what im getting at is that it seems to me that JRPG's all have the same basic story rehashed with a new shiny cover or characters that are practically the same just w/ different names . Why cant they be original like western RPGs
(Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls , KOTR , Fable) where is the originality. Let me know what you think

They're not less original then most FPS games.

JRPG's are to Japan are what FPS's are to America.

They're not less original then most FPS games.

JRPG's are to Japan are what FPS's are to America.

but you didnt answer my question why are the stories all the frickin same. your a young punkass kid trying to make a name for himself , then he relizes that he is the only one who can stop the inevetable bad guy from destroying the world. WTF

They're not less original then most FPS games.

JRPG's are to Japan are what FPS's are to America.

oh and by the way i dont play FPSs for their amazing storyline i play them cause i like to shoot things.

but you didnt answer my question why are the stories all the frickin same. your a young punkass kid trying to make a name for himself , then he relizes that he is the only one who can stop the inevetable bad guy from destroying the world. WTF

They're not all the same at all.

FFXII/FFVII/Eternal Sonata/Lost Oddessey/Persona 3 etc.

All of them have totally different stories.

I love jrpg's, i just bought lost odyssey and i think it's a great game.

I think that traditional jrpg's are still fun and relevant for many gamers.

barely i want to see something new out of japan . also does anyone else think that turn based games are so last generation? i mean come on . i will just stand here and let your sword hit me and pretend that i dont even know your there , then its my turn for you to stand still. over and over lets move forward to the next generation its not like we dont have the technology to design so animations for get hit by a sword

I still like turn based games. I would love for a front mission game to came to the 360. As for your original question, the Japanese appently like that type of story and plot line even if they all have a questionably close resemblance to each other. Thats what sells over there so thats what gets made. If you don't like them thats fine, just stop buying them.

I am not now, not ever tired of playing classic quality JRPGs; i think that what defines the Japanese games market. Turn based RPGs IMHO if done right can be just as good as ARPGs or active time battles.... JPRGs pioneered some of the earliest graphical advancements in the earlier generations of gaming... Back in the NES/SNES era when 2d sprites were king, the sprites used in the FF games for Nintendo were simply amazingly detailed even though they were constrained by the limitations of their time. We've seen that RPGs typically showcase the graphical prowess of the previous generations of consoles. FFVII for example for PS1 and FFX for the PS2 were technological breakthroughs in theirselves.

Look at the FF generation, they had a good mix of CTB, ATB, and turn based systems so it never got stale.

Besides, JRPGs are the hallmark of videogame storytelling, some of the best, epic and heartwarming tales ever told are in JRPGS; although i somewhat agree with the OP's assertion that they should revamp the stereotypical-whiny-young i don't know what i'm capable of until i meet a shy cute chick who reveals my destiny to me and it turns out i'm the messiah of this gaming world guy.

These epic masterpieces would have lost to the world if JRPG companies folded ages ago and succumbed to American gun-toting FPS redneck fever.

but you didnt answer my question why are the stories all the frickin same. your a young punkass kid trying to make a name for himself , then he relizes that he is the only one who can stop the inevetable bad guy from destroying the world. WTF

And your saying FPS's are any different?
Your one guy who will save the world, taking on thousands of enemies at your own.

If you don't like them, Don't buy them its quite simple.
You don't need to rant about something only you really have feelings for.
Most people respect JRPG's even if they don't personally like them.

barely i want to see something new out of japan . also does anyone else think that turn based games are so last generation? i mean come on . i will just stand here and let your sword hit me and pretend that i dont even know your there , then its my turn for you to stand still. over and over lets move forward to the next generation its not like we dont have the technology to design so animations for get hit by a sword

i see you have a problem with games. you want a real-life experience. you see, in a game, the point is to have fun. now you obviously have fun shooting things, while i have fun making strategies on the fly and outsmarting the computer. that's how JRPGs' turn-based fighting system are.

to each his own, i suppose, but you shouldn't talk down to an entire genre, simply because it's not your thing. it's basically like me saying, "i don't think hip hop music should be able to be produced, because i don't find the artistic expression in it."

do you see what i'm saying? just because i personally am not into it, doesn't mean nobody should be. perhaps you should have phrased your initial question something along the lines of, "what is it that people who play JRPGs enjoy about them?" see, that way it looks like you're trying to gain information, rather than posting a giant "ignorant" sign on your forehead.

And your saying FPS's are any different?
Your one guy who will save the world, taking on thousands of enemies at your own.

If you don't like them, Don't buy them its quite simple.
You don't need to rant about something only you really have feelings for.
Most people respect JRPG's even if they don't personally like them.

have you even read my posts i said i dont play fps's for the story. please read all posts before you make yourself look silly

have you even read my posts i said i dont play fps's for the story. please read all posts before you make yourself look silly

Hardly made myself look silly.

I was using it as a example.

I love JRPG's and just RPG's in general, I don't really agree with you at all. They're not all the same, how many have you played? Which were the same? Back up your claims a little.

The JRPG lost its originality.

how, link? how? quit making posts like this... if you are going to post something, make it worth posting... try to actually contribute to the thread you're posting in.

what's funny, is that mallico just made a really good point about the OP about giving some kind of reason for their claim. it almost looks like link looked at that and baited...

I'm tired of the style of jrpgs moreso than the story. The story most jrpgs have is great but the mechanics of jrpgs is what gets me. The useless/random encounters is laughable nowadays.

Not having any control of the story/characters is the biggest drawback tho imo. Why play FF VII when you can just watch the Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII? Not only will this save you 40+ hours of your life but you also skip all the annoying parts of FF VII yet at the same time you get the same experience as someone who played thru the whole game. You can't just read the summary or watch the cut scenes of a game like Mass Effect or Oblivion. Listening to the Mass effect podcast is a testament to how an awesome rpg should be. 3 people played and beat mass effect yet all came out with difference experiences which is the point of a role playing game. You play the role you want to play in the game and since were all different it shouldn't be the same experience as anybody else.

Don't get me wrong I love jrpgs like a lot of people do but this day in age they need to evolve big time. I'm currently playing Lost Odyssey and I'm enjoying it but the fetch quests towards the end of disc of 1 almost made me stop playing completely.

what im getting at is that it seems to me that JRPG's all have the same basic story rehashed with a new shiny cover or characters that are practically the same just w/ different names .

I don't understand your point about "the same basic story rehashed" because most of the JRPGs that I have played use different stories(i.e. Chrono series, Legend of Dragoon, FF series, Lost Odyssey). I don't remember a single point in each of those games where each the stories were the exact same, unless it is the fact that you have to save the kingdom/world, but you have to pretty much do that with every video game you play.

Why cant they be original like western RPGs
(Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls , KOTR , Fable) where is the originality.

I wouldn't say that all western RPGs are original, you have already named 2 that use the same exact story line(Mass Effect & KOTR). I am not saying that those 2 games are bad, I personally love them, but if you are trying to make a point don't give an example of games that don't back your claim.

I wouldn't say that all western RPGs are original, you have already named 2 that use the same exact story line(Mass Effect & KOTR). I am not saying that those 2 games are bad, I personally love them, but if you are trying to make a point don't give an example of games that don't back your claim.
:confused:

How was KotoR's and Mass Effect's story the exact same?

:confused:

How was KotoR's and Mass Effect's story the exact same?

You play as a Jedi/Spectre(they are basically the same thing) trying to save the galaxy from Darth Malak/Saren(both being an Ex Jedi/Spectre) who have found a way to exterminate every living being using Star Forge/Reapers. Along the way you can choose to be good/evil. Both main characters has the ability to manipulate other characters minds. Biotics are basically your force powers.

You play as a Jedi/Spectre(they are basically the same thing) trying to save the galaxy from Darth Malak/Saren(both being an Ex Jedi/Spectre) who have found a way to exterminate every living being using Star Forge/Reapers. Along the way you can choose to be good/evil. Both main characters has the ability to manipulate other characters minds. Biotics are basically your force powers.


Well Saren doesn't want to exterminate every living being(you gotta read the prequel to find out what he really wants) and he isn't the main villain. Also there is no good/evil thing in Mass Effect. Renegade and paragon is more like good cop bad cop whereas in KotoR is was good(jedi) or evil(sith). If your a bad cop in Mass effect you still save the world but in KoToR if you become a sith you don't. Also jedi and spectres are very different. I can see the similarities but saying there the exact same is a bit much.

Well Saren doesn't want to exterminate every living being(you gotta read the prequel to find out what he really wants) and he isn't the main villain.

He is not the main villian, I would have never guessed that. He is just the final boss and you spend the whole game trying to take him down, but of course he isn't the main villian. He is working for the Reapers who are trying to exterminate every living being, so therefore he is trying to exterminate every living being.

Also there is no good/evil thing in Mass Effect. Renegade and paragon is more like good cop bad cop whereas in KotoR is was good(jedi) or evil(sith). If your a bad cop in Mass effect you still save the world but in KoToR if you become a sith you don't.

I love how you say that there is no good/evil in Mass Effect but then say it is good cop bad cop, it just further proves that you do not know what you are talking about. Both games have an alternate ending whether your good/evil. In Mass Effect the true evil ending is where you put Ambassador Donnel Udina in charge and he clearly states that he would rule the galaxy through force.

Also jedi and spectres are very different. I can see the similarities but saying there the exact same is a bit much.

I didn't say they were the exact same, I said that "they are basically the same thing," there is a difference. Both Jedis and Spectres are used to keep peace in the galaxy and if you play as a biotic you will basically have all of the skills of a Jedi except for lightning force powers and the ability to use a lightsaber.

My real concern towards Japanese RPGs, and it really bugs me, is the character that they make you play as. It's always some dweeby teenager with a distinct lack of masculine characteristics, an' some goddamn destiny which sets him of to save the universe despite him not being a plausible hero at all.:mad:

I wanna see Snake Plisken as the lead my next Japanese RPG ... or at least someone with facial hair fer chrissakes!

You know I think we might see more JRPG characters that are grownup rather than them being teenage boys. I mean when most of these JRPG titles were made the majority of us were either really young or in our teens. Now that we grew up and males between 18-24 make up the majority of gamers; the developers will hopefully realize we are no longer kids that love to dream about saving the world, but rather men who love to dream about saving the world. Which will result with more manly main characters for JRPGs. Just look at FFVersusXIII.

Well,I like JPRG's. I mean, they're not as good as some WRPG(Baldurs Gate and KOTOR come to mind) but are still quiet good fun(Chrono Trigger and FF7 were good games under any criteria).

tl;dr the whole thread but..

I kinda know what the OP means although I have to say I'm still playing Persona 3 on my PS2, really liking this game :). I haven't seen a japan RPG beat the likes of KotOR though (for me anyway).

I'd much rather play a JRPG. The story, the combat system, the interaction is just more relaxing. So what if most of them have the same basic plot?


your a young punkass kid trying to make a name for himself , then he relizes that he is the only one who can stop the inevetable bad guy from destroying the world.


Western RPG - You're a punkass adult trying to make a name for himself, then realizes that he is the only one who can stop the inevitable bad guy from destroying the world. See: Fable, KotOR, Mass Effect (Not trying to make a name for himself, but the rest is the same.), Elder Scrolls, etc.. etc..

Games are repetetive by their very nature, just like movies. It's the same story being retold time after time. Here's the difference, though - the art. I can go get 3 fantasy novels that have basically the same story, with minute differences between them. The main debate point for one book over the other is the way it is written, and the way the author handles the story. The main character may be some punkass kid, but what is his personality? What are the characteristics of those he'll come across in his journey?

The story may be the same, but the adventure is different because not every JRPG uses the same cookie-cutter cast. Now I'll give you that there are one or two out there with a cast of generic characters, but a majority of them make you care about them. It's alot easier to play through that same type of story the 10th time when you care about the characters on screen.

Final Fantasy VIII is still my favorite game of all time. A JRPG to the 'T'. I like it so much because I connected with the characters, the story was almost in the background. That cast of characters wasn't the "Tweens" some people in here described (same with FFVII), and while the story got a little silly in places it was still full of mature interactions between the characters that made an attempt to have you connect with them. Now, if that's not your thing, I doubt there's a game out there that would hook you - whether you think the stories are cheesy or the battle system is lame and boring.

As for the battle system, it's nice to be able to strategize instead of relying soley on reflexes. Oblivion is great, but in the midst of battle with 3 creatures there's little time for strategy. The "Stand there while I hit you" may be a little unrealistic, but so is most things in Western RPGs.

Alright /rant. Hope you didn't crash into the wall of text. JRPG's are still my favorite genre - if I like the characters. I enjoyed Blue Dragon, but I couldn't stand some of the cast. Eternal Sonata was a more action-oriented JRPG (along the lines of Star Ocean) with a musical story (a selling point for me), and I do wish I had more time with it. However, once again I couldn't connect with the cast because they were all half my age. I can't wait to get my hands on Lost Odyssey, I have a feeling that will suck up much of my life.

Final Fantasy VIII is still my favorite game of all time.

i talked my wife into playing this, as it was the first Final Fantasy that i played and got me hopelessly hooked to the series (after thinking they were awful, because i had never given them a real shot). she's just after the part in trabia garden on the second disc... getting close to my favorite part of the game!

@animathias You ever played Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2? I think you might really like those games.

@animathias You ever played Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2? I think you might really like those games.

Were they PS2? I've heard of them, but no, never played them. I didn't own a PS2 myself in the day, and I do feel that I missed a bunch of good RPGs because of it. When I do buy a PS3, backwards compatability with PS2 is going to be a must.

Quote removed.


Niice one for spoiling the story for people who haven't finished it yet..

^NOOOOOOOO!!!

use spoiler tags man, please...:(

Were they PS2? I've heard of them, but no, never played them. I didn't own a PS2 myself in the day, and I do feel that I missed a bunch of good RPGs because of it. When I do buy a PS3, backwards compatability with PS2 is going to be a must.

Yes, they were for PS2 and, like Persona series, they are spin-offs of the Shin Megami Tensei series. Another reason I love Atlus :D

^NOOOOOOOO!!!

use spoiler tags man, please...:(

I know.. Ruined it for me iswel.. :(

I am sorry for ruining the story for everybody who hasn't finished the game. I have now fixed my original post to have spoiler tags around it.

I know.. Ruined it for me iswel.. :(

Ahhh I almost saw it, you might want to edit that quote now that he's changed his post.