A JRPG can be confusing to a someone used to Western titles likeThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntorThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.However, it is a sub-genre that should very much be explored for those who haven’t taken the plunge.
What is the difference between a JRPG and an RPG?
JRPG has historically been used to refer to a role-playing game that has beendeveloped inJapan. Thus, “Japanese RPGs”, or JRPGs. Though they have a different moniker, JRPGs still fall under the broad RPG umbrella.
While regionality plays a part in this, there are also aesthetic and mechanical conventions that typically define a JRPG style. JRPGs often draw on anime for character design; for example, thePersonaseries looks ripped from an anime and placed into a 3D setting. Turn-based or ATB combat, with a command menu, are frequent hallmarks of this style too.
Though it was used to denote Japanese development, game developers in Western regions have adopted and created games based around JRPG conventions.Cassette Beasts, Chained Echoes, andTemTemare some examples. It has been frequently debated whether or not to call them JRPGs or not, similar to the arguments over whether the animated TV seriesAvatar: The Last Airbenderis an anime.
Is it a good term to use?
Another debate is whether or not JRPG should even be used today. The lines are starting to become blurred as “JRPG” projects likeDemon’s Souls, Elden Ring,andDragon’s Dogma 2adopt ideas commonly associated with other RPG sub-genres.
“For us as Japanese developers, the first time we heard it, it was like a discriminatory term, as though we were being made fun of for creating these games, and so for some developers, the term can be something that will maybe trigger bad feelings because of what it was in the past,” saidFinal Fantasy 16producer Naoki Yoshida toSkillUp. Yoshida later said that the term is now considered as a positive, but as the genre beams and fades every few years, the perception of JRPGs can certainly be shaky.
Some great JRPGs you should play
If you’re looking to start playing JRPGs, your best bet is theFinal Fantasyseries. While it’s more than two decades old,Final Fantasy Xwould be my recommendation with its HD remaster on modern systems. The story is fascinating, the turn-based combat is deep, and the progression system is complex. The most recent entryFinal Fantasy XVIcould be a good transition as the action’s intense and the story’s deeply inspired byGame of Thrones.
Another JRPG I’d recommend isNi no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch,especially if you love Studio Ghibli’s films. It has easy-to-understandPokémon-like mechanics, an engrossing story, and a gorgeous world partially created by theSpirited AwayandHowl’s Moving Castlestudio.
