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[CamHostage]

Miyazaki himself has called it a jrpg so why do some people have such a hard time coping with that idea?

Having worked with publisher relations, practically every Japanese game is labeled a "RPG".

Not saying Elden Ring is or isn't, but I wouldn't generally go by marketing or even the creators as the "official" label for what genres would describe a work. Read some fact sheets, it's hysterical sometimes what qualifiers are added to integrate the term "RPG" into the descriptive profile of the product.

 

[Metnut]

Of course it’s a JRPG. JRPGs aren’t only games that play like SNES and PSX FF and DQ games.

Next I’m sure we’ll hear that FF16 isn’t a JRPG because they changed the combat:

 

[01011001]

Miyazaki himself has called it a jrpg so why do some people have such a hard time coping with that idea?

the term JRPG is not used in japan he probably doesn't know what people actually mean by JRPG.

it isn't a JRPG.

the genre name is a bit stupid and I think we should find a new way to describe games like FF7 and games that are similar.

but Elden Ring isn't even close to being one

 

[Astral Dog]

No one said otherwise

I mostly call them RPGs (or Action RPGs in this case) there are many types of RPGs made in Japan and FROM's games are definetly a part of that group, its just that they also appeal to people that mostly play WRPGs and can't stand anything Anime,but those people are BORING

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

Only if you ignore what "genre" means

 

[Elder Legend]

Nah I consider it an ARPG. Calling it a JRPG is like calling HZD an RPG. Doesn’t really fit.

Horizon is a 3rd person Far Cry more than anything.

 

[Rat Rage]

OP, I hope you feel embarrassed for not knowing what a JRPG is, especially on a video game enthusiast forum like NeoGAF. That being said, maybe after the great exodus, the gates remained wide open for too long and the guards let anyone in...

 

[kuncol02]

TIL that God of War 3 is a JRPG

Diablo is JRPG by that definition.

 

[Kacho]

Horizon is a 3rd person Far Cry more than anything.

Agreed. It was NPD that classified it as an RPG and they got a lot of pushback because it doesn't make a lick of sense. The fat NPD guy (can't remember his name, used to post on REE) got super defensive over it too.

"IT'S AN RPG. DEAL WITH IT!!!"

haha

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

I'm out of the loop on "immersive sims". What are some examples?

Bioshock, System Shock, Prey, Deus Ex. To a lesser extent, Thief. Immersive sim is a kind of weird name for the genre, but thats what stuck, I guess.

 

[Rat Rage]

Of course it’s a JRPG. JRPGs aren’t only games that play like SNES and PSX FF and DQ games.

Next I’m sure we’ll hear that FF16 isn’t a JRPG because they changed the combat:

Of course it's a waffle. Waffles aren't only food that taste and look like a waffle.

Next I'm sure well hear that a waffle isn't a waffle because they replaced one of its main ingreadients (eggs, flour, milk) with ground beef.

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

No one said otherwise

I mostly call them RPGs (or Action RPGs in this case) there are many types of RPGs made in Japan and FROM's games are definetly a part of that group, its just that they also appeal to people that mostly play WRPGs and can't stand anything Anime,but those people are BORING

I'm saying otherwise.

Of course it’s a JRPG. JRPGs aren’t only games that play like SNES and PSX FF and DQ games.

Next I’m sure we’ll hear that FF16 isn’t a JRPG because they changed the combat:

Well don't tell that to the director of the game, because apparently he finds that term extremely offensive lol

 

[Kataploom]

Are people embarrassed to refer to it as such because they don’t want to be lumped in with weebs?

Yes... There's some "hate" towards japanese stuff because SOME anime is too "moe" for some people to digest and because of "jApA iS wEiRd ", so they don't want to be remotely associated with anime, and as most japanese fantasy stuff uses anime art styles, the term "JRPG" is referred by some as "anime looking game", to the point that if they like another RPG from japan that doesn't look like anime they'll refuse to call it "JRPG" in order self-preserve their "pride".

I think that's how their brains work...

But the reality is that all RPGs made mainly by japanese people are JRPGs just because of that.

Some may say that some stuff don't look or feel or whatever, like "JRPG", but what they don't know is that basically anything from Japan looks and feel japanese, those that are very used to japanese media content can quickly see that... A lot of how Miyazaki games look and feel can be found more easily in most animes than in most western media... But yeah, maybe they look if "it looks like anime" and that's it, which is weird because anime is too wide to be a single art style and because Miyazaki games are directly and literally inspired by a Manga: Berserk.

 

[Yoboman]

JRPG doesn't work because it's usually used in comparison to WRPGs which are apparently allowed a much broader definition in what makes a WRPG for some reason?

If it's from Japan and is an RPG then it's a JRPG. If it's from the West and is an RPG then it's a WRPG

Its a point of comparison that is way out of date because they have influenced each other so much by now

 

[simpatico]

JRPG=

1. Quirky JRPG characters
2. JRPG dialog
3. Turn based combat
4. Jazzy upbeat music

I like JRPGs but Elden Ring has none of these.

 

[TexMex]

Can we please stop pretending that we don’t know exactly what people mean when they say JRPG? This intentionally pedantic shit is so annoying.

 

[Kataploom]

So what is the purpose to call a game JRPG if not to define the type of game it is (and intrinsically the mechanics, type of gameplay, storytelling...)? If someone ask me a recommendation for a JRPG to play, Elden ring will never come to my mind.

I guess it comes to personal interpretation and feeling. I love JRPG and love Soulsborne but when I want to play a JRPG I would never play a Soulsborne because they're nothing alike for me.

There's JMusic, Jpop, Jrock, etc... And then there's the derived "Kpop" (for korean pop), the first letter is just to define its origins, it's not gaming specific, it's more of a Japanese media fanbase thing in general to define stuff, if anime wasn't called anime we would probably call it "JCartoon" o whatever

It's a Jmetroidvania.

Imagine if Metroid or Castlevania were japenese games, omg, can you imagine an anime dracu-- oh wait...

 

[bitbydeath]

Probably coming from the same people who say Witcher is an RPG but Horizon is not.

Nobody will agree on anything.

 

[CamHostage]

There's JMusic, Jpop, Jrock, etc... And then there's the derived "Kpop" (for korean pop), the first letter is just to define its origins, it's not gaming specific, it's more of a Japanese media fanbase thing in general to define stuff, if anime wasn't called anime we would probably call it "JCartoon" o whatever

Kind of not even a Japanese media fanbase thing...

"Anime" is just a nickname for "animation", using a couple less kanjii (アニメーション , the first three characters being the difference.) Cartoons and Disney movies are all in the same bucket of anime (though there are hard-standers who consider homegrown product to be specifically useful for the term, and then there are people like Hayao Miyazaki who makes animation in Japan but refuses Ghibli works to be lumped in with "anime".)

These are some words like these which are used to refer to an import product whether or not the home country uses that term. We call anything that comes dried out like Top Ramen "Ramen" even though real ramen is amazing (and also, Japan has instant noodle packages which are amazing compared to the sour styrofoam we get at the dollar store.) Any violent gangster gets labeled "Yakuza" even though the actual yakuza members are more distinct and purposeful than that (we have our own "mafia" equivalent.) Our ancestors in the '80s called every game console a "Nintendo", but luckily that didn't stick...

BTW, "anime" when Japanese cartoons was first being identified as a regional product worth looking out for was called "Japanimation" in the west before the term "anime" was popularized.

Some terms do have their roots in their country of origin, but as far as I know, Japanese people do not use the term "JRPG".

 

[CamHostage]

Of course it's a waffle. Waffles aren't only food that taste and look like a waffle.

Next I'm sure well hear that a waffle isn't a waffle because they replaced one of its main ingreadients (eggs, flour, milk) with ground beef.

https://willitwaffle.com/blog/recipe-waffleburgers

 

[Rubicaant]

a JRPG without hours and hours of exposition is not a JRPG

 

[Knightime_X]

Leveling up in the average jrpg yields meaningful results and almost always leads to being overpowered. Like demigod levels of op.
You can be max level elden ring and stat wise, it's widely useless alone.
So i'm gonna have to disagree here.

 

[Rat Rage]

https://willitwaffle.com/blog/recipe-waffleburgers

Looks delicious! But not quite what I meant. Here they added meat on top of a waffle, instead of replacing one of the 3 key waffle ingreadients with meat.

 

[Teletraan1]

JRPG = predetermined character, almost no choices how to progress, linear story, limited build opportunities (a magician will stay one, a melee character will stay one etc.)

That seems like a bunk definition. FFIII and FFV both had job systems that gave you a wide variety of build and party opportunities for the time and they were definitely JRPGs.

 

[01011001]

That seems like a bunk definition. FFIII and FFV both had job systems that gave you a wide variety of build and party opportunities for the time and they were definitely JRPGs.

well what I described was the most archetypal JRPG, there are of course ones where some of these elements aren't as prominently used.

but in general JRPGs are less about player expression in terms of how to progress in the game, and more about battle strategy and how to optimise your fights.

 

[Shut0wen]

Personally id class it as an action rpg, just in the same vein as witcher 3, dragons dogma and skyrim, jrpg imo are turned based games like every rpg that came out from japan from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s

 

[Gamerfan81]

I just got done clearing my backlog and the most recent game I beat was DQ11. Now, that's a typical JRPG. You know it when you see it. Kind of hard to describe.

Elden Ring? I don't call it a JRPG, doesn't have that distinct style.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I will say this, Elden Ring is closer to being a JRPG than Final Fantasy 16.

 

[Alexios]

I thought it's God of War 13.

 

[Raven117]

Its a silly distinction anyway.

Is it an RPG? Is it from Japan? Its a JRPG. End of discussion.

 

[BossLackey]

I don't really care if people call it a JRPG, but these terms are nebulous as hell already.


The term JRPG has a lot of connotations associated with it that don't fit Souls games. Generally a heavy emphasis on traditionally told narrative (i.e., numerous cutscenes, exposition out the ass, character interaction, etc.), several characters that push the narrative along, a party system, etc.
Elden Ring and the other games in FROM's stable don't have any of that.

They share SOME things, but at this point, half of the games that come out share the same amount of DNA.

 

[Labolas]

I find it funny that I saw an interview with Yoshi P and he said that in Japan a lot of developers find the term discriminatory and negative connotation with it. Lo and behold, people in this very thread are using JRPG as a negative.

 

[Gamer79]

I will be honest. It is not fun to play.

 

[Celcius]

It's really not

 

[Sentenza]

Just for context, after Yoshida's most recent whining about the use of the term, I got a a two weeks ban from Resetera for arguing that “JRPG” is not supposed to be an inherently derogatory term. Reason of the ban: “Dismissing concerns of racism”.
Raving lunatics.

 

[Naked Lunch]

To me Souls-games are just Zelda with way better combat and 1000 times the difficulty - but no puzzles.
Action RPGs - but not a JRPGs outright.

Sen's Fortress was Zelda for adults.

 

[Shut0wen]

JRPG is an outdated term from when they fit into a particular niche of design. Like saying WRPGs are only top down like Baldur's Gate

Except it originally meant turned based rpgs from japan since every rpg from japan in the 80s to 90s literally was nothing but turn based rpgs with the same tropes id still class jrpg as any game from japan thats turned based since they are all cartoon looking with cringey dialog and someone saving the world

 

[Shut0wen]

To me Souls-games are just Zelda with way better combat and 1000 times the difficulty - but no puzzles.
Action RPGs - but not a JRPGs outright.

Sen's Fortress was Zelda for adults.

Same, id say all souls games are ARPGd just like dragons dogma, theres nothing remotely jrpg about thise games

 

[Naked Lunch]

Same, id say all souls games are ARPGd just like dragons dogma, theres nothing remotely jrpg about thise games

Ah, I wouldnt say 'nothing remotely'.
The class building, leveling, and all those stats to worry about which carry over to which spells and abilities you can use - are very jrpg-like - so theres that.

In the end: jrpg, action rpg - who really cares? The souls series are simply great games.