Poll: Do you prefer western or japanese RPG's?

[The Madman]

I'm getting really sick of the whole 'jrpg have better plot' shtick! Just because they don't typically narrate the whole thing to the player like a mother spoon-feeding her child doesn't mean the story isn't there.

One of the draws of many wrpg is that the story isn't necessarily forced down your throat, but instead presented throughout the game through various different and often optional means. It's a story that you slowly discover over time through exploration and curiosity, slowly unfolding before you, a sort of mystery tale being gradually put together. Sometimes this can also lead to different players having a different take on the story, with different people perceiving things in different ways or missing some parts while finding others. In others, like Planescape: Torment or Vampire: Bloodlines, the perspective from which the story is told can even be entirely different from one playthrough to another, with NPC characters reacting differently to you and thus revealing details in different ways.

It's extremely clever and I much prefer it over the action, cutscene, action, cutscene approach to storytelling many jrpg take. There's no interactivity there, no, you know, *game* element to the storytelling. I like interactivity, it adds a personal touch to how the tale unfolds. Whereas with the cinematic approach I might as well be watching a movie, pausing every ten minutes to play a game on my DS before returning to the movie.

But then that's all simply my preference. I'm not going to pretend one genre is better than the other, although I certainly have my bias. I'm just sick of that damned 'wrpg story suck' stereotype.

 

[Hollock]

I liked chrono trigger and pokemon, but really didn't care for any other *ahem [sub]FINAL FANTASY XIII[/sub] ahem* other than those. And some of my favorite games are western rpgs.

 

[Tarakos]

I'll take a BioWare game over a Square-Enix game anyday.

 

[Akihiko]

I enjoy both, each for different reasons. WRPGs allow me to create a character of my own, and interact with people in the way I choose. However, due to this freedom, the story isn't as developed, largely because effort goes into making all the different paths, not on perfecting the one. Which leads me onto why I also like JRPGs; They focus fully on the one story, and the set of characters that you follow, which ends up delivering a much more developed story and characters. Although, due to that focus, it makes the game linear, leaving you with little choice.

If I had to choose one over the other, I'd probably go for JRPG, as I'm more partial to a better developed story than freedom in choice.

 

[A random person]

I like both, but lean towards Japanese as I've played more (don't get me wrong, though, I really liked Fallout 3). Chrono Trigger and Tales of Symphonia are some of my favorite games.

And to comment on the story aspect, I prefer the linear stories of many JRPG's; when asked to make my own story in WRPG's, I make up some gag story about being the sacred pizza boy or something.

 

[veloper]

the only appeal JRPGs might have for me is turn-based combat, but I can also get that elsewhere and better (TBS crossover genres).
I prefer not having a story at all to a bad one with annoying emo PCs.

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

I can't stand western RPG's. I've never been able to, and I probably never will be able to. On the other hand, I love JRPG's loads.

 

[.Andi.]

Western mostly. The Breath of Fire series is an exception (this does not include Dragon Quarter... it never existed).

 

[BJK55123]

It doesn't matter where it's from, but there are certain companies I prefer, like square or bethesda. btw, if it's got FF in it's name, I don't really care if it sucks.

 

[Fusionxl]

You probably need some experience with the asian cultures to fully understand why the conflicted teenagers with spiky hair act like they do. Epic Final Fantasy MCCXXXIV sagas never really catch my attention and I mostly enjoy western RPGs, with Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Bioware has become one of my favourite developers.

 

[Yureina]

JRPG's structured storylines are appealing, and some of the themes and messages that pop up from them, such as FFX's deal on self-sacrifice and religion or Star Ocean: the Second Story's various elements. The stories tend to have more character depth going on with them in some cases, though I have seen this more than matched in games like Baldur's Gate.

Western RPG's tend to have more freedom and potential for difference between playthroughs, but although this can be a little annoying at times, it does provide some unique opportunities. The escapist in me, of course, likes to play different characters and personalities, and no other gaming genre allows for this better than Western RPG's. I like the opportunity to be someone else from who I am in the real world, which has become an increasingly pressing concern in recent years.

The result is that I used to prefer JRPG's, but I have steadily moved towards western RPG's as my wishes for strict and structured storylines became less pressing.

 

[NobodyHereButUsTrees]

I don't judge an RPG based upon where the developers are located.

... buuuuuuuuuuut I do like WRPGs more. I like to have a little action with my roleplaying if you don't mind.

 

[burgbrand22]

I picked Western cause I digged Fallout 3 and Mass Effect (even though it had significant flaws).

Problems with Japanese RPG's I played:
1. Horrible english voice overs
2. Sometimes they are too pretty to look at- costume wise, face wise, graphics wise, etc. Doesn't have that rugged realistic look that I lean towards more in Western games.
3. Random Encounters
4. More traditional (see above, and also the repetitive turn based combat).

 

[Kwoodchuck]

j rpgs are boring... click-click-watch animation boom. win game. BORING AS SIN.

 

[Billion Backs]

Both kinds often suck badly.

But I'd probably prefer a western RPG. Those tend to be less linear and while often harboring debilitating flaws, are still more fun then ye generic JRPG. To me, at least.

And despite being an anime viewer and manga reader, I am not amused with rabid fanbase all things japanese get, especially from caucasian people. Having friends crazy about anime conventions and all really is annoying. At least I see less people crazy about Lord of the Rings and all things western fantasy, although those exist too.

But then again, I'll take some kind of Viking/Medieval/Medieval fantasy cosplayers over Final Fantasy cosplayers with gigantic ugly plastic swords and stupid clothes any day.

 

[captainaweshum]

It depends on what you are looking for.

I enjoy both, but I lean slightly towards JRPG's ( I was a HUGE SNES geek )

I find that JRPG's are weak in exploration
and WRPG's are weak in character and story with one noticeable exception.

MASS EFFECT 2 = BEST WRPG.

I cared about my Shepard and my team in that game.
But still, I find JRPG's on a whole move me more, have a more creative angle behind their monsters, and are usually more fantastical in setting.

I don't like however, JRPG's penchant for underage girls being far too underdressed (looking at you Lost Odyssey's Cooke)

 

[AMMO Kid]

If Mass Effect and Dragon Age count as WRPG's then I'm all for the Americans on this one. I haven't had fun in a single JRPG

 

[Ieyland]

It depends on what you are looking for.

I enjoy both, but I lean slightly towards JRPG's ( I was a HUGE SNES geek )

I find that JRPG's are weak in exploration
and WRPG's are weak in character and story with one noticeable exception.

MASS EFFECT 2 = BEST WRPG.

I cared about my Shepard and my team in that game.
But still, I find JRPG's on a whole move me more, have a more creative angle behind their monsters, and are usually more fantastical in setting.

I don't like however, JRPG's penchant for underage girls being far too underdressed (looking at you Lost Odyssey's Cooke)

You have offended the Baldur Gaters!

 

[Brok3n Halo]

Most definitely JRPGs, I care a lot more about a good character driven story than I do about character customization and open quest structures. I like when my character has a personality and reacts to personal events, say rescuing their love interest when she gets kidnapped 30% of the way through the game, rather than doing something because old man 47 wants me to grad random item of questionable importance 6 from hostile cave 32. WRPG scenarios are just generally so impersonal. Also I prefer the traditional JRPG turn based (FF, Dragon Quest, etc) and tactical (Final Fantasy Tactics, Valkyria Chronicles) style battle systems and variations on the two over the the stat determined/action simlating (such as Morrowwind) or point&click hack&slash (Diablo clones, 95% of all MMOs) systems of western RPGs. And finally, WRPGs have a tendency to take themselves too seriously. If I'm gonna play a game for 40+ hours I need some humor.

I do like some WRPGS though; I enjoyed or am enjoying Mass Effect, Fallout 3, The Witcher, and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Also Dragon Age Origins looks like it cold be cool.