JRPG Spotlight Introduction
I've been thinking of doing something like this for a while now. Basically the idea is to have a series of monthly or bi-monthly threads about unique JRPGs which are significantly different from the norm in all areas - presentation, characters/setting, gameplay, etc. I don't want it to be too frequent or it would lose its purpose and just be some general talk-about-any-game thread.
I don't want to be the one creating all the threads, but obviously I think this is a neat idea so I'm going to start it off. Hopefully there's a good enough JRPG community here left so we can also discuss other games within the threads and others can pitch what games would make good entries for the next thread, etc.
The idea is to bring interesting JRPGs which aren't commonly known to the attention of more people, and to create opportunities to discuss the variations in JRPGs, and also to discuss cool ideas which have previously attempted but have no been seen in the genre at large again. I know there are people who are actually interested in the genre, so hopefully those who just generally go into a JRPG thread to troll will just stay out entirely if this doesn't interest you.
What qualifies as a JRPG?
Any role-playing game on any platform developed in Japan qualifies as a JRPG. But it is important to note that this does not mean a "western style" JRPG is instantly something unique and interesting within the genre. There are plenty of western influenced JRPGs out there like King's Field and Wizardry games. If there's a JRPG which is western in style but also unique among its peers then of course it qualifies, but I think most people will be more interested in JRPGs which are distinctly Japanese, yet also unique.
JRPG Spotlight Vol 1: Dark Half
Title: Dark Half
Platform: Super Famicom
Publisher: Enix
Developer: Westone
Release Date: 31st May 1996
What's this game?
Dark Half is a dark fantasy JRPG presented in isometric view, released by Enix in 1996 for the Sup Famicom. It was only available in Japan, and was never localized for English audiences. The game centers on a legendary hero who seeks to defeat the demon lord and rid the world of darkness. There are towns, dungeons, and a world map. There are random encounters and the battles are turn based.
What's so interesting about this?
There are several interesting things about the game. The main unique feature in the game is that you play as both the protagonist and the antagonist in the game. The game is presented in chapters, with each chapter alternating between the hero and the demon lord. Hence the player gets to view the story from both perspectives along the way.
Another innovative feature in the game is that the two lead characters play differently in terms of gameplay systems. The hero is a bit more traditional in that he has equipment and he has party members who are characters. To use spells you need to use one-use spell books in battle, and you also have a normal attack with your weapons. The demon lord on the other hand actually learns spells and can cast them at a cost. The party members you can get are monsters which are either given to you, or recruited using a spell from random encounters later on. These differences emphasize the differences between the two leads, and the demon lord is clearly designed to be the stronger character and the one who is more appealing to play as.
The game also utilizes a soul counter throughout the game. For both characters, there is a counter at the top left of the screen representing the amount of soul they have left. This counter goes down as you move, and it is replenished a little when you defeat enemies. When the demon lord uses spells, the cost is drawn from the soul counter. If the counter hits zero, the game ends. The demon lord can replenish more of the soul counter by raiding entire towns and killing all the NPCs, while the hero can replenish the soul counter later by using a church and exchanging currency for it.
Another aspect which sets this game apart from other JRPGs is the general dark theme. Not only is the art style and general art direction extremely bleak, the scenario itself is also much more dark fantasy than traditional fantasy. It definitely feels a bit like a Japanese Legacy of Kain game, which is something uncommon even in western RPGs.
Who made this?
Dark Half was developed by Westone - the creators of the Monster World series. The game was directed by Ryuichi Nishizawa and Shinichi Sakamoto. This is also probably the last original game developed by Westone before they fell into licensed game hell.
Sakamoto did not compose for the game, even though he's the co-director. The sound unit in the game was outsourced to T's Music and the soundtrack was composed by Tomoyuki Hamada.
References
Game credits: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/dark-half-/credits
Screenshots: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/dark-half-/screenshots
Gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5uQFviNoIc
I've been thinking of doing something like this for a while now. Basically the idea is to have a series of monthly or bi-monthly threads about unique JRPGs which are significantly different from the norm in all areas - presentation, characters/setting, gameplay, etc. I don't want it to be too frequent or it would lose its purpose and just be some general talk-about-any-game thread.
I don't want to be the one creating all the threads, but obviously I think this is a neat idea so I'm going to start it off. Hopefully there's a good enough JRPG community here left so we can also discuss other games within the threads and others can pitch what games would make good entries for the next thread, etc.
The idea is to bring interesting JRPGs which aren't commonly known to the attention of more people, and to create opportunities to discuss the variations in JRPGs, and also to discuss cool ideas which have previously attempted but have no been seen in the genre at large again. I know there are people who are actually interested in the genre, so hopefully those who just generally go into a JRPG thread to troll will just stay out entirely if this doesn't interest you.
What qualifies as a JRPG?
Any role-playing game on any platform developed in Japan qualifies as a JRPG. But it is important to note that this does not mean a "western style" JRPG is instantly something unique and interesting within the genre. There are plenty of western influenced JRPGs out there like King's Field and Wizardry games. If there's a JRPG which is western in style but also unique among its peers then of course it qualifies, but I think most people will be more interested in JRPGs which are distinctly Japanese, yet also unique.
JRPG Spotlight Vol 1: Dark Half
Title: Dark Half
Platform: Super Famicom
Publisher: Enix
Developer: Westone
Release Date: 31st May 1996
What's this game?
Dark Half is a dark fantasy JRPG presented in isometric view, released by Enix in 1996 for the Sup Famicom. It was only available in Japan, and was never localized for English audiences. The game centers on a legendary hero who seeks to defeat the demon lord and rid the world of darkness. There are towns, dungeons, and a world map. There are random encounters and the battles are turn based.
What's so interesting about this?
There are several interesting things about the game. The main unique feature in the game is that you play as both the protagonist and the antagonist in the game. The game is presented in chapters, with each chapter alternating between the hero and the demon lord. Hence the player gets to view the story from both perspectives along the way.
Another innovative feature in the game is that the two lead characters play differently in terms of gameplay systems. The hero is a bit more traditional in that he has equipment and he has party members who are characters. To use spells you need to use one-use spell books in battle, and you also have a normal attack with your weapons. The demon lord on the other hand actually learns spells and can cast them at a cost. The party members you can get are monsters which are either given to you, or recruited using a spell from random encounters later on. These differences emphasize the differences between the two leads, and the demon lord is clearly designed to be the stronger character and the one who is more appealing to play as.
The game also utilizes a soul counter throughout the game. For both characters, there is a counter at the top left of the screen representing the amount of soul they have left. This counter goes down as you move, and it is replenished a little when you defeat enemies. When the demon lord uses spells, the cost is drawn from the soul counter. If the counter hits zero, the game ends. The demon lord can replenish more of the soul counter by raiding entire towns and killing all the NPCs, while the hero can replenish the soul counter later by using a church and exchanging currency for it.
Another aspect which sets this game apart from other JRPGs is the general dark theme. Not only is the art style and general art direction extremely bleak, the scenario itself is also much more dark fantasy than traditional fantasy. It definitely feels a bit like a Japanese Legacy of Kain game, which is something uncommon even in western RPGs.
Who made this?
Dark Half was developed by Westone - the creators of the Monster World series. The game was directed by Ryuichi Nishizawa and Shinichi Sakamoto. This is also probably the last original game developed by Westone before they fell into licensed game hell.
Sakamoto did not compose for the game, even though he's the co-director. The sound unit in the game was outsourced to T's Music and the soundtrack was composed by Tomoyuki Hamada.
References
Game credits: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/dark-half-/credits
Screenshots: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/dark-half-/screenshots
Gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5uQFviNoIc