Is Mass Effect an jRPG?

[Worr Monger]

The question "Is Mass Effect an jRPG?" just makes me want to cry...

 

[Castratikron]

It may be similar to J-RPG's but it is still made by a western developer so it isn't a J-RPG.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

I think you're forgetting the J. You know... the J that stands for JAPANESE. Unless I missed something and Bioware has been Japanese this whole time.
It has WAY more character customization and choices that the average JRPG and its not MADE BY A JAPANESE DEVELOPER. It IS very action based, and I don't see how that would not make it an RPG (after all, the choice system and character customization and all that makes up for the lack of stats grinding and whatnot). So no. Mass Effect is NOT a JRPG.

 

[mtarzaim]

JRPG has little to do with nationalities... It's a way to design role-playing games: story > freedom. If you get a heavy story-driven game with level-up, chances are it's a JRPG wannabe.

So, let's take a look in ME :
- BFG + BFArmor + mecha
- Universe in danger + a group of rogue people who will stop it all by themselves
- corrupted government + shadow organization leaded by a bishie
- Boobs
- Tentacles (Asaris, reapers, etc)
- Weird science
- Nature preservation speeches
- Romance
- IA love
- Ass count
- Bishies (everyone is "attractive", even qurians)
- Turn based (if you make a lot of use of the tactic screen)
- Pimp my avatar/ship
- Funny unharmful mascott (Joker? )

TPS ? It's a camera angle.
Shooter ? Ok, I call that new to the trope of HF games. But still a game mechanic, not a definitive type of game.

So, is ME a JRPG?
I would say yes.
Stripped of the anime cliches inherent to the genre, with a western take on Sci-Fi. But still a JRPG in its execution.

PS: Since when "Waifu" is an insult for a game?

 

[Nackl of Gilmed]

It isn't an RPG, it's a third person shooter with RPG elements. A great third person shooter series, with some great characterization and writing mind you but the RPG aspect has always been bad. The first games RPG elements weren't any better than the second, they were pointless. A game where you only pick between two well-defined character types and are punished for mixing them, is not a good RPG period.

Still a great series though.

Also, not all JRPG's are like that. You're just assuming the entire genre is Final Fantasy, and you're treating the term JRPG like an insult.

I don't know that this is entirely true. Ignoring the JRPG versus non-J RPG definition, since there probably is no actual specific definition for those terms beyond the use of turn-based combat, the Mass Effect series still allows the player to determine the nature of their character and the way they influence events in the world. Personally, I did not stick to either Paragon or Renegade 100%, and was not noticeably penalised for that decision. I was maybe 25% Renegade without being limited in my choice to pursue the Paragon plotlines, which is probably enough for players who are actively deciding when and where they cross their own lines of morality.

 

[AlternatePFG]

It isn't an RPG, it's a third person shooter with RPG elements. A great third person shooter series, with some great characterization and writing mind you but the RPG aspect has always been bad. The first games RPG elements weren't any better than the second, they were pointless. A game where you only pick between two well-defined character types and are punished for mixing them, is not a good RPG period.

Still a great series though.

Also, not all JRPG's are like that. You're just assuming the entire genre is Final Fantasy, and you're treating the term JRPG like an insult.

I don't know that this is entirely true. Ignoring the JRPG versus non-J RPG definition, since there probably is no actual specific definition for those terms beyond the use of turn-based combat, the Mass Effect series still allows the player to determine the nature of their character and the way they influence events in the world. Personally, I did not stick to either Paragon or Renegade 100%, and was not noticeably penalised for that decision. I was maybe 25% Renegade without being limited in my choice to pursue the Paragon plotlines, which is probably enough for players who are actively deciding when and where they cross their own lines of morality.

Not all JRPG's use turn based combat. That doesn't define a JRPG. It's just an RPG made in Japan.

Okay, sure. You can get through the game with mixed paragon/renegade. And yeah, you can pass all of the checks with at least 3/4 full of one or the other, but that's still just playing one of the two versions of Shepard, with some minor variations. You don't get any options in actually playing the game, aside from speech checking, or gunning down everything that moves.

If it's an RPG, which I don't think it is, it's still not very good as one. That's why I prefer looking at it like a shooter.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I really can't see it, JRPG characters never act or talk like real people, they act like cartoony caricatures , ME2 characters however do act like people.
And the story linearity only feels like watered down WRPG, again doesn't seem like a JRPG railroad track.

The closest one to JRPG's is actually DA2, people look like mold perfect superheroes, equipped with all sorts of spikey armor, witch of the wilds is a straight up anime character, they do moves that are blown way out of proportion, they make obvious and stupid coments, they strike silly poses, you have an emo sibling, random battles,...

 

[Nackl of Gilmed]

Pretty much, yeah. The biggest difference between your viewpoint and mine is in how willing we are to dispense the title of 'rpg'. In combat the game is definitely a shooter, but you have options to influence the plot in what (to me) is definitely an rpg style of game.

EDIT:

It isn't an RPG, it's a third person shooter with RPG elements. A great third person shooter series, with some great characterization and writing mind you but the RPG aspect has always been bad. The first games RPG elements weren't any better than the second, they were pointless. A game where you only pick between two well-defined character types and are punished for mixing them, is not a good RPG period.

Still a great series though.

Also, not all JRPG's are like that. You're just assuming the entire genre is Final Fantasy, and you're treating the term JRPG like an insult.

I don't know that this is entirely true. Ignoring the JRPG versus non-J RPG definition, since there probably is no actual specific definition for those terms beyond the use of turn-based combat, the Mass Effect series still allows the player to determine the nature of their character and the way they influence events in the world. Personally, I did not stick to either Paragon or Renegade 100%, and was not noticeably penalised for that decision. I was maybe 25% Renegade without being limited in my choice to pursue the Paragon plotlines, which is probably enough for players who are actively deciding when and where they cross their own lines of morality.

Not all JRPG's use turn based combat. That doesn't define a JRPG. It's just an RPG made in Japan.

Okay, sure. You can get through the game with mixed paragon/renegade. And yeah, you can pass all of the checks with at least 3/4 full of one or the other, but that's still just playing one of the two versions of Shepard, with some minor variations. You don't get any options in actually playing the game, aside from speech checking, or gunning down everything that moves.

If it's an RPG, which I don't think it is, it's still not very good as one. That's why I prefer looking at it like a shooter.

I probably should have quoted you initially so you knew I was responding to you, but I accidentally didn't. My apologies.

 

[imnot]

Nope.avi

I mean its not even japanese!

 

[Knight Templar]

So, is ME a JRPG?
I would say yes.

No offense, but you would define a lot of the D&D I've played and seen as a JRPG, which is not only utterly incorrect and misleading but to do so would make the term useless. Oh and ME is not turn based, no matter how you look at it.
You are being silly.

 

[Twilight_guy]

It was made by Biowear and Biowear is in America. Therefore, it was made in the west and is a Western RPG. People tend to think that games are JRPGs because they have some common trait to them in gameplay or something but no in order to be a JRPG it simply needs to be made in Japan. (there are other factors that subcategory RPGs besides location of origin).

 

[LinwoodElrich]

I am actually confused how you could think it was a JRPG in all honesty. I mean, JRPGes have a very distinctive style and general gameplay to them that is miles apart from Mass Effect, particularly since Mass Effect is primarily, particularly in the second one, a third person shooter.

There is of course the obvious fact too that JRPG is a japanese RPG and so obviously Mass Effect isn't one.

 

[The Bandit]

Why does this thread have four pages? There is only one answer to this question, and the answer is no.

 

[OakTable]

Is it a JRPG? Nope. Is it a good RPG? Also nope. It's just a mediocre WRPG.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

The question "Is Mass Effect an jRPG?" just makes me want to cry...

It makes me want to become an hero.

By virtue of the fact that it wasn't made in Japan, it is not <color=red>a JRPG.

 

[Draitheryn]

It's not a JRPG and your command of the English language hurts my eyes.

 

[godofallu]

Let's run through a checklist to find out!

1 Is it made in Japan?
2 Does it use Asian styled artwork?
3 Is the combat turn based?

 

[starwarsgeek]

J-RPG and W-RPG.
These are not genres. They are stereotypes for two different ideas behind the RPG (Blanks slate vs. Pre-defined character). There are japanese RPGs that offer a blank slate and high customability (Pokemon), and W-RPGs with pre-defined characters (Anachronox). Western RPGs can be turn-based (Knights of the Old Republic) and J-RPGs can have action combat (Demon's Souls, Kingdom Hearts). And there are games like Knights of the Old Republic that simply fall in the middle, with fast-paced combat a character that is both defined and customizable.

The only rule that is completely consistent has nothing to do with story, characterization, or gameplay. One is made in "Western" countries, the other in Japan. That's it.

 

[mrdude2010]

no, it's really nothing like a JRPG stylistically

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Mass Effect 2 isn't a JRPG because Mass Effect 2 is an actual RPG, it has role-playing in it. JRPGs don't feature any actual role-playing, and they really aren't RPGs.