Rhazer Fusion
Member
CurseoftheGods said:
Yes, it is the worst generation for JRPG's. Unfortunately, they seem to be going the way of the dinosaur on consoles. :/
I did enjoy FF13 and TOV btw.
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Is this the worst generation for playing JRPG's?
- Thread starter CurseoftheGods
- Start date
Yes, it is the worst generation for JRPG's. Unfortunately, they seem to be going the way of the dinosaur on consoles. :/
I did enjoy FF13 and TOV btw.
JasoNsider
Member
Thanks for the responses about best RPGs of the ~5 years or so. I'm crossing my fingers here, because other people are also saying things like Tales games were great which makes me worry 
Yes. Now I think this is the major thing to take from the current gen. The money has flowed into different franchises and genres now. It's sad, really, but nothing much can be done about it. Even FFXIII ended up being trash, which lowers gamer confidence even more.
Yes. Now I think this is the major thing to take from the current gen. The money has flowed into different franchises and genres now. It's sad, really, but nothing much can be done about it. Even FFXIII ended up being trash, which lowers gamer confidence even more.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
GhaleonQ said:
Yes, yes, and yes.
SneakyStephan said:
What? No. Trails in the Sky has a fun battle system, fun characters, and one of the most immersive worlds in any video game I've ever played. It's one of my favorite games of all time. (And it's technically a last-gen game, since it originally came out in 2004.)
It's not like I'm desperate for any sort of "fix". I didn't come into this generation with as much JRPG experience as most of you probably had; I pretty much skipped straight from the SNES to the DS and have been going back to the PS1 and PS2 RPGs I missed at the same time as I've been exploring this generation's offerings. I have plenty of RPGs from past and present to play. And I've found plenty of clunkers from the past and plenty of gems from the present. Sure, the PS2 especially had an impressive number of good-to-great RPGs that got localized, but the gap between previous generations and now is not nearly as lopsided as some of you make it out to be.
What I would say is that the traditional console JRPG isn't nearly as prominent; the genre has become more fragmented and experimental - but what experiments! Localization is the bigger issue, and one that I hope can get straightened out. I have a feeling that if handhelds were as big in the West as they are in Japan, and if so many games didn't get denied Western releases, the perception of Japanese development wouldn't be as negative here as it is.
Rahxephon91
Banned
I played Ys 7 because I was told it didn't involve running into people. It was ok, I didn't finish it and traded it back to Gamestop. I know GAF seems to like Trails in the Star, but I watched some videos and it looked like something I wouldn't care for. So I'm not very interested in Falcom titles.Kagari said:
I guess I should have added "to me" in my posts as I mean just as far as the games I'm interested in, it just seems to be remakes and Square stuff.
I don't really care about that system. I bought a Lite and played The World Ends With You and traded it for PSP right after that.artwalknoon said:
Granger Danger
Member
Then don't whine about a lack of games in a certain genre if you refuse to get the system that has tons of games in that genre.Rahxephon91 said:
Rahxephon91
Banned
Well I'm actually not complaining about the lack of jrpgs....Emonga said:
Hours Left
Member
This x 1,000,000,000hosannainexcelsis said:
JasoNsider
Member
Rahxephon91 said:
*scratches head*
Sorry to hear about your loss?
Resolution
Member
wish i still had my psp. its too bad all the good games come out for it near the end of its life cycle.
Vire
Member
Not necessarily, the review scores for these handheld games aren't exactly blowing the doors off. Japanese devs deserve the tepid response they've gotten this generation. Besides Nintendo, no one else is putting out triple A titles. Maybe Capcom with Street Fighter but that's about it...Gunloc said:
RPGCrazied
Member
Yeah. Doesn't help when NoA being fucking cheapskates and won't release 2 of the best this gen.
Bjoern the Smexy
Member
This generation is only bad for JRPGs if you are a PS3-only owner (not even owning a PSP)
This generation we got pretty good stuff with Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Dragon Quest 4, 5, 6 and 9, Tales of Symphonia 2, Tales of Vesperia, Kingdom Hearts BbS, Final Fantasy 3 and 4-Remakes, Chrono Trigger, Etrian Odyssey, and many many more, especially for the DS and quite a few for the 360.
Also Xenoblade Chronicles and Last Story are coming over to Europe, so that makes it even better.
I say this generation is just as good for JRPGs as the last one, expcept you had to buy more than one console to get all the good stuff, whereas last generation all you had to have for your JRPG fix was a PS2. Oh, and the Gamecube was blessed with quite a number of very good JRPGs too.
This generation though you have to buy two consoles and two handhelds to get all the good stuff. So no, this generation is a pretty good generation for JRPGs, considering you own pretty much every current handheld and console.
This generation we got pretty good stuff with Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Dragon Quest 4, 5, 6 and 9, Tales of Symphonia 2, Tales of Vesperia, Kingdom Hearts BbS, Final Fantasy 3 and 4-Remakes, Chrono Trigger, Etrian Odyssey, and many many more, especially for the DS and quite a few for the 360.
Also Xenoblade Chronicles and Last Story are coming over to Europe, so that makes it even better.
I say this generation is just as good for JRPGs as the last one, expcept you had to buy more than one console to get all the good stuff, whereas last generation all you had to have for your JRPG fix was a PS2. Oh, and the Gamecube was blessed with quite a number of very good JRPGs too.
This generation though you have to buy two consoles and two handhelds to get all the good stuff. So no, this generation is a pretty good generation for JRPGs, considering you own pretty much every current handheld and console.
Crash Station
Member
Vire said:
Review scores mean nothing, especially with the Japanese/handheld game bias as of late.
And lol at "Triple A titles". Such a meaningless term.
Blue Dragon ranks as one of my favorite and most beloved JRPGS ever (along with FFVI and the Sega CD Lunar series), so I'd have to say this gen has been pretty good for me.
Lost Odyssey and Vesperia were both very good as well, and provided memorable experiences. Overall, I've enjoyed those three titles more than the entirety of last gen.
Lost Odyssey and Vesperia were both very good as well, and provided memorable experiences. Overall, I've enjoyed those three titles more than the entirety of last gen.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
Yes. It's worse than last generation, worse than the generation before, and much, much worse than the generation before that. There are a number of good JRPGs on the handhelds, but most, if not all of them are good "handheld" JRPGs, not the big, epic, memorable experiences we used to find the consoles (the ones that made us JRPG fans in the first place). And even the best new titles can't hold a candle to the ridiculous amount of classic remake/ports they're forced to compete against. It's insane.
Games like 999, Radiant Historia, Ys 6/7, & KH:BBS are all great games, but why does the best the genre has to offer have to be restricted to the smallest platforms available? Budget? Demand? Talent? Whatever the case may be, It's extremely disappointing to see that the genre that gave us Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, Shin Megami Tensei, & Tales no longer have an industry-leading presence on the biggest, baddest platforms available.
Games like 999, Radiant Historia, Ys 6/7, & KH:BBS are all great games, but why does the best the genre has to offer have to be restricted to the smallest platforms available? Budget? Demand? Talent? Whatever the case may be, It's extremely disappointing to see that the genre that gave us Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, Shin Megami Tensei, & Tales no longer have an industry-leading presence on the biggest, baddest platforms available.
Crash Station
Member
Vire said:
Going by your avatar, I assume you like the same games the reviewers do this gen. You're one of the lucky ones. Some of my favorite games this gen are in the 60s on metacritic.
And if you really can't see the bias in handheld coverage, I don't know what to tell you. Quite a few sites act like the DS/PSP don't even exist.
Admiral Bone to Pick
Banned
I think the golden age of JRPGs has pretty much passed. They were at their peak during the SNES-PS1 era, were great during the PS2 generation, and then pretty much collapsed this generation (save for some good games on handhelds).
It's really disappointing, because my favorite childhood games were games like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound. The western market is shifting towards RPGs that are very open, with more customization and side-quests and things to do. I thought Final Fantasy 12 was a huge step in the right direction, but since it came at the end of a generation (much like Final Fantasy 9), it didn't get the attention it deserved.
The success (and continued quality of JRPGs) in the future will depend on their ability to create more open worlds, and ultimately, more choices for players.
It's really disappointing, because my favorite childhood games were games like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound. The western market is shifting towards RPGs that are very open, with more customization and side-quests and things to do. I thought Final Fantasy 12 was a huge step in the right direction, but since it came at the end of a generation (much like Final Fantasy 9), it didn't get the attention it deserved.
The success (and continued quality of JRPGs) in the future will depend on their ability to create more open worlds, and ultimately, more choices for players.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Vire said:
That's nice for you. I've found most of the "AAA" titles this gen to be dull and unmemorable. Even if we restrict the discussion to Western games, I tend to prefer indies to blockbusters.
Throwing a lot of money around and getting a good Metacritic score doesn't necessarily make your game great.
Vire
Member
Just curious, which JRPG's do you think were overlooked? I'm more than willing to check things out. I've really been craving a great one but it just hasn't been there for me. The last one I truly thought was spectacular was FFX (surprise, last generation). Everything else since then has been middling or mediocre experiences.cosmicblizzard said:
hosannainexcelsis said:
Absolutely, I'm not saying it's foolproof (see GTAIV), I'm just saying generally I agree with critics (see Bioshock, Batman, Mass Effect, Rock Band, Dead Space, Assassin's Creed).
Brofist
Member
GhaleonQ said:
8 bit? I didn't play many RPGs back then TBH, but I did enjoy the DQ and FF games from that era, as well as the Ultima games. I remember lesser known games like Faxanadu as well. I really consider the 16 bit generation as the breakout JRPG gen though, and this gen is the worst since that one.
Mr. Serious Business said:
So basically WRPGs have taken hold in the West. Yep. And really, FF12 felt like that because that game sort of was a Final Fantasy WRPG.
And really, we're already seeing tiny influences find their way across the Pacific. We hear that Squre Enix is going to put more of the research they did into WRPGs into FFXIII-2, it'll have conversation choices and such. The director of Dragon Quest IX also straight up admitted its gameplay was inspired by Diablo and Oblivion.
What's happening to JRPGs is really just a microcosm of what's happening to all of Japanese gaming. That's just where their market is going. If you don't care about having to play the games on handhelds then I would say that JRPGs are still great this gen. We're all sort of hoping though that if Japanese devs switch to the PS Vita, they'll be forced to make HD-level art assets for their games anyway. Though they could theoretically just flood over to the 3DS, never moving beyond PS2 era graphics.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
Big One said:
My mistake.
Urban Scholar
Member
While we are on our weekly discussion on JRPGs and the like. Anyone here played Crimson Gem Saga? What's going on with this game? Looks interesting.
Granger Danger
Member
Let's start with Bowser's Inside Story.Vire said:
Admiral Bone to Pick
Banned
tiff said:
I'm confused by this, mainly because the N64 was 64-bit and the Playstation had many great Japanese RPGs.
In my experience each generation post-Dreamcast/PS2 is a little worse than the previous, both in quantity and quality. I honestly can't remember the last good JRPG I played that wasn't at least 8 years old. Valkyria Chronicles is supposed to be great, but I don't have a PS3.CurseoftheGods said:
SciencePilot
Member
Is it the worse generation for playing JRPGs? No, I wouldn't say so. I'd say the NES era was worse... the games were just too old and archaic to be fun for me.
Anyway, this generation has had enough great games. I really loved Tales of Vesperia. I'd also include Persona 4 in this generation. And if we can say handhelds, The World Ends with You of course. And including fan translation, I also played the wonderful Mother 3 this generation.
So basically, as long as you're open to different sources, you could have played a lot of great JRPGs recently.
Anyway, this generation has had enough great games. I really loved Tales of Vesperia. I'd also include Persona 4 in this generation. And if we can say handhelds, The World Ends with You of course. And including fan translation, I also played the wonderful Mother 3 this generation.
So basically, as long as you're open to different sources, you could have played a lot of great JRPGs recently.
Crash Station
Member
Vire said:
Are we talking about just this gen on consoles, or we including handhelds too?
For handhelds, I actually don't believe there have been many amazing ones, but quite a few good-great ones (IMO).
On the DS:
Etrian Oddysey
Radiant Historia
Bowser's Inside Story
Nostalgia
Dragon Quest IX
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Contact
Glory of Heracles
Sands of Destruction
Magical Starsign
On PSP:
Brave Story
Crisis Core
Half-Minute Hero
Birth by Sleep
Trails in the Sky
Crimson Gem Saga
Blade Dancer
Jeanne d'Arc
If we're talking about consoles, there isn't a whole lot, but there's definitely some great-amazing ones. IMO, FFXIII is up there (yes yes, I know) and Persona 4 is one of the best JRPGs period. There's also Valkyria Chronicles and some other stuff that I'm too lazy to look through right now.
Vire
Member
Funnily enough, I actually bought this and was bored to tears. And this is coming from a massive Mario fan. I got up to entering Bowser's castle and then that's all I could take, traded it in and got nearly full face value at least...Emonga said:
It did absolutely nothing original and I actually found the humour to be pandering at best.
I enjoyed Paper Mario though...
cosmicblizzard said:
Right, and I agree with that a hundred percent. That's my problem though, they've all been good but not spectacular. I can go through that list and say "alright, good, good, average" and so on, but nothing that I will tell my grandkids about haha. FFXIII has so many problems, I won't even get into that but all I'll say is one word: Vanille. I'll give you Persona 4, but it's sitting pretty lonely on that hill...
DidntKnowJack
Member
In this thread, we have:
A) People who play portable games and know the score.
B) Everyone else.
A) People who play portable games and know the score.
B) Everyone else.