Review JRPG Codex Review: The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie

[Zed Duke of Banville]

It's 2023 we can do away with meaningless and racist terms born out of early 2000s nerds' false sense of superiority. Do we call Gothic and ELEX "German RPG", Witcher series "PRPG" or Larian's brand of games "BRPG"?

The term JRPG properly refers to a specific subgenre of RPGs that are characterized by a focus on narrative driven by pre-generated characters, while combat, exploration, and character customization/progression aspects are simplified though still present. The game being reviewed here seems to belong to that subgenre. Not all JRPGs are Japanese-developed, and Japanese developers create many games not in the JRPG subgenre, in particular Wizardry-likes and Action RPGs.

Spoiler

Also the Codex's #1 CRPG GoAT belongs in the JRPG subgenre.

Spoiler

 

[Sigourn]

Eurojank is fine, but I'm know to engage in Burgerslug from time to time. I'm looking forward to play Alpha Protocol, for that matter.

 

[Sigourn]

The term JRPG properly refers to a specific subgenre of RPGs that are characterized by a focus on narrative driven by pre-generated characters, while combat, exploration, and character customization/progression aspects are simplified though still present. The game being reviewed here seems to belong to that subgenre. Not all JRPGs are Japanese-developed, and Japanese developers create many games not in the JRPG subgenre, in particular Wizardry-likes and Action RPGs.

IMO a JRPG without anime tropes is not a JRPG. Planescape: Torment can never be a JRPG because of this.
I've not played Septerra Core. But unless you tell me that game, anime artstyle aside, engages in anime tropes, then I can't really call it a JRPG either.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

combat, exploration, and character customization/progression aspects are simplified though still present

I'm not sure where the idea that JRPGs have more simplified customization/progression systems comes from. I mean, compared to what? Witcher 3? Lands of Lore? Ultima 8?

I think for every complex spreadsheet simulator like Pathfinder and Underrail I can find you a JRPG with ridiculously in-depth crafting systems (Legend of Mana), deep class and upgrade systems (FF Tactics, FF8, FFX), or just plain bizarre and complex everything (Minstrel Song). And for every straightforward town-cutscene-dungeon narrative driven game like Dragon Quest there's plenty of simplistic western RPGs like everything made by Bioware after NWN.

(In fact it's funny to bring up PS:T since everyone knows that was inspired by JRPGs, but I've argued elsewhere on this site that the secret to Bioware's mainstream success was that they were the only western studio to understand the appeal of JRPGs and successfully apply it to western audiences.)

 

[Alex]

It's 2023 we can do away with meaningless and racist terms born out of early 2000s nerds' false sense of superiority. Do we call Gothic and ELEX "German RPG", Witcher series "PRPG" or Larian's brand of games "BRPG"?

The term JRPG properly refers to a specific subgenre of RPGs that are characterized by a focus on narrative driven by pre-generated characters, while combat, exploration, and character customization/progression aspects are simplified though still present. The game being reviewed here seems to belong to that subgenre. Not all JRPGs are Japanese-developed, and Japanese developers create many games not in the JRPG subgenre, in particular Wizardry-likes and Action RPGs.

Spoiler

Also the Codex's #1 CRPG GoAT belongs in the JRPG subgenre.

Spoiler

I think a better use for the term jrpg is to refer to a kind of strategic game where positioning isn't important and gameplay consists of choosing some kind of action every turn without space having much of an effect. Similar to how many blobbers work, except if you have all the elements of a blobber, you might just call it that; so jrpgs are blobbers stripped down to the combat. You can have some minor accounting for space in that a character could, for instance, be considered in the "front" or the "back" roll. Chrono Trigger is probably as complex, spatially, as you can go without changing the genre; and the only because it is implemented in a way that it hardly matters.

Time is usually simple as well. Usually characters each get a turn; though some games may have a speed attribute to determine how often each character goes. Something like action points is usually outside the scope of the genre, but I think there is some modern one that adds just that (defaulting something, I think it is called) though in a very "gamey" way.

Usually these games come bundled with some very bad story no one should care about. They aren't usually really rpgs either. Despite all this they can be fun if they give you lots of elements to play with; such as a complex skill system or some such.

 

[Swen]

Eurojank > amerijank.

European games have always been superior to anything americans made. Probably because they are a mutt race.

 

[Lord of Riva]

Eurojank > amerijank.

European games have always been superior to anything americans made. Probably because they are a mutt race.

You only think that because the shit games stay in europe. There is some real trash out here, you only know the good stuff.

 

[Momock]

Eurojank > amerijank.

European games have always been superior to anything americans made. Probably because they are a mutt race.

You only think that because the shit games stay in europe. There is some real trash out here, you only know the good stuff.

Are you from the distant past or something?

 

[Grauken]

Again, what is that "euro mindset" you are talking about and how does it relate to "eurojank"?

The way a people are has an influence on the way they do things. It's why American RPGs are the way the are, why Japanese RPGs are the way they are. Europeans are neither American nor Japanese and have their own ways of thinking and doing things. It's still western, so it's American-adjacent, but distinctly not American. Japanese are the best at action combat, Americans are sloppy, Europeans even worse.

Eurojank comes from games with many ambitious systems that lack enough resources to properly do graphics, quality and general controls well. Not all European made games are eurojank, its that specific set of games, Two Worlds comes to mind, and from what I remember early on eurojank was often used for poorly made games from Eastern Europe. Not for games made with some magical quality due to European thinking, that's bullshit

 

[Roguey]

Eurojank comes from games with many ambitious systems that lack enough resources to properly do graphics, quality and general controls well. Not all European made games are eurojank, its that specific set of games, Two Worlds comes to mind, and from what I remember early on eurojank was often used for poorly made games from Eastern Europe. Not for games made with some magical quality due to European thinking, that's bullshit

Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and KCD had plenty of resources. All jank. Most Europeans can't make good action games, they simply can't comprehend how.

 

[Maxie]

Eurojank comes from games with many ambitious systems that lack enough resources to properly do graphics, quality and general controls well. Not all European made games are eurojank, its that specific set of games, Two Worlds comes to mind, and from what I remember early on eurojank was often used for poorly made games from Eastern Europe. Not for games made with some magical quality due to European thinking, that's bullshit

Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and KCD had plenty of resources. All jank. Most Europeans can't make good action games, they simply can't comprehend how.

we simply don't understand the thrill americans live through everyday with their hypothetical health care

 

[Grauken]

Eurojank comes from games with many ambitious systems that lack enough resources to properly do graphics, quality and general controls well. Not all European made games are eurojank, its that specific set of games, Two Worlds comes to mind, and from what I remember early on eurojank was often used for poorly made games from Eastern Europe. Not for games made with some magical quality due to European thinking, that's bullshit

Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and KCD had plenty of resources. All jank. Most Europeans can't make good action games, they simply can't comprehend how.

Calling Witcher 3 jank is honestly an insane take

 

[Strange Fellow]

Rean: hey guys I wrote a review of this JRPG I played

Codex: what is the definition of eurojank though

 

[Grauken]

Rean: hey guys I wrote a review of this JRPG I played

Codex: what is the definition of eurojank though

Well, how many of us would really play the 10th game in a series without having played the other 9 before. Not enough people here apparently to have done so or willing to comment. So we have to correct Rogue's failure to understand the concept of eurojank, though I doubt he's teachable.

 

[Roguey]

Calling Witcher 3 jank is honestly an insane take

They made a joke about the horse sometimes popping up on roofs in the DLC. The combat is better than Witcher 2's but it still isn't great. No one would ever mistake Witcher 3's combat system for a Japanese game's.

 

[Grauken]

Calling Witcher 3 jank is honestly an insane take

They made a joke about the horse sometimes popping up on roofs in the DLC. The combat is better than Witcher 2's but it still isn't great. No one would ever mistake Witcher 3's combat system for a Japanese game's.

You suffer from selection bias, lots of Japanese games that don't get translated are incredibly janky and buggy, lots of PC ports where downright shit unless fixed by western fans (e.g. Dark Souls).

 

[Falksi]

It's 2023 we can do away with meaningless and racist terms born out of early 2000s nerds' false sense of superiority. Do we call Gothic and ELEX "German RPG", Witcher series "PRPG" or Larian's brand of games "BRPG"?

The term JRPG properly refers to a specific subgenre of RPGs that are characterized by a focus on narrative driven by pre-generated characters, while combat, exploration, and character customization/progression aspects are simplified though still present. The game being reviewed here seems to belong to that subgenre. Not all JRPGs are Japanese-developed, and Japanese developers create many games not in the JRPG subgenre, in particular Wizardry-likes and Action RPGs.

Spoiler

Also the Codex's #1 CRPG GoAT belongs in the JRPG subgenre.

Spoiler

Nah, JRPG is essentially "anime RPG". The mechanics and game structure can vary, it's all about the anime flavour of the game.

Hence why Dark Souls isn't a JRPG

 

[Roguey]

lots of PC ports where downright shit unless fixed by western fans (e.g. Dark Souls).

It works just fine on the machine it was intended for.

Hence why Dark Souls isn't a JRPG

This is western cope. Dark Souls has action jrpg-derived design.

 

[Falksi]

lots of PC ports where downright shit unless fixed by western fans (e.g. Dark Souls).

It works just fine on the machine it was intended for.

Hence why Dark Souls isn't a JRPG

This is western cope. Dark Souls has action jrpg-derived design.

States JRPG classification is about tone not gameplay.

Gets a reply back with example of gameplay designs which define it.

 

[Lady Error]

Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and KCD had plenty of resources. All jank. Most Europeans can't make good action games, they simply can't comprehend how.

Gothic disagrees with you, even though I dislike almost all Action RPGs. Some classic RPGs are from Europe too, such as Realms of Arkania or Amberstar. Underrail is from Serbia, etc.

 

[Maxie]

DarkUnderlord remove rogay's Staff tag, it's beyond ridiculous reading his nonsense as if he were representative for this website
out of all low-functioning knuckle draggers you recruited one which doesn't know shit about rpgs to help run rpgcodex ??

 

[Shadenuat]

Well credit where due rean review is .... long. How is it compared to steel anyway? Imo these series were in downwards spiral since crosbell.

 

[Arthandas]

Hence why Dark Souls isn't a JRPG

This is western cope. Dark Souls has action jrpg-derived design.

I bet Roguey is wondering why the fuck did I post two screenshots of FFVI...

 

[Swen]

Eurojank comes from games with many ambitious systems that lack enough resources to properly do graphics, quality and general controls well. Not all European made games are eurojank, its that specific set of games, Two Worlds comes to mind, and from what I remember early on eurojank was often used for poorly made games from Eastern Europe. Not for games made with some magical quality due to European thinking, that's bullshit

Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and KCD had plenty of resources. All jank. Most Europeans can't make good action games, they simply can't comprehend how.

Lol, implying americans can make good action games...

 

[Roguey]

Gothic disagrees with you, even though I dislike almost all Action RPGs. Some classic RPGs are from Europe too, such as Realms of Arkania or Amberstar. Underrail is from Serbia, etc.

Gothic is keyboard-only motion sickness-inducing jank that only Euros and Euro-minded Americans can get into. Turn-based RPGs typically aren't Eurojank, though they do sometimes get into the realm of shovelware.

I bet @Roguey is wondering why the fuck did I post two screenshots of FFVI...

Are cartoony wrpgs also jrpgs? That would be ridiculous. Jrpgs and wrpgs are a loose collection of common design elements.

Lol, implying americans can make good action games...

As far as melee-combat oriented games go, they don't. They have a better grasp at it than Europeans though.