Idea for JRPG remakes

[EzraPound]

This is entirely speculative, but wouldn't it be cool if - rather than remaking a game like FFVII in a JRPG fashion - western companies had a go at reinterpreting seminal JRPGs? It would be a neat cross-cultural project, if done tastefully - c'mon, how about Dragon Warrior III done on the UT2K4 engine? Final Fantasy VII done on the Oblivion one à la Fallout 3? Castlevania as a Deux Ex-style title? Hell, Japanese companies could borrow IPs, too, so we might get Diablo linear-anime or a Star Wars JRPG (there was a manga to this effect, I remember). Your thoughts?

 

[EzraPound]

Fantastic idea in theory but...

"Star Wars JRPG" = Rogue Galaxy

aka one of the worst JRPGs in recent memory (ever?)

That got okay reviews, but I'm sure it would be benefitted by the actual Star Wars IP.

P.S. http://www.thegrillstoreandmore.com/image/products/big-pics/765034b.jpg

 

[TsunamiWombat]

While both my Otaku Third (yay large eyes and katana's!) and my Ferret Third (NEW THING! SHINY! WEEEE DANCU DANCU) both think this is a great idea, my Cynical Bastard Third (Meh) thinks it's aweful and would only lead to half baked poorly constructed games.

ALSO, it expects your thread is going to turn into a burned napalm soaked wasteland as soon as the 'cool kids' look at it and see the words 'jrpg' and 'remake'. Don your heat shields.

 

[EzraPound]

ALSO, it expects your thread is going to turn into a burned napalm soaked wasteland as soon as the 'cool kids' look at it and see the words 'jrpg' and 'remake'. Don your heat shields.

Well, that's the angle I come from, essentially, whereby I liked key JRPGs back in the day but got tired of the franchises they hailed from once their mechanics stopped changing. Hence this idea: you combine innovative western design with refined Japanese atmosphere and characterization.

 

[minoes]

innovative western design

Do you really think so?

 

[TsunamiWombat]

ALSO, it expects your thread is going to turn into a burned napalm soaked wasteland as soon as the 'cool kids' look at it and see the words 'jrpg' and 'remake'. Don your heat shields.

Well, that's the angle I come from, essentially, whereby I liked key JRPGs back in the day but got tired of the franchises they hailed from once their mechanics stopped changing. Hence this idea: you combine innovative western design with refined Japanese atmosphere and characterization.

I dunno if i'd say Japanese atmosphere was good anymore... It's kind of just Emo now. I miss the olden days, when you had sorrowful samurai who hated the blood soaked life they lead. Now it's pissant kids named L writing dramatically. F**k new anime SUCKS. You know in the original Gundam, when Amuro got emo, Commander Bright SLAPPED him. It was a space opera without dripping in saccarine melodrama.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vtfon4QtA9U&feature=related

 

[SimuLord]

I'm of the mind that the overwhelming majority of well-realized gaming universes (as in Doctorpus's thread) are not built by the Japanese. As such, Western developers should stick with creating their own worlds since they're so much better at it.

 

[Eiseman]

The first thing I thought of was Mass Effect with Gundam suits.

And it was awesome.

 

[minoes]

I dunno if i'd say Japanese atmosphere was good anymore... It's kind of just Emo now. I miss the olden days, when you had sorrowful samurai who hated the blood soaked life they lead. Now it's pissant kids named L writing dramatically. F**k new anime SUCKS. You know in the original Robotech, when Amuro got emo, Commander Bright SLAPPED him. It was a space opera without dripping in saccarine melodrama.

As much as I love Evangelion, I also blame it for making anime like that.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Lets let the Japanese make good games out of their own properties first. I am STILL waiting for a good Gundam game. STILL. The best one i've played is Super Gatchapon Gundam X, for the SNES.

I would love to see Westernized or even a half and half approach to some of these intel-properties though.

 

[EzraPound]

Lets let the Japanese make good games out of their own properties first. I am STILL waiting for a good Gundam game. STILL. The best one i've played is Super Gatchapon Gundam X, for the SNES.

I would love to see Westernized or even a half and half approach to some of these intel-properties though.

Yo: how about Gundam, cel-shaded, on the UT2K4 engine or another one fit for handling vehicles? It could alternate between a Deux Ex-style RPG and a cockpit fighter like Side Story 0079.

Also, if you're looking for a good Gundam game try Federation vs. Zeon for PS2, or - if you want an inferior - but free - import copy, the DC. I think you'll be impressed; F vs. Z was the life of many Gundam fans in the quarter after it was released, and is pretty good on 2P for the PS2.

 

[SmugFrog]

That's an awesome idea! I think it will be at least 10 years before we start to see remakes of "recent" games though. Companies need to be restructed or sell off their IPs in order for changes like this to happen.

 

[Danglybits]

Fantastic idea in theory but...

"Star Wars JRPG" = Rogue Galaxy

aka one of the worst JRPGs in recent memory (ever?)

Agreed but I think that every thing that is wrong with Rogue Galaxy is the stuff that's wrong with all JRPGS. Or RPGS period, I think we've all played too many of them and the differences from western games that attracted us (or me) in the first place are becoming common place and obvious. Within one hour of RG I had one inexplicably badass teenage kid, one perky but somewhat capable girl and one clearly evil guy that is cooler than anyone in my party. Sound familiar. So to get back on topic I'd love to see what Westerners would do with JRPGS. Something tells me that the remake version of Barret wouldn't change much though.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Lets let the Japanese make good games out of their own properties first. I am STILL waiting for a good Gundam game. STILL. The best one i've played is Super Gatchapon Gundam X, for the SNES.

I would love to see Westernized or even a half and half approach to some of these intel-properties though.

Yo: how about Gundam, cel-shaded, on the UT2K4 engine or another one fit for handling vehicles? It could alternate between a Deux Ex-style RPG and a cockpit fighter like Side Story 0079.

Also, if you're looking for a good Gundam game try Federation vs. Zeon for PS2, or - if you want an inferior - but free - import copy, the DC. I think you'll be impressed; F vs. Z was the life of many Gundam fans in the quarter after it was released, and is pretty good on 2P for the PS2.

Let focus on getting in good dog fighting before we worry about out of cockpit stuff.

The thing is, both East and West have their problems- in the East it's an overemphasis on philosophy, thought, emotions, IE- EMO. In the west it's rugged emotionless stupid machismo, IE- Testosteridiot. The two could balance each other.

 

[Retoru]

c'mon, how about Dragon Warrior III done on the UT2K4 engine?

Gonna have to disagree there. Dragon Warrior III is a great game, and it already got a 16 bit remake. Pity they never localized it, they really should've, but there's a fan-trans project that started this summer in the works for it. Making it 3D using an FPS engine is just pure fail, it's not a game that would lend itself at all to a first person perspective.

Final Fantasy VII done on the Oblivion one à la Fallout 3?

No, no, no, no...a trillion times, no. Final Fantasy VII is such a convoluted game to begin with, complicating it with a big open-world type engine, a clunky interface, and removing all semblance of turn-based battles would render it a complete and utter mess.

Castlevania as a Deux Ex-style title?

...

 

[The Wooster]

Yeah. American McGee's Kingdom hearts will go down swimmingly.

 

[EzraPound]

Lets get this straight. Oblivion was shit, Fallout 3 was even fucking worse. Dont get me wrong they were fun to fuck around in and all but they didn't tell the story. JRPGs tell the story. You do not take a masterpiece like FFVII and shit it up for the giggles of lazy ass round eye gaijins.

Also Castlevania only works right as a 2D side scroller.

1) I'd say your opinion of Oblivion and Fallout 3 is fairly subjective; and, moreover, the point of the idea was to experiment with reinterpreting story-driven JRPGs in a more open-ended, but still coherent, manner.

2) Castlevania has only worked in 2D because noone made it work in 3D. Though Castlevania 64 and Lament of Innocence weren't bad.

Please get yourself to the hospital before whatever drugs you are taking makes you think razor blades would be the perfect replacment for chewing gum.

I'm sorry, but that's a little over-the-top. Besides, I'm only drinking coffee.

 

[Danglybits]

Final Fantasy VII done on the Oblivion one à la Fallout 3? Castlevania as a Deux Ex-style title?

And with two sentences you gave up your right to remain breathing.

Lets get this straight. Oblivion was shit, Fallout 3 was even fucking worse. Dont get me wrong they were fun to fuck around in and all but they didn't tell the story. JRPGs tell the story. You do not take a masterpiece like FFVII and shit it up for the giggles of lazy ass round eye gaijins.

Also Castlevania only works right as a 2D side scroller.

Please get yourself to the hospital before whatever drugs you are taking makes you think razor blades would be the perfect replacment for chewing gum.

JRPGS keep telling the same story, paradise or idyllic village lost, youth with only one parent, youth is very talented and has charisma up the ass. And I think you're putting WAY too much stock in Japan's games as evidenced by your 'gaijin' comment. As long as we're 'getting things straight' Japan isn't that cool, nor is in infallible.

 

[The Ghost]

The idea cannot work because it's contradictory to the genres' nature. JRPGs are about moving your pre-determined characters through a very linear story line, while American RPGs are more about you being yourself in a alternate reality, and unfortunately as a gamer equiped with the quick-save button we view consequences as non-real so most gamers just dick around and have fun for as long as they can until they accidentally stumble on the main story again.

 

[Retoru]

Final Fantasy VII done on the Oblivion one à la Fallout 3? Castlevania as a Deux Ex-style title?

And with two sentences you gave up your right to remain breathing.

Lets get this straight. Oblivion was shit, Fallout 3 was even fucking worse. Dont get me wrong they were fun to fuck around in and all but they didn't tell the story. JRPGs tell the story. You do not take a masterpiece like FFVII and shit it up for the giggles of lazy ass round eye gaijins.

Also Castlevania only works right as a 2D side scroller.

Please get yourself to the hospital before whatever drugs you are taking makes you think razor blades would be the perfect replacment for chewing gum.

JRPGS keep telling the same story, paradise or idyllic village lost, youth with only one parent, youth is very talented and has charisma up the ass. And I think you're putting WAY too much stock in Japan's games as evidenced by your 'gaijin' comment. As long as we're 'getting things straight' Japan isn't that cool, nor is in infallible.

It all depends on what you're getting from Japan. If you're looking to get the most outrageous, insane, freaky shit then it's a safe bet that you can get it from Japan. That country has been producing 95% of the world's bat-shit insane, freaky shit for at least the last few decades.

Anyway, the guy called FF7 a masterpiece, once you read that sentence you should've known that you could just stop reading the post because nothing of any importance would be said. The game isn't bad, but it isn't particularly good either. It's pure mediocrity, a game that probably wouldn't have pushed anywhere near the number of units it did if it didn't have Final Fantasy in it's name.