manly. No WRPG show female beauty like FF show Rinoa, Tifa, Aeris, Yuna, Garnet.

Fable 2 is the only one that quite unique, other than that, all is dark and guns. But even Fable 2 have quite freaking monster look for the females.

[NaiNaiNai]

yes and theres games in JRPG section were you think a character is good looking and then you find out its a dude. *ahem Magna Carta*
plus not all WRPG have ugly females. most are actually rather buff, why because Wester art is about muscle, eatern art is fluid and smooth.
-nai-

[Tony P]

It's a matter of taste. I personally don't find the vast majority of anime styled character models too pleasing. They all look like 8-year-olds to me, especially the typical love interest. I usually find the older character models more attractive, but these are considered to be ancient and over-the-hill in JRPGs. *shrug*

[NaiNaiNai]

see i love them both, mainly cause i can't compair the love story of a JRPG, to the action adventure storys of WRPG.
-nai-

[Dark_Overlord]

WRPG seem to have seriously dumbed down the stats side of things