Anime JRPGs just triumphed.

[JarlFrank]

For those of you who ask what is the Morrowind JRPG or the Fallout 1 JRPG? I ask what is the western Castlevania RPG? or the western Dark Souls RPG?

Weird examples to pick because Metroidvanias have become very popular in the west, as have soulslikes, so you'll find examples of both from western developers.
And it's not like Dark Souls invented the exploration-heavy action RPG - early FromSoftware games (King's Field) were directly inspired by Ultima Underworld, and some of that DNA is still in their modern games. If you look at UU as the root of Souls, you could say the western Dark Souls is Arx Fatalis. Or perhaps Deus Ex, since the imsim developed out of Ultima Underworld.

Where's the Japanese Deus Ex, btw? Haven't seen an imsim from Japan yet. Great genre.

 

[Machocruz]

Yes, but JRPGs aren't doing that either. So the real question isn't WRPGs vs JRPGs who's better and why, but older RPGs vs newer RPGs and the victory clearly belongs to older ones.

They never did, me highlighting the West doesn't do it anymore wasn't to provide a point in JRPGs favor. They never really got there and now the west doesn't either. The best anyone can do is be like Fallout, or be like Wizardry, basically homage games, nothing carried forward into a bright future.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Sorry bro but your post illustrates what's wrong with most JRPGs. Japan never understood role-playing games so when they try to add to the genre they end up messing things up without fail, even when they're just boosting the complexity of an old formula.

Well then, enjoy your Bethestard games. I'm sure you can't wait until they've removed all weapons except swords and pared the skills down to 'fight' and 'talk'. Some of us appreciate gameplay that involves thinking.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

You can't mock SUPERTODD!!!

 

[Machocruz]

Bethesduh been cooked. If "perks" are the basis of your character system, you've fucking failed at RPG AND understanding terminology. Just another bunch of fags with action game envy (and failing there too). Many such cases.

 

[Lyric Suite]

For those of you who ask what is the Morrowind JRPG or the Fallout 1 JRPG? I ask what is the western Castlevania RPG? or the western Dark Souls RPG?

That makes no sense.

 

[Modron]

I ask what is the western Castlevania RPG? or the western Dark Souls RPG?

I wish there were less companies making dork souls clones, western and elsewhere. As far as Metroidvania rpgs those are pretty rare in japan even but there are still several rpgvanias like chasm, faeland, fire in the beastlands, super daryll deluxe, dex kind of, et cetera. Even upcoming ones taking more direct inspiration like https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...-school-castlevania-is-coming-in-2025.152508/

 

[JC'sBarber]

JRPGs are the dullest, most pretentious of video games. They all have the same cliches. Androgynous, angsty teenage boy builds a party of rainbow-colored misfits and fights God at the end. Rinse and repeat for dozens upon dozens of games. You only "prefer" JRPGs because you're a brainwashed weeb, and a race traitor who thinks Japan is a utopian fantasy land. I only appreciate Dragon Quest because of how traditional it is, and because it's fairly wholesome. The rest can go pound sand because they're dogshit.

 

[Vlajdermen]

The weebs' obsession with scoring "cultural victories" is creepy and offputting.

 

[Falksi]

Meh. The only good JRPG last year was Metaphor, which I still had a lot of complaints about, I'd comfortably place it below Skald, Drova, and Withering Rooms from the same period.

I actually thought last year was pretty good for JRPGs.

Metaphor as you mention, SMTV Vengeance, Infinite Wealth, Persona 3R even Unicorn Overlord was good for what it did. I wasn't a massive fan of FF7 Rebirth, probably a 6/10 game for me, but I still think it was a better JRPG then we got with FF16 and FF7 Remake.

Skald was still better than the lot of them though.

 

[JarlFrank]

fire in the beastlands

I see me talking about this on the Codex has made a few people here notice it, huh? Excellent little obscurity.

 

[JarlFrank]

Sorry bro but your post illustrates what's wrong with most JRPGs. Japan never understood role-playing games so when they try to add to the genre they end up messing things up without fail, even when they're just boosting the complexity of an old formula.

Well then, enjoy your Bethestard games. I'm sure you can't wait until they've removed all weapons except swords and pared the skills down to 'fight' and 'talk'. Some of us appreciate gameplay that involves thinking.

My problem with the Japanese approach to complexity is how abstract it is. Shitloads of number-based systems where you just have to juggle numbers.
Meanwhile western complexity is expressed through detailed physics simulations in wargames that consider factors like angle of impact for whether a projectile pierces tank armor or not (Men of War series, for example). Realistic systems that make sense. Meanwhile JRPG systems make no sense at all, nor do they have any resemblance of reality, they're extremely abstract.

 

[H. P. Lovecraft's Cat]

 

[Damned Registrations]

Sorry bro but your post illustrates what's wrong with most JRPGs. Japan never understood role-playing games so when they try to add to the genre they end up messing things up without fail, even when they're just boosting the complexity of an old formula.

Well then, enjoy your Bethestard games. I'm sure you can't wait until they've removed all weapons except swords and pared the skills down to 'fight' and 'talk'. Some of us appreciate gameplay that involves thinking.

My problem with the Japanese approach to complexity is how abstract it is. Shitloads of number-based systems where you just have to juggle numbers.
Meanwhile western complexity is expressed through detailed physics simulations in wargames that consider factors like angle of impact for whether a projectile pierces tank armor or not (Men of War series, for example). Realistic systems that make sense. Meanwhile JRPG systems make no sense at all, nor do they have any resemblance of reality, they're extremely abstract.

Eh, I haven't seen much in the way of realism in western games either. Morrowind gets pretty fucking abstract when you're failing to hit something the size of a bus because your legs are tired from running and you're only moderately competent with a sword as opposed to 30% better than the next best person in the entire world. Stealth systems where you can crouch walk in front of someone in broad daylight as long as it's only for a couple seconds. Characters becoming massively better at swinging a sword because they carried a bag of onions across town for an old lady and talked to some rats along the way. d20 systems are full of inane shit as well.

The thing I like about jrpg's complexity is that they allow a great deal of expression regarding the character during combat, which is where most of the game happens. The difference between an edgy dark lord barbarian who was raised by wolves and a young idealist nobleman fencer is that one gets an extra attack while the other does slightly more damage. If you blotted out their names and just read the combat logs, there's a good chance you couldn't tell the difference between most characters in a western rpg without analyzing a dozen rounds, and even then the differences would say fuck all about their character. By comparison, in a jrpg, you get a feel for what sort of character it is just by assigning skill points and using them in combat. One character might be three times faster and more evasive while stacking up bleeding afflictions on enemies than another character which constantly regenerates health and gains attack power every time he suffers damage. Is number going up when you take damage or on an ally dying abstract? Sure, but it's also very thematic and evocative in a way that +2 cha -2 dex and some weapon proficiencies is not. Characterization in a western rpg is tied up in the characters being walking message logs spewing their life's story at you at random. They never actually do anything because only the player has any agency in the world. That's assuming they have any character to them at all- often they're functionally just mindless drones you order around.

 

[MerchantKing]

At this point if you still deny the greatness of JRPGs then you don't deserve them. May you play gay DEI infested games for eternity

JRPGs are full of DEI. It's just disguised with anime pictures.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I don't play games for realism. If I want realism I do IRL shit that life demands so I can survive in this wretched existence. Games are for ESCAPISM; realism need not apply.

 

[Cat Dude]

For those of you who ask what is the Morrowind JRPG or the Fallout 1 JRPG? I ask what is the western Castlevania RPG? or the western Dark Souls RPG?

Weird examples to pick because Metroidvanias have become very popular in the west, as have soulslikes, so you'll find examples of both from western developers.
And it's not like Dark Souls invented the exploration-heavy action RPG - early FromSoftware games (King's Field) were directly inspired by Ultima Underworld, and some of that DNA is still in their modern games. If you look at UU as the root of Souls, you could say the western Dark Souls is Arx Fatalis. Or perhaps Deus Ex, since the imsim developed out of Ultima Underworld.

Where's the Japanese Deus Ex, btw? Haven't seen an imsim from Japan yet. Great genre.

And where is western Earthbound? Where is western rpg equivalent to Like A Dragon Yakuza? rpg developers in the west are apparently less creative than their counterparts in Japan.

 

[octavius]

The type of RPG that doesn't require grinding, where you don't play as a toddler, and that doesn't have anime artwork is superior.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

This was true 15 or more years ago when western RPGs were at their nadir. Now? Not much. JRPGs are also declining fast.

 

[Gastrick]

Modern Western RPGs are terrible but I wouldn't resort to JRPGs. I'd just play old RPGs. There maybe JRPGs I would like but so far it is only FFT and even that had far too much reading.

Hated review that was right:

 

[Vlajdermen]

"Game journos are reta... OMG GAME JOURNOS JUST APPROVED OF ME ZOMG I'M GONNA COOOOOOM!"

 

[Cat Dude]

I struggled to maintain 60fps/1080p with RTX 3080

 

[Lyric Suite]

I don't play games for realism. If I want realism I do IRL shit that life demands so I can survive in this wretched existence. Games are for ESCAPISM; realism need not apply.

I prefer realism or groundness. This "muh escapism" argument hasn't done much for gaming. It's the excuse hipster faggots use to justify their infantile tastes but if we actually go back to the glory days of western gaming there was actually a great deal of care for realism, groundness and a general seriousness to the whole thing.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

If I am not getting hurt and risking death playing the game, then it isn't even close to realism. Kill a rat in a game big fucking deal.

Stab a rat in real life and shove a blade down its throat and drink in the screams of terror from the others and agony as it twitches, thrashes and dies and you know the realism is far fucking better.

A game is a game and there ain't nothing jack shit REAL it can do but either bore you or make you escape your drudgery of life.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

If I am not getting hurt and risking death playing the game, then it isn't even close to realism. Kill a rat in a game big fucking deal.

Stab a rat in real life and shove a blade down its throat and drink in the screams of terror from the others and agony as it twitches, thrashes and dies and you know the realism is far fucking better.

A game is a game and there ain't nothing jack shit REAL it can do but either bore you or make you escape your drudgery of life.

I just ask for a modicum of internal logical consistency. If I have a spell that can resurrect my companions, then don't le me show a cutscene where someone irreversibly die, because story reasons. Or if I have a sword so powerful that it can kill a god, then let me use it to break a wall or a rock that is blocking my way too.