Japanese Roleplaying Games (JRPG), how I adore thee! I can openly admit to being rather biased toward them.
Sadly ever since the latest generation of consoles hit, it has been a rather pathetic period for JRPG lovers on the whole. I now feel the need to unpack this to try and understand what may be going wrong with the genre.
The genre has become firmly lodged in a quagmire of lackluster visuals, flaccid gameplay and endless clichés. All the while the rest of the gaming world zooms past, as one speeds past a clunky old car on a major freeway.
In stark comparison, other genres for the Xbox and PS3 are filled with quantity and quality. Amazing titles such as Gears of War, Uncharted, Modern Warfare, the latest God of War, Heavy Rain… do I really need to go on?
Woefully I now turn my gaze upon this gen’s RPGs, and have noticed a severe and depressing lack when it comes to a once super-giant genre: JRPG’s. My thoughts then wander to all the fantastic JRPG’s that were available for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and I shed a tear for what once was and what should be.
So, what exactly is happening over there in the Land Of The Rising Sun? Once they maintained a steady flow of immersive and challenging JRPGs. Are they now content with trying to survive on past glories? What the hell is going on over there? Where are my GREAT games?!
For some perspective I played a few JRPG gems of yore just to make sure that what I am feeling is not just rose-tinted nostalgia and found that something is clearly amiss here. Let’s try and look at what it may possibly be.
Evolution?
Like life, gaming needs to grow. It needs to change and adapt. Both creators and consumers should keep this process on track but right now JRPGs are not following this process. It is almost as if they are devolving.
The Western world seems largely to be getting this process correct. They maintain progress in gaming, moving ferociously forwards, perhaps even too fast at times. We are certainly seeing an excess of sequels but they are being refined as time goes on, which is still a form of progression.
On the contrary, JRPG developers seem to be treading water, trying to do what they did several years ago. This is a no-go in my books.
It’s the most glaring aspect of what is wrong with the genre at the moment: They keep using the same formulae. RPGs have traditionally always been about complexity, choice and growth. So then how about giving us the consumers some of that variety instead of these uninspired inferior rehashes?
Production Values!
Once again the Western world charges ahead, albeit blindly, in this regard. Games do not necessarily need a budget that when thrown into the ocean could form a small island. What they do need however, is polish!
Most current generation JRPGs are abysmally lacking in this regard. The only one not suffering from this is Final Fantasy XIII but it is guilty of many other offences which I don’t have time to get into here.
This generation’s JRPGs are more akin to PS2 titles than the HD quality we have now grown accustomed to.
With regards to sound, there is very little voice acting in these titles. The rest of the world has surged ahead to full-length voice while this genre is still struggling with endless cumbersome text.
I’m in your game…
Lately RPG mechanics have been invading many other genres for the better. Numerous titles are including features from the RPG genre in some form or another. You can now level up, gain perks, abilities and acquire new gear. And all of this is now available in your favourite First Person Shooter!
Looking at RPGs on the whole, why are they battling so much to innovate and move ahead? I have seen some crude attempts at change but it stems largely from reduction, rather than adding something to the formula. They are clearly over-simplifying.
Inconclusive Conclusion
So where to now for us fans? Well I guess we will just have to wait, hope and see if the developers pick up on this and finally gain some momentum. Right now it is rather slim pickings for the fans. We should be content with good Western RPG’s, but even they are becoming hard to find
We live in a generation of Action games, so we need to get used to this. Or maybe try what I am doing? Load up those old goodies from your game library and remember what made this genre so great: Interesting stories, characters, immersive worlds, and challenging gameplay.
Suikoden V, here I come!
Are JRPGs heading for extinction? Discuss in the forum
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