- Japanese RPG stories were once the strength of the genre, but as other genres improved with technology, JRPGs became less original and refuses to evolve
- Western RPGs offer more opportunities and are easier to enter than their JRPG counterparts
- Lack of true character innovation and depth has hurt JRPGs
- Suikoden 2 is a great game
(Suikoden 2, a hidden jewel. Credit: Playstation.com)
Seeing the credits roll after completing the 1998 Japanese
Role Playing Game (JRPG) Suikoden 2
was an overwhelming sense of relief. After over 30 hours of gameplay the final
battle was not overly stressful but instead a marathon fight against a foe that
had little buildup. Regardless, the game was a lot of fun overall. An
engrossing storyline partnered with various genre commonalities and over 100
characters to meet and recruit to your army leaves a lot to for the player to
enjoy. In fact, the reason that I picked it up was due to the sheer number of
online outlets lauding the game and Konami for releasing it on the PlayStation
Network so that the masses could either buy it again or try it for the first
time. Personally, I was never a fan of RPGs until I first encountered Pokémon, but have enjoyed delving into
the depths of various series since my introduction. Since Suikoden 2 had slipped under my radar, I figured I’d try it. I
really enjoyed it; however, I have critiques, but overall it was a great
experience. Nevertheless, some issues within the JRPGs that have not been
resolved or refined have begun to hurt the foundation of sales and progress for
the subgenre. As a result, Western RPGs have moved into new areas with new
stories and options, catapulting their popularity in a short period of time.
Overall, with similar tropes among games and an inability to change, the JRPGs
are beginning to fade while the willingness to explore has allowed the Western
RPG to flourish.
(This guy is a tank, great battle. Credit: lordyuanshu.com)
Suikoden 2 is a
great game, but for all the wrong reasons. It had great music, presentation,
customization and storyline; however, the gameplay can be fun and tense at
best, and frustrating and monotonous at worst. A turn based RPG, enemies
randomly draw you into battle without warning (a common mechanic in JRPGs) followed
by the player commanding a six character party on whether to attack, defend,
use an item, rune (magic attack or support spell), run, bribe, or change
formation. There is one final option as well – Auto. What this means is that
the game will play itself for you, meaning the characters who use a basic
physical attack can choose a randomly selected character to strike. I have
never hit the Auto button more times in my game-playing career than I did in Suikoden 2, and that’s not a compliment.
Couple the battle system around army segments that feel like a watered down Strategy
RPG based on luck and you have an average gameplay product. Still though, why
did it sell a measly 680,000 units globally? Suikoden 2 is more of a hidden gem that unfortunately got lost in
the shuffle in the midst of a bunch of other great JRPGs. Unfortunately as time
prevailed, the JRPG genre’s sales as a whole declined.
(A comical yet key issue with JRPGs. Credit: Quickmeme.com)
The JRPG continues to use the same storylines and character
types in 2016 that it used in 1996. For an industry that is constantly evolving
that is unacceptable. First of all, a JRPG depends on its storyline. If the
story is not compelling it likely will not be successful. Furthermore, it is
difficult to market a story as the rationale to purchase the game in the West, considering
the Western market is more known for a more action-oriented gameplay culture.
Plus, as gaming technology has evolved, so to have the stories in different
genres, increasing the competitive landscape for traditional JRPGs. Success
stories include Pokémon’s focus on
the collectability of creatures as it was a brilliant stroke of image based
positioning, but using an image based approach to target story hungry segments
is difficult when the stories begin to blend. The Final Fantasy (FF) series is known for its outstanding
presentation, Kingdom Hearts pairs
characters from Square Enix games with characters from the Disney Universe, and
Fire Emblem deals with the hardships
of war in feudal times. At times though, the characters’ themselves are
derivative: a group of young adults, typically led by a Caucasian male with a
spiked up hairstyle from humble beginnings is somehow recognized by a higher
power to lead himself and his comrades to victory against an unbeatable evil.
While this might have worked during the Super Nintendo and PlayStation era, it
does not hold up over time. Players and critics are aware of the commonalities
and long for something more (not to mention the lack of strong female lead
characters alienates an entire segment). As Clordia Wang notes in her article
“The ‘Jaded’ RPG: The Fall of Japanese RPG” the lack of story and character
evolution has hurt the genre:
The Japanese game makers simply
overlooked an important fact that what worked before may no longer work today.
Players are also growing up, there is bond to be a day that they will be
getting tired of playing as teens. In fact, the generation which grew up in
JRPG’s prime time in the 90s -- those who played FF7 when they were young,
should have reached their 30s or 40s by now. Most of them should have their own
families and business. It is difficult for them to still project themselves
through a character who looks and acts like a high school student with the
immense gap of recognition between them and the characters.
(Any idea what's going on? Excellent game though. Credit: Google.com)
Moreover, if the game is a sequel it may become even more isolated.
Speaking again with Forbes writer
Paul Tassi on the differences between JRPGs and Western RPGs he stated that “…
a lot of modern mainstream western audiences find JRPGs a bit too inaccessible
for their tastes. That is a generalization, but for that audience, it's
probably a lot easier to get into [the game] Mass Effect than it is a more complex, localized JRPG.” He’s
absolutely correct. As an example, my brother was able to jump 2014’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim without
having played a previous iteration. Meanwhile, I know that if I had jumped into
Suikoden 5 I probably would have
missed out on interesting notes that I would have only understood had I played
the previous games. Even having played the second game in the series I know
that I probably missed some insight that was relevant from the first
game.
The other key issue with JRPGs moves beyond inaccessibility
and into inflexibility. One of the great features of Western RPGs is that the
player is able to craft the experience he or she wants. The player can follow
side quests and ignore the primary story, utilize different negotiation options
or just explore the world created. In JRPGs, there is typically one path to
follow, and while there is typically something else to achieve, the side quest
does not have the depth seen in the Western RPG. Thus, the player is left with
only one way to feel that progression has been accomplished, and it is by following
the main campaign. In the 20 years since the peak of the JRPGs little has
changed. Console Wars author Blake
Harris states that “Japanese developers are less flexible than Western
developers and seem to be less accommodating.” This concept still seems to ring
true after all these years. The most difficult issue to process is that the
Japanese gaming industry is allowing their demise to happen, while Western
developers are creating strong brands to overtake their Japanese counterparts.
In this era of gaming the Japanese refuse to truly alter the formula necessary
on franchises that once worked and instead leave them to wither over time.
(Look familiar? Two steps forward...Credit: Gamerant.com, Giantbomb.com)
In conclusion, 2016 will bring two JRPGs from iconic
franchises: Final Fantasy XV and Persona 5. Both have ravenous fan bases
(especially Final Fantasy). Both may
bring something unique compared to their predecessors, or they may not and stay
true to previous iterations. Final
Fantasy XV has been in development for several years, so the stakes are
extremely high, making this a potentially pivotal moment for both the franchise
and the genre. Square Enix has been uniquely marketing its brand, as it
recently partnered with Louis Vuitton to promote the Final Fantasy character Lightning as a model for the latest ad
campaign, a tactic that may begin to draw more players in the for the latest
installment. That being said, Final Fantasy
XV’s protagonist appears to be a
young adult with spiky hair, so who knows how far things will progress after
all.
Sources:
Burch,
Anthony, “Bioware co-founder: JRPGs suffer from ‘lack of evolution’”, http://www.destructoid.com/bioware-co-founder-jrpgs-suffer-from-lack-of-evolution--155782.phtml,
December 18th, 2009
Lidbury,
Olivia, “‘I am proud to be chosen’: Final Fantasy
character Lightning on being welcomed into the Louis Vuitton ‘family’”, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/final-fantasy-character-lightning-on-starring-in-louis-vuitton-c/, January 12th, 2016
Wang, Clordia, “The ‘Jaded’ RPG: The Fall of Japanese RPG”, http://gamasutra.com/blogs/ClordiaWang/20141208/231757/The_Jaded_RPG_The_Fall_of_Japanese_RPG.php, December 8th, 2014
3/23
Interview with Blake Harris, 3/23 Interview with Paul Tassi
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