Friday, 31 July 2009

  • Matt's Rantbox: Japanese RPG's


    Note: Some content not SFW; courtesy of 8th-circuit.com

    Or: Yeah, I'm Looking at You, JAPAN.

    So a friend of mine lent me the game Dragonquest VIII a little over a year ago. Personally, I've never been a big fan of RPGs (although I do have an odd nostalgic fondness for Final Fantasy IX). I never really got around to playing it, but then I somehow got introduced to Oblivion, and from there Fallout 3. Needless to say, I was blown away by these titles, and so I figured I'd take a crack at DQVIII. So far, I've pretty much been in agreement with every other glowing review out there.

    So, I figured that I was sold, that was that, I had finally managed to crack my way into the vast world of RPGs. Then, the same friend lent me a more recent game for the Xbox 360, entitled Eternal Sonata. Originally I was drawn to this game for one reason. You get to play as Chopin.

    This was awesome. The game itself was pretty damn good, too (part of the reason I'm writing this at the last minute). However, I have to say that I have a few complaints with the it. Firstly and foremostly (that's not a word, is it?) it feels incredibly... well, Japanese. And not in a good way.

    I don't wish to put down Japanese culture or video games in anyway, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. The way the characters talk feels very much like it's been translated, instead of feeling like they're fluent English speakers. On top of this, all of the characters feel like they've come out of some generic anime series.

    The game seems to follow a lot of pre-set JRPG standards. This isn't so much a problem for me, considering the fact that I don't play that many RPGs, but I can start to see a trend here. This game feels almost identical to the aforementioned Final Fantasy IX, and that game is nearly 10 years old. That would seem to get tiresome and repetitive if I had actually been keeping up with the genre.

    "Now wait a minute," you'll say, "all those games are like that because they're the same genre. You can't slag them for that." Well shut the fuck up, I say. Remember how I was talking about Oblivion? And maybe you've heard of a game called Mass Effect? Those games are RPGs as well, but they're incredibly different experiences. If you look at any other genre, you see that the games have advanced, they've changed. FPSs have taken on a far more realistic tone, action games have become far more expansive and diverse in their delivery, and racing games have... okay, bad example.

    Anyway, I guess the point I'm trying to get at here is... Actually I don't think I really have one. My bad. Here's a picture of a bunny with a pancake on its head to make up for your wasted time.

     

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Comments (17)

  • Altair_Specineff@xanga

    Yeah, that's the problem with Japanese games in general, they're OBSESSED with those cutesy/"moe" tropes that permeate anime. Probably because it sells so well over there, especially when there's something story-driven to go along with it. (And what are Japanese RPGs? Don't say "playable storybooks", though you'd probably be right.)

    Who needs substance/originality when you can just cash in?
  • shaggyglasses@xanga

    @Altair_Specineff@xanga - just like call of duty and every bald steroid injecting space marine. but no seriously, japanese rpg can get extremely generic in terms of story. but if you look at mass effect and played all the other bioware games and such then you'll say the same for them as well. 
  • thisboyissexy@xanga

    J-RPGs are in a category of their own. All are not made equal. It's like trying to compare Pokemon to Suikoden. The first is crap and the second is awesome.
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  • The_second_x@xanga

    Totally worth reading just for the bunny!
  • xjadersx@xanga

    Lol awesome.


    Fallout3 and Oblivion are somewhat similar, but very different. They're only similar though, because they're made by the same people.


    I like the bunny!
  • TheAsianCleric@xanga

    Comparing Oblivion and Fallout 3 to the rest of the RPGs out there is a bit of a stretch considering that is comparing action type RPGs. Not everyone likes playing games where your reflexes are put to the test. Some people play games solely for the story. You may like Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core if you ever get a PSP as it is more of an action type RPG. You probably would not like Mana Khemia as its battle system is very generic. The great part of Mana Khemia is that the story takes place in a school environment and the main characters are all students learning about combat, alchemy, survival instincts, etc. If you're expecting a vast expansion of what it means to be in the RPG genre, you won't find it coming out at a fast pace. They aren't going to have unique ones coming out at the same pace as full on action games. RPGs, puzzle games, and fighting games have that much in common. The frequency of unique games that actually differ from the rest is going to be a bit lower than the other genres. Just stop expecting things when you see a new game, that way you don't get as disappointed. Every game from Square with the word Mana in it has sucked since Legend of Mana. The ones prior to Legend of Mana were all good
  • twosidedme@xanga

    BAKA.  You play a Japanese RPG and expect it to not have... I don't know... Japanese influence? What was the point of this post?  You want the Japanese to make more games that would appeal to the world at large and to meet your expectations?  When in reality they make millions in their country alone, and the few j-rpg's we get are translations. 

  • BuyOranges@xanga

    Well, aren't all Western games the same too? Dark, gloomy graphics with guns, guns, guns? Throw in some aliens and zombies, an end of the world nuclear scenario, and first person shooting and you've got the next hit game.
  • xiaosnowtenshi@xanga

    My experience with RPGs is pretty much limited to the FF series, so the only comment I can make is this. You find it weird that the characters' scripts don't sound like they're native English, but they're translated from Japanese. So I think that's a bone you have to pick with the translators, not the game producers.
  • Jon@xanga

    BIG swords!
  • shiro_hayate@xanga

    I don't mind Japanese RPGs but the translation is getting really bad these days. I admit, I couldn't stand playing Eternal Sonata. I also gave up trying to finish Star Ocean 4. Then I imported White Knight Chronicles and found that I can't put it down, it gives the same feeling I get when I watch anime. For some reason, when you shove English words coming out of a Japanese character's mouth, it just sounds SO DAMN WRONG. Maybe what they need to do is stop translating everything literally. If I were to translate half the shit I say in Mandarin to English literally, people would think I'm gay.

    On a side note. reason why I hate American/White RPGs is because of how the characters are designed. They never have long hair, are always overly built, and they ALWAYS have a Gears of War soldier type personality. Vincent Valentie, Squall, Noctis, Cloud, Ryu, Akuma, HELL EVEN CHRIS FROM RESIDENT EVIL are all designed better and look better.

    So, conclusion? Either add in dual voices for NA versions of RPGs, or STOP SHOVING IN CRAP VAs! Why couldn't every translated game be like MGS4, where the VA in English is BETTER than that of Japans.
  • OldFashioned@xanga

    yeah the only rpgs i wasted time on were by squaresoft...err i mean square-enix
  • Ghost_X@xanga

    I like how Final Fantasy creators try to convince us it is not of the JRPG genre. It is the pinnacle of the JRPG genre =P. I want something more gritty, and characters less worried about their fashion sense, and perhaps use functional clothes. Cliched JRPG archetypes are over-done too. Pity they still sell well, otherwise it may force them to look elsewhere.
  • Lynnjynh9315@xanga

    Lol, funny. I personally love JRPGs for one thing: turn-based battles. All the other examples you mentioned are real-time RPGs. I have an extreme fondness for high-on-strategy turn-based games. I guess I'm just afraid that people are becoming too in love with twitchfests, that games calling for tactics and patience are being killed off. It's tragic!!

    Square-Enix needs to go and make a Final Fantasy Tactics 2- and not one of them portable spinoffs, but a true sequel done in modern graphics and everything. I'd love that....
  • Magniloquentia@xanga

    I cannot stand Japanese RPGs. They're all nearly identical. Same gender challenged characters going through the same confidence/identity crisis whilst saving x generic kingdom--where despite possessing wonderous technology, their weapons never quite made it past the iron age. Not only that, but you spend 90% of your time scrolling through menus. It's nice to see the Japanese are still using the innovative user interface invented 25+ years ago.
  • snapeful@xanga

    i love rpgs because: 

    setting/plot is usually in fantasy set times.............. i'm a sucker for it
    amazing character design... i want to cosplay a lot lol
    background music........... because it's music
    strategy etc

    they all have the same plot  along the lines of save the cheerleader, save the world, but i odn't mind it.

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