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[KiteGr]

The main reason JRPGs are failing in recent years isn't as much the duration as it is the voice acting.
In the silent age it wasn't as apparent, but once the better graphics and the voice acting became a thing, the anime influences became obvious, along with the cheesiness, the cliches and the bad dubing.

The best Jrpgs now are those who do something different like the Souls series, the persona games that have good dubbing and unique style, and Xenoblade Chronicles that got dubbed in the EU and thus it felt different.

 

[CloudStrife_ca]

While its true that I dont have the time for jrpg's that I used too, for a good game I will find the time putting 116 + hrs into Final Fantasy XV to get the platinum trophy. I feel like pacing is important to keep me interested and overall a solid coherent story. The original Valkryia Chronicles also holds a special place like that as I loved the strategy to the actual combat and the story was really good too as it did a great job of building the characters up.

 

[delete12345]

I thought the main reason the Nintendo Switch is compelling, is because when you take games anywhere, you are able to play at any time.

When you wake your Switch console up, you immediately jump straight into where you left off, and that this is a modern holistic approach to solving the issues of game sessions needing to be long to complete games with long playthroughs.

So that way, you can play JRPGs through multiple short bursts within a day, and each burst doesn't have to last more than an hour.

 

[DonF]

I had never heard of the game or the IP, but happened to glimpse Red Monikas boobs in a Steam screen shot and decided to give the game a go from there Good game.

Added to my wishlist, looks cool and old school. I like your honesty.

I'm in the same boat as op. I know persona 5 is a great game and a fantastic rpg, but just the fact that people say its long it makes me not want to buy it. I believe that its because of online gaming. Let me explain. When I was a young lad and online games were the exception, I used to buy one game, and play the hell out of it. It that was an rpg, I would be getting one hell of a value. I mean 100 hours it was a great experience for just one game. But now, I don't dedicate my attention to just one game. I log in, If a friend is playing say overwatch or rocket league i'll play with them. I just can't focus on one game. Add my backlog to it and 100 hours just for one game it feels more like a hassle than entertainment. I mean this game is demanding 100 hours out of me to get the full experience? Also, some rpgs you can't just stop playing and pick up one month later, I forget some mechanics and i'm lost.
That's just my case.

 

[sotojuan]

The JRPG length is interesting to me because I am of the opinion that people grow up, change, and can't continue their hobbies any more. This is normal. If I have a kid tomorrow and can only play 3 JRPGs a year, that's not JRPGs' fault. Too bad for me. That's why I don't like it when people say "I have a job so I can afford 10 games a month but these games are too long, it's their fault!!!".

On the other hand, JRPGs do sometimes love to waste player's times. IMO very little JRPGs should be longer than 50 hours, with most 20-40. Most teams simply don't have the skill to keep an average (as in, not a crazy series fanboy) player engaged for so long. It's definitely a case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should".

 

[-Minsc-]

The last I was into JRPG's was with Baten Kaitos (and Origins). Eventually tried getting into Xenoblade Chronicles but could not get myself to finish it.

For the battle aspect I'd rather log into a Phantasy Star Online private server and hack away. On the story front I'd rather watch an anime. Over the years I also lost the social aspect from when my brother and I used to play/experience them together. The short of it, what I got from JRPG's has been hijacked by other avenues.

Edit:

The JRPG length is interesting to me because I am of the opinion that people grow up, change, and can't continue their hobbies any more. This is normal. If I have a kid tomorrow and can only play 3 JRPGs a year, that's not JRPGs' fault. Too bad for me. That's why I don't like it when people say "I have a job so I can afford 10 games a month but these games are too long, it's their fault!!!".

On the other hand, JRPGs do sometimes love to waste player's times. IMO very little JRPGs should be longer than 50 hours, with most 20-40. Most teams simply don't have the skill to keep an average (as in, not a crazy series fanboy) player engaged for so long. It's definitely a case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should".

This is very true to me with things like gaming, anime/TV and internet browsing.

 

[Fbh]

The JRPG length is interesting to me because I am of the opinion that people grow up, change, and can't continue their hobbies any more. This is normal. If I have a kid tomorrow and can only play 3 JRPGs a year, that's not JRPGs' fault. Too bad for me. That's why I don't like it when people say "I have a job so I can afford 10 games a month but these games are too long, it's their fault!!!".

On the other hand, JRPGs do sometimes love to waste player's times. IMO very little JRPGs should be longer than 50 hours, with most 20-40. Most teams simply don't have the skill to keep an average (as in, not a crazy series fanboy) player engaged for so long. It's definitely a case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should".

But that's my point.
As I said in the OP. I don't have a problem with long games. I realize that my free time is less than it used to be and I'm ok with playing a long game even if it takes me months to finish.

The problem is that, as you say, most JRPG's shouldn't be over 50 hours but sadly a lot of them are.
I agree that I can't blame a game for being long and its not a games fault that I have less free time than before. But I can absolutely blame a game for artificially increasing it's run time through filler content, bad pacing, repetitive grinding, unnecessary backtracking, etc

 

[sotojuan]

The problem is that, as you say, most JRPG's shouldn't be over 50 hours but sadly a lot of them are.
I agree that I can't blame a game for being long and its not a games fault that I have less free time than before. But I can absolutely blame a game for artificially increasing it's run time through filler content, bad pacing, repetitive grinding, unnecessary backtracking

Yep. I was just calling out an attitude I see here often. Anyway, I think the problem for us Westeners is that we can't always vote with our wallet. Aside from FF, JRPG franchises that see dwindling Western sales will simply stop publishing here. I wonder how the Japanese audience feels about this.

 

[Danjin44]

Added to my wishlist, looks cool and old school. I like your honesty.

I'm in the same boat as op. I know persona 5 is a great game and a fantastic rpg, but just the fact that people say its long it makes me not want to buy it. I believe that its because of online gaming. Let me explain. When I was a young lad and online games were the exception, I used to buy one game, and play the hell out of it. It that was an rpg, I would be getting one hell of a value. I mean 100 hours it was a great experience for just one game. But now, I don't dedicate my attention to just one game. I log in, If a friend is playing say overwatch or rocket league i'll play with them. I just can't focus on one game. Add my backlog to it and 100 hours just for one game it feels more like a hassle than entertainment. I mean this game is demanding 100 hours out of me to get the full experience? Also, some rpgs you can't just stop playing and pick up one month later, I forget some mechanics and i'm lost.
That's just my case.

I think that the biggest issue here. Lot of people just cant focus on one game. they need finish it as fast as possible so they can move on to their next game. For me I like the idea on focus in one game and take my time and fully enjoy that one game before moving on, to me much more satisfying than playing bunch of games half-ass. Because I have less time to play games i like to focus one game instead spreading my attention in multiple games at once.

 

[DonF]

I think that the biggest issue here. Lot of people just cant focus on one game. they need finish it as fast as possible so they can move on to their next game. For me I like the idea on focus in one game and take my time and fully enjoy that one game before moving on, to me much more satisfying than playing bunch of games half-ass. Because I have less time to play games i like to focus one game instead spreading my attention in multiple games at once.

I mean, it's not a lack of focus, its more that I like to play with friends so for example if I'm playing something single player and friends get online I would most likely play with them. Funny enough, I finished BotW this year, over 100 hours play time...I don't have friends on the switch lol

 

[Danjin44]

I mean, it's not a lack of focus, its more that I like to play with friends so for example if I'm playing something single player and friends get online I would most likely play with them. Funny enough, I finished BotW this year, over 100 hours play time...I don't have friends on the switch lol

I guess another difference I stopped playing online games long time ago. Most my joy of gaming comes from single player games.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

Added to my wishlist, looks cool and old school. I like your honesty.

Ha. Honesty is the best policy

 

[Lilseb93]

I understand how you feel. I used to play a lot of them when I was younger but now I don't have as much time to play them all so I usually play other genres so I can play as many games as possible. But there is always a JRPG or two that I play a year. Last year I played Persona 5 for countless hours.

 

[IpsoFacto]

Actually, lenght is one of the reasons I buy JRPGs. I'm a budget gamer at heart and a large RPG can keep me going for a couple of months without splurging too much on other releases.

 

[Kallen0667]

idk i like at least 40 hours with a just for fun speed run of 12-24. my problem is these new tales games, the stories and mechanics are all over the place. the last one i played i couldnt even enter the door to the last dungeon because the monsters were such a difficulty spike. i think i did get in eventually but i had to use my 2nd to last half damage item just to beat its first form. they are great games but chill on the craziness. pig tailed robot boxer chicks are awesome though. and overall i really liked it just had to gague when to use the half damage items i only found 3-4 but later i found out you could farm them.

 

[Nightstick10]

The very concept of not having enough time to game is bizarre to me. I work at least 50-60 hours a week yet I still have time to get my 2 hours a day in, and weekends I can string in more. Granted, I don't have kids so maybe they are the timehogs.

 

[ueMalis]

But there are still a lot of JRPGs, or you can play some other games

 

[TFGB]

I think (J)RPGs are still my most favoured genre, but I also prefer the slightly lighter titles these days such as the various retro-inspired indie ones that have cropped up over the recent years. I prefer the simpler battle mechanics of days gone tbh.

I bought The Tenth Line for PS4 recently, assuming it’ll be a nice 10-15 hr plat. 43 hours later I’ve only just completed it lol.

Saying that, I’ve pre ordered Ni No Kuni II (and Secret Of Mana) and I don’t care how many hours I sink into it as I’ve been waiting years for it. Same goes for Dragon Quest XI when that arrives.

 

[chilleverest]

I usually indulge in JRPGs during a certain time of the year. For eg. during long winter nights, nothing much to do outside so a lengthy intriguing JRPGs are a way to go. As a masters student, i dont have time either, but when i do, its mostly gaming.

 

[TruenoAE86]

There are some very nice JRPGS that are under 30 hours in length.

 

[Danjin44]

I might be alone on this but there is nothing more satisfying than finishing long JRPG. Last year finishing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Persona 5 was fantastic and planing play do same this year with Ni no Kuni 2, Dragon Quest XI and Valkyria Chronicles 4.

 

[KevinKeene]

Just wanted to say you're very wrong about xenoblade 2, op. Give it a try. There's probably no other jrpg that respects thr'e player's time to this degree:

- no grinding required. On the off-chance you feel like getting stronger, the sidequests are mostly great

- no time is wasted. Even if you just stand in one spot,merc missions mean that even then you'll accumulate xp.

- getting from point a to point b is super quick thx to fast travel, relatively short loading times and the high running-speed of your character

- combat might feel slow in the beginning, but once it clicks, it's reasonably fast and you don't want it to end too quickly on your personal quest to reach a full burst.

- there is no filler content on the part of the main story. Yes, xenoblade 2 takes around 70 hours to beat, but all of that is constant progression and the story is presented amazingly well. It's like watching a good anime. There's no bloat. Sigh, there are various themes that could have even been told more elaborately, especially regarding Poppi.

I'm 170 hours in and I'm waiting for the new game+ update to start my 2nd playthrough. It's just tha much pure fun to play. Don't listen to people who are afraid of boobs.

 

[anglis84]

It's voice acting. JRPG's can't get the voice cast to make the games come to life. For me with a wife, child and great job my gaming has declined but with better voice acting I absolutely start devoting more of my free time to gaming again. I'm playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and while I've heard much worse English VA, it still isn't great and I find myself only gaming about 2-3 hours a week on it.

 

[shark sandwich]

It's voice acting. JRPG's can't get the voice cast to make the games come to life. For me with a wife, child and great job my gaming has declined but with better voice acting I absolutely start devoting more of my free time to gaming again. I'm playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and while I've heard much worse English VA, it still isn't great and I find myself only gaming about 2-3 hours a week on it.

This is very true. The melodramatic shounen anime writing just sounds so dumb when spoken aloud. I think even the most talented voice actors/directors can’t make that stuff sound convincing.

Plus XC2, like many voice-acted JRPGs, has that awkward pause at the end of every line, making it feel more like there’s someone reading the lines off the screen to you than like people talking to each other. It’s especially dumb when one character is supposed to be interrupting another, yet there’s a 1 second gap between the character getting “interrupted” and the interruptor speaking.

 

[breakfuss]

Don’t have time to read through every reply but surely someone has made a juvenile joke about the thread title?!

And I am in 100% agreement. I’ve had Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles and Tokyo Mirage Sessions just sitting, begging to be played but I cannot do it. I’m the type of person who can’t start a game and stop midway and return without having to start all the way over. I know I won’t have the time to play them so I don’t even bother.

It’s one of the reasons I enjoyed Nier Automata so much. It’s succinctness was refreshing.

 

[Bankai]

Last year I finished Child of Light and Fractured But Whole and figured hey.. I dó like turn based combat
So I played and finished Chrono Trigger on my Snes Classic beginning of this year and I'm now playing Ni No Kuni, am about 20 hours in. Awesome stuff!

Before I played Skyrim, Witcher 2 and 3, Oblivion, Fable and the likes - but somehow I always thought turn based combat wasn't for me. Boy, was I wrong.

 

[KevinKeene]

This is very true. The melodramatic shounen anime writing just sounds so dumb when spoken aloud. I think even the most talented voice actors/directors can’t make that stuff sound convincing.

Plus XC2, like many voice-acted JRPGs, has that awkward pause at the end of every line, making it feel more like there’s someone reading the lines off the screen to you than like people talking to each other. It’s especially dumb when one character is supposed to be interrupting another, yet there’s a 1 second gap between the character getting “interrupted” and the interruptor speaking.

Really can't agree with that. xenoblade 2's voice acting is great and brings all its characters to life to much higher effect than even most western games (looking at witcher 3 here).

There's also no 'weird pause'. You need to post a couple videos to back up that complaint. I'll never claim that xenoblade 2 had a very creative story, but it was presented extremely well, and the great voice acting is part of that (talking about the english va, because the Japanese voices are better than any western va, which should come to no surprise considering Japan's entire movie-industry hinges on voice acting).

 

[grumpyGamer]

I kind of agree with OP, but for diferent resons.

I believe the story in jrpgs has not evolved with the tines, almost always the same cliche story and caracters.
And they almost all look the same, and when i say that i am refering to the art direction not graphics.
And lets not talk about the grinding.

Thats is why games like ni no kuni, persona 5, etc..have so much succes they are diferent in the way they are created.

A big sinner is the Tales of series, loved the series, but these days i cant even see the name any more, the games are silly to me.

 

[Dunki]

I kind of agree with OP, but for diferent resons.

I believe the story in jrpgs has not evolved with the tines, almost always the same cliche story and caracters.
And they almost all look the same, and when i say that i am refering to the art direction not graphics.
And lets not talk about the grinding.

Thats is why games like ni no kuni, persona 5, etc..have so much succes they are diferent in the way they are created.

A big sinner is the Tales of series, loved the series, but these days i cant even see the name any more, the games are silly to me.

I never uderstadn the complain of grinding since most games do not require you grinding at all. It requires you to use the mechanics and tactics it offeres you. Furthermore you should really try Tales of Berseria which is probably one of the best Tales of games at least since a decade.

 

[KevinKeene]

I kind of agree with OP, but for diferent resons.

I believe the story in jrpgs has not evolved with the tines, almost always the same cliche story and caracters.
And they almost all look the same, and when i say that i am refering to the art direction not graphics.
And lets not talk about the grinding.

Thats is why games like ni no kuni, persona 5, etc..have so much succes they are diferent in the way they are created.

A big sinner is the Tales of series, loved the series, but these days i cant even see the name any more, the games are silly to me.

Sigh, the story in jrpgs isn't less evolved than elsewhere. Maybe it sometimes feels that way because jrpgs have always been extremely creative with their scenarios, plots and characters.

You cannot complain about jrpgs and then go claim western blockbuster titles are better. Certainly not games like Witcher 3, Dragon Age or all the similiar brown/grey/swampy wrpgs with 'realistic' (read: boring) characters, heavy handed cutscenes and always the same variation of tolkien-esque/eastern European magic and skeleton warriors.

In the end it's all opinions, but I find the generalization against jrpgs extremely unfair, especially when I've spent 170 hours with xenoblade 2, loving every second, whereas aaa western rpgs always feel like a drag at times.

 

[grumpyGamer]

Sigh, the story in jrpgs isn't less evolved than elsewhere. Maybe it sometimes feels that way because jrpgs have always been extremely creative with their scenarios, plots and characters.

You cannot complain about jrpgs and then go claim western blockbuster titles are better. Certainly not games like Witcher 3, Dragon Age or all the similiar brown/grey/swampy wrpgs with 'realistic' (read: boring) characters, heavy handed cutscenes and always the same variation of tolkien-esque/eastern European magic and skeleton warriors.

In the end it's all opinions, but I find the generalization against jrpgs extremely unfair, especially when I've spent 170 hours with xenoblade 2, loving every second, whereas aaa western rpgs always feel like a drag at times.

Yeah i guess i was generalizing a bit, but western rpgs are able to hide the similarities in an easier way, e believe they have more creative difference between them, mostrlly because they have way bigger budgets.

i don't mean all jrpg have these flaws, i like the xenoblade games, the last story, DQ series, rogue galaxy from lvl 5 a lot, i started as an jrpg player many years ago, played almost all of them, but with time they lost much originality and the budgets did not increase with the generations.
You cant do the same thing for 20 years and hope for the hype to be the same, i see many jrpgs just like i see assasins creed, every entry is the same (not trying to generalize again, just an example)

 

[Dunki]

Yeah i guess i was generalizing a bit, but western rpgs are able to hide the similarities in an easier way, e believe they have more creative difference between them, mostrlly because they have way bigger budgets.

i don't mean all jrpg have these flaws, i like the xenoblade games, the last story, DQ series, rogue galaxy from lvl 5 a lot, i started as an jrpg player many years ago, played almost all of them, but with time they lost much originality and the budgets did not increase with the generations.
You cant do the same thing for 20 years and hope for the hype to be the same, i see many jrpgs just like i see assasins creed, every entry is the same (not trying to generalize again, just an example)

Western RPGs do that by making everything a players choice while JRPGs focus on often wellwritten characters and plots. So making your decisions is hiding the lack of characters and overall plot quite a bit. Bioware does/did this pretty well until everything went to shit there.

 

[KevinKeene]

Agreed with both of you.


Thing is, I can never get enough of these Evangelion-esque stories that combine great characters, mecha, bizarre surroundings and a philosophical twist towards the end. It's why xenoblade 2's last-before-final cutscene gave me such chills.

Tbh I'd love a jrpg with the level of choice from something like mass effect 1, but I guess that'd be either extremely expensive or it would fail to live up to mosts' expectations.

I mean, imagine a FF7 where can choose to save Aerith. A ToSymphonia where Lloyd saves the village from being burnt. A Xenoblade 2 where Rex chooses #bestgirl. ;o
Could be awesome. But probably wouldn't, because the entire following story would change depending on some such choices.

 

[grumpyGamer]

You have some good points, since western rpgs are less linear it is harder to see the flaws, you talk about bioware, but i hated dragon age 2 and 3,

all this talk makes wish there would be a DQ8 remake T.T