Why do people pick on JRPGs?

[Extraintrovert]

I am supremely enjoying this thread. It is filled with hateful name-calling, stereotyping genres and mediums, misinformation, superiority complexes, copious amounts of butthurt, and the occasional spurt of reasons that is swiftly ignored. I wonder where it will go from here?

 

[RatRace123]

Well, I pick on them not just for repetetiveness in gameplay, which frankly I actually don't mind, but for repetiveness in atmosphere.

Incredibly androgynous characters, weird clothing styles, really emo heroes. And it's always set in that weird, fantasy, cyber-steampunk world.

It's actually really hard to distinguish one JRPG from another, I know there are exceptions, but for the most part its always just a case of follow the leader (Final Fantasy, particularly FF 7, which basically paved the way for the modern JRPG archetype. )

 

[Negdaen]

For most part I have to agree with those that say "It's just not what they like. If you like it just ignore it." But the first complaint about a JRPG was back in the day before they were known as JRPGs and just RPGs. I was like 13 at the time, and a full grown D&D player started ragging on Mario RPG for it not actually being an RPG. He pointed out there were no role-play elements. You never really made any choice that affected the story line. Which I agreed with, and as I wanted to be a game developer once I grew up (still do, just already grown ) I started to come up with ideas that would make an RPG more like an RPG. Since then, all those ideas have been realized (not by me! DX ) and were made into what is known as Western RPGs. So, yes, they are trying things different but when they are different enough and people are still doing things old school, then all you did was create a new genre, not revamp an old one. But the D&D players point is still vaild, JRPGs are not RPGs. Which is not bad, but they really should be called J Strategy games. Your role isn't that of a character, but more like their commander ordering them about. But the plot has no place for your existence, unlike an RTS. So, even still and RTS is more like an RPG then JRPGs. Even still up to FFXIII I have been a fan of them and except FFXIII I will still be a fan of them. They're just not RPGs.

 

[agafaba]

Most RPGs are not RPGs really. You dont do any real role playing, at least nothing beyond choosing what you say from 3 different options while always having the conversation end the same. RPG is tagged onto every game with any XP system nowadays.

 

[Omnific One]

I'm just not afflicted with the type of Japanophilia that makes everything from Japan automatically good. They really need to move forward gameplay-wise.

 

[Kurokasumi]

Only a certain crowd can enjoy them. You need a specail appreciation for anime and the genre itself to like them.
Like I just bought Trinity Universe, and I am very addicted to it, however I have many friends, or just people in general who think it's garbage due to the graphics apparently looking like PS2 graphics, which I won't deny, but I feel game play and characters make a game, not graphics.
It's the same with a lot of other games I play. You just need that appreciation for the humor and personalities of characters and the plots.
Alas a lot of people don't see it that way and ignorantly hate on it and saying things that aren't really true. But what can you do? That's why I don't try to defend them. I just play and enjoy them. This is also just giving my opinion to the thread, not me trying to defend JRPG's to avoid any contradictions.

 

[hopeneverdies]

The RPG label is a fairly valid complaint. Unfortunately its a name thats now a part of the public conciousness so it won't be changed anytime soon. However, if they were instead called JSTGs (Japanese Story Telling Games), less people would probably have a problem with them.

.

STGs are already a genre in Japan. Shooting Games which we call Shmups, although JSTGs typically are of the Bullet Hell variety.

Sorry for not adding to any of the discussion.

 

[Thick]

I have to admit, even though I've heard the complaints about linearity before, I've never really thought about it in the terms discussed by some here, about how you have no input in the game other than through combat. This requires contemplation.

Take FFXIII for instance: I could try to make the claim that the linearity of it was an artistic choice commenting on the characters' inescapable fate or something, but I'd just be talking out of my ass, wouldn't I? (For the record, I kind of enjoyed FFXIII, but I haven't picked it up in a while.)

Honestly the whole conflict smacks of the us v. them social dynamic that arises in internet communities over most everything, more that than sincere debates over game design. Things that are particularly susceptible to stereotyping (which JRPGS are) just serve as big fat targets.

As far as the stagnation mentioned, I think when the people who make them think they are stagnating, you have to put your hands up. But stagnation is more a side-effect of how current tech meshes with business models and is a charge that can be leveled at games of most genres.

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

most people on here adore western influenced type games, and for the most part jrpg's are either polar opposites or they are very different...

so its just natural for them to dislike those things, alot of western fans like open world and character customization..

something very very few jrpg's offer..

or at least in the image. when people think of jrpgs they usually associate angsty teens and very unreal super linear games with it.


personally i like jrpg's just as much as any other rpg, but as of late i have been a bit dissappointed, so maybe thats why the rise of hate has happened

Quiet allot of JRPGs are open world and have more customization then most western games *cough*Shooters*cough*. The angstyness is true but in several western the bulk of characters are chest pumping patriotic marines pumped with steroids with even less rounding. I don't tend to differentiate between RPGs and JRPGs they are both fun as hell. What I'm saying is that if you're going to complain about games not changing why not say COD which has never changed in, well, anything gameplay wise and the same with, as I
mentioned before, street fighter. I hear street fighter is a good game (not my genre) but
how has it changed since one, apart from graphics a more characters?

I'm sorry... Why are you comparing JRPGs to anything other than WRPGS?
That's just incredibly stupid of you

You don't find "chest pumping patriotic[...]"-whateverness in WRPGs.

Either you're purposefully making a strawman, or simply misunderstand the whole ordeal
OT:
Because we don't like them.
People tend to voice their opinions on things they dislike. JRPGs are one of these things. Some are decent (Lost Odyssey), some are good (Final Fantasy 6), but most are shit.

We are not comparing them in why they are good or bad, what I am saying is that people complain that the genre is not changing, that is stupid, the genre has changed. It's changed in style, gameplay and general everything, I mean look back to FFI or 2. Shooters. However, apart from a few (see bioshock) they have not neither have Fighters, neither have RTS's. What I'm saying is 'Why say that JRPG's are not changing' whe cleary they definetly have. And as much you may want to argue and protest you can't unless you want to wait a week as right now I'm going on holiday, good day.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

I love JRPG's. I think the problem is, as someone already suggested, is that there have been few GOOD JRPG's in recent years. Had FFXIII been what is should have been, the ripping would have mostly stopped.

This. I mean, who didn't cry in '97 when Aeris/th got stabbed? But also, some JRPG's are just totally stupid like Eternal Sonata. Or are too weird for some people because the gun was the only reliable thing, but now, if you shoot someone, this happens:

 

[Tim_Buoy]

Three theories:

1. JRPG fanboys (and girls, don't you lie to me) are annoying twits who think anything is awesome so long as it came out of Japan, land of Pocky, pedophilia and weird porn, regardless of how good it actually is (see: anyone who claims to have enjoyed FFVIII, X, X-2, XII and XIII) and are acting that way as sort of a counter-measure against them.

2. Fans of Western RPGs who have been spoiled silly by Bioware and friends giving them nice things like choice and flexibility and allowing them to actually impose their own choices on the game world.

3. Yahtzee does it, therefore it is cool.


Personally, I only hate on Final Fantasy, given how it is pretty much everything I hate about JRPGs. Casually browsing over my previous history will reveal that I am a huge fan of Star Ocean: The Second Story and the Persona series, so I'm a bit more charitable towards the genre.

okay first of all XII just sucked X was decent but the ending was good XIII was good and XIII was just bad.because i like some of these games im considered a fanboy with the millions of annoying pricks that wont shut about japan

 

[thedeathscythe]

I think it's 3 things, that are all on their own not bad things, but together they ruin it.

1. Linearity. There's not much replay value for most gamers. The hardcore will try different builds (if possible) or try and unlock everything in their next playthrough, but what next? Many games are linear, some arguably more so than many JRPG's.

2. Abundance. There's too many to play, but hey, there's a lot of shooters right? You pick the best one and that's that.

3. Similarities. This is for a series of games, or games from the same developer. Oh, the Magic is now called Will? Same thing, different name. It's nice that maybe they're trying to mix up the genre or story with something like that, but the gameplay mechanic with it is still the same. Change the name of the health bar and it'll still be the same thing. I like regularity with my games, but sometimes certain developers and publishers seem to recycle games over and over with arguably different story lines. That's not a bad thing though, I wouldn't want to pick up the new Madden game and feel completely lost; I'd simply want just a bit of change to give me something new to learn.

Now, all of those things on their own are fine, but when you have all three, I think, at least for me, that's what makes people more aggressive towards them. I'm a huge fan of JRPG's though, it's just I easily get my fill by them.

 

[HeySeansOnline]

Probably a mixture of xenophobia, transitional issues, and different concepts.

 

[Doctor What]

There is an certain level of campiness to them, that most audiences just don't like. And like it's been said, most gamers enjoy the "go here, do whatever you want to" process of western games. But if you're just going to hate it because it just is what it is, then that's a terrible answer.

 

[CmdrGoob]

Because they kinda suck, especially this gen. Even the major series have been mediocre this gen (eg. FF13, I'm looking in your direction) and the worst JRPGs are awful (eg. SO4 or Eternal Sonata writing is unbearably, painfully bad).

The writing, characters and dialogue have tended towards horrible cheesy anime cliche bullshit, JRPG gameplay has been struggling to develop from tediously slow turn based combat, and the design has tended towards goofy looking overly elaborate eyesores.


(Demon's Souls is good, though)

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Well, first I'll just say that I divide JRPGs into two categories.

Nintendo and Square Enix. These aren't really defined by the company that makes them but rather by the types RPGs either company is known to produce. Nintendo's biggest RPGs are Pokémon and Paper Mario, practically nonexistent stories with excellent and distinctive gameplay mechanics. Square Enix of course makes Final Fantasy, the standard image of the JRPG with great emphasis on story and solid but ultimately very standard gameplay mechanics.

In my opinion the ultimate source of most of the complaints is the often justly perceived homogeneity of the "Square Enix" JRPGs. On the surface very little separates say, Final Fantasy and Golden Sun. Thus any gripes that someone may have with the genre are amplified because no one who makes JRPGs seems to be even trying to be different.

That's just my thoughts on other's opinions though. I'm the sort of gamer who will play and enjoy basically any type of game, this includes JRPGs of both the types I've mentioned.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

What are your thoughts?

JRPGs are picked on because they used to beat up little kids for their lunch money. After a swirly screen, they'd jump out, shout "You're a random monster" and ransack them.

That's why gamers hate them. They're getting their own back.