JRPGS vs Western RPGs. What's your preference?

[LilithSlave]

MUDs! Use your imagination people!

Hell yeah, MUDs.

I would say MUCKs, instead. If there's anything I don't like about modern MMORPGs, is that they're too much like simple Multi User Dungeons with a GUI instead of a CLI. While the MUCK is what they should truly aim to be and fail at.

MUDs leave you with people who want to level up and explore, just like MMORPGs.
MUCKS leave you with people who want to be a character they like.

The latter are far more creative and interesting to me.

However they've been lacking lately.

Have you played Tales of Vesperia? It's quite good.

 

[ResonanceGames]

Western, hands down. All the Infinity Engine games, KOTOR, Ultima 7, the Fallouts, Arcanum, VTM: Bloodlines, the Witcher games, the Ultima Underworlds, the list goes on and on. There are a few great JRPGs (love me some Chrono Trigger), but nothing that compares with those games.

 

[teknoarcanist]

Up until a few years ago, I would have said JRPG's. Then they started to suck.

Then up until a few weeks ago I would have said WRPG's.

Then I bought Dark Souls.

Now I don't know what to think about anything.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I don't always play JRPGs, but when I do, I prefer Atlus. Stay nerdy, my friends.

I... lo-lo-... Love this...

I mostly prefer Japanese RPGs. I always find that they require more strategy then your standard Western RPG.

Also, characters in JRPGs tend to be more characterized.

EDIT: HARK, what is calling me? A 80 HOUR LONG JOURNEY? I'm sorry, Bioware. Your treks through the universe are too short for me. I can spend weeks on JRPGs while I can spend mere weekends on WRPGs.

 

[Sagacious Zhu]

I play JRPG's for the story and WRPG's for the roleplaying

 

[ManInRed]

Western RPG's are a pretty small well define sub-set of RPG games in which only one character is playable and an alignment system assists with your character's development. Usually WRPG means it is a BioWare RPG, or something similar like Fable or Elder Scrolls.

A JRPG on the other hand is a label given to games made in Japan. This can also be a term for an RPG controlling a party that not considered a Tactical or Strategy game. A lot of games fall under this blank, made by a lot of different developers, and having a lot of variety. Such as: Arc of the Lad, Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Demon Souls, Dragon Quest, Dragon Seed, Digital Devil Saga, Devil Summoner, Earthbound, Enchanted Arms, Final Fantasy, Grandia, .Hack, Illusion of Gaia, Jade Cocoon, Kingdom of Hearts, Lufia, Lunar, Legend of Dragoon, Mario RPG, Nocturne, Other World: Azura Dreams, Paper Mario, Persona, Pokemon, Quest 64, Rogue Galaxy, Resonance of Fate, Star Ocean, Suikoden, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Symphonia, Thousand Arms, Valkyrie Profile, Unlimited Saga, Wild Arms, Xenogears, Xenosaga, Xenoblade, Y's, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. To name a few off the top of my head.

To me it's kind of a silly concept even separating JRPG from RPG, as games form Japan cover just about every type of RPG you can make. The size difference between the two groups is also huge, so any comparison basically ends up in an argument that JRPG have more good or bad games to it credit to be judged based on. Whatever your opinion this is a pretty easy argument to make.

Still, if I ignore the stupidity of the separation and answer the questions: which do I like better this one form of RPG or a combination of every other type of RPG? I got to go with the later choice, because I still play these games for the variety. Still, I cannot rank one type of RPG system above another, I like that there is more than one. RPG's are one of the only genres in video games that has not become stale and stagnant in its execution, perhaps due to the simplification of turn base combat preventing them from getting away with it. If I show any contempt to WRPGs it is towards the idea that all RPGs should be like they are, because that's the last thing we need.

Biasing games by region they were made in has never felt right to me either. We should all make games with such variety that region of developers doesn't matter anyways. And to pick favorite region when no pattern of the types of games made exists, would be nothing but complete racism or nationalism.

 

[Dr.Susse]

JRPG's all the way.

Some don't like the silly clothing/ hair/ size of weapons. But after looking over my pile of shame and seeing around 80% of the games there are Jrpg's my preference is Japanese.

 

[kayisking]

I lean towards Western-RPG's but my favourite game series of all times is a J-RPG serie.

 

[m72_ar]

WRPG hands down

 

[jawakiller]

I dunno, seems like a no-brainer. Sykrim or shitty final fantasy 13? The decision overwhelms me. Or, Fallout 3 versus Kingdom Hearts? And yet another comparison, Borderla-ah, fuck it. This isn't even a contest.

 

[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.

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.

Nobody likes JRPGs? I beg to freakin' differ. And these games that are supposedly "dark" are no more dark than many JRPGs I have played... so a moot point.

 

[Uncle_Brainhorn]

I prefer Western RPGs, personally, for a few reasons. I'm not a huge fan of turn based combat. I don't really like having to worry about other characters, managing their gear, etc. That said, I'm aware not all JRPGs are turn based, and I know some Western RPGs have multiple characters in your party.

Also, I tend to like the stories better in Western RPGs. Less overly angsty androgynous man-ladies.

 

[agentorange98]

Western RPGs without a doubt

 

[AngelArms]

By and large western. Their usually less linear and the player has more of an impact.

There are JRPGs I love, many in fact. But I just prefer westerns in principle

 

[Rol3x]

I havent been able to give JRPGs an honest shot, I cant take any of the characters seriously and the absurd weapons and plots kill any kind of immersion for me.

 

[Bob_Dobb]

Well my favourite RPG of either camps of all time is the Megami Tensei series, specifically Shin Megami Tensei 1 and 2 on the SNES. But as far as consistency JRPGs smack me around from the joy of SMT to the dredge of FF while most WRPGs hang around the well above average to brilliant making them more reliable.

 

[Robertus2210]

always western, because i consider them better written both in story and characters in general.

plus youknow the usualy dribble it anoys me how an angsty near naked skinny teenager with gravity defying hair is somehow the most powerful individuel in the world.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

And the generic "THIS WORLD IS A DARK FANTASY WITH NO HOPE FOR MANKIND AND EVERYONE AROUND IT!" is any better?

Western RPGs need to go back to it's high fantasy roots instead of one upping another in creating a broken world drowned in despair. League Of Legends is the closest thing we have to high fantasy atm.

 

[Livster493]

I really can't stand most JRPGs. The characters are usually annoying, the gameplay is boring, and there isn't really a balance between interaction and story. The only JRPG series I truly love is anything Mario related because its usually funny and it does involve some skill in timing.

 

[AwkwardTurtle]

western because i fill like i am actively changing the world not just watching it on fold plus all the mopy teens annoying but i do love renaissance of fate

1) It's Resonance of Fate. Just sayin'.

Thank you so much for making that correction. x3 I thought I was going to go crazy if no one said anything.

I like both equally, they each have their pro's and con's.

Although I must say that as of right now my favorite RPG (this console generation) is Dragon Age: Origins because it combined the focus on a group of party members that many JRPGs have with a pretty good dialogue system that I felt offered a fair bit a grey area in terms of choice.