Japanese RPG's and why I don't like 'em

[Thaius]

So your reasons come down to the fact that you can't control the story (which in no way means the story is bad, by the way, Western audiences have just become control freaks) and for all the other stereotypes that only those who don't know anything about JRPGs claim? Okay, dually noted.

 

[AWAR]

They are just boring, generic western fantasy never gets old. Also western rpgs are usually the quest-glory type while most JRPGs are about who has the most feminine teenager..

A lot of WRPGs are more or less offline MMO's (the quest systems that continue forever) with the added bonus of having some sort of very thin red line/story. And Personally I can never get involved in those stories, the plot is too far away and you're always distracted by some meaningless grind quest.

And no, JRPGs are not about "who has the most feminine teenager" it's about telling a story about characters with a personality and depth to them that's more than skin deep. In a world you get to experience through the eyes of your characters.

Yes I took your flame bait but honestly different people, different preferences.

Well that's odd I used to think JRPGS are the contrary to having really deep stories. Can't think of any without of course having these super-emotional character backgrounds which i find very generic and.. well they dont really apply to me as a Western male. Ultima series on the other hand, posed great arguments about morality that deeply touched me. This stems from the difference of these two cultures, Japanese are different and care about different things if you know what I mean.Maybe JRPGS focus more on the character than the environment while WRPGS are more about the impact of your character in the world than focusing on the character itself, however in a way this helps with immersion, you can really feel that you are the character.Well i guess that's why i find WRPGS more appealing

 

[Xanadu84]

I used to like JRPGs, and though I don't really gravitate towards them these days, I can't say I dislike them though, and have fond memories of VII, which will instantly get me dismissed because that's what happens when a game is popular. Anyways, I think I can sum up everything we need to say right here.

A JRPG or a western RPG are both capable of breaking any established mold, but there are definite, noticeable trends that differentiate the 2.

JRPGs are very light on the players control of the story, in favor of a more tightly focused story, controlled by the developers vision.

The above is a design choice which will appeal to some players, not appeal to others, and be absolutely despised by a few more.

Both design choices are legitimate, and are made to appeal to different tastes.

Whatever it is you enjoy, enjoy it. More power to you. No one should mock you for enjoying the entertainment of your choice. Were all adults here (Or adult enough), and attacking each other over tastes is the mark of the childish.

That being said, analyzing WHY an individual likes certain play styles, and dislikes other, in a respectful, intelligent, critical manner can lead to some very interesting conversations. Even on the internet, despite evidence to the contrary.

The above 4 points also apply to other tropes that are common to western or JRPGs.

 

[seditary]

Don't bring up Suikoden, it'll only make you mad/depressed.

It's the exception to 75% of the complaints people bring up about JRPG's and yet you'll find that pretty much NOBODY has played them.

*pats his mint condition original copy of suikoden 2*

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

That being said, analyzing WHY an individual likes certain play styles, and dislikes other, in a respectful, intelligent, critical manner can lead to some very interesting conversations. Even on the internet, despite evidence to the contrary.

Actually, this whole thread has actually been remarkably civil, reminds me of the old days, good on you Escapist.

 

[trelloskilos]

Personally, I see JRPGs and WRPGs as two different breeds of game, and I enjoy both genres for different reasons.

For JRPGs, I have strictly stuck with Squaresoft games, such as Final Fantasy. They typically have stunning graphics, whether it's a cut-scene, or whether you're unleashing a ridiculously powerful magical attack on some quivering enemy, the eye-candy is immense. The storylines are rich, and diverse, so are the locations, and the strategies you sometimes need for some enemies do transcend the usual hack'n'slash formulae of the WRPGs. What bugs me about JRPGs is that they can become very repetative very quickly, especially if you just want to retrace your steps, & you get interrupted every 5-10 seconds by some enemy you've already killed 1000 times before. Despite this, JRPGs have a huge amount of flair & imagination behind them.

WRPGs are great for different reasons. My first WRPG was Might & Magic VI, which still holds a place in my heart for one of the best RPGs I've ever played, but let's face it, the storylines are a bit samey, like every developer owes an allegiance to AD&D. The side quests also tend to be a bit samey too. Go to location A, get item B, return. While it is a bit fairer in the sense that you can more or less choose whether you want to engage in battle or not (rather than some in-game mechanic that just launches an enemy at you at random), the enemies seem to always be the same, the environments, weapons and magic are also fairly generic.

 

[Seldon2639]

Before I say this, let me announce that I love Bioware RPG's. That being said, I hate JRPG's, the reason for this being is that I can't change the story. Well, there are many other factors, like the fact that there are spunky androgynous male teens fapping about with their odd hair styles and weapons the size of motorcycles. And the colossal dragons made of fire that randomly appear the second you step on a certain daisy in the middle of a field. But the main reason is that for an RPG, JRPG's are very linear, sure you can go over the landscape as much as you want, and fight every imp you'd like. But the story will remain the same. My question(s) are do you like JRPG's? If so do you have reasons to support them? Or are you like me and think they suck?

The "the story doesn't change" argument doesn't carry much weight with me.

We can talk about "branching plotlines" and "choice" in WRPGs, but really it boils down to "you can choose what your character says when he does what he's going to do either way". In Mass Effect, you cannot avoid the missions, and killing Saren, and beating Sovereign. The only choices you can really make are cosmetic. Even when those have "consequences" in the second game, it's irrelevant to the story.

You can be good or evil, but not in the grand sense of "influence what you do", you can only influence how you do it.

I love DA:O, but I knew from the outset that there's no way that any choice I make will influence the overall arc of the metaplot. I can make cosmetic changes here and there, and get a different ending. But whether I'm light side or dark-side, finish the side-quests or not, I'm still in a showdown with Darth Malak on the starforge. I'm still going from planet to planet and fighting/learning from the Jedi Masters, then going to Malachor V.

I can't change the big plot.

And here's what I lose:

- Consistency of character. Yeah, I know, I can make up a personality for him, and adhere to it, but it's not the same. I can always decide one day to go from paragon of virtue to killing everyone and no one would bat an eye.
- Character Development. Any changes that occur to the MC in a WRPG is arbitrary. I can choose to change him, making him more honorable, or making him more evil. But there's nothing in the gameplay that has anything to do with that. There's nothing in the game changing him, it's just me personally saying "I think he'll be good now"
- Fully Developed Characters. Because the MC is a stand-in, his background and motivations are up to me. I have to make up my own character, which is a huge part of an RPG. As Yahtzee said of Scribblenauts and Little Big Planet: I don't want to play a half-finished game.

 

[McMarbles]

I hate racing games. Why can't I jump? Mario can jump. Mario's been jumping for decades. My race car should be able to jump too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_%27n%27_Jump

I'm old.

 

[AgentNein]

I hate racing games. Why can't I jump? Mario can jump. Mario's been jumping for decades. My race car should be able to jump too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_%27n%27_Jump

I'm old.

It's a start, but I also demand raccoon tails on my cars as well.