Poll: Do you hate JRPGS?

[Zacharine]

Personally I like RPGs, both tabletop as well as computer ones. Problem is however that there indeed is so much crap in the computer versions these days.

As for JRPGs... well, let's just say that on a scale 1-10, only Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 7 get over an 8. The rest of JRPGs are below 6. It's not just the decline of the story and the 'less clothing a woman wears, the more dangerous she is' syndrome or the characters that act like 10 year olds, it's not even entirely about the combat mechanics. Part of the problem is the grinding. Random enemy encounters every 2-5 minutes is just way too much pointless fighting.

Nowadays it's just the combination of poor/barely acceptable story, uninnovative characters (Oh those stereotypes! They Hurt!) and a combat systems that is old (granted, it works, but I'd expect someone to try something new every now and then) in addition with unskippable attack animations. Put it together with crayon-bright colours and you usually end with a product that's practically a clone of the other who knows how many JRPGs out there.

It's not that they're all bad, it's just that we've seen everything they have to offer at least 5 times already. I feel like the JRPG genre is afraid to try anything new and that it has been stagnating for the past decade or so.

If anyone would care to recommend a JRPG from the past 9 years to prove me wrong, I'm willing to try one or two recommendations during the summer...

 

[Zac_Dai]

JRPGS feel like they are aimed at young teens generally. I liked them at that age.

But I'm older now and I feel more immersed in Fallout 3 then say FFX.

Also I don't hate them, If people enjoy them thats cool, they're just not for me.

 

[Eatbrainz]

Like Yahtzee once said: "-Not a JRPG, god no, something with swords and goblins and men in loincloths talking about wenches."

 

[NaumWolf]

some JRPGs would be better as movies instead of games. maybe if i didn't have to stop every five minutes to watch the game play itself for a little while it'd be ok

 

[George Palmer]

hmmm... I find them to be all clones of FF7. If I wanted to play FF7 again I would.

Otherwise I will stick with the worlds best game ever developed ever.

DDKRMMORPG!! (The WoW killer we were all waiting for!)

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I like some of them.

 

[D_987]

No, JRPG's are my favorite genre.

 

[LeonLethality]

I'm actually nearly the opposite of metatr0n. I rarely come across a JRPG I don't like (Breath Of Fire: Dragon's Quarter springs to mind), but I give all of them a chance. Sure, I can't connect with the characters on a personal level either, but I rarely ever can, so it doesn't bother me.

what you can do for connection is connect to the story on an emotional level (not like relate but you feel for the characters in the story) thats how I think, but I agree with what you say as well

 

[D_987]

If anyone would care to recommend a JRPG from the past 9 years to prove me wrong, I'm willing to try one or two recommendations during the summer...

The Last Remnant.

 

[LeonLethality]

hmmm... I find them to be all clones of FF7.

woah clones? thats to general ff7 is a turn based game with ATB (only so far I have seen ff use ATB) with a story about a meteor destroying the world, only other games I can think of with meteors are maybe dark cloud and those are moons, clones is a bit to general.... and innaccurate most jrpgs use real time fighting or at least close to it (Kingdom Hearts, Dark Cloud, Eternal Sonata (its turn based with real time in it as well), Tales of games, Star Ocean, Phantasy Star, all of those are JRPG's and they dont use turn based combat and dont even seem anywhere close to a ff7 clone >.>

 

[WillSimplyBe]

Final Fantasy 9 was my first video game after super mario world, that sparked my love for them.

 

[LeonLethality]

If anyone would care to recommend a JRPG from the past 9 years to prove me wrong, I'm willing to try one or two recommendations during the summer...

The Last Remnant.

Also Dark Cloud 2(ok well you can have monica with hardly any clothes but you gotta put a lot of work in for it and its optional >.>)

and Eternal Sonata, this game doesn things differently >.>

 

[Sevre]

I like JRPGs,they're quite different to normal games.

 

[Zacharine]

Okay, so far I've been recommended the Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Symphonia, The Last Remnant, Dark Cloud 2 and Eternal Sonata as JRPGs that do things differently and/or stand out from the gelatineous mass of gloob I think the genre has become.

Thanks for suggestion, I'll try at least some of those (All of them if I have the time) during the following few months. We'll see if these games can prove me wrong.

 

[Katratzi]

My experience with JRPGs consists entirely of Final Fantasy X (which I've been playing on and off for the better part of a decade and not finished) and about 4 hours playing Final Fantasy X-2, so I'll dissregard that.

FFX then, when I was actually into playing it I did enjoy it ... well parts of it ... well the story line was interesting, also some of the FMVs had the BEST graphics I've ever seen on the PS2, and I liked the music. However, as I have always said, graphics don't make the game and there were parts that I didn't enjoy quite so much.

Firstly this whole leveling up cobblers, thats more a problem I have with RPGs in general than just JRPGs, I just can't be arsed with it. Also there was the combat, now FFX wasn't too bad, at least compaired to FFX-2, however I still much prefer real time combat (something I think Mass Effect nailed right on the head) Then there were the random encounters, something that just irritated me especially after I'd just got my arse shot off and my team were all one hit away from being killed and I had no health potions and the next save sphere was no where in sight.

Strip all that away and basically all your left with is walking from one place to another and occasionally having overly long conversations with the NPCs (though that I didn't mind so much)

So I guess, no, I don't really like JRPGs, but then I don't really like other RPGs either, however if there were a few more like Mass Effect and Deus Ex, then I might think slightly more favourably about them.

 

[Manawa]

Okay, so far I've been recommended the Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Symphonia, The Last Remnant, Dark Cloud 2 and Eternal Sonata as JRPGs that do things differently and/or stand out from the gelatineous mass of gloob I think the genre has become.

Thanks for suggestion, I'll try at least some of those (All of them if I have the time) during the following few months. We'll see if these games can prove me wrong.

Try "the World Ends With You" as well.

I must say, that both Japanese and western school of RPG's have their advantages and flaws. Mostly the jRPG's have deeper stories, more focused on characters, their emotions and connections between them, while suffering becouse of linearity and cursed grinding. The cRPG's on the other hand are shallow, instead they let you explore the world freely and your decisions actually can make a difference.

I like jRPG's - I love the emotional approach of them, but at the same time lack of creating your own class and linearity is somewhat painfull. Oh yeah, the random encounters can quickly make me tired, add to that lots of grinding and you get the jRPG that would look better as anime than actual game and one I will avoid despite story (FF VIII for example).

 

[Paulrus_Keaton]

I hate JRPGs that don't have "Skies" or "Arcadia" together in the same title.

 

[tenlong]

no i love rpgs . if i am going to pay 60 $ for a game. i want it to be long. unless i am in the mood for a short game

 

[Taninger]

Earthbound. I you don't like JRPGs, Earthbound. If you DO like JPRGs, Earthbound.

It's a quirky little game dramatically different from most, poking fun at the same genre while being a game that is both crazy and awesome. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. If nothing else, it's winnable with a minimum of grinding. Might be tough, but it's doable.

 

[FranzTyphid]

JRPG's big no no