Do you dislike JRPGs? (Flamewars unwelcome)

[Aircross]

I stopped liking JRPGs for the same reason Yahtzee did, when the amount of substance in a JRPG is tiny compared to the amount of flashiness.

Nowadays it's just:

-Battle
-Angsty whining
-Battle
-More angsty whining
-Battle
-Even more angsty whining
-Battle
-Angsty whining with a side of NEVAR GIEV UP HOEP!
-Boss Battle
-etc.

JRPG protagonists need to STFU.

 

[Tony2077]

i don't know when it started but i love jrpgs even when there not even made in japan magna carta 2 being the main one. i don't know why i love them guess my love is blind and stupid don't try to make sense of it rings truer then i thought

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

I just find them uninteresting and samey. It's a shame that that's what a lot of talented Japanese developers waste their time on. I'd love to see the guys behind Final Fantasy make an FPS or survival horror game or even a racing game.

Another reason I dislike JRPG's is because it's pretty much the only type of game most gay guys play. Every time I go into the gaming thread of some gay forum it's just pages and pages of Persona and Disgaea debates. If I ever try and ask if anybody plays Killzone or Dead Space all I get are, um, whatever the written equivalent of "blank stares" is. I've even been called "straight-acting" because I said I like Call of Duty.

 

[G-Force]

I don't like what they've become, if that makes sense.

Definitely. And in my eyes, they have become stale. Unable to captive my imagination. What can I say, with age (and plenty of reading) come higher standards. So uhm Japan, I'm not a teen anymore...would you kindly make more mature JRPGs? Maybe something along the lines of Vagrant Story?

OP: Sure, tropes ARE tools. But tools can be mishandled, hurting the narrative as a consequence. There may be nothing wrong with the concept of JRPGs as such, but the actual execution/ performance can still be pretty fucked up.

Play the Yakuza games then. While there is brawling it's pretty JRPGish with its crafting system, loads of side quests and random battles.

 

[Ando85]

JRPGs are my absolute favorite genre of games. However, I do see why a lot of people don't like them. A friend who dislikes them think they are all the same. Androgynous hero saves world. On the surface that might be true, but I think he is missing the dynamics of said games.

Another point I have noticed in recent JRPG reviews. They often get low scores for being cliche and offering nothing new or unique. I don't mind this for some reason or another. When deciding what game I want to play I often think I want a straight forward traditional JRPG to play.

 

[mega48man]

the oldish me would of burst in here exploding outlandish rants of hate and bigotry towards JRPG's and it's fandom despite your disclaimer. but that me was scared from being a weeboo for my entire middle school life, being bullied for liking anime and growing up to hate it. but i've recently been touched by the kind words of a beautiful girl, who's into anime, and now the new me is ready to make an intelligent comment without any bias from the depths of my mind...

so long as the game itself is good, which doesn't happen often, i don't mind.

 

[Defense]

The Escapist is full of people that would love Bioware and Bethesda even if they crapped in a box and sold it to them, so you find people hating on an entire genre because of the garbage that comes out from Japan. I might as well say that all racing games blow since I didn't like Big Rigs.

I'm mixed when it comes to JRPGs myself. I've played gems(Star Ocean 2, Final Fantasy V) and I've played absolute garbage(Earthbound, Final Fantasy II), but my overall experience has been great. I guess it's because I know not to buy Star Ocean 4 or the most recent Underage Panty Quest.

Would Dark Souls count as a JRPG? It's made by a Japanese studio (I think) and it's got character customisation coming out the wazoo. Some of the subtelty is still lost in translation, but I'm having a blast with it all the same.

Ignoring its Japanese origin, I'd say that it's very much Japanese. There are many medieval weapons and armor, but you also get a silent protagonist and there are crazy weapons out the wazoo. It's also a Metroidvania and the scope of the whole thing is huge, and you can tell that it's not trying to be down to Earth like many WRPGs.

 

[Don Savik]

The Escapist is full of people that would love Bioware and Bethesda even if they crapped in a box and sold it to them, so you find people hating on an entire genre because of the garbage that comes out from Japan. I might as well say that all racing games blow since I didn't like Big Rigs.

I'm mixed when it comes to JRPGs myself. I've played gems(Star Ocean 2, Final Fantasy V) and I've played absolute garbage(Earthbound, Final Fantasy II), but my overall experience has been great. I guess it's because I know not to buy Star Ocean 4 or the most recent Underage Panty Quest.

Would Dark Souls count as a JRPG? It's made by a Japanese studio (I think) and it's got character customisation coming out the wazoo. Some of the subtelty is still lost in translation, but I'm having a blast with it all the same.

Ignoring its Japanese origin, I'd say that it's very much Japanese. There are many medieval weapons and armor, but you also get a silent protagonist and there are crazy weapons out the wazoo. It's also a Metroidvania and the scope of the whole thing is huge, and you can tell that it's not trying to be down to Earth like many WRPGs.

Because everyone who says they don't like many of the tropes associated with these games clearly hates EVERY SINGLE JRPG EVER MADE and they're all fans of Bioware and Bethesda to the point of them owning Tali body pillows and shouting at people in dragonborn.

Yep sounds about right.

(can we please stop with these ridiculous generalizations? there is no point in sounding self-riteous just because some people dislike something you like)

And some genres people just DON'T LIKE. I don't like sports games because I find them boring. Some people don't like FPS, and others find strategy games boring. Is that wrong? Can I not dislike a genre as a whole? Or do I need to play every single game in that genre to completion before I make up my mind?

 

[Defense]

Because everyone who says they don't like many of the tropes associated with these games clearly hates EVERY SINGLE JRPG EVER MADE and they're all fans of Bioware and Bethesda to the point of them owning Tali body pillows and shouting at people in dragonborn.

It's more common than you think. Just look at Aircross, Somonah, and ThePenguinKnight, they generalize just about the whole genre because of tropes that a few games have.

Also, I wasn't necessarily saying that they were one and the same, but there is a trend. Many people here are passionate when it comes to Bethesda and Bioware, and if you saw the threads in December and March, then you'd see that the fans definitely aren't a minority.

I don't like sports games because I find them boring. Some people don't like FPS, and others find strategy games boring. Is that wrong? Can I not dislike a genre as a whole?

It depends. Sports games and FPSs may have less variety than a few other genres, but there's still a pretty big difference between realistic and arcade-y sports games. Hating Mario Tennis just because FIFA 10 blew chunks would be pretty silly, and I would like to think that you agree with me.

And then there's the whole "JRPGs aren't a genre" argument, but I don't particularly care for what it actually is.

Or do I need to play every single game in that genre to completion before I make up my mind?

Nah, you just don't need to generalize everything.

For example. I'm not a fan of medieval settings. Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age(spiritual successor, I know, but bear with me) both use them. HOWEVER, I'm not retarded enough to claim that every WRPG is an ugly D&D hack and slash realistic dice-rolling game with a faceless, voiceless, and bland protagonist. I know that among them, there is Fallout 2 and Arcanum and Planescape: Torment, all of which are noticeably different from their other WRPG brethren.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

How to create a JRPG.
-------------------->
Step 1: Creating a cast of characters, a check-list.
1a. Sulking male lead with mysterious tragic past? Check.
1b. Naive but strong willed female love interest in constant need of protection? Check.
1c. Confident yet wacky male character destined to become your best friend? Check
1d. Energetic under-aged jail-bait character for virgins to gawk at and fat women to cosplay as? Check.

Step 2: Everything in the middle.
Make sure you insert several hours of grinding with a 40 hour minimum for general battles and a 100 minimal for farming materials for "ultimate weapons". Afterwards just sprinkle in a giant crab monster here and there, some kidnappings, and senseless dribble about the philosophy of life from the taunting villain.

Step 3: Fight the boss
Make sure the boss battle requires an additional 10 hours of grinding than upon victory, introduce who is REALLY pulling the strings. Please note that before the battle begins the boss is required to monolog about the philosophy of life as previously stated.

Step 4: Fight god.
Create a god or demi-god of sorts that wants to destroy the planet for some arbitrary reason that makes little to no sense, preferably beaten by the power of love and friendship. 2 to 4 additional forms are recommended before defeat, but not entirely necessary.

So yeah, I'm not a fan of most JRPGs.

Where can I go buy this game? It sounds awesome. xD

OT: Yeah, I like JRPGs, outside of the occasional action-adventure title they're mainly what I play. No real reasons, I just prefer that style. Yeah, there are some bad ones, but when they get it right a JRPG can be something truly special.

EDIT: it DOES piss me off when people make racist remarks concerning their country of origin, however. It's absolutely fine not to like a game, or a game genre. You know what isn't fine? Being an ignorant jackass about the whole thing.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

I don't see the appeal. If you like it, more power to you. Enjoy. I'm sure there are games I like that some of you would find boring and stupid.

Well, you are called 'Adam Jensen'... lol, I kid, I kid.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

As a genre? No not really. But I will say that this current generation of consoles has seen fewer JRPG titles that I've considered to be "worth my time" than in the past.

 

[SUPA FRANKY]

I still like JRPGs, but they have lost there flair at least for me. I didn't reallenjoy playing Final Fantasy 13 when I got past the 15 hour mark. THough Atlus games are preety good, I just can't help but feel they are tedious all of a sudden.

Plus WRPGs like Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age are just too fun to play.

I'm looking forward to playing Xenoblade Chronicles, The last Story, and hopefully Tales of Xilia. ( Graces just seems too flamboyant for me. I really doubt I could take it seriously.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

-Very archetypal, two dimensional characters; morality is in black-and-white, there's no gray
-Turn-based fighting
-Horribly cheesy writing/inconsistent writing/bad writing in general (even by video game standards, though I think part of it is just translation problems - or so I would hope)
-Humor is very, very campy
-Teenagers saving the world, and there's ALWAYS an apocalypse scenario
-Extremely, EXTREMELY annoying fanbases (my most minor complaint in comparison to the others but still, anyone who says an obnoxious fanbase doesn't even slightly leave a bad taste in your mouth is lying through their teeth)

Most of my beef with it. Granted I've liked my share of JRPGs that had its cliches (but used it well) it's just the hate towards the genre is not unwarranted, imo.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Where can I go buy this game? It sounds awesome. xD

OT: Yeah, I like JRPGs, outside of the occasional action-adventure title they're mainly what I play. No real reasons, I just prefer that style. Yeah, there are some bad ones, but when they get it right a JRPG can be something truly special.

EDIT: it DOES piss me off when people make racist remarks concerning their country of origin, however. It's absolutely fine not to like a game, or a game genre. You know what isn't fine? Being an ignorant jackass about the whole thing.

Persona 4 is probably my favorite game of all time, and a JRPG. It hits a few generic notes but it really stands out as a game that defines it's own unique identity. If I went into an explanation as to why I love the game so much I'd be typing for hours. As far as non-traditional JRPGs go I really enjoyed the Dead Rising series and The World Ends With You.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

Generally? I'm not that big of a fan. There's a lot that's lost on me in a JRPG. Mostly all those bizarre cultural references that I don't get but the Japanophiles find extremely entertaining, which I guess is a decent-sized chunk of the genre.

I love some of the combat systems though, and that's why I'm still playing the latest Star Ocean and can't wait for the next, should it come out.

...and I think that no matter how many times I type it, I don't think I'll be buying an 'all-new chevy sonic'

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

I dislike the JRPGs for not being dark or violent enough as it was back then. Back in the day when JRPG was dark and gritty and did a lot of dark fantasy. It sold well, had lots of fans and wasn't a butt monkey for jokes. But now, it no longer it as and the quality is suffered

And guess what became darker? WRPGs became a lot darker to offset the new direction most JRPGs are taking

 

[Elfgore]

First off I hate the art style I prefer a more realistic style than hair that stands 10 feet of a persons head. Also how most have like machine guns and swords in it, makes no sense if I have a gun why do I need a sword. And lastly how boring the game is. Pick a move, pick a potion. I really hate turn based fighting games. Bore the crap out of me.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Back in the day when JRPG was dark and gritty and did a lot of dark fantasy.

Wait... so what's "dark fantasy" again?