Why do people hate JRPGs?

[penguindude42]

I like Shin megami nocturne, earthbound, mother 3, chrono trigger and some final fantasies.

Thats about it.

Yes. Earthbound. Play it. NOW!

 

[Zayle79]

The thing is that JRPGs limit their audience by including two totally separate experiences in one package. You have the mini-series length anime, and the gameplay. Lots of people find themselves sitting through cutscenes to get to the next fight or trudging through an army of mooks to get to the next cutscene. To really enjoy it, you have to enjoy both, and that's a pretty niche audience. The only way I can see them reaching more mainstream status is if they ease off on the cutscenes and just try to deliver on the gameplay...but, of course, I don't want them to do that, since I'm part of that niche audience that likes both the anime and JRPG gameplay.

Oh, and Demon's/Dark Souls aren't JRPGs. They're insanely hardcore Western RPGs that happened to have been made in Japan. I'm pretty sure it's the actual style of the game that determines what genre it is, rather than the region where it was made.

 

[verdant monkai]

JRPG's are shit, (hear me out) but I love them. Basically you need to go into them knowing what to expect, stereotypical characters, ridiculously convoluted story, low innovation, stressful combat, too much level grind all of that they are a acquired taste. You can nearly always predict the characters

Hero = brooding miserable guy with some kind of problem, that needs to be constantly encouraged, and told he can do what he is trying to do etc.

Bog Standard Anime Love interest girl = Some kind of weak girl who becomes strong and confesses her love for the hero because he is too socially inept to express his.

Black sidekick = hero's friend who just happens to be a black guy when literally everyone is white/asian/anime

Old veteran/mentor = will probably die about half way through.

Cocky gung-ho guy = some arse who thinks he's invincible and doubts the hero

There are a few more but you get the idea, jRPG's are like Marmite you love or hate them

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I would assume for the same reason people hate a lot of things: ignorance and stupidity.

 

[SageRuffin]

No joke, I would gladly listen to the lack of real roleplaying. Take it away maestro...

We may not agree on this. All I ask is that you hear me out...

One reason I don't qualify most JRPGs as "proper" RPGs is because the character you're supposed to insert yourself in, so to speak, already has his or her own motivations, fighting style, personality quirks, design/fashion sense, favorite lunch, porn stash/masturbatory aid, whatever. Thus, I'm not that character; I'm simply controlling him/her to next battle, plot point, etc.

Example, let's look at my previous example: Resonance of Fate. One of the main characters is named Vashyron. He has his own past (former elite guard), personality (noble, if perverted), and default design (Caucasian, blonde hair often in a ponytail, green eyes I think, wears a brown leather jacket with white tee underneath, simple blue jeans, and Western style boots). Sure, I can pretend I'm actually him just like any other person, but the impact is greatly diminished, even more so since I have little to no control as to how the story actually plays out. It's like Yahtzee that one time, the game is based off their actions as a character versus yours as the player.

Long and short, I don't views most JRPGs as real RPGs since you have no real control over character progression; outside of special moves and maybe equipment, almost everything about that character is already set in stone by the designers. Feel me?

By the way, can anyone explain to me the point of giving a player the option of inputting a custom name when the character already has one (i.e. Link from LoZ)?

 

[Woodsey]

Every and any JRPG menu system I have ever seen has been aesthetically abhorrent. And shit looking menus really set my teeth on edge.

 

[GamerAddict7796]

No joke, I would gladly listen to the lack of real roleplaying. Take it away maestro...

We may not agree on this. All I ask is that you hear me out...

One reason I don't qualify most JRPGs as "proper" RPGs is because the character you're supposed to insert yourself in, so to speak, already has his or her own motivations, fighting style, personality quirks, design/fashion sense, favorite lunch, porn stash/masturbatory aid, whatever. Thus, I'm not that character; I'm simply controlling him/her to next battle, plot point, etc.

Example, let's look at my previous example: Resonance of Fate. One of the main characters is named Vashyron. He has his own past (former elite guard), personality (noble, if perverted), and default design (Caucasian, blonde hair often in a ponytail, green eyes I think, wears a brown leather jacket with white tee underneath, simple blue jeans, and Western style boots). Sure, I can pretend I'm actually him just like any other person, but the impact is greatly diminished, even more so since I have little to no control as to how the story actually plays out. It's like Yahtzee that one time, the game is based off their actions as a character versus yours as the player.

Long and short, I don't views most JRPGs as real RPGs since you have no real control over character progression; outside of special moves and maybe equipment, almost everything about that character is already set in stone by the designers. Feel me?

By the way, can anyone explain to me the point of giving a player the option of inputting a custom name when the character already has one (i.e. Link from LoZ)?

Hey, thanks. After rereading what I put I sound like a bit of a knob. But your arguments are valid and I agree, what with me not being a JRPG fan and all. Thanks for not raging at my appaling manners.

It sounded better in my head let me tell you.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Oh, and Demon's/Dark Souls aren't JRPGs. They're insanely hardcore Western RPGs that happened to have been made in Japan. I'm pretty sure it's the actual style of the game that determines what genre it is, rather than the region where it was made.

In that case, Mass Effect is a game where you go through a series of corridors controlling a preset Sheparrd and his angsty, emotionally crippled-yet incredibly sexy companions, and all illusion of choice is removed at the end when the developers take the story out of your hand and impose their own outcome on the game, removing any sense of player agency. It is therefore, by definition, a JRPG.

Incidentally, games like Mass Effect are why it cracks me up when people call Dark Souls a WRPG. Is there, like, a treasure trove of hardcore Western ARPGs that require players to master stuff like timing and enemy attack patterns that I haven't run into for some reason?

 

[Fijiman]

For me, it's not so much that I hate JRPGs so much as it is that I just don't have any interest in playing them myself. I love watching my brother play them but I would get board and quit before I got too far into an of them.

 

[deathzero021]

i'd say it comes down to a 5 main elements:
- anime art style (almost a symbol for what they already assume about it)
- generic characters (boy hero saves world from laughing maniac)
- low quality graphics / un-realistic graphics (it's a big deal nowadays with huge AAA titles)
- boring combat (turn-based or primitive action RPGs bore modern day gamers who want something more interactive)
- long cut-scenes (the average gamer isn't interested in predictable anime-based storylines that take time away from actually playing the game)

what's funny about this is these are the traits that hardcore jrpg fans love, but at the same time other gamers completely hate. it's really just another way to make a game and that haters should try being a little more open-minded and give one of these games a try. preferably not one of the more generic ones.

as a whole i think over-saturation has made all these traits undesirable to the current mainstream gamer. these traits used to be done well and used to be favored by all (Final Fantasy 7 era) but nowadays it seems it's not adapting well into modern gaming and it simply keeps doing the same things we've already seen and so only the truly hardcore jrpg fans are still supporting it. (but even that group is diminishing)

 

[Iron Lightning]

They're too damn linear usually. I just like some important, world-affecting choices in my RPGs.
Yes, I know the some WRPGs suffer from the same problem but if you want real player agency then you are about ten times more likely to find in it a WRPG than in a JRPG.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

Is the story of Dungeons of Dredmor that engaging or innovative? What story?

Is Dungeons of Dredmor a breath of fresh air for commercial WRPGs? Yep.

Did you just call Dungeons of Dredmor a Western RPG? THE ROGUE-LIKE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU!

It's a complicated taxonomy haha. It can be both a roguelike and an RPG, and I would be very surprised if the commercial success + roguelike mechanics don't spawn WRPG imitators at least with some of the mechanics. At any rate, that's what I have my fingers crossed for

Rogue-likes are RPGs by nature. Leveling up, finding equipment, having perks/traits or something similar. All are elements of an RPG, but Rogue-likes have that factor of "you are supposed to lose" in them. You aren't supposed to win a Rogue-like your first time, or your second time, or even your tenth time. You win by learning the game mechanics and exploiting them.

Take the DOOM Rogue-Like, one mechanic in the game is that human enemies will pick up equipment you drop and wear it. You can exploit that by dropping shitty equipment in a doorway and waiting around a corner for them.

And technically Dungeons of Dredmor DOES have a story, it's just not very prevalent or relevant.

 

[SageRuffin]

Hey, thanks. After rereading what I put I sound like a bit of a knob. But your arguments are valid and I agree, what with me not being a JRPG fan and all. Thanks for not raging at my appaling manners.

It sounded better in my head let me tell you.

Something told me there was some antagonizm in that statement. Good thing I largely chose to ignore it, eh?

I can understand the apprehension though. RPGs are so loosely defined nowadays it's a wonder how anybody knows what the hell they're talking about.

Keep in mind, the rest of you reading this, I'm not saying JRPGs are bad. I just don't like them for the reasons stated in my previous posts.

 

[z121231211]

Because many people look at the Final Fantasy series and base every JRPG off of that.

Also because this is the Escapist where not a whole lot of people like JRPGs or the anime aesthetic/cliches that fans have of the genre have gotten used to.

 

[him over there]

I freaking love JRPGs, absolutely love them. You can call them interactive movies because you don't have control of the story but that isn't stopping me from enjoying and getting immersed in them. You can talk about how you don't role play but of course you do! I played final fantasy 7 and I played the role of cloud strife. Even though the character is always the same I still feel like they are me and I am him.

The mechanics seem the same but turn based strategy is a traditional trope of the genre, and there isn't anything wrong with it.

I could go on and on...

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Edit: by the way, that picture right there is proof that a game did divulging paths far better than bioware and it is almost twenty years old.

 

[SAMAS]

- generic characters (boy hero saves world from laughing maniac)

Genericism in the protagonist is endemic to video gaming. Designers want their heroes to appeal to as large an audience as possible, so they tend to play it pretty safe. Conversely, the supporting characters tend to be a lot more interesting.

I mean, look at Mass Effect. Male!Shep's default appearance is just that, and looks like a dozen other Western protagonists. Compare him to Wrex, Tali, Garrus, and the other members of your party.

- low quality graphics / un-realistic graphics (it's a big deal nowadays with huge AAA titles)

I think this is due to a lot of Japanese companies going: "Why bother?". Really, only the big guys like Sega, Squeenix and Capcom do that, then you have Nintendo, which seems to make games with a fifth of the budget and turns a profit even when they're at the bottom of a Console War.

Alternately, this could also be a product of the fact that Japan has a far more robust animation industry than the west. Maybe their tastes simply don't have that big an emphasis on realistic-looking graphics.

- boring combat (turn-based or primitive action RPGs bore modern day gamers who want something more interactive)

- long cut-scenes (the average gamer isn't interested in predictable anime-based storylines that take time away from actually playing the game)

Xenosaga notwithstanding, do Japanese games really have cutscenes that much longer than their Western counterparts? The ones I've seen of Mass Effect certainly don't seem any shorter.