Western Vs. Japanese Role Playing Games

[MarketTantrik]

Western Vs. Japanese Role Playing Games

 

From: http://www.gamefocus.ca/?nav=blogue&id=125

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I love Japanese Role Playing Games (JRPGs). My very first game that I ever completed on my own was Kingdom Hearts. I couldn’t believe it; take anime and Disney: mix, and viola! A game that I felt was designed just for me. It was complex and fun, and I spent hours and hours playing it through (Note: I completed every side boss except that pretty long silver haired one... he’s insane). After that, I played Final Fantasy X; I was in JRPG heaven. I devoured them. Interestingly enough, my first game on the XBox 360 was a Western RPG, Oblivion. Then Eternal Sonata (JRPG) followed by Mass Effect (WRPG), and Lost Odyssey (JRPG) played concurrently with Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (JRPG-Action). And that is when I started to get uneasy about the JRPG. I started to question our relationship.

 

I’ll get you my pretty....

 

 

Okay I may as well just come out and say it.

 

JRPG, you and I have been together for a really long while, we’ve had some great times. I still love you but, maybe we should take a break. It’s not you, it’s me.

 

No wait. It is you.

 

I have thought about this a lot. I mean much more than anybody really should. Why am I not having as much fun with JRPGs as I used to?

 

I thought and thought about it. What are the differences between the two genres? What makes a WRPG different from a JRPG? Talk about this on any message board and you get heated debate on all sides. Most people chalk the differences up to cultural differences. I tried to look at the two more from a gameplay point of view as best I could. But is it possible to differentiate cultural differences, and the games that are produced out of these cultures. Is it fair to compare the two?

 

I see only 2 major differences between the two genres. That’s it: two.

 

#1 Control

 

The first is control. WRPGs put control in the hands of the player, JRPGs in the hands of the game developers.

 

It’s your thing... do what you want to...

 

Let’s look at the overall gameplay and story. JRPGs tend to be linear, with the odd side mission. WRPGs are much more open; Oblivion for example, is completely open, you are able to play the game in any way shape or form that you can imagine. If you don’t want to even finish the main quest (and I never have) you can still experience a rich and wonderful universe. Mass Effect, is more linear, but even this “linear” RPG is able to be played many different ways. The first four missions can be played in almost any order. You can also accomplish the missions in different ways, either as a Renegade or a Paragon. JRPGs you have only one way to complete the story. Yes, there may be fantastic side missions, but it is still linear.

 

Another example is with the camera angles. JRPGs have fixed cameras, Western are usually more free. I can understand the logic of having a fixed camera, I really do. Like a cinematographer lining up the perfect shot, having the perfect camera angle makes the game more beautiful. And JRPGs are really the most beautiful games going. However, by having a free roaming camera, you can see what you want to see, and explore the beauty that way. Want to look out a window? You can in a WRPG, but not in a JRPG. Want to see that painting on that wall a bit closer? Want to just look around the room you are in? Yes with WRPG, no with JRPG. It’s unfortunate, because by having so little control, you lose the emersion that I love in gaming. In a WRPGs you are the character, JRPGs you are the person controlling a character in a movie.

 

WRPGs let you decide when to fight. You see the enemy, you can decide to run away or fight. In JRPGs have random encounters. You get a glass break effect and then your characters start into the “action” sequence. Ya, you can choose “flee” from your menu, but it usually doesn’t seem to work. Yes, I understand that more and more JRPGs are parting ways with the random encounter. I am thankful, and I pray this trend continues.

 

The last example I have is the savepoints. Now that I have a child, I can’t believe how frustrated I am with the JRPGs I have played, simply because of the save point management. I have lost at least 4 hours of gameplay in Lost Odyssey because I couldn’t find a savepoint, and I just had something else I needed to do. If there is no savepoint and I need to go do the 100 other things that I need to do, guess what? I turn off the console anyway. I seethe with anger, but I do it. Mass Effect: I never had that problem since I could save whenever I wanted to. Gamers are no longer teenagers who have time on their hands; we are older with families and obligations. There is absolutely no reason to use the “savepoint” any longer. Yes, 15 years ago, the technology may required the use of these savepoints, that is no longer the case.

 

#2. Originality.

 

I find that JRPGs tend to rely on the same things time in and time out. They were the top dog for so long, (and deservedly so) that the rules that they created seem to be etched in stone. I find this so sad, because I love JRPGs so much, but it’s getting a little stale. This lack of originality weakens both the story, and the gameplay.

 

Firstly, the writers are hindered by the Laws of Anime.

 

Never send a man to do a boy’s job. He’ll get it done in half the time and twice the angst

 

Secondly, the characters are shallow. And not in the “insert Paris Hilton joke here” kind of way, but in the bad writing kind of way. Definition of one’s character is the focal part of good writing and should come more from a character’s action rather than from words, but JRPGs have this backwards. A hero will claim in words to be honorable, but then act dishonorably. Why? If the answer is “because they have a moment’s fall from grace” or “they were never honorable and were just fooling themselves” then you have great writing. Sadly, in JRPGs the answer, more often than not, is “Because there wouldn’t be conflict”. Characters do things for the sake of driving the story forward, not because their inner drive motivates them to do so. It’s like in horror movies when the girl goes up to the attic, even though she knows that there is a serial killer up there. Why doesn’t she just leave, get in the car and go to the police? Well, because we wouldn’t have a movie otherwise. Same goes for JRPGs.

 

The lack of originality also effects gameplay. Here is your magic: elemental magic (strong against some enemies, weak against others), status ailments, and buff spells. They are always the same. Even when they aren’t, the same, they are the same. Eternal Sonata had elemental attacks, but there were only 2 elements: light and dark.

 

Hmm... Use item.? No. Magic? uh-nuh. Flee? Nope, not that either. Attack? YES! That’s the one! Hi-YA!

 

 

Here is your menu: Attack, magic, item, flee. Sometimes you get a special attack. You get this my killing enemies. So: the overall tactic to win any JRPG is this. Kill wee enemies, save up your special attack for the boss fight. At boss fight: guard yourself against the boss’ special attack that causes some sort of status effect. Buff your party. Hammer away at the boss’ elemental weakness and use your special attacks. Note: bosses are rarely effected by status effects, yet are able to have de-buffing spells cast against them. Watch out for the odd enemy that will bounce your magic back at your party. Rinse repeat.

 

Are WRPGs the ultimate in story telling and original gameplay? Well, no. But they are really good and getting better. My point is this:

 

JRPGs... maybe we should see other people. Oh, him? Oh that’s WRPG, we’re just going back to my place. See ya around... maybe.

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