JRPGS vs Western RPGs. What's your preference?
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I used to be all about JRPGs in the late 90s, but now, they've really turned me off with all the horrible anime made for teenage TV drama stuff going on. Yes I know that the audience in Japan is different, hell, I still love watching anime when I can, but at the same time, this trend has been going on for too many years, and I'm not the age where I can relate to teenagers saving the world time and time again. If I can't relate to a character, in a game where I'm supposed to be playing their role, then something is really wrong. Because of that, I've gone the route of western RPGs, and I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed I didn't do it sooner.
Western. I dunno, I just like the characters most of them use more. It seems like in JRPG's traits like Weird and Loner get so hyperbolic they make the possessor of the trait unrelatable. Also most WRPG's allow me to make my own characters as opposed to playing a linear story with a set character.
I am however, a massive fan of tactical RPG's. ie. Final Fantasy Tactics and the like. and those seem to mainly belong to the JRPG style.
I am however, a massive fan of tactical RPG's. ie. Final Fantasy Tactics and the like. and those seem to mainly belong to the JRPG style.
anything with a good structured story, whether they be WRPG or JRPG. I don't like sandbox style WRPGs like elder scrolls because you pretty much just get dropped in the world, and given absolutely no direction. I do, however, like games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, since they have a structured story but also offer freedom of exploration. I do not, however, like completely linear games like FFXIII.
JRPGs. Final Fantasy X, IX, VI, XIII, X-2,Crystal, All the Kingdom Hearts game, P4. The World Ends With You. They are great games to me.
WRPGs seem boring. Also the fans haven't been making me want to play them by being so smug.
WRPGs seem boring. Also the fans haven't been making me want to play them by being so smug.
Realistically, WRPGs. I have very fond memories of JRPGs, and on the surface I would like to say I prefer them. But the reality is that I haven't been able to finish one in a long time.
Western mainly. Occasionally once every milennia when the planets align there is a good JRPG. The main problem is the story. Typical JRPG format is use of massive monologues and exposition to explain the story, while the characters just stand there. There needs to be a more interactive experience, ala story telling through gameplay.
Also the characters are less cliche (note I said less) and usually have better voice actors, instead of the same 20 actors I hear when I watch anime/manga.
And the emotion thing makes me laugh, I think its just because the JRPG crowd tends to have more female fans. Theres too many crazy characters with weird names and crazy hairstyles and outfits like a tourbus crashed in middle earth on its way to a fashion show, and none of them are given the proper screentime for me to give a shit about them. I just can't feel sorry for a bunch of kids with insecurity issues trying to save the world when a group of experienced adventurers SHOULD exist in said realm, or at least some type of military to deal with the problem.
I don't get it, but hey if its your cup of tea....and I'll be slaying dragons as Dovakin.
Also the characters are less cliche (note I said less) and usually have better voice actors, instead of the same 20 actors I hear when I watch anime/manga.
And the emotion thing makes me laugh, I think its just because the JRPG crowd tends to have more female fans. Theres too many crazy characters with weird names and crazy hairstyles and outfits like a tourbus crashed in middle earth on its way to a fashion show, and none of them are given the proper screentime for me to give a shit about them. I just can't feel sorry for a bunch of kids with insecurity issues trying to save the world when a group of experienced adventurers SHOULD exist in said realm, or at least some type of military to deal with the problem.
I don't get it, but hey if its your cup of tea....and I'll be slaying dragons as Dovakin.
I used to love JRPGs, but after FF X, I can't seem to manage them anymore. They all look very, very similar (with some exceptions, of course), and I don't care anymore for the stereotypes that are prevalent in them.
I think that, lately, WRPGs are striving much more to give something new to its players. Whether they manage to do that or not, that's to be seen, but the quality of the titles, overall, seems a bit better on this side of the hemisphere.
I think that, lately, WRPGs are striving much more to give something new to its players. Whether they manage to do that or not, that's to be seen, but the quality of the titles, overall, seems a bit better on this side of the hemisphere.
I like both equally for different reasons.
It really annoys me when WRPG fans go "All JRPG's are just angsty teenagers saving the world" when these people are really just referring to Final Fantasy, which really is not a good example of the entire genre.
You could make the same generalizations for most western RPG's but just replace teenager with adult.
It really annoys me when WRPG fans go "All JRPG's are just angsty teenagers saving the world" when these people are really just referring to Final Fantasy, which really is not a good example of the entire genre.
You could make the same generalizations for most western RPG's but just replace teenager with adult.
More or less 100% accurately my thoughts.StrixMaxima said:
One of the best games I ever played was FF8. And one of the best characters I've ever seen in a game was Vivi from FF9. FFX was decent enough but after that I just didnt care.
wRPGs have always been awesome, and still are. DA:O was fantastic. Mass Effect if you can tolerate a game on the more actiony side. WRPGs all the way.
Depends, i find jrpgs have a more interesting story, whereas western ones tend to involve a lot more wandering around/exploring.
Oh and i just dismiss the whole argument about been able to make your own unique charactor in a lot of western rpgs, once youve got the same sets of armour most people at your level will be using, you will all look pretty much the same, at least the people in jrpgs stand out more, even if its for sometimes worrying reasons.
Oh and i just dismiss the whole argument about been able to make your own unique charactor in a lot of western rpgs, once youve got the same sets of armour most people at your level will be using, you will all look pretty much the same, at least the people in jrpgs stand out more, even if its for sometimes worrying reasons.
I like both and both camps have games I love and games I hate. But western RPGs tend to have a little more gameplay value for me.
Western mostly,but I also like JRPGs as long as they came out before FFVII.FFVII is where all of the androgeny and mopy teens came from,and it wasn't even that fun,and now everyone's trying to ape that overhyped shit.I like RPGs in general,but FFVII just ruined JRPGs.I'm so disillusioned with them that I don't bother with them unless it came out before 1998.
Western for me. I'm love the medieval settings and there usually is a different variety of settings and combat depending on the game you play. I've played a few jprgs in my time and I personally can't stand them. The whole angsty teen thing always annoyed me and most seem to be based on a turn based combat system which I personally don't care for too much. This thread really is just a flame war waiting to happen.
Meh I like western RPG's but my experience with JRPG's is limited to the final fantasy games that I played on my friends playstation and I could never get into those. I cant condemn JRPG's on the whole I just never found one that I actually liked (I didn't exactly look to hard though). I only really have a few Japanese games that I like.
I'll play both, but I tend to lean more towards western than JRPGs, probably because I have so many friends who play Western RPGs and keep telling me awesome Game X is, but only a few telling me about the great JRPGs out there