Wednesday, 18 November 2009
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Japanese RPGs Are Always the Same: Why?
Japanese RPGs get a bad rap for resorting the same tired archetypes and conventions. This extends to more than just story, as many find the gameplay in JRPGs formulaic and uninventive. A post we featured previously had similar complaints, but I'm going to go more in-depth on the matter.
The truth is that these games follow an anime design sensibility. Spikey hair, angst, the big bad beautiful man, the out-of-nowhere ancient evil, cutesy doe-eyed girls, so on and so forth...you throw out all the tropes that ensure you a buck in Japan, because let's face it: Japanese RPGs were made primarily for Japan, not us. It's only when a game in this genre sells extraordinary well internationally that any considerations are given for a player-base that isn't exactly into Japanese cartoons. And even then, only so much compromise is made.
But that's not all. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of people see the gameplay of JRPGs as stagnant. This is actually how it is with many of the older genres that survive today in a recognizable form; you can only innovate a genre so much without changing what's attractive about it to its fans. For many of them, it's the subtle additions to the menu-driven formula that keep the genre refreshing while retaining the characteristics they enjoy. This can seem like game-design laziness, but it's really a subjective thing.
Of course, don't take my rant about JRPGs as outright praise for American RPGs, oh no. Western titles display more variation in terms of story and system, but they follow more in the footsteps of tabletop gaming, putting emphasis on individually molding oneself into an adventure but without the magic of a GM (Gamemaster); thus, a more expansive and free-form world results in more disjointed plot. (I'm looking at you, Oblivion!) Even with a rich mythology and in-game history present, this means nothing if the actual storytelling isn't top notch.
Alas, that's probably why games like the Legend of Zelda have been so successful. Link himself is a memorable face as a protagonist, but his inability to speak coupled with the tone and direction the games take in forcing the player to be proactive serves the perfect balance between the story-driven immersion and self-insertion. And as much as he may count as an 'anime' style character, more classical fantasy influences are prevalent in Link's design.
Are you annoyed by Japanese RPGs? Do you prefer Western titles in the genre?
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Comments (32)
When I had picked up both Phantasy Star Zero and Phantasy Star Universe for the 360 at the same time, followed by my long-time love of Tales of Vesperia and Pokémon, and my interest to play Eternal Sonata, not to mention being a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda [although I don't really think it counts as an RPG, but it is not something I will argue] and the Kingdom Hearts series, somewhere along the way I had realised I was a fan of Japanese RPGs.
I dunno. American RPGs just lack... colour. Or something. I'm not quite sure what, but they're just not quite as vibrant to me. Sure, the Japanese RPGs have their cliches, but if I were tired of them, I'd have stopped by now.
I still play them, but they do seem stagnant. To me it's because they rely on forcing the player to play a certain way so that we can watch another three-hour cut scene. We then get two minutes of gameplay before another. I like my games to give me some choice and emphasize play time instead of watch time. They don't have it. As bad as Oblivion is, I've spent more time on it than I have JRPGs principally because of this, though I agree that the story-telling in it is horrid compared to a JRPG.
My ideal RPGs are those kind of like BioWare's. It gives me just enough rope to feel free, delivers a good story, and doesn't make me watch a movie to play a game. IMNSHO, Bioware is the single best video game RPG maker out there.
Hubby & I love RPGs and have plenty of Japanese ones, but we get most irritated with the ridiculousness level of many of the female characters in them. But if the game's good enough (which it usually is), then we just endure it (but never again will I watch him play Star Ocean w/o intense irritation--that one's the worst).
The Legend of Zelda is popular because you don't have to sit around and take turns in prissy slap battles.
@webofsimplicity@xanga - Rikku from FFX is a good example.
@democrab@xanga - Definitely true, though turned based battle JRPG's or any turned based RPG usually have some pretty epic boss fights compared to open battle (aside from the God of War series).
As long as the game brings something new to the table, however little it may be, I'm happy. Also the leveling system matters a lot, especially in terms of replay value.
@Crysanthemums@xanga - Haha, actually Rikku is one of my fave characters... kinda funny... Lyml is WAY worse!
*shrug* i love japanese games, they have good game design and i love fantasy-type settings.
and yes, legend of zelda is bloody epic. but you still need to choose yes or no :( you can't just say "HAHAH FUCK YOU GREAT FAIRY!!!" ....... lol <_< not that i would say that to the great fairy, i need din's fire!! D:
i personally LOVE jrpg's. though they may be "cliche" they present the cliches in new and inventive ways with each new title, helping to create a refreshing 40 to 60 hour game. though western rpg's are a little more open about the stories, where you can help guide a game with your decisions, the stories aren't as great and at times require you to do certain sidequests and the like that you normally wouldn't do in order to fully enjoy the story, and they're not nearly as long, creating more a feel of nostalgia quickly rather than a feeling of completion and perhaps nostalgia later and far into the future. while western rpg's focus more on the action and getting the player into the game and making it enjoyable by tailoring them to what the masses want, jrpg's focus a lot more on story, character development, and strategy, all the while incorporating both male AND female characters in equal quantities most of the time, switching off which sex is the lead character, and they also aren't afraid to experiment as much, unless they're an established franchise like FF, in which case they just have really creative minds that manage to make each new installment fun and exciting. unlike western rpg's, jrpg's are able to have cult hits, since they set the bar so high to begin with and so can have a little fun trying out new things, which most western rpg's don't have that reputation and so work more towards reaching it, though they do it more through immersion of the player.
all in all, i love all rpg's as long as there's at least a decent storyline that has me guessing from time to time and it's fun.
JRPG are as stagnant in the story department as WRPG. don't believe me... play every bioware game since baldur's gate ii and you can find every character of bg ii reappear in a different costume.
Japanese RPGs are all the same because that is what appeals
just like the western first person war based shooter
it never gets old because it continues to make a lot of money
it's what the fans want
RPG discrimination is just wrong, ugh
It was made that way, directed at the masses of people that will not give up on JRPGs; Gamers in Japan, and the patches of western gamers that still love it (Me being one of them).
@pixelspecter@xanga - Someone decides to make sense! Only difference, JRPG has been out well longer, and we can get this feeling of "Too much of the same ol' thing". Wait another 2-3 years, we'll get the same exact feeling for western RPGs. (One more problem...to call alot of the western RPGs...RPGs? Too many of them feel way more MMO-sandboxed, than RPGed.
ZELDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OWNS! :D:D:D:D <3
rpgs of any kind never getting boring
I particularly enjoyed Earthbound based on the fact its cast was the antithesis of the JRPG stock characters and the game is just so colorful, down to the dialogue, enemies and items.
@Icecold4u@xanga - well actually, western rpgs have been out a lot longer but the actual history is oblivious to me. before the 7th or even 6th generation, wrpg were always on computers and not console/handhelds. because of that, they were always under the radar. the oldest wrpg i have played was daggerfall in the elder scrolls series which was in 1996. then there was the ultima series in 1980.
both jrpg and wrpg have been declining in quality. the only reason why people don't see it in wrpg is because of the massive hype starting from the 7th gen by console only gamers who have only experienced jrpg, which was dominant on consoles. its like this. i eat chicken everyday for 6 days and on the 7th day i eat beef... of course i'm going to like beef more because i grow tired of eating chicken and not because of the quality of the dish itself.
I miss turn based RPG's that had epic storylines. Now everything is real time with emphasis on letting the AI do the work for you.
I think it would really help if Japanese game designers just flat out created the most hideous and unattractive characters the earth had ever seen and then given it a western title and pass for a game that only kills time as its main purpose. But give it the same story line, lol. Ugly fat chicks and dudes with magic swords.
Well, japanese rpg are the way they are, the "formula" is just part of their culture. And it's still lovable in all way. I really don't mind the spiky hair, pretty boys, and etc. But that is what makes them jrpg : /
@webofsimplicity@xanga - lol yeah I'll definitely give you that
Ever since I first played Chrono Cross I fell in love with Japanese RPGs. Never really played WRPGs so i can't comment on them.
Tales of Symphonia for suuure :)
@democrab@xanga - LOL, amen to that.
I can take SRPGs like Fire Emblem, but the more "traditional" JRPGs (like FF# and Tales) annoy me. Their storylines are always either over-the-top or overshadow the weak characters in the story, or their battle systems are god awful, or they get tedious because they send you running across the world every ten minutes looking for some random city while invisible/super-fast enemies attack you over and over and over and over again, or a host of other reasons. >.>
I like both Japanese style and American style RPGs. There are different and comparing them is kind of like comparing apples and pears--same kind of fruit, but still serve a different purpose. And while both types have rotten examples, there are still plenty of decent ones in the mix.
JRPGs are insanely popular. Some people don't like them. Same is true of... FPSs, AmerRPGs, Racers, MK-style fighters, MMOs... oh wait, every popular style... ever.
I don't find them anymore stagnant than any other genre, and frankly, they have a lot better story and character development than most Western games. Yeah, a lot of games follow the archetypes you mention, but plenty of them don't follow them any more than any other genre, and the gameplay switches up just as much as the gameplay in a modern FPS (yeah, they add a neat thing here and there, but it's basically going to be the same as its predecessors).
Obviously, people who dislike a genre will harp on flaws that, in reality, are part of every genre. It's kind of stupid, really. If you don't like a genre, fine, but you don't have to bitch about it. I don't like Halo, but I'm not going to ruin it for anyone else.