So, being relatively new here, I noticed a lot of JRPG hate n the site and the forums. Of course, Yatzee, but also in posts and replies here and there. Now, I am older than most here -31 if you must know- and I remember a time when nearly all RPGs were Japanese-Developed. Sure, early Macs and PCs could run western games, but they were decidedly "Adventure" Genre games, like Deja Vu and King's Quest.
Fast forward to the current generation, and the community is pretty heavily divided on whether "Western RPGs" or "JRPGs" are better. Which I find quite odd. The discussion back in the 8, 16, and 32-bit / PC era was never about where an RPG came from, but rather whether or not it was good, or whether or not a person liked RPGs in particular.
What confuses me is that people espousing a love of "Western" RPGs and decrying "Japanese" RPGs do not really seem to understand just how similar the two sub-genres are. To me, that is like saying you love Star Wars -episode IV- but hate Japanese films, despite the fact that Star Wars is essentially a sci-fi remake of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." Really, there are far more similarities than differences, and you are welcome to prefer one over the other, but blankly disregarding the so-called "JRPG" seems a bit excessive.
Of course, all RPGs have their roots in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, with their extensive statistical and equipment systems, but this only shows how deeply interconnected the RPG genre is, irrespective of which side of the Pacific a game originates from.
In my opinion, the problem lies in an over-reliance on the idea of "genre," as well as an unthinking adherence to what genres people think reflect their own aesthetics. For example, in a thread asking which Final Fantasy game people liked the most, someone replied:
I do not like FPS games, nor do I care for puzzlers in general, but Portal is one of my favorite games. So, one must understand that genre itself is of little value, at best, it can only be used as a summery of the game, and at worst, it can be used solely as a marketing tool. In fact, the best games often find ways to defy genre itself -much like Portal- or to innovate the Genre to the point where it changes, like how Goldeneye and Half-Life innovated the FPS genre into something much more than it was previously.
I can certainly understand someone being turned off to the RPG genre after playing the atrocity that was Final Fantasy XIII, but there are so many wonderful RPGs, and even more games that have strong RPG elements woven into them.
So, what do you all think? Do you think it is right to divide Western RPGs and JRPGs? or, do you think we have created a false dichotomy? or, do you think that our idea of game genres is inherently flawed? Pontificate away!
Fast forward to the current generation, and the community is pretty heavily divided on whether "Western RPGs" or "JRPGs" are better. Which I find quite odd. The discussion back in the 8, 16, and 32-bit / PC era was never about where an RPG came from, but rather whether or not it was good, or whether or not a person liked RPGs in particular.
What confuses me is that people espousing a love of "Western" RPGs and decrying "Japanese" RPGs do not really seem to understand just how similar the two sub-genres are. To me, that is like saying you love Star Wars -episode IV- but hate Japanese films, despite the fact that Star Wars is essentially a sci-fi remake of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." Really, there are far more similarities than differences, and you are welcome to prefer one over the other, but blankly disregarding the so-called "JRPG" seems a bit excessive.
Of course, all RPGs have their roots in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, with their extensive statistical and equipment systems, but this only shows how deeply interconnected the RPG genre is, irrespective of which side of the Pacific a game originates from.
In my opinion, the problem lies in an over-reliance on the idea of "genre," as well as an unthinking adherence to what genres people think reflect their own aesthetics. For example, in a thread asking which Final Fantasy game people liked the most, someone replied:
Note that no arguments about game play, story, or characters were made, but rather the poster relied entirely on a generic dismissal, with no real argument.They all suck.
Boring Garbage Anime style pink JRPG games.
I do not like FPS games, nor do I care for puzzlers in general, but Portal is one of my favorite games. So, one must understand that genre itself is of little value, at best, it can only be used as a summery of the game, and at worst, it can be used solely as a marketing tool. In fact, the best games often find ways to defy genre itself -much like Portal- or to innovate the Genre to the point where it changes, like how Goldeneye and Half-Life innovated the FPS genre into something much more than it was previously.
I can certainly understand someone being turned off to the RPG genre after playing the atrocity that was Final Fantasy XIII, but there are so many wonderful RPGs, and even more games that have strong RPG elements woven into them.
So, what do you all think? Do you think it is right to divide Western RPGs and JRPGs? or, do you think we have created a false dichotomy? or, do you think that our idea of game genres is inherently flawed? Pontificate away!