I, for the life of me, cannot understand the hatred directed at JRPGs...

[Kahunaburger]

- Lack of choice in how plot develops. Nowadays this has kind of become expected in RPG games. If i am to play a "role" in a plot i should have some say in it. Even old "flip to page 2" RPG books let you do this. It would be easy, with all the memory they saved on the 2D artstyle and lack of voice acting.

In most cases, I'd agree with you, but the odd JRPG turns that on its head. Devil Survivor, for instance, probably has one of the best implementations of choice mechanics I've ever seen in a story-driven RPG. This is in no small part because of:

-Text conversations. They did this back in the day because of lack of memory. Having to read reams of text now just has no exceuse.

It's a lot easier to implement C&C when your production costs don't scale *quite* so aggressively with your script.

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

Just because you love something doesn't mean everyone else has to love it and just because they don't like it doesn't mean they don't "understand" it.

I like FPS's, but I don't expect everybody else to like them and I can completely understand why a lot of people dislike them.

FPS's aren't for everybody, just like how JRPG's aren't for everybody.

 

[daveman247]

devil survivor

I did actually look into it for this reason, but was once again turned off by the art style

 

[Eddie the head]

Genres are huge, and things are slotted into them mostly for marketing reasons. I'm not of the opinion that "I don't like literally every single thing in genre X" is something someone can reasonably base on their experience of things from that genre.

I'm sorry what? Genre's are there to help the consumer as much as they are there form "marketing reasons." If I don't like ordering people around to go kill other things what are the chances that I will like any RTS? If I don't like shooting things form a first person perspective then why would I like any FPS? JRPG's have not done anything that would make me want to play them so I wont. There could be an Ice cream shop in sewer. But I am not going to go check. You could say there is the possibly of there being an Ice Cream shop there, but I don't care.

 

[krazykidd]

Thats an easy question . Because most people aren't from japan. I love jrpgs, more so than WRPGS. Now there is a reason why some rpgs are called jrpgs and others wrpgs . Basically it comes down to people not from japan ( massive generilization) don't like anime artstyle looking characters. This is why you will NEVER see a wrpg that looks like it came from an anime . Most non-asian people don't like that art style .

Imagine if skyrim was made by square enix . Let's say hypothetically that everything was the same except the art-style . There is no way it would have sold as much as it did in the west if it had a more anime looking art style . It's just that people over here don't like it . My guess is because people find anime childish.

 

[Corporal Yakob]

I like how I'm ignorant for not wanting to play JRPGs because I disliked the ones I tried.

 

[chadachada123]

For me, I just have a bit of a problem with turn-based stuff. Aside from Pokemon, most turn-based stuff is just...boring. Skyrim might-as-well be turned-based, too, because it requires no skill: only number grinding.

Of course, there are exceptions. Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, for example. And games like Super Mario RPG or Paper Mario which allow for timed presses, to at least add some flair to the turn-based boringness.

My last note is that, for "classic" JRPGs, I only have room for one "anime-themed" (for a complete lack of a better word) RPG series, which is already filled by Pokemon. I've tried Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem and that stuff...but it just doesn't appeal to me. I just don't dig the gameplay or art style or any of it.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

For me, I like JRPGs, but compared to games like Skyrim they pale in comparison unless you judge them as interactive movies. I think if you can play a game with one hand, you aren't engaged enough in the actual gameplay. If I could get JRPG storytelling and cinematics with WRPG gameplay, I would never see the light of day again.

Have you tried Final Fantasy XII, Xenoblade Chronicles or The Last Story? I suppose they feel more like "JRPG meets gameplay-style of an offline MMORPG", but then again, the gameplay of MMORPGs kind of sprung from the classical WRPG.

As for everyone who hates any genre: you're ignorant. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. I used dislike certain genres, but experience has thought me that if you look long and hard enough, you'll find something you like in any genre. (Notice I said genre, not sub-genre.)

I thought I really hated sport games till I played the old Tony Hawk games. And I never really got the appeal of racing games till I played Burnout: Revenge.

 

[Charli]

There are far too many 'exceptions to the rule' of what a 'stereotypical JRPG' is nowadays that I don't know...

There are many good ones, but they are also shoveled out by the bucket load in Japan and there are many MANY bad ones. (Though a good deal of them never leave Japanese shores so I can only assume this stigma has come from bitter, older fans.)

I dunno.

Lots of people like the illusion of a non linear story though. And JRPG's don't often offer that, it's usually a story being told to you experience. Yes the good ones allow choices and story diversions but that just lengthens gameplay artificially. I'm not saying I hate it, I don't but I understand why others do.


Turn based is no longer a staple of JRPG's. The Tales of- Franchise saw to that.

 

[carpathic]

People who vocally dislike the entire JRPG genre have generally not played any JRPGs.

Define "a lot" dude...

Do you mean many hours? Many different titles?

In my case I hate JRPGs in the same way I hate seafood. I try them all the time because I think "hey, maybe I will like it. Tastes change" It happened for me with mushrooms and tomatoes.

I can say honestly though, I don't like JRPGs. I dislike the characterization (shallow), the play style (cumbersome), the illustration and visual style (seriously, women should look like women, not cats), and most especially I dislike the sound tracks.

I have played JRPGs all the way back to FF2, and really tried to like them. I have friends who are rabid fans.

So, might I suggest that your reasoning is not necessarily valid here. Also, using "generally" doesn't give you an out when you make a contentious statement. For instance if I said something like "People who like JRPGs generally don't think much" I don't get to say "Well, there are exceptions".

If I move away from the destructive here, JRPGs just don't speak to me. I have very limited leisure time, and I would prefer to play games I like. I still try them, because things change, but it has been my experience that they are not any fun.

 

[columbianbacon]

Wow, saw an argument a mile away on this one. Not to flame, troll or intentionally rile up anyone, what I hate about these discussions is a constant lack of examples on the dislike party. By examples, I mean what characters in what games do you dislike the personality, and why? Sure, you hate the stories telling, but please tell me exactly what the problem that you have it is, and indeed which story.

I'm not saying anyone has to like the games, or that they are perfect or whatever. It just annoys me that people say 'I don't like the characters in them' and just leave it at that. Explain! Please! Say Tidus is a total douchebag, tell me Squall went too Emo, lay out the fact that Valkyria Chronicles trivialised the actual military in comparison to the Militia with only hinting that the top brass sucks balls (only one incompetant General seen, thank you very much!).

 

[MetalMagpie]

I think every genre has people who dislike it. The gaming community can just be quite "vocal" on personal hatreds.

And the internet does so love its whipping boys (furries are another good example), so people can end up denouncing something they've never actually played if there is another momentum behind the hate campaign. It becomes a bit of a positive feedback loop!

 

[Arina Love]

i mainly play J-RPGs and i absolutely love them. On the other hand skyrim and such is so boring i forced myself to play it but in the end i just gave up, booted up Atelier Totori and never touched skyrim since.

 

[Talvrae]

On the why, we categorise on where they where created is because, JRPG, and WRPG don't play alike at all, in fact have little in common... Personally i dislike the combat style and the mostelly linear story, thouse game bored me, i don't hate them, but sure don't love them

 

[columbianbacon]

Will I get banned if I suggest everyone in this thread that hasn't already to go check out the latest Extra Creditz? Seriously, it's this topic right now, and it will help bridge some rivers, using reasoned understanding, between us all, I am sure.

 

[Savagezion]

Does anyone have an idea why this genre is often mocked/ frowned upon? Or does anybody remember the days when they were just seen as RPGs, just like every other RPG game we played on consoles and portable games?

Well, I will skip over the lack of "role play" that has undoubtedly made its way into this thread by now. Although, that is a factor.

Instead I will go straight to the writing. Now, not all of the games out there have bad writing as I haven't played them all but one thing I notice as a popular trend in JRPGs is over-emphasizing emotion. Everything has to be so fucking traumatic/dramatic. God forbid the main characters share a simple moment or share a minor rivalry, it has to be some drawn out surreal moment or life absorbing rivalry. You can always follow up their emotions with the phrase "with every fiber of my being!" ("I hate/love/regret them/you/my actions with every fiber of my being!") Because of this, all relationships tend to feel convoluted and ridiculous.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

People who vocally dislike the entire JRPG genre have generally not played any JRPGs.

This. JRPGs come in all shapes and sizes. The generalizations about them are just funny.

 

[Zantos]

I think there are 2 different questions being answered here. People don't like JRPGs because, like any style of game, there are going to be people who don't like the art direction, or the combat, or the writing, or any other legitimate reason for you to not like a game.

So much hate is directed at them, because I have a theory that there are people who need to fulfil themselves by bagging on things online because if they don't spend a certain amount of time targeting something and spewing hate then during that time they might realise they're douchebags.