Are JRPG's Dead?

[Presto]

(wall of text, sorry it can't be helped)

 

I've always been a huge fan of RPG's since I very first started gaming. I think the first one I stumbled onto was the text game Zork on a friends old IBM computer. Eventually as games progressed I got obsessed with the 80-150 hour time sinks that were JRPG's. From Final Fantasy, to Tales of "...", and every Xeno game they were all I ever wanted to play. As games advanced though I started playing games like Morrowind and Baldur's Gate and slowly but surely I started playing JRPG's less and less. It wasn't that I didn't want to give the games a try, just that the genre in general did little to update and keep up with the times.

 

I attribute the decline to Final Fantasy, once the pinnacle of RPG's across the board, is now a disappointing former shell of what it once was. I just downloaded and tried the demo for the upcoming FFXIII-2 and I was left both annoyed with the mechanics and let down with the freedom to play how I want. Just like FFXIII before it, the battle system is confusing and labored just for the sake of being different. It appears that every JRPG nowadays needs to come up with some random battle system that is different in an attempt to garner some interest but usually ends up being confusing and tedious as a result. Where as in the past the world and the story were the driving factors to play through a game, now the focus has shifted to battles and if you aren't on board with the unique battle system from the start the chances are that likely you'll never be.

 

I tapped out playing FFXIII after about 10 hours into the game when the battle system felt more like a random cluster fuck rather than a tested and streamlined feature. Lets also not mention the storyline that was less than easy to digest because they did a bad job writing the story and had too many made up words and names to keep the direction clear. It's just my opinion of course but the game felt like it dropped you smack in the middle of a world with little explanation and treated you as if you had already read an entire novel about the geopolitical landscape of this made up society. Maybe it's just how I like to start a game but don't make the new battle system AND the story confusing from the start or I will never maintain the momentum to try to figure either one out.

 

It's a big disappointment for me. I feel like I'm betraying myself in a way when I'm not excited for nor looking to pick up the latest Final Fantasy game in the series. This extends to all JRPG's for that matter, which are fewer and far between nowadays. Maybe the market has just shifted to more action oriented RPG's now (Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, Fallout) or maybe American/European developers have just caught up and surpassed the once mighty JRPG style, I don't know.

 

In part I have to admit that I too have changed my gaming methods over the years. Where once I used to sit and play JUST the one game for hours on end, slowly leveling up my characters through hundreds of random encounters, now I play my games while also distracting myself with something else in the background. It's rare that I ever just sit and do one thing anymore. I may have a game on my pc while I watch TV, listen to music or a podcast, or text a friend. With my attention being split I wander in and out of focus and if the game isn't doing well enough to pull me back I won't give it the benefit of the doubt and go find something else to do instead.

 

With many JRPG's nowadays trying to get your attention by being more "deep" (i.e. confusing) I don't give them the benefit of the doubt that I used to. It could be a sign of the times or a change in focus and maybe I'm being left in the dust but I don't think so. I'm still only in my late 20's though, so even though I've been playing games for over 15 years it doesn't mean I'm out of the loop and letting the newer trends pass me by. I just feel that the genre has stagnated and not improved to the level that many next gen/current gen games have. MMORPG's and Western/Action RPG's are king now and I'm not sure that there will be a resurgence of the once great genre. There will always be a niche and it will still be a powerhouse in Japan but for the rest of the world it feels, to me anway, that the time is up.

 

Are JRPG's Dead?

 

[4xgd]

Not only JRPG's but also the "pure" RPG's are dying more and more. I rarely see any RPG's since a long time but only the *insert random genre/RPG mixes, which annoys me nowadays. As for some series, like the FF series it's getting more and more worse in my opinion. I played nearly all parts and with FFX, it started to piss me off slighty (no unique characters because all do the same when you're leveling serious). FFX-2 was the greatest catastrophe of the whole series ... I'm the last, who would complain about fan service stuff but what the hell was this whole game? Nothing more then stupid girls with stupid commentaries (when you have watched spoony's review of it, you know what I mean). FFXI was the first MMO and well ... quitted it after around six month. At this time there was only one class, who was able to solo and all other are forced to play in parties - pick the wrong class combo and you're doomed (and I was doomed because I wasn't a mainstream combo - I play how I like and not how other want to force me). The last one was FFXII, which I've played for around ... six? hours after I dropped it because it bored me too much and I really disliked the fighting system. Since then, I never touched any of the newer FF parts because the feeling of the parts before FFX died in my opinion.

 

The PSX and PS2 were great consoles for JRPG's but I rarely notice any games nowadays and it's a shame. Xenoblade for the Wii is the last one, which I really noticed in the last time. There's only one series which I still like and doesn't really disappoint me and that is the Dragon Quest series. Playing now DQIX and I really love it - it combines most of my needs for a good RPG and I haven't found anything negative about it after ~25 hours of playing.

 

My thoughts about the games nowadays are that the graphics developed and gives us eyecandy but the longtime motivation really went a bad way. I've a hard time to get the motivation for doing anything around the main part of the game in recent games but give me games, like Legend of Dragoon, Lufia II, Breath of Fire II+III or most of the very good games around the four to thirtytwo bit era and I can do all kind of stuff to run a 100% clear game.

 

I'm a gamer, who enjoys some remakes of the good old school games more then anything totally "new" because they can't really mess up the games and I know, if it'll be good or not. Like on the NDS Chrono Trigger or some of the DQ series - better graphics and/or some new stuff inside but mainly the same what you know.

Maybe I'll find my way into MMOs again with either DQX or the new PSOII, which are in development but we'll see about that in the future.

 

I've played so much and still need to get some time to play the Xenosaga series or other really good JRPG's, which are older.

[Kyocera]

 

 

 

This can apply to RPGs too. In fact, what this implies can be applied to any modern game really.

 

I've never been a huge fan of PC-type RPGs but always a big fan of jRPGs, right back from when I first played Phantasy Star 2. Everything these days seems so dumbed down and most significantly you feel railroaded into a single stream that you can't deviate off.

 

There's always an unnecessary desire for developers to try new systems and battle formats. Sometimes they really should just go back to basics and stop messing with things. I'm pretty sure that 99% of RPG fans want the same too.

 

If any of you haven't played Star Ocean - The Second Story on the PS1 I recommend you do. It's one the hands down best games ever. Fuck saving the country or the planet, let's save the entire galaxy from destruction.

[afa]

But JRPG IS the very representation of the follow a line watch cutscene, follow the line and watch cutscene model!

And imo, there's nothing wrong with that! If they can pull it off nicely.

 

The biggest problem with FF recently is that they keep trying to reinvent FF EVERY SINGLE TIME, it sort of started with FF8, arguably 7, but I'll blame 8 , and I don't know if anyone remembers the campaign for FF9 and noticed how they drove the point home for "going back to its root" for FF9, but then jump back on the reinventing the wheel (...and made it square...ok bad joke!) bandwagon for FF10 and on, why? Because...

 

FF is a prison of its legacy. Even with the wildly acclaimed FF7 people complain it has a different setting and tone from 6 and 4. FF8 came around and generally further piss off more of the older crowd and some of FF7 followers, but at the same time also pleased some. Then FF9 came around and pissed off the people who liked FF8. It is a never ending cycle.

 

Traditionally FF was the pinnacle of graphics back in the days when FMVs were cool, but of course those days are gone since the mid PS2 era. Without the graphical advantage FF keeps on trying to reinventing its character progression and battle system, trying to make it less RPG-ish and more action. Understandable but they are not doing it correctly, and they fail more than they succeed. Removing random encounter was good, adding in annoying spawn quest and random drop loot quest into FF12 because they had it in FF11 was bad! It is bad enough in a MMO and they felt the need to bring it into a single player game!

[Kyocera]

But JRPG IS the very representation of the follow a line watch cutscene' date=' follow the line and watch cutscene model!

And imo, there's nothing wrong with that! If they can pull it off nicely.

 

The biggest problem with FF recently is that they keep trying to reinvent FF EVERY SINGLE TIME, it sort of started with FF8, arguably 7, but I'll blame 8 , and I don't know if anyone remembers the campaign for FF9 and noticed how they drove the point home for "going back to its root" for FF9, but then jump back on the reinventing the wheel (...and made it square...ok bad joke!) bandwagon for FF10 and on, why? Because...

 

FF is a prison of its legacy. Even with the wildly acclaimed FF7 people complain it has a different setting and tone from 6 and 4. FF8 came around and generally further piss off more of the older crowd and some of FF7 followers, but at the same time also pleased some. Then FF9 came around and pissed off the people who liked FF8. It is a never ending cycle.

 

Traditionally FF was the pinnacle of graphics back in the days when FMVs were cool, but of course those days are gone since the mid PS2 era. Without the graphical advantage FF keeps on trying to reinventing its character progression and battle system, trying to make it less RPG-ish and more action. Understandable but they are not doing it correctly, and they fail more than they succeed. Removing random encounter was good, adding in annoying spawn quest and random drop loot quest into FF12 because they had it in FF11 was bad! It is bad enough in a MMO and they felt the need to bring it into a single player game!

[/quote']

 

They never used to be so railroaded. Sure there was always a particular line you had to follow for plot progression but there were subquests and secrets you could find by deviating away from that line before coming back to it later. The problem these days is that there's barely any deviation whatsoever away from that line.

 

As a standalone game I thought FF12 was stunning and a great swansong for the PS2. Sure the plot was disappointing and maybe it shouldn't have been called an FF game but as a game in its own right it was excellent.

 

I do agree with what you say about what came after 7. I thought 8 was an appalling game and actually 9 was barely any better because of a crap plot and a surprisingly thin amount of actual "content".

 

For me and a lot of people it's all in the mechanics. We don't want super active battle rape mode timed bukkake v.2, we just want to play a jRPG with old school mechanics but modern graphics and the like. Surely it's not too much to ask for?

[4xgd]

For me and a lot of people it's all in the mechanics. We don't want super active battle rape mode timed bukkake v.2' date=' we just want to play a jRPG with old school mechanics but modern graphics and the like. Surely it's not too much to ask for?

[/quote']

 

That's what we want yes ... but look at most of the known series from old days - most of them devoloped, into another way and far away from what we know from ten to twenty years ago. The problem is that the parts from the past threw some milestones , which had a hard impact on the market and the future and you can't do it these days because they're too much fixed on the graphics and part XY from game XYZ. I'm sure and many other too, that some remakes of good games with the modern standard of graphics and some new content etc. would fill a great hole in the market.

 

I still play the older games - they were good, they still are good and nothing these days can't mess with a milestone from around 10+ years in the past. I'm used to play some kind of "hard modes" to make the games still challenging, even if I know the whole content blind.

 

i would say, that you should try to get some of the old JRPG's, which you haven't played yet and have fun with them.

 

[Kyocera]

The graphics don't really bother me that much. As long as they're functional enough without being so bad they actually detract from the gameplay then all is good.

 

You have to give admiration to Namco and the Tales series as I think that's about as "traditional" jRPG you can get these days.

[Tenka]

I played JRPG's when I was young but FF7 came out the same year as Fallout and there was absolutely no way I was ever going to go back to another JRPG after that.

 

I must have played a dozen JRPG's and I couldn't tell you any character's names or even the title of the game but I can tell you that in virtually every one of them, the king tells some spiky haired orphan to save the kingdom and then you grind monsters ans skip dialogue until it's over

 

 

There's some program called RPG Maker which churns these games out. So they aren't dead.

[polluxval]

my very first rpg or jrpg was a game on pc wich nam i cant remember. but the very first one i loved was final fantasy for nes. i loved those years. u_u

[kalikka]

Another anticipated jrpg is going to be released next month, named The Last Story.

Its supposed to be as good as/better than Xenoblade.

Red a small article about it on a gaming magazine. (Damn I want to buy a wii now.)

 

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

[oblivionwithdongs]

Might seem weird in a bethesda mod forum, but i kinda dislike standard JRPGs and WRPGs

I think what i like about oblivion is the infinite dungeon crawl capacity, i've had it since it was released and still haven't completed all the mod dungeons i've downloaded. Not getting the same feel from skyrim for some reason.

And i think the problem right now is similar with anime, the otaku market is dominating everything else, sure i like moe lolis as much as the next depraved weeaboo, but i don't want to play a game where every character is a loli and the plot is 'look at dem lolis'.

But i think JRPGs are far from dead, i've never been a huge fan of the final fantasy style but versus looks promising, and there's xenoblade although i haven't been able to emulate it without sound problems so i haven't tried it yet, and then there's the fucking amazing demon's/dark souls, which are semi-sequels to my favorite PSX/PS2 JRPG series, King's field/Shadow Tower.

[Guest Donkey]

Kalika are you using taptalk ??

[Evilokami]

Just to throw this in here. Demons and dark souls are "JRPG's" and those are very well received. Even so that PC only gamers had to cry and make a petition for dark souls.

 

And JRPG's are not "dead".

[Azuredragoon]

People who complain about RPG's being mixed with other genres are forgetting something important: The FIGHT MAGIC ITEM RUN system was there because it was based on D&D, which uses turn based combat out of necessity.

 

I still say Mass Effect is a "Pure" RPG, even though it's not turn based and has many TPS elements in it, because the action is only half the game, the dialogue and cutscenes are the rest...

 

and isn't that true of any RPG?

 

Even if there were no stats whatsoever, Mass Effect would still be an RPG, because RPG's are all about choice and defining your own version of the story, acting through the characters. Final Fantasy games are basically RPG's in name only in my opinion, games like Chrono Trigger that gave you some choices and a lot of variance between possible endings/stories is much closer to a "True" RPG than Final Fantasy... but even that doesn't really compare to Fallout and Mass Effect.

 

Still, Chrono Trigger was a damn good game, and it was interactive enough to where you really felt you were driving the story rather than watching the actions unfold, which is my number one problem with so-called "JRPG's"

 

[Kashked]

People who complain about RPG's being mixed with other genres are forgetting something important: The FIGHT MAGIC ITEM RUN system was there because it was based on D&D' date=' which uses turn based combat out of necessity.

 

I still say Mass Effect is a "Pure" RPG, even though it's not turn based and has many TPS elements in it, because the action is only half the game, the dialogue and cutscenes are the rest...

 

and isn't that true of any RPG?

 

Even if there were no stats whatsoever, Mass Effect would still be an RPG, because RPG's are all about choice and defining your own version of the story, acting through the characters. Final Fantasy games are basically RPG's in name only in my opinion, games like Chrono Trigger that gave you some choices and a lot of variance between possible endings/stories is much closer to a "True" RPG than Final Fantasy... but even that doesn't really compare to Fallout and Mass Effect.

 

Still, Chrono Trigger was a damn good game, and it was interactive enough to where you really felt you were driving the story rather than watching the actions unfold, which is my number one problem with so-called "JRPG's"

 

[/quote']

 

I have to agree with this. When I hear "role-playing game" then the thing I associate with that is that I, as the player, will assume a role in the gameworld, and then live in this gameworld making decisions, based on what I think is appropriate for the role I am playing.

If I have to deal with a bunch of statistics to do this I guess I'll have to, but I'd rather not. Mass Effect, and in particular Mass Effect 2, was a good example of this. Minimal bother with statistics and leveling, focus on the important stuff.

[xiro8877]

I'll be the first to admit that some of the criticism of JRPGs I can understand. Like others have said games like Elder Scrolls and such do allow you the control over your character in critical story moments as well as the customization to make your character play the way you want them to in battles.

 

With that said...I still find JRPGs are the only role playing games that manage to tackle other issues properly.

 

Let's start with combat growth. One of the things that I've always loved about JRPGs is the sense of growth and power your character goes through as you progress through the game. Sure at the start of the game your "special" is nothing more than a dash and slash for double damage....but 70 hours later your summoning magic circles with huge nuclear explosions and flying into the air and shooting bolts of lightning out your sword that explode into blue flame as it strikes the ground. That friend of yours that started the game shooting fireballs? Yea now he can summon a hailstorm of meteors from the sky right into the middle of the battlefield!

 

In games like Elder Scrolls and pretty much any other western RPG you start the game being able to shoot a fireball and slash things with your sword...80 hours later...you hit things harder with your sword? The fireball maybe does a little bit more damage...and that's it. You're otherwise the exact same character you were when you started.

 

As far as story goes. Sure you get that all powerful option of choice in Skyrim. That option of choice comes at great cost. I have yet to play a western RPG, save one, that has had a story that's anywhere near as epic as most JRPGs. The problem with both is they've been diluted. JRPGs are now staples of "I'm going to be an unlikely hero and save the world" but western RPGs are staples of "You can do whatever you want! But your epic journey takes all of 7 hours to complete and is completely devoid of any real depth."

 

A great JRPG will be about an epic journey and ambitious characters that I can sit down and debate with friends about plot twists and dynamic character growth. Western RPGs. Generally lack any sort of interesting characters worth mentioning since the bland and simple story revolves completely around you and everyone else involved is unimportant people caught in your wake.

 

Now before anyone flames me keep in mind this is my opinion and I realize there are exceptions. But just remember there are exceptions on both sides of the argument.

 

The last western RPG that I felt was phenomenal was Dragon Age Origins. It had temporarily renewed my hope in the RPG genre. Then it pretty much got destroyed by the DA:2.

 

Looking forward to Tales of Graces at the moment. March can't come fast enough.

[Evilokami]

 

I'll be the first to admit that some of the criticism of JRPGs I can understand. Like others have said games like Elder Scrolls and such do allow you the control over your character in critical story moments as well as the customization to make your character play the way you want them to in battles.

 

With that said...I still find JRPGs are the only role playing games that manage to tackle other issues properly.

 

Let's start with combat growth. One of the things that I've always loved about JRPGs is the sense of growth and power your character goes through as you progress through the game. Sure at the start of the game your "special" is nothing more than a dash and slash for double damage....but 70 hours later your summoning magic circles with huge nuclear explosions and flying into the air and shooting bolts of lightning out your sword that explode into blue flame as it strikes the ground. That friend of yours that started the game shooting fireballs? Yea now he can summon a hailstorm of meteors from the sky right into the middle of the battlefield!

 

In games like Elder Scrolls and pretty much any other western RPG you start the game being able to shoot a fireball and slash things with your sword...80 hours later...you hit things harder with your sword? The fireball maybe does a little bit more damage...and that's it. You're otherwise the exact same character you were when you started.

 

As far as story goes. Sure you get that all powerful option of choice in Skyrim. That option of choice comes at great cost. I have yet to play a western RPG' date=' save one, that has had a story that's anywhere near as epic as most JRPGs. The problem with both is they've been diluted. JRPGs are now staples of "I'm going to be an unlikely hero and save the world" but western RPGs are staples of "You can do whatever you want! But your epic journey takes all of 7 hours to complete and is completely devoid of any real depth."

 

A great JRPG will be about an epic journey and ambitious characters that I can sit down and debate with friends about plot twists and dynamic character growth. Western RPGs. Generally lack any sort of interesting characters worth mentioning since the bland and simple story revolves completely around you and everyone else involved is unimportant people caught in your wake.

 

Now before anyone flames me keep in mind this is my opinion and I realize there are exceptions. But just remember there are exceptions on both sides of the argument.

 

The last western RPG that I felt was phenomenal was Dragon Age Origins. It had temporarily renewed my hope in the RPG genre. Then it pretty much got destroyed by the DA:2.

 

Looking forward to Tales of Graces at the moment. March can't come fast enough.

[/quote']

 

 

I to am looking forward to Tales of grace. But alot of the problem is people can't take off their nostalgia goggles and accept that games change. Companies try new things. If a company did the same exact thing over and over and over that would be a shitty game company. And they try new stories. in the breath of fire series the main story almost always changed.

 

In BoF 3 you are trying to find the reason "god" wanted the guardians to kill the dragons. on the way to the answer you find you must kill "god".

BoF4 you are trying to figure out why you exist and trying to stop the other half of you from taking over the world.

BoF5 you are trying to escape from underground to save nina and prove that the surface is a place people can live.

 

If you just accept that things change and it's not going to be like when you where a kid and just play the damn game you will have alot more fun.

[Guest flingingfeces]

After playing the FFXIII-2 demo I feel like it might be a better game from a gameplay stand point. I really like lvling my monsters as well as my characters. I hated that you couldn't really level your characters in the previous game due to the lack of random battles.

 

Anyway I think the JRPG is going strong they've just switched platforms from consoles to hand helds.

[Kashked]

 

A great JRPG will be about an epic journey and ambitious characters that I can sit down and debate with friends about plot twists and dynamic character growth. Western RPGs. Generally lack any sort of interesting characters worth mentioning since the bland and simple story revolves completely around you and everyone else involved is unimportant people caught in your wake.

 

 

 

The last western RPG that I felt was phenomenal was Dragon Age Origins. It had temporarily renewed my hope in the RPG genre. Then it pretty much got destroyed by the DA:2.

 

 

 

Have you played Mass Effect (1 & 2)? Aside from the combat and dialogue systems it is fairly akin to DA, besides the setting of course. It has that interaction with the companions that you want, especially the Mass Effect 2, and fairly large "progression" for the skills, a biotic character will by the end throw around enemies with impunity using their powers.

[Windbrand]

The reason we see more FPS's and zombie stuff is because people in 2012 generally prefer games where they don't have to think, or even pause and read text. No offence, but this is mainly an American trend. Most Japanese companies have American target audience (ever thought why most Japanese games have Americans as main characters?), they follow what Americans like. And Americans prefer action and gore to strategy and role-playing. Just like you don't see many American historical dramas do you? But you do see hundreds of action thriller films.

Very few "RPG's" are RPG''s in my opinion. They're too linear to qualify. But I'm fine sticking to a few very good CRPG/JRPG/KRPG's, even though they're years old. One of the things that an RPG must do is it must be moving in some way, and get you interested enough to read all the dialogue.

[Tenka]

Let's start with combat growth. One of the things that I've always loved about JRPGs is the sense of growth and power your character goes through as you progress through the game. Sure at the start of the game your "special" is nothing more than a dash and slash for double damage....but 70 hours later your summoning magic circles with huge nuclear explosions and flying into the air and shooting bolts of lightning out your sword that explode into blue flame as it strikes the ground. That friend of yours that started the game shooting fireballs? Yea now he can summon a hailstorm of meteors from the sky right into the middle of the battlefield!

This is one of the things I hate about JRPGs' date=' Round 1: A 15 second cutscene of your gigantic summons plunging out of the sky to annihilate your target, the enemy flinches a bit then attacks you. Round 2: A 15 second cutscene....etc..

 

In games like Elder Scrolls and pretty much any other western RPG you start the game being able to shoot a fireball and slash things with your sword...80 hours later...you hit things harder with your sword? The fireball maybe does a little bit more damage...and that's it. You're otherwise the exact same character you were when you started.

Playing a magic user in Baldur's gate, you start off being able to cast 1 magic missile per day and can be killed in 1 hit by a goblin. Towards the TOB content you can summon a swarm of meteors, open a planar gate that brings a balor demon, cast a beam of disintegration and even stop time.

 

What ruins any sense of growth in a JRPG is that at lvl 1 you grind monsters that take 2-3 fireballs to kill, then at lvl 60 you grind monsters that take 2-3 nuclear bombs to finish off it's just totally linear.

 

 

[Sand_Dragon]

Don't forget the part where that swarm of meteors actually kills shit like a swarm of meteors should, or that Disintegrate actually disintegrates people, regardless of how important they are to the story.

 

One of the things I always loved about JRPGs (in a "that's hilarious" fashion) is the fact that endgame bosses go through ridiculous lengths to inflict tiny amounts of damage on your party. For example, Sephiroth repeatedly destroying solar systems in order to try and kill you. It was great fun.

 

In some games it actually works; Super Duper Ultimate Final Fatal attacks in, say, Super Robot Taisen actually do the damage they look like they're doing (most of the time). But then you have stuff like Golden Sun (which I loved to death, but that's beside the point) where one of your summons literally plunges your foes into the sun, and three of the others raze whole continents every time you use them... and they're not even powerful enough to instakill most monsters. There's some real dissonance there.

 

JRPGs aren't dead just because of staples and cliches of the genre you and I might find tiresome; where there's one person that finds lengthy summon cutscenes ridiculous, there's another who absolutely adores them. Where there's a person that hates the grind, there's a person that lives for the grind. It's less that JRPGs are dead, Presto, and more that JRPGs no longer hold any appeal for you.

[Presto]

JRPGs aren't dead just because of staples and cliches of the genre you and I might find tiresome; where there's one person that finds lengthy summon cutscenes ridiculous' date=' there's another who absolutely adores them. Where there's a person that hates the grind, there's a person that lives for the grind. It's less that JRPGs are dead, Presto, and more that JRPGs no longer hold any appeal for you.

[/quote']

 

Nope, I always loved the grind. In fact Dynasty Warriors is probably one of my favorite series despite how it makes only incremental advancements from game to game, and that game is nothing but repetitive grind. My lack of interest with recent jrpgs stems from the lack of enjoyment from the core jrpg elements (namely the convoluted battle systems and plots that read like bad middle school fanfics).

 

Maybe I gave off the wrong vibe with my first post and I know people can get offended when someone says they aren't enjoying something they enjoy, but thats not the case. I'm still a fan of the genre I'm just resigned to the fact that the more recent high profile jrpgs have done very little to convince me to drop 40-70 hours into them. Even more, since jrpgs are less and less prevalent the chances of one being good are even less. Like I said before, if you can't rope me in with the story or the battle system in the first few hours then I'm not going to struggle through it just for the sake of nostalgia.

 

I'll admit that I downloaded Queen Opala recently (JRPG/Hentai game) and I'm really enjoying it. It may have had the promise of some animated boobs here and there but what really got me was the freedom of choices to direct the story and allowing you to go off in many different directions without holding your hand and forcing you down one path. The grind is still the grind but it did it in its own unique way that constantly dangled that carrot in front of you to keep you going. I don't need fancy graphics or girls with pink hair and skimpy outfits to motivate me to play, just a mix of the classic with a fresh approach and expanded ability to mold your own path. In some ways I feel that more recent games have regressed and given you less choices and created more frustrations.

[AlivEc0cK]

I don't know if they are dead but one thing is true for sure: since PSX I haven't seen any jrpg like Final Fantasy 7,8,9 and 10. After those, jrpg got really occidental, with more dynamic combat systems, like true action role playing etc.

 

The truth is, nowadays, occidental rpg are by far better than jrpg and in the 90's, this was absolutely the opposite, at least that's my opinion.

 

We sure have more games now like The Last Remnant or Star Ocean Last Hope but those are very far from being excellent jrpg's. Good games, but not as immersive like the old FF's.

 

Final Fantasy XIII is, IMO, a shit compared with classic Final Fantasy VIII or even VII. There's no innovation, only western spirit everywhere. I don't want to say this, but some of the failure of the japanese role playing industry is because of Xbox and Microsoft. After the Xbox was released, Japan had to adapt to the new market that Microsoft had created, and that's why every new rpg that comes from Japan, isn't as good as it used to be, because they want to satisfy America's costumers. That's why games like Call of Duty, Halo, etc have by far the best reviews and the best sells. If Japan would have not adapted, I think they would still be the best game makers.

[demongoat]

I don't know if they are dead but one thing is true for sure: since PSX I haven't seen any jrpg like Final Fantasy 7' date='8,9 and 10. After those, jrpg got really occidental, with more dynamic combat systems, like true action role playing etc.

 

The truth is, nowadays, occidental rpg are by far better than jrpg and in the 90's, this was absolutely the opposite, at least that's my opinion.

 

We sure have more games now like The Last Remnant or Star Ocean Last Hope but those are very far from being excellent jrpg's. Good games, but not as immersive like the old FF's.

 

Final Fantasy XIII is, IMO, a shit compared with classic Final Fantasy VIII or even VII. There's no innovation, only western spirit everywhere. I don't want to say this, but some of the failure of the japanese role playing industry is because of Xbox and Microsoft. After the Xbox was released, Japan had to adapt to the new market that Microsoft had created, and that's why every new rpg that comes from Japan, isn't as good as it used to be, because they want to satisfy America's costumers. That's why games like Call of Duty, Halo, etc have by far the best reviews and the best sells. If Japan would have not adapted, I think they would still be the best game makers.

[/quote']

 

from my understanding the japanese audience killed the game market. they didn't want rpgs anymore really. i read an article about how the japanese game companies were fearing how the market would do over the next few years due to stagnation and little interest in the games they made.

where are you getting this idea from? microsoft barely sold any units in japan, i think they may have broke one million sometime ago so i'm not getting why you think this is on microsoft.

besides microsoft got a lot of japanese based games over the last few years.

the companies didn't "adapt" they saw an open market to sell games on another console and took it. there are a lot of fans of jrpgs on the 360.

 

honestly the problem isn't the west or microsoft, it is that the game designers for those games are stagnating and depend on churning out copies of the same game with different names and looks.

 

the last good jrpg i've played was lost odyssey, and it was good because it didn't have an incredibly obnoxious protagonist or try to use a new fight system that they would discard in the next game.

in fact it was one of the best jrpgs i've ever played, i wish they would make more like it since it wasn't full of stupid characters with illogical motives and stupid traits that make me want to throttle them.