When you hear the phrase JRPG what do you think of?

[Wavergray]

When you hear the phrase jrpg (which means Japanese role-playing game) what do you think of? However, I don't mean just what games do you think of ,but what concepts/mechanics in those games do you think of?

[knoef_NL]

I think of this: 

Isn't a JRPG a RPG but created in Japan?

[DamagingRob]

Final Fantasy instantly comes to mind, since that's where I started with them. Usually, expect a strong narrative with turn-based mechanics. But not always so, with games like Star Ocean and the Tales of series.

[AfraidOfTheFolly]

Turn based combat.

 

I know (Or at least I believe) JRPGs don't have to have turn based combat but for me the two things are completely linked.

 

As mentioned above there needs to be a strong story as well but this is less key. You could have a turn based combat mobile game with very little story and I would still call this a JRPG (Regardless of if it was developed in Japan or not.

 

 

[Baker]

Protagonists with long colorfull hair.

Antagonists with long colorfull hair.

Turnbased or fast real time battles.

A save the world story with a twist. 

Grinding.

 

I love these games.

[Lance_87]

When i hear that i think of GFAQs idiots from the PS3 boards who made a fuss about JRPGs being called JRPGs.

[Lagoon Aris]

When I hera of JRPGs, I think first about the franchises such as Final Fantasy or Tales of.

Then what comes to mind is "grindy" and "ng+" as a lot of JRPGs feature those.

 

but what mostly makes a JRPG a JRPG for me is a story based on a group of characters. Most of what I've seen from western RPGs is, that you have your own character, often you can even chose how he looks or what he's called, and then you go and explore the story of the game. Alone. Maybe with some companion-like characters you can't really control.

I can't really name a JRPG off my head where you control only one character. Or where you travel alone. It's always at least two characters, most often 3 or 4 with whom you explore the story. And most of the time, the characters give the story all the more depth as they experience the story and grow from it, maybe even change their world view while doing so. Western RPGs are more about exploring worlds and what they offer besides the story and the main character.

[LuciaRosethorn]

Games I think of are Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Digimon and Star Ocean. And the concepts/ mechanics I think of are:

• I think of 70+ hours of gameplay, personally I like a JRPG to have at least 100+ when going for the platinum.
• There's always a girl with pink hair or pink clothes
• There has to be a lot of party members, at least 6 with all different weapon types or skill tree
• There has to be one annoying mini game
• There is a good amount of different enemies which change colour depending how hard they are
• A big open area map at some point in the game for you to grind
• Some antagonist who is clearly the evil person, If it's Final Fantasy then they have to have mum or dad issues unless it's Kefka or Caius.

[mattveego]

The main antagonist must give a ten minute monologue before the final fight on light vs darkness

[Dragon-Archon]

I think of a game that I can easily play for 100 hours or more set in a fantasy world where the main character goes on an epic quest to save the world and gathers companions over the course of the game. The game also has at least a few amazing soundtracks, good visuals, interesting characters, and a great plot. The fight against the final boss consists of multiple fights because the antagonist changes forms.

 

1 hour ago, knoef_NL said:

Isn't a JRPG a RPG but created in Japan?

Not exactly, there are a some that are western oriented in terms of gameplay, such as Dark Souls.

[Crispy_Oglop]

For me things like:

• 80 - 150 hour plus playtime
• Fantasy characters on a quest to save someone/something
• Deep and interesting leveling and progression systems
• A final boss that turns out isn't the final boss, followed by a surprise boss reveal.
• Secret bosses that are harder than the actual final fight
• Highly missable content + trophies
• Towns and cities full of NPC's to talk to
• A largely male-centric set of heroes
• An optional mini-game that is in depth and fun

Sadly and generally - also things like:

• Sexualized armor on female characters, what i refer to as 'titty armor' comparably to robust, well designed armor on the male / beast characters
• Female characters needing to be saved all the time
• Female characters who walk and run with their toes pointing inwards like they have some kind of pigeon footing deformity

[grifteskymfning]

I couldn't see my keyboard to type a straight answer, cuz I was wanking so hard that my glasses fell off.

[communistwookiee]

Waifus.

[Lucas]

I think of stinky weebs.

[ExHaseo]

With all the different kinds of mechanics in games these days, JRPG just makes me think of anime style graphics, and made in Japan. 

 

Stuff like Kingdom Hearts, Persona, and Star Ocean all fall under the JRPG category, but are all vastly different games. I'm also weird and I don't like to generalize or make assumptions about games. Just because something is labeled as a JRPG, that doesn't mean it will inherently include any specific mechanics or tropes. So I don't try to assume anything, because it's just going to lead to either disappointment when the game doesn't have the mechanics or tropes I'm expecting, or it's just going to be a very neutral experience, because it has exactly what I expected.

 

That's something I learned after playing Persona 5. It was exactly what I expected, and because of that, it ended up being really forgettable and felt mostly plain. So I try not to expect anything anymore, and take things as they come.

[starcrunch061]

1 hour ago, Crispy_Oglop said:

Sadly and generally - also things like:

• Sexualized armor on female characters, what i refer to as 'titty armor' comparably to robust, well designed armor on the male / beast characters
• Female characters needing to be saved all the time
• Female characters who walk and run with their toes pointing inwards like they have some kind of pigeon footing deformity

 

Apparently, they still bind the feet of females in video games.

 

Anyway, for me, I think of leveling. There are lots of other things, but so much has changed since I started playing JRPGs (Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior on the NES), but leveling has not. Grinding would be a close second, but some games have even removed that aspect (thank God for that).

[BLKChaosDragon]

My opinions on JRPGs has varied over the years, from positive to somewhat negative. I'd describe JRPGs as cliche here are a few

• Using the power of friendship to defeat the final foe or its somthing only the main charcter can do.
• Im amnesiac
• Undeserved/unearned respect from everyone
• Using fanservice as a driving force for your game when said game company and writer is creatively bankrupt
• Using fanservice in a game that needs none 
• Armor varients that make no sense

So on so forth. Usually turned based some have switched to a more action oriented game style.

 

After playing through quite a few Its starting to become a rather tiring genre.

You'd then probably ask why i still am...I'm trying to find a more compelling game from the genre somthing unique, a great story like the final fantasys of old.

[majob]

Linear exploration

 

Turn based combat

 

A story based around either fighting authority, defying fate, and/or saving the world

 

Colorful cast of characters

 

Cheesy dialogue

 

Improbable weapons

 

My favorite genre. I'd have to say 70% of my game collection consists of JRPGs. I'm not a big fan of manga or anime but I've always loved JRPGs

[Vampirehunter145]

Mmm. I think only of an image file extension on a typical PC folder. That and some jellies.

[damon8r351]

Solid genre till they started adding loli-girls and "accidental" panty shots and whatever the blue hell a "waifu" is and other assorted pervy weeb shit from the anime side of the house.

Edited November 16, 2018 by damon8r351

[majob]

5 minutes ago, damon8r351 said:

Solid genre till they started adding loli-girls and "accidental" panty shots and whatever the blue hell a "waifu" is and other assorted pervy weeb shit from the anime side of the house.

You clearly haven't played JRPGS for very long then. Dragon Quest arguably introduced a lot of those elements and the whole "waifu" thing has been around since forever because people that are infaturated with fictional characters have existed for decades. It was only just recently given a name

Edited November 16, 2018 by majob

[RevengeancePrime]

Amazing soundtracks

Bizarre powers

Memorable characters

Grinding

[JaM]

Grind... Orphans... Silent Protagonist... Sidequests... Fan Service.

[damon8r351]

4 minutes ago, majob said:

You clearly haven't played JRPGS for very long then. Dragon Quest arguably introduced a lot of those elements and the whole "waifu" thing has been around since forever because people that are infaturated with fictional characters have existed for decades. It was only just recently given a name

 

I started seeing anime elements getting inserted into JRPGs around the turn of the century. I blame Grandia 2 for first annoying me with that.

[Asvinia]

• Grind
• Leveling/Stats/Numbers everywhere
• Party of about 6-8 people, at least 1 of which is infuriating
• Save the world plot
• Amnesia
• Cheesy monologues
• Tits, lots of tits, ass and fanservice.
• Over-sexualization of kids (but they're actually older than the moon so it doesn't count, guys!)

Edited November 16, 2018 by Asvinia