What do you look for in JRPGs?

[DeltaEdge]

Let me start off by saying that I'm intending less for this to be a critique of JRPGs, and more about your personal preferences, but if you don't happen to play JRPGs, but maybe like some aspect of them, then feel free to describe what your ideal game would be.

This can include anything, from battle mechanics, to story, to characters. I've been somewhat curious about this as of late since I've come to realize that even with the same games, people can still enjoy them for very different reasons, so I'd like to see how other people are experiencing the same games as I.

As for me, I'll divide it up into a few categories:

1. Mechanics: I enjoy turn-based instance combat systems most nowadays, most notable examples being Persona 3+4 style combat, and Etrian Odyssey combat. I'm not as fond of combat systems that involve moving on a grid, like Devil Survivor, but I do quite enjoy the way Disgaea does it.

2. Story: After spending a lot of time in the JRPG group and contemplating it, I've come to realize that I don't really care that much about the story itself, so long as it doesn't actively anger me or bore the hell out of me.

3. Characters: In terms of non-game play aspects, entertaining/interesting characters are probably the most important things I look for in a JRPG. I am particularly fond of the Tales of Vesperia cast, and for that matter, a lot of the other Tales parties. Disgaea and Persona also are host to some of my more preferred characters.

4. Music: I don't really care that much about the music in JRPGs(I hardly care about much music in general), so as long as it isn't horrible or inappropriate, I probably won't worry much about it.

5. Aesthetic/Graphics: Oh boy, everyone's favorite part. I don't consider myself too obsessed with graphics, but I do appreciate a good aesthetic, including the game's environments/character and UIs. My favorite visual aesthetics at the moment are probably Disgaea 4/5's, and the Etrian Odyssey series. I really like the environment/character aesthetics in both games(I prefer well-designed cut-outs to in-game graphics or cutscenes), and I particularly like the design of the UI in the EO series. Maybe it's kind of shallow of me, but a pleasing UI and overall presentation will usually encourage me to keep coming back to a game, even if I'm not necessarily in love with the other aspects. (I also quite like Kingdom Hearts' UI)

Spoiler

Edit: Also, another aspect I like is customization. One of the big reasons I like Disgaea is being able to make your own units and control their growth, and I also enjoy being able to class characters to my liking, like in Fire Emblem, and I'm also looking forward to Bravely Default for this reason.

So, what are your guy's preferences?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Since to me RPGs are all about story and grinding, I want likeable characters with my story and a fun/addictive combat system for my grinding.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

The most important quality in a JRPG for me is fast paced battles. There is nothing more annoying then having a slow battle system (looking at you FFIX and Lost Odyssey). For that reason I'm a big fan of Shin Megami Tensei games, as they do it best.

Another important quality is music. Games like Fire Emblem Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei or Final Fantasy wouldn't be nearly as good were it not for the amazing soundtracks.

Good characters are always a plus, Tales of games are great for this. And I prefer story to be epic in scale (like FF6, FF7 or Devil Survivor).

Graphics are probably the least of my concerns. I would prefer graphics be sacrificed in order to provide better gameplay and story (lest we end up with more games like FFXIII)

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

I really like turn-based battle systems, too, with Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne/Lucifer's Call having my favourite of all time. As a fan of dungeon-crawlers, combat is the absolute most important thing for me, so getting it right is a must. I quite like grid-based systems as well.

The soundtrack and audio design is probably a really close second for me, but I'm a musician so I WOULD notice the music. The music is a humongous part of FFVII's atmosphere and I don't think people would have been nearly as forgiving of its flaws (not least the horrible translation) without it.

Story doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't get in the way too much. Most games don't tell the kinda stories I like, and I'm mostly playing for the gameplay. A story I DO like is a huge bonus, though. With a few very notable exceptions, I'd still like most of the games I like if they didn't have a story at all, or if it were totally different.

 

[teqrevisited]

A well built world and a good soundtrack usually catches my attention first but if I like one thing enough I'll fit everything else around it.

I love the worlds and music most in Final Fantasy (I-X), the characters and battle mechanics in Disgaea are just generally fun in that crazy Nippon Ichi Software way and the Persona games just have so much style and character in everything they're comprised of.

Stories are ok if the characters are well written but there are only so many stories that can be told and, honestly, in a game setting they can usually only boil down to "Evil person wants to do X to the world because they want X so Hero and friends set out on the archetypal quest across the land to beat them and save the world." Again: it depends on the characters.

 

[DanielBrown]

First thing I check is if the characters are anime styled and/or little kids. If they are I pass.
Secondly I check the combat system. If it's overly complicated or action styled I pass.

Unfortunetly not many games passes the first check. I think the only JRPG I've enjoyed during the 7th gen was Lost Odyssey(those fucking kids, though), which is a pity since I was really into JRPGs during the PS/PS2 era. I want new games to remind me of how it was then. Music and story has never really mattered to me. The locations you visit are more important.

 

[Risingblade]

Story definitely story, I've lost count of how many rpgs I've given up on just because the story bored me to tears.

 

[Zacharious-khan]

pretty much all non repetitive conflict mechanics. Although that's mostly what i look for in any game. jRPG's especially though because the stories are nearly guaranteed to be at the very least amusing and graphics don't phase me. jRPG's tend to pride themselves on a good money-in to time-out ratio which is good value wise but you have to be able to get to that fun without obscene amounts of boredom. Thus if the conflict is fun and engaging i tend to have fun with the game overall.

 

[Fappy]

I look to see if it has Shin Megami Tensei anywhere in the name.

I look for the same things I do in every other story-heavy genre:

- Are the characters compelling/well written?
- Is the story/plot good?
- Are the mechanics fun/solid?
- Is the art direction unique and/or appealing?

I avoid a lot of the generic crap that Japan pops out and have grown to hate the Final Fantasy franchise.

 

[Roxas1359]

Well for one: story. An JRPG with a week story is not something I'll generally play.
Second would be sidequests, as I love sidequests a lot especially the ones that reward you well of you complete them at a low level. Without sidequests a JRPG would just be too linear for me. It's why I'm not the hugest fan of FF XIII-1, it's too damn linear.
Third would be places to grind, because I'm one of those weird people who likes to grind for levels in JRPGs.

Now something I can care much for in JRPGs is gameplay. More often then bought I'll be playing a JRPG for the story, and so gameplay really doesn't matter much because honestly most JRPGs have average gameplay, which is fine because it works for the games. As long as it's playable I don't really care.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Same as any other game, a good experience.

So I suppose in a JRPG I would expect:-
Good story
Good characters
Good gameplay and mechanics
Good art direction

It dosent have to have all these things (or even most) all it really needs is a hook like in most games. If the story is amazing but the gameplay is pretty bad I may still play and enjoy it if the positive of the story overcomes the negative of the gameplay and vice versa. linearity or not dosent bother me much in any game really.

 

[Coakle]

Any JRPG that have minimum random encounters. It's more exciting to see something strange and decide on how to approach it.


The world, characters and music are the main things I judge JRPGs on, in that order. If the game happens to have a good plot, that's just gravy.


The bulk of my time is spent exploring the world and talking to people, if the world didn't capture my imagination then the entire game would just be a chore. My standards are pretty low, since I'll end up making a lot of things head cannon as I go along.

It's important that the characters care about what they are doing and what they want. I'm biased against people who are there "for the ride" or to find themselves. It just rubs me the wrong way, since battles are meant to be life and death, serious affairs.

I've appreciated it when characters have a bit of 'meta' knowledge. Stories that have tragic endings and cliches exist in their world and they will act accordingly. I also got a weak spot for subtly goofy characters.

 

[TehCookie]

The most important thing to me is the sense of adventure. While I include exploring places, I don't limit it to that. I also like seeing how the characters change or what happens next. Other than that vague way I can't say there is one thing that I look for. I got Ar Tonelico for the music, and Atelier Totori for the graphics, and Persona 3 for the story, Disgaea for the comedy. They also tend to have different worlds, a lot of SMT games are about an apocalypse and how different that are from the traditional apocalypse setting. Other have this magic thing called color that a lot of other games seem to have forgot about.

Gameplay isn't as important to me. I love classic turn based combat, but if it's strategy or action I'll still like it.

 

[xyrafhoan]

1. Interface. A well-designed interface is the backbone of a good (or at least playable) game. If the interface is bad, it rips me out of the game no matter how much I want to like the game. This is extremely important for a tactics game or JRPG. Some of the earlier SMT games have such clunky, off beat interfaces that really detract from the experience.

2. Characters, in both design and personality. Honestly I don't like games that focus too hard on pandering to the audience. NIS pushes my upper limits a lot, which turns me off a lot of their games. SMT4 has practically no pandering whatsoever and I really enjoyed the game a lot. On the other hand, Etrian Odyssey usually has no personality towards their characters but I love the art.

3. Game speed. Now, this isn't as important as the other two, but I like it more when games can be significantly sped up. Whether that's rush attacks, skipping animations, skipping cutscenes, or something else, it definitely increases the likelihood that I'll replay the game.

4. Story. Honestly I can go for a barebones story and like them more than one that's too convoluted or too fanservice. Story's just not super important to my enjoyment. A great story will make the game better but I don't mind if it's something simple. The style of the writing has more impact on me than what the story is actually about, honestly.

Some things click with me more than others but these are the top 4 things that get me playing, at least.

 

[stroopwafel]

Story, characters and not being too much of a grind are definitely the most important factors for me. JRPGs used to be my favorite genre in the PS1/2 days but now I play few of them. Though every once and a while a real gem comes along, like Bravely Default which has everything I'm looking for in a JRPG. Interesting characters/story(with some JRPG tropes that are actually self-referential), fun battle system(with adjustable difficulty not making it too much of a grind), great music, beautiful visuals. Just a fantastic game in general. If more JRPGs would evolve around this path I could definitely see myself getting into them again. Another recent JRPG that did everything right(in my opinion) was Radiant Historia.

I have given many titles in the much revered Megami Tensei series a chance but couldn't really get into most of them. With the exception being Digital Devil Saga(probably b/c it plays like a traditional JRPG without all that demon fusing and tactical difficulty). I love those games. Great story, great characters. Though DDS2 kinda fell apart at the end.

 

[AdrianCeltigar]

What do I look for in JRPGs? Hmm.

First thing I look at is battle system I guess.
-I really like tactical RPGs with or without a grid.
-If it's a standard turn-based model I like having a level of control and strategy to it such as in Grandia and some Atelier games.
-I also enjoy action combat provided it's done well.

Story? Story I find is less important than the characters in the story. I'm sick to death of "group of teenagers saves the world from comically over-the-top villain" though. I appreciate a good story, but I never expect one from JRPGs; I'm okay as long as they're adequate and not cringe-worthy. Even a lack-lustre story can be saved by focusing more on comedy/self-awareness.

Characters. So Important. I like a variety of characters, preferably good ones. I don't expect to like all of them, but give me at least a full party worth of characters that I like, that don't have awful/inconsistent personalities (or no personality whatsoever.) Unfortunately I never know about this factor til after I buy a game. Hired/created units are the exception, since I'm not expected to sit through a scene with them conversing. Games with large rosters that don't flesh out all of their characters too much are fine too (Suikoden and most Fire Emblem games for example.)

Graphics? Enh, not so important. Art Style trumps graphics every time anyways.

Music? Great music is a bonus but I frequently listen to other stuff whilst gaming anyways.

Minimal/optional or no voice acting is a good thing in my books too. Character cut-outs speaking to each-other through text is perfectly adequate, and is not 'hit or miss' like voice acting is.

I also look at setting, since I'm not really into Sci-Fi but I like Fantasy.

Other things I like a lot but aren't necessary:
-Ability to create/hire units
-Ability to train units as needed
-In depth customization: character class, skills, abilities, equipment etc.

 

[havoc33]

I've lost somewhat interest in the JRPGs over the last few years. But the reason I played them was their focus on interesting characters, good story, massive world to explore. And like in any game, I rarely play a game if I do not like the art direction and graphics. A good soundtrack is vital to the immersion as well. It is not a coincidence that some of the best games I have ever played have some of the most memorable tunes and will stay in my head forever.

Reasons for me to stay away from them nowadays is that I feel I have outgrown them somewhat. I am no longer drawn to the typical anime style games. Furthermore, the FF series (which always was my main draw to JRPGs) is no longer what it was and has been cheapened by too many sequels and spin offs. The series need to mature along with the generation of gamers that grew up with it, but sadly they are marred by silly and over the top character designs and teenage angst. Basically my need for JRPGs have lessened as western developers like BioWare and CD Project RED have created far more mature and interesting worlds.

In short, what a JRPG needs is:

1) likeable and interesting characters
2) big world to explore
3) a good story that makes sense (not in the way FF have gone in recent years)
4) attractive graphics and art direction
5) a good sountrack (not a must, but it definitely enhances the experience)
6) NO RANDOM BATTLES

 

[Kaimax]

1. Fast paced combats
Like most people have said, JRPG are a grindfest by nature, slowing down the combat is gonna kill my motivation.

2. Quality of the Story
I don't want to play a JRPG if it's goping to waste my time with a bad story

3.Explorable Worlds

 

[remnant_phoenix]

1. A story that isn't stupid and/or boring: This is essential. Not every JRPG needs a mind-blowing, groundbreaking, story, but as long as its interesting enough to keep me wanting to know what happens next, I'm good.

2. Inviting music/setting/atmosphere: This Simply the act of walking around a city or the world map should instill in me, through the aesthetics alone a sense of wonder and mystery. Like I need a story that compels me to find out what happens next, I crave a world that invites me to explore it and find out more about it.

3. A combat system that doesn't suck: Seriously, that's my only requirement for gameplay. I prefer combat systems like Chrono Trigger or FFVI where the battles come and go quickly, making grinding and progression less time-consuming. I also prefer the system to be full-on strategic turn-based (FFX and Blue Dragon) over the other varieties. On the other hand, I was willing to put up with the slow loading up of battles in FFIX and Lost Odyssey because my #1 and #2 were covered so well; for there annoyances, the combat in those games didn't suck, I was just mildly annoying. In fact, I greatly preferred Blue Dragon's gameplay, but Lost Odyssey was, for me, the much better game because of #1 and #2.

So yeah, as long as it has #1 and #2 covered and the battle system is serviceable, I'm good.

 

[go-10]

in jRPG's for me it's all about the characters and a fun battle system, preferably an active time battle system. Final Fantasy X-2 had my favorite version of said system.

still the way characters look and act is really important to me, if I'm going to invest 60 or more hours into a game I better be controlling a cool and pleasing to the eyes character. Tales of Vesperia, Symphonia, Xillia are all good examples of this. I just find the characters fun