2017: The Year Japanese RPGs Caught Up To Western RPGs

GameRevolution: "For gamers who grew up in the 80's and 90's, it hasn't been easy to watch JRPGs fall from grace. Really, if it weren't for FromSoftware and its Souls series the circumstance would be ugly... or at least that's what the previous few years would lead you to believe."

[FallenAngel1984]

Why no mention of Pokémon, the most successful RPG series of all time

[naruga]

imo always western RPGs/or devs were inferior to the japanese ...Japan was just been left behind from tech standpoint .... western devs were like one-eyed kings in the land of blind..nothing interesting came from them, but in an era where japan couldnt develop worthy in visuals games, Western devs became temporary kings ......take for example Dragons Dogma (a good effort from Capcom that imo had only given the 50% of their potential ) literally tears apart the "saint chalice" of west --Skyrim

[mikeslemonade]

Bungie sucks

[Bimkoblerutso]

I certainly think Japanese developers have made a comeback this generation, if just for the fact that they're still delivering a lot of variety among their franchises when Western developers seem to be obsessed with converting all of theirs into generic open-world crap (not that there aren't any Japanese developers guilty of this too).

[indysurfn]

No mention of Pokemon because they are trying to compare westurn rpg's to JRPG's that are trying to be western rpg's hinch leaving out turn based.

[ULTp0ltergeist]

@naruga
I still see no comeback, if anything might be a last dying gasp of JRPGs. The quirky anime JRPG era was only unique in its own time. Western RPGs are out-rightly dominating not only in terms of technical prowess but financially with well established franchise that will out last JRPGs. Also JRPGs are designing their games to appease western audience not Japanese anymore. So if anything this is just hopeful thinking than it is an actual catch up.

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

Said no one ever!

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Really?

[XanderZane]

There were like 100+ JRPG's on the DS / 3DS. Don't think they needed to do much catching up. I'm glad to see a lot of Western PC RPG's coming to game consoles now though. Games like Diablo 3, Divinity: Original Sin, Torment: Tides Of Numenera , Incredible Adv of Van Helsing and so many more.

[KingKionic]

Not even close. None of these games maybe except Final Fantasy the KING of JRPG dont even touch the new ip Horizon Zero Dawn made by a western developer Guerilla games.

I doubt any of these games will sell better then Mass Effect Andromeda either even though that games a fumble but still posting in sales.

https://www.chart-track.co....

Western developers will forever be head over shoulders the Japanese devs.

Its whats what the people want and whats best for business.

[JonnyBigBoss]

Embargo for Persona 5 lifts in less than 48 hours. I'm patient, I can wait that long before roasting you.

[KingKionic]

There will be no roasting of anything by looking at the chart i posted.

If you wanna wear horseblinders be my guess.

But when you got Forza 5 outselling Nier Automata...that should be enough evidence.

[Razzer]

"But when you got Forza 5 outselling Nier Automata...that should be enough evidence."

Doesn't mean anything. Racing games are extremely popular in UK. You think Forza is outselling Nier in the US?

But this isn't just about game sales numbers. The quality of the games......it matters.

[PaleMoonDeath]

Cold blooded, I like it. Boss.

[UCForce]

Oh really ?

[gangsta_red]

I have to agree, as much as I enjoy JRPGs they still fall way behind their western counterparts in many, many areas and that is not even considering sales of the games, just design and story for me.

I did enjoy FF 15 but even that game had some serious issues I found puzzling not to mention again the ridiculous, confusing story it told.

Japanese role playing game devs need to seriously spend some more time on their games just ironing out and updating the little things to bring them up to speed for this gen. For example I'm playing the new Tales game, Berseria and while I am enjoying the game it still annoys me how their NPC's stand still and don't move inside the cities. It's little things like that which makes me smdh. A western developer could never get away with that in their role playing game nowadays.

[CDbiggen]

I happen to agree. JRPGs have more charm but can feel so restricting.
I like both for what they are.

[gangsta_red]

@CDbiggen

Agreed, JRPGs have that charm and humor with their characters that for some reason western devs can never replicate.

Maybe it's because how most WRPG's always have realism with their art and graphic style while most JRPGs go for the anime look.

I also like both and what they do, but I feel in terms of design the Japanese can step it up a notch.

[remixx116]

I just think for starters Japanese need larger budgets. They lose in the small areas that matter and just don't have the funds to push everything and miss out on their true potential.

[rainslacker]

I've always considered JRPG's more what they used to be. Whatever they became when they tried to cater to the western market just was never as good.

Maybe it's personal preference, and actually growing up during the JRPG heyday during the PS1/2 years...or even before really....but I think Japanese JRPG developers just kept things where they always were because they weren't as interested in making games like western games.

Obviously, some western based RPG's would appeal to the western audience more, because they were made for that audience, so that's why they moved ahead...and not sucking ass like they did back in the PS1/2 days....or beefore....really helped.

But overall, I don't think JRPG's really went downhill, they just became less relevant to the bigger gaming market. I think they stayed about where they always were....popular among the Otaku gamer, with the exceptions of things like FF, DQ, or Pokemon.

Then of course, the sudden drop in big JRPG franchises last gen, particularly new IP's, didn't help either. There is something seriously wrong when the most notable new JRPG series to actually come about last gen was Hyperdimension. Good series sure, but about as basic as it gets on RPG mechanics.

[Goldby]

Just a head ups Kionic.

Guerilla Games is in Amsterdam. not the most western place.

[Phill-Spencer]

While i completely disagree with kionic i have to say that the netherlands, just like france, germany, italy..... generally are also considered as THE WEST

[Imalwaysright]

What?

[IAmLoki]

What?

[gangsta_red]

Nani?

[Razzer]

You must live in California.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

What are u talking about

[rainslacker]

everything is west of something.

Otherwise, Western devs are generally considered anything not Asian. That would include Europe. Technically, the US would be east of Japan by the shortest route.

[Dragonscale]

@kionic, the souls games beg to differ. They are head and shoulders above most western devs . And just because m e andromeda is selling don't make it a great game. 'Its what the people want' only seems to apply to a certain console and its fanbase, no wonder ms struggle to gain Japanese support lol.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Souls games aren't RPGs.

[remixx116]

@343

LOL WOT?