WRPG's are what I like. Haven't played many JRPG's, and likely never will. Gave one a whirl a while back, and I couldn't get into it...
Poll: RPG Poll
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I picked WRPG for the simple reason that while I own both types of games the ones I actually finish and spend most of my time playing are WRPGs.
I think it's because they give me more to do and have more disparate types of characters while a lot of JRPGs seem to be very much the same to me and sometimes the stories are just plain silly. (and yes there's also the grind of fighting the same enemies over and over just to advance the story. Annoying.)
I agree with those posters that have said that good storytelling isn't just for RPGs anymore and I think games like (okay who am I kidding? What other game is like) Enslaved are outstanding examples of this. Then again I'm finding the story behind Darksiders engaging so I guess it's all opinion and perspective.
I think it's because they give me more to do and have more disparate types of characters while a lot of JRPGs seem to be very much the same to me and sometimes the stories are just plain silly. (and yes there's also the grind of fighting the same enemies over and over just to advance the story. Annoying.)
I agree with those posters that have said that good storytelling isn't just for RPGs anymore and I think games like (okay who am I kidding? What other game is like) Enslaved are outstanding examples of this. Then again I'm finding the story behind Darksiders engaging so I guess it's all opinion and perspective.
Personally I prefer WRPGs if only because WRPGs focus more on you inhabiting a character and making it yours. Case in point: Bioware. I have become such a fan boy (despite being a girl) because of Mass Effect and Dragon Age. While I loves me some JRPG action, WRPGs make me feel like I'M the one saving the world, that I'M the special one to lead a revolution. The choices and decisions made are MY own.
I will play and have enjoyed games from both genres, but JRPGs will always remain my favourite. For me, the colour, the excellent scores and, yes, the turn-based combat, all work to making it fun. Obviously not all JRPGs fall into this, but there are some cracking ones out there. Equally, there are some good WRPGs, but the generic Tolkein-esque fantasy setting of most famous WRPGs does bore me slightly. I guess that's why I enjoyed Fallout 3 - its nice to see a well-made and fun WRPG that doesn't rely on JRR's format.
[small]Very amusing how half this thread seems to think all JRPGs are Final Fantasy.[/small]
I love and play both, but JRPGs are the winner for me. It's just that I find myself enjoying very few modern WRPGs outside of BioWare and Obsidian. Yes, I know Witcher is supposed to be great. No, I couldn't get into it.
I'm more interested in the story than the gameplay [small](but good gameplay colors my impression of the story, so that might not mean anything)[/small], but I'm much more interested in the characters. There's so little personality in WRPG characters [small](in my very subjective and personal experience).[/small]
Even a cliched archetype can be enjoyable if they're written with enough talent and love, because it opens the character up to be more than their place in the story. This is structurally more difficult in WRPGs, since you're naturally going to be spending less time "hanging out". Now, this obviously doesn't happen in all JRPGs either, but they usually spend more time on characterization.
[sub]And really, if anyone here thinks WRPGs are somehow less formulaic than JRPGs they should sit down and think about it for a while.[/sub]
I love and play both, but JRPGs are the winner for me. It's just that I find myself enjoying very few modern WRPGs outside of BioWare and Obsidian. Yes, I know Witcher is supposed to be great. No, I couldn't get into it.
I'm more interested in the story than the gameplay [small](but good gameplay colors my impression of the story, so that might not mean anything)[/small], but I'm much more interested in the characters. There's so little personality in WRPG characters [small](in my very subjective and personal experience).[/small]
Even a cliched archetype can be enjoyable if they're written with enough talent and love, because it opens the character up to be more than their place in the story. This is structurally more difficult in WRPGs, since you're naturally going to be spending less time "hanging out". Now, this obviously doesn't happen in all JRPGs either, but they usually spend more time on characterization.
[sub]And really, if anyone here thinks WRPGs are somehow less formulaic than JRPGs they should sit down and think about it for a while.[/sub]
Speaking very generally, I have a hard time with most jRPGs.
Story-wise they either come across as these absolutely inscrutable messes with far too much backstory which tends to mean lots of exposition at the drop of hat just to explain the myriad interconnections. Or the story is almost entirely generic to the point of being not worth bothering. There are some exceptions to this but this has always been one of my major hang ups with jRPGs. This also isn't to say that all Western RPGs have good stories but the classics of the genre are partially characterized by their good stories.
The other thing is I have a much harder time thinking that I'm actually playing the game rather then just running characters from point to point to point so they can do cool stuff.
Also there is the non-trivial issue of most jRPGs being console exclusive and I don't have a console that isn't handheld.
Story-wise they either come across as these absolutely inscrutable messes with far too much backstory which tends to mean lots of exposition at the drop of hat just to explain the myriad interconnections. Or the story is almost entirely generic to the point of being not worth bothering. There are some exceptions to this but this has always been one of my major hang ups with jRPGs. This also isn't to say that all Western RPGs have good stories but the classics of the genre are partially characterized by their good stories.
The other thing is I have a much harder time thinking that I'm actually playing the game rather then just running characters from point to point to point so they can do cool stuff.
Also there is the non-trivial issue of most jRPGs being console exclusive and I don't have a console that isn't handheld.
WRPGs... can't really specify why, I just get into them more. I mean, my favourite JRPG is made in a WRPG style (Demons Souls).
I find that a lot of JRPG's are stuck with archaic designs for combat and leveling with little to no innovation (can't exactly excuse the west from this either, but I notice a small effort at least). But, for some games, the old style works well, so it's not a solid reason for me to dislike JRPG's.
There is also a trend in JRPG's to sacrifice gameplay in favour of story... a lot of exposition and dialogue bombs... it gets a little frustrating when the game stops letting me play. it's not nearly as abundant in western games, yet they still fit solid plots and develop characters reasonably well, some of them even incorporate dialogue as part of the gameplay (Mass Effect and Dragon Age) although some do it better then others.
I still get a hankering for some JRPG style games, but by and large, I find myself wanting WRPG's more.
I find that a lot of JRPG's are stuck with archaic designs for combat and leveling with little to no innovation (can't exactly excuse the west from this either, but I notice a small effort at least). But, for some games, the old style works well, so it's not a solid reason for me to dislike JRPG's.
There is also a trend in JRPG's to sacrifice gameplay in favour of story... a lot of exposition and dialogue bombs... it gets a little frustrating when the game stops letting me play. it's not nearly as abundant in western games, yet they still fit solid plots and develop characters reasonably well, some of them even incorporate dialogue as part of the gameplay (Mass Effect and Dragon Age) although some do it better then others.
I still get a hankering for some JRPG style games, but by and large, I find myself wanting WRPG's more.
I say JRPGs, and by that I mean the proper ones like final fantasy 1-10 and Dragonquest etc, I don't like being some dick like Shepard, YES I SAID HE'S A DICK *Flame shields up!*
but I do love Elder Scrolls
but I do love Elder Scrolls
I hate JRPG's, how are they even RPG's, theres very little role playing to be done in ff113, you could level up but you can do that in loads of games that aren't rpgs
I've never really gotten into WRPG's. Something about the whole idealized medieval setting just turns me off; it's the same reason I can never quite enjoy Ren Faires. I know that's not the only kind of Western RPG, that's just normally what I think of when I hear it.
I like JRPGs, though not as much as I used to when I was younger.
I like JRPGs, though not as much as I used to when I was younger.
I really only prefer WRPGs because while repetitive I find the whole "King Arthur" thing to be more relatable and easier to sink into than an effiminate (spelling fail I'm sure) emo cross-dresser waiting to be hit in the face by the NEXT FREAKING TENTACLE RAPIST or thing made of poo but I said both in the voting because, flat-out, the sing best RPG I've played is Lost Odyssee because it engaged you no matter how long you played and it has arguably the best acting, story-telling, and true f'ing emotion of any game in the last 5-20 years depending on your preferences for those sort of things.
I play both. No real preference, though WRPGs have more recent releases that appeal to me.
...and yes, I too find it amusing that many people in this thread seem to judge JRPGs solely on the merits of recent Final Fantasy games. Here's a little protip: to most JRPG fans, that franchise died in 2002. For me, it started dying in 1999.
...and yes, I too find it amusing that many people in this thread seem to judge JRPGs solely on the merits of recent Final Fantasy games. Here's a little protip: to most JRPG fans, that franchise died in 2002. For me, it started dying in 1999.
I play both, even though there are more WRPGs in my library than there are JRPGs. I'm slowly getting more JRPGs though as I've come to find out that they can actually be fun and strange at the same time.
I personally think that sci-fi RPG's should have a poll place of their own Mass Effect fanboy that I am.