JRPGS vs Western RPGs. What's your preference?

[LordLundar]

Why do I have to choose? To make you feel better about your choice?

Honestly, it stuff like this that makes me just want to walk away. For some odd reason the term eclectic is not only not understood, but apparently forbidden. I'm apparently not allowed to be middle of the road anymore. I either have to absolutely love something or despise it with every fiber of my being, anything else is apparently unacceptable.

To hell with that. Just because a game isn't a pinnacle of the genre does not make it the wort in history, nor does a game done well mean that any justified dislike towards it is wrong. And finally, just because I like one game in a particular genre type does not mean I must dislike any other genre that isn't related to it.

I like games that I enjoy, regardless of genre or lack of perfection. Anything else is trying to pander to people that I really don't give a damn about.

 

[kyogen]

I like them both, but I am pickier about which JRPGs I play.

EDIT: I wouldn't care to make a direct comparison since they have such different story and game-mechanical priorities.

 

[Quaidis]

I'd love me a good jrpg anyday. Or other rpgs from other nations that are in a jrpg format.

However they've been lacking lately. A decade ago (and in the 90s as well) there were tons of great, story-driven, lovable rpgs. They were everywhere. Then cutscenes kinda took over for story somewhere along the line and game play was dumbed down a bit (mind you, game play has been dumbed down for all games in all genres.) Now when you get a jrpg, most of the time it's a shadow of what they're supposed to be like.

Bring me a jrpg with a great story, interesting characters, a creative world, and wonderful combat... And I'll buy that game in no-time.



... What's up with captcha? It's a black box with earpit written next to it.

 

[Terrik]

Western, really looking forward to Skyrim, JRPG's got nothing on a game like that.

 

[veloper]

I really like Tactics Ogre, but that's actually a SRPG, not a JRPG.
Demon's Souls again made in Japan, but not really a JRPG (ARPG).

A JRPG could be good in theory: turn-based combat, multiple companions, full party control in combat. I don't even mind the anime gfx. That is up to a point. FF characters still look terrible.
What usually sucks is the way TB combat is handled in JRPGs. Fixed positions, CTB, menu driven.
Then there's typically the grind. Laughably bad dialogues are just the final nail.

Doesn't have to be. The story in LUCT is sentimental but tolerable. A JRPG with a writing at that level should work just aswell with rabid Bioware fans.

I'd say as it stands now WRPGs and JRPGs both suck.
The better RPGs made nowadays are not pure RPGs, but rather half-decent shooters and beat-em-ups with stats and quests, like ME2 and DS, but what I actually want is a good SRPG.

 

[Von Ribbentrop]

Both really.

From JRPG's Chrono Trigger, FF6 (I seem to prefer FF whin it was 2D more), Bahamuth Lagoon...

And from the Western side Baldur's Gate, Morrowind, Kotor, Fallout...

 

[Normandyfoxtrot]

JRPG's. This is simply because a jRPG offers more gameplay for your money.
Average time to finish a jRPG = 40+ hours
only a few wRPG's match this (this is a modern trend, it wasnt always like this) for example all bioware games = 20 hours abouts for a full play through.

I don't think I've ever beaten a Bioware game in less than 50hours...

 

[G-Force]

I prefer Jrpgs from a design standpoint as WRPGs STILL are going with the Medieval Fantasy Setting as seen with recent releases of Skyrim, Witcher and Dragon Age. World Ends With You was a Jrpg that blended fashion culture, urban music and a graffiti style. When was the last time a Wrpg blended elements of pop culture and was praised for having unique visuals? Granted I LOOOOVE me som juicy WRPGs as I had a blast with Fallout and Mass Effect but it seems like WRPGs seem to either go swords and magic or straight up sci fi with nothing much in between.

Of course the biggest irony is that the most celebrated JRPG at the money is Dark Souls which works the grim fantasy artistic direction to a T

 

[Legion IV]

JRPG's. This is simply because a jRPG offers more gameplay for your money.
Average time to finish a jRPG = 40+ hours
only a few wRPG's match this (this is a modern trend, it wasnt always like this) for example all bioware games = 20 hours abouts for a full play through.

I don't think I've ever beaten a Bioware game in less than 50hours...

I did almost everything in Mass effect 2 in 27.54 hours. Thats depressing, that should be against the rpg law, oh wait its action rpg guess thats alright.

 

[Legion IV]

Not to "be that guy" but in this modern console generation the JRPG seems a very tiny genre in terms of numbers of games released but there is also the issue that the term RPG in western games is now almost meaningless, or at least lacks adiquite definition.

The problem for a JRPG is that most of what makes it a genre is almost set in stone whereas the WRPG can be anything from shooters like borderlands, to (arguably) Stalker, Fallout 3 and mass effect 2 or turn based RPGs like that game i forgot the name of that is awesome , Dungeon crawlers like Diablo, isometric variants therein line The Bastion, Sweeping action type rpgs like The Wither 2, Dragon age and Elder Scrolls or any number of other fusions on the genre.

You dont play many JRPGS or play many imports do you?

Honestly i'd argue there are more JRPGS released, with much more ambitious and innovative styles, shame they dont get Commercial releases in the states.

 

[nukethetuna]

I swing both ways... enthusiastically.

WRPGs I like for role-playing, and placing MYSELF in a world/story. They're significantly more grounded in realism, which helps in that department. In addition, the (general) emphasis on creating your "own" journey and open-endedness allow for a good amount of replay value, which is always nice.

JRPGs I like for watching a story unfold that doesn't involve me. They're generally more fantastical, so it makes following it a spectacle. Additionally, you're more likely to get less "traditional" settings and ideas from a JRPG. Someone above mentioned TWEWY, which is about as funky fresh as a premise can get.

 

[Oly J]

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.

More or less 100% accurately my thoughts.

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.

it's probably worth mentioning that JRPG doesn't just mean Final Fantasy (much as I love it...well...not so much anymore...anyway)

OT I love both types but I gotta go with JRPG I love the cheesiness of some of them and they have awesome soundtracks (mostly) and as annoying as some characters are most of them manage to grow on me

 

[Techsmart07]

Note to self - Western RPGs in this context doesn't mean cowboys and indians (that was my first thought reading thread title.
I have enjoyed more western RPGs lately than I have JRPGs. I think western RPGs have gotten a lot better in the recent years. Bethesda games, as a whole, have won me over.

 

[Philip Collin]

JRPG's. This is simply because a jRPG offers more gameplay for your money.
Average time to finish a jRPG = 40+ hours
only a few wRPG's match this (this is a modern trend, it wasnt always like this) for example all bioware games = 20 hours abouts for a full play through.

I don't think I've ever beaten a Bioware game in less than 50hours...

well in that case you would take around 100 hours to finish a jRPG. Its a fact that jRPG's cant get away with making short games because they arent marketing at the cod/halo crowd whose short attention spans makes a game that takes longer than a single weekend to complete pointless.

Edit: Of course bethesda games are a special case. But they are the ONLY exception.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

I prefer Jrpgs from a design standpoint as WRPGs STILL are going with the Medieval Fantasy Setting as seen with recent releases of Skyrim, Witcher and Dragon Age. World Ends With You was a Jrpg that blended fashion culture, urban music and a graffiti style. When was the last time a Wrpg blended elements of pop culture and was praised for having unique visuals? Granted I LOOOOVE me som juicy WRPGs as I had a blast with Fallout and Mass Effect but it seems like WRPGs seem to either go swords and magic or straight up sci fi with nothing much in between.

Of course the biggest irony is that the most celebrated JRPG at the money is Dark Souls which works the grim fantasy artistic direction to a T

Well that is the selling point nowadays as every WRPG is aimed to be a dark fantasy without looking back and decrying any RPG which won't follow in it's footsteps.

Good thing Divinity tried to avoid that trend.

 

[Ovoon]

Those people talking about JRPG's being a teenage fashion show with unrelatable characters, that just have insecurity issues... I have one thing to say to you:

All JRPGs are not Final Fantasy. I consider myself a huge JRPG fan, and I don't like Final Fantasy at all for that reason.

Try some Persona 3 and 4, or some Valkyria Chronicles, Lost Odyssey, Tales of Vesperia, and many other games. Sure, they've got plenty of flaws, but once you get past them, it can be a truly incredible experience.

Oh, and I love me both :3

I especially loved the recent Risen, and Titan Quest. And of course, the obvious Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect and KOTOR.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

Those people talking about JRPG's being a teenage fashion show with unrelatable characters, that just have insecurity issues... I have one thing to say to you:

All JRPGs are not Final Fantasy. I consider myself a huge JRPG fan, and I don't like Final Fantasy at all for that reason.

Try some Persona 3 and 4, or some Valkyria Chronicles, Lost Odyssey, Tales of Vesperia, and many other games. Sure, they've got plenty of flaws, but once you get past them, it can be a truly incredible experience.

Oh, and I love me both :3

I especially loved the recent Risen, and Titan Quest. And of course, the obvious Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect and KOTOR.

The point is that no one likes JRPGs is because they are not seen as "dark" enough like Dragon Age and KOTOR 2 which were complete dark fantasies about flawed heroes, a doomed world and how does one cope with it.

 

[Wayneguard]

I think I generally prefer western RPGs. I love a few JRPs though (final fantasy IV and final fantasy IX)