p_xavier
Authorized Fister
Second one is better.
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I want to like JRPGs so much, but I'm not sure I can do it.
- Thread starter BossLackey
- Start date
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
If you don't like anime tropes and bloated, annoying dialogue that just rambles on and on, and fetch quests, you'll never truly love JRPGs because they're in practically every one.
It's been my favorite genre since I've been a kid, but even I struggle with them today because I'm less patient and have less time, so sitting there gaming and wanting to move on to the next town or next battle and hearing two lame characters ramble on and on in their annoying cutesy dialogue makes me want to throw my controller through my TV. I find ways to work around what I've grown to find incredibly annoying. A lot of just skipping dialogue and not caring at all if I miss anything, because 95% of the time, you don't. Just overly trivial banter.
And just skip right over dialogue on all fetch quests. Pound that X button. You don't need to waste 10 minutes reading that the nameless person can now feed their pig because you got them a carrot from the woods.
It's been my favorite genre since I've been a kid, but even I struggle with them today because I'm less patient and have less time, so sitting there gaming and wanting to move on to the next town or next battle and hearing two lame characters ramble on and on in their annoying cutesy dialogue makes me want to throw my controller through my TV. I find ways to work around what I've grown to find incredibly annoying. A lot of just skipping dialogue and not caring at all if I miss anything, because 95% of the time, you don't. Just overly trivial banter.
And just skip right over dialogue on all fetch quests. Pound that X button. You don't need to waste 10 minutes reading that the nameless person can now feed their pig because you got them a carrot from the woods.
p_xavier
Authorized Fister
Second one is better.
SlimeGooGoo
Party Gooper
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The Pleasure
Member
I used to love rpgs in my teens. I plowed through it in a week. As an adult? Took me almost three months to beat Tales of my Arisen ASS. It was 25-30 hours too long. If it was 30 hours it coulda been great. But it overstayed its welcome like the in laws.
unintelligent orange
Member
Good JRPGs ive played:
FF7
FFX
Star Ocean: Til the End of Time
Dark Cloud
Dark Cloud 2
KH1, COM, and KH2 (fuck KH3 tho)
stuff im interested in trying:
all the fromsoftware souls games
nier
and a couple others
---
if it doesnt captivate you, it aint for you.. so just dont bother.
FF7
FFX
Star Ocean: Til the End of Time
Dark Cloud
Dark Cloud 2
KH1, COM, and KH2 (fuck KH3 tho)
stuff im interested in trying:
all the fromsoftware souls games
nier
and a couple others
---
if it doesnt captivate you, it aint for you.. so just dont bother.
Y0ssarian
Banned
I had a huge jrpg phase that started with Skies of Arcadia. It lasted a few years. More recently, as in last year, I tried Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus, NieR Replicant and Persona 5 (Persona 5 Strikers too, if that counts). I dropped Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus. Arise was way too repetitive and Scarlet Nexus was just bad. NieR Replicant was very good but I only got to the end of route A. Loved Persona 5 though, it's one of my favourite games now. So I guess they're hit and miss for me
Kev Kev
Member
Nah man it’s not just you, modern JRPGs are sub par or just plain garbage. There is something in there I like too, and I keep trying to find it or hoping it’ll comeback, but they just lost their sense of adventure and I don’t think it’s coming back.
They just feel like these simulation experiences. Plastic and straight forward, filled with padding and hollow moments that are unfulfilling and bland. I could go on and on. But I think it’s just time for me to move on. I’m hoping FFVIIR Part 2 surprises me but I have zero faith. No idea what to expect with XVI but Square has pretty consistently let me down for well over a decade now, I’m not about to get myself hyped for anything they put their name on.
They just feel like these simulation experiences. Plastic and straight forward, filled with padding and hollow moments that are unfulfilling and bland. I could go on and on. But I think it’s just time for me to move on. I’m hoping FFVIIR Part 2 surprises me but I have zero faith. No idea what to expect with XVI but Square has pretty consistently let me down for well over a decade now, I’m not about to get myself hyped for anything they put their name on.
pramod
Banned
Funny enough the most recent "true'" JRPG I've beaten was the Phantasy Star Remake for Switch. I never got very far in the original, mostly because of the mazes, but once I started the Switch version I couldn't put it down until I was finished.
I don't know if it's because there's something about those old school RPGs that made them much more playable maybe? Maybe because they were shorter and had much less filler "dialogue"?
I don't know if it's because there's something about those old school RPGs that made them much more playable maybe? Maybe because they were shorter and had much less filler "dialogue"?
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Doom85
Member
Man, not a lot of people seem to be enjoying modern JRPGs. Like, for me, the PS3 era was ROUGH for JRPGs even with there being the occasional one I enjoyed somewhat, but things feel better for me this gen. I loved Final Fantasy VII Remake, Nier Automata, Dragon Quest 11, and Tales of Berseria. I didn’t enjoy Persona 5 on the high level I did 3 and especially 4 but it was still great.
Only played a few hours of Trials of Mana remake but it was fairly fun. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth was a pleasant surprise, still need to play the sequel. Also Voice of Cards was pretty fun. Demon Gaze 2 was fairly good for a budget title. If it counts despite not being Japanese then Battle Chasers: Nightwar was great.
Sure, a few didn’t work for me like Final Fantasy XV being weak and Tales of Zesteria being mid, but that happens every gen. And there’s some I still need to play: Kingdom Hearts 3, Xenoblade 2, SMT 5, Ni no Kuni 2, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, The Caligula Effect, I Am Setsuna, etc.
Only played a few hours of Trials of Mana remake but it was fairly fun. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth was a pleasant surprise, still need to play the sequel. Also Voice of Cards was pretty fun. Demon Gaze 2 was fairly good for a budget title. If it counts despite not being Japanese then Battle Chasers: Nightwar was great.
Sure, a few didn’t work for me like Final Fantasy XV being weak and Tales of Zesteria being mid, but that happens every gen. And there’s some I still need to play: Kingdom Hearts 3, Xenoblade 2, SMT 5, Ni no Kuni 2, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, The Caligula Effect, I Am Setsuna, etc.
RafterXL
Member
JRPGs used to be my favorite genre...and then I grew up. The characters are always shit, the stories are either garbage or a convoluted mess, the pandering to weeabos, the bloat, my god the fucking bloat. Assassin's Creed has less filler bullshit than the average JRPG. The grinding, the terrible gameplay. It's a genre that's stuck in the 90's propped up by men who stopped maturing at fifteen and infantilized women who talk like five year olds and toss out a japanese word every other sentence.
Ryu Kaiba
Member
As if this game isn't bloated with tropes.
Play it.
SlimeGooGoo
Party Gooper
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yansolo
Member
used to love them as a kid but now that i'm a bit older i can no longer play them, i tried a couple like dragon quest and persona 4 and turned them off after half an hour
i think someone mentioned it in an earlier post , but the jrpgs these days are are just too long and uninteresting, they also feel really childish but that could be just me
golden age was definitely snes/ps1 era of jrpgs, id rather just go back and play those
i think someone mentioned it in an earlier post , but the jrpgs these days are are just too long and uninteresting, they also feel really childish but that could be just me
golden age was definitely snes/ps1 era of jrpgs, id rather just go back and play those
zokie
Member
due to C19 and no income
i can only wait for digital sales for JRPG that i love ., just recently bought DQXIS at 50% off @ AU Eshop if it the game is published by Nintendo the max discount will be 30 to 33%
now waiting for Switch version of DQ Builders 2 with season pass to drop to a good price ( Its 33% max off normal game )
And the most important thing is finding time to play the JRPGs , as sometimes time is spend on netflix and other F2P games such as genshin impact or gatcha mobile
i can only wait for digital sales for JRPG that i love ., just recently bought DQXIS at 50% off @ AU Eshop if it the game is published by Nintendo the max discount will be 30 to 33%
now waiting for Switch version of DQ Builders 2 with season pass to drop to a good price ( Its 33% max off normal game )
And the most important thing is finding time to play the JRPGs , as sometimes time is spend on netflix and other F2P games such as genshin impact or gatcha mobile
The Pleasure
Member
YAMATE NO KAWAII DESU DESU BOOBIES. A true modern masterpiece.
The Pleasure
Member
Most modern jrpgs be like
TonyK
Member
I played a lot of JRPGs but at some point they started to bore me. My main complaint are dialogues. They abuse of them, with ton of silly dialogues that are pointless to me. The worse recent offender has been Persona 5 Royal. At some point I started to skip absolutely all dialogs, and you know, I played all game without problem. All those dialogs have almost zero impact in the gameplay.
Actually I think JRPGs have become visual novels with repetitive combats.
Actually I think JRPGs have become visual novels with repetitive combats.
buenoblue
Member
Yeah I'm the same. Back in the day when I had all the time in the world I loved jrpgs. They always looked great to because the gameplay didn't have to be real time. I just finished FF7 remake on ps5 and it was a slog. Every elevator or door had to be powered on which took like 2 hours Everytime I'm like come on man just get on with it.
Hugare
Member
Yeah, try older
Modern JRPGs are full of anime girls in bikinis fighting wars. I just can't.
JRPGs in general were never beautifully written, but at least they had a better tone back then, imo
And its ok to not have played many. They usually take 30h+ to finish, much more than any other genre.
The ones I enjoyed recently were FF XV and FF VII R.
Modern JRPGs are full of anime girls in bikinis fighting wars. I just can't.
JRPGs in general were never beautifully written, but at least they had a better tone back then, imo
And its ok to not have played many. They usually take 30h+ to finish, much more than any other genre.
The ones I enjoyed recently were FF XV and FF VII R.
Kev Kev
Member
We need a western dev to extract everything good from jrpgs and make them better.
Get rid of the shitty VAs, the cringe script, the weird outfits, the moans and groans and uh’s and ah’s and all that crap, the garbage linear world, address the lack of actual hidden stuff and fun shit to do in the world, bring the battle back to a slower strategy feel possibly even turn based, get rid of the awful techno music and j pop, and bring back the sense of adventure that Japanese devs seem to have forgotten how to do.
Just take the Japanese factor out of it bc I don’t know what’s in the water over there, but they all seem to be having the same issues making good rpgs. From DQ to FF, all of them need to be re-fuckin thought up bc where jrpgs are now is just sad and pathetic.
Get rid of the shitty VAs, the cringe script, the weird outfits, the moans and groans and uh’s and ah’s and all that crap, the garbage linear world, address the lack of actual hidden stuff and fun shit to do in the world, bring the battle back to a slower strategy feel possibly even turn based, get rid of the awful techno music and j pop, and bring back the sense of adventure that Japanese devs seem to have forgotten how to do.
Just take the Japanese factor out of it bc I don’t know what’s in the water over there, but they all seem to be having the same issues making good rpgs. From DQ to FF, all of them need to be re-fuckin thought up bc where jrpgs are now is just sad and pathetic.
Dr.Morris79
Gold Member
I think you'll find Japanese 'teens' are probably more 'well to do'
Most western teens are like you describe. After working with quite a few all I can say is, oh shit. Hell, i've worked with 22 and up UK girls and lads, they just about function, total brain trusts most of them.
captainnapalm
Member
There are some very good ones, from really charming stuff like Paper Mario all the way to Final Fantasy and Yakuza. When done well, there is a classic, archetypal sense of storytelling in Japanese games that I really like, especially these days when so many Western devs are trying to subvert and deconstruct everything. And of course, being Japanese, they tend to have very solid gameplay as well.
lastmessiah
Member
What bothers me about jRPGs is that they are basically just visual novels with a turn based combat system. Everyone has the exact same experience when they play, and there isn’t much variation on what you can equip your party with, experience ladders, etc. It’s a very old model of gaming and I’m surprised it hasn’t evolved much over the years.
hououinkyouma00
Member
I used to play a lot more JRPGs then I do now. I do feel like they have generally gotten worse over the years with a few exceptions like Persona and Nier. I've become very picky as to what JRPGs I will play at this point which sucks because I love Japanese games a lot, and JRPGs used to be my favorite genre entirely.
That being said. I find WRPGs absolutely dreadful besides maybe like Mass Effect so RPGs in general for me are sort of in a bad place all together.
That being said. I find WRPGs absolutely dreadful besides maybe like Mass Effect so RPGs in general for me are sort of in a bad place all together.
People seem to love this game but I couldn't stand it. Every character was annoying (tits and cute cat girls can only go so far), and the combat was boring.
Play it.
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DonkeyPunchJr
World’s Biggest Weeb
The golden age was SNES-PSX. After that we got overloaded with fully voiced cutscenes, ugly & badly-animated 3D interpretations of anime characters, and same-y anime tropes out the ass.
But the worst part is the WRITING. Characters just yap on and on endlessly, repeating themselves and stating obvious things. It’s like the writers get paid by the word. And almost all of them do that thing where they pause after every line of dialog so that it syncs up with the dialog box. So it never sounds like a real, naturally flowing conversation.
SO MUCH of the dialog is intended to do one of two things. 1. reinforce whatever trope the character got pigeon holed into, and 2. Explicitly state and re-state stuff that didn’t need to be made explicit because they think the player is too stupid to figure it out for themselves (lots of characters yapping on at length about their inner emotions and thought processes)
Funny OP mentioned Star Ocean 4. That was the game that broke me and turned me into the anime-hating jaded gamer I am today. Without exaggeration the worst writing, story, and characters I have ever experienced in a story-driven video game.
I will say I am thoroughly enjoying Final Fantasy XIV however. It feels like a classic SNES-era Final Fantasy rebuilt with modern production values and written by grown-ups. Highly recommended if you are looking for something that isn’t full-retard anime.
But the worst part is the WRITING. Characters just yap on and on endlessly, repeating themselves and stating obvious things. It’s like the writers get paid by the word. And almost all of them do that thing where they pause after every line of dialog so that it syncs up with the dialog box. So it never sounds like a real, naturally flowing conversation.
SO MUCH of the dialog is intended to do one of two things. 1. reinforce whatever trope the character got pigeon holed into, and 2. Explicitly state and re-state stuff that didn’t need to be made explicit because they think the player is too stupid to figure it out for themselves (lots of characters yapping on at length about their inner emotions and thought processes)
Funny OP mentioned Star Ocean 4. That was the game that broke me and turned me into the anime-hating jaded gamer I am today. Without exaggeration the worst writing, story, and characters I have ever experienced in a story-driven video game.
I will say I am thoroughly enjoying Final Fantasy XIV however. It feels like a classic SNES-era Final Fantasy rebuilt with modern production values and written by grown-ups. Highly recommended if you are looking for something that isn’t full-retard anime.
Davevil
Member
DonkeyPunchJr
World’s Biggest Weeb
LOL I can’t believe someone would suggest Xenoblade 2 in this thread. That has to be one of the most bloated, cringe, tropey, fan service-filled JRPG turds I’ve ever played.
cireza
Banned
This. Legendary series.
I have tried over and over again to like them, SMT, Persona, FF, Star ocean, Last remnant, DQ, Nino kuni, lost odyssey, chrono trigger, paper mario, bravely default and on and on. I never finished any of them and finally had to come to the conclusion I don't like them, its the only genre I cant get on board with, the time wasting, padding, cardboard cut-out anime characters and generic anime plots cannot sustain their length. For the first time in about a decade of trying to complete a jrpg I finished xenoblade and I regret the time spent, it wasn't worth it.
So from someone who hates them but who has played more of them than some jrpg fans id say forget it, you aren't missing anything. It's for people who have stressful jobs, depression or who generally need to kill time in a non offensive manner. SRPGs are the better genre and its a shame they aren't more popular.
So from someone who hates them but who has played more of them than some jrpg fans id say forget it, you aren't missing anything. It's for people who have stressful jobs, depression or who generally need to kill time in a non offensive manner. SRPGs are the better genre and its a shame they aren't more popular.
Max Payne’s Baretta
Banned
The pacing , convoluted plots , awful management systems and overly layered crew builds completely put me off from these games.
TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Used to be like you OP, thought Chrono Trigger was the peak of the genre and that everything else had boring and grindy gameplay. Thankfully I was wrong.
You should try the SMT games, those put their emphasis on the gameplay and don't waste your time with tons of filler dialog or shitty fanservice. (Well you have sexy demons yeah, but that's it) Most of your playtime will be exploring, fighting and messing with the fusion system, which is pretty fun.
You can also have a go at the Persona games, far more fan service in those but still great to play.
Other recommendations of JRPGs with great gameplay are:
Final Fantasy V, wich IMO has the best gameplay in the series.
Octopath Traveler, which has a very cool combat system.
Valkyrie Profile, try this if you want a JRPG that takes itself very seriously and tries (and succeeds) in telling a sad story. Also very original and fun combat system.
Mugen no Frontier games, same as above but change the sad story for big titties. Still fun thanks to the combat and overall silliness.
There's also the Dragon Quest games, very simple gameplay but they're charming as fuck. Give Dragon Quest V a go and you'll fall in love with the genre.
You should try the SMT games, those put their emphasis on the gameplay and don't waste your time with tons of filler dialog or shitty fanservice. (Well you have sexy demons yeah, but that's it) Most of your playtime will be exploring, fighting and messing with the fusion system, which is pretty fun.
You can also have a go at the Persona games, far more fan service in those but still great to play.
Other recommendations of JRPGs with great gameplay are:
Final Fantasy V, wich IMO has the best gameplay in the series.
Octopath Traveler, which has a very cool combat system.
Valkyrie Profile, try this if you want a JRPG that takes itself very seriously and tries (and succeeds) in telling a sad story. Also very original and fun combat system.
Mugen no Frontier games, same as above but change the sad story for big titties. Still fun thanks to the combat and overall silliness.
There's also the Dragon Quest games, very simple gameplay but they're charming as fuck. Give Dragon Quest V a go and you'll fall in love with the genre.
Try FF V or an SMT game, those have actual gameplay.
Fuck you, now I have to reinstall this again. ;_;
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Yeah, very time consuming and at least for me, even more addicting than most games.
FF V's one of my favs too. Very simple story with no bullshit, fun and fast combat and the addicting job system.
Aphantallica
Neo Member
The game that broke my JRPG dam was Persona 5. The art style, music, gameplay, voice acting, and story are all top notch.
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cireza
Banned
In this entire list, you should have made it to the end of both Lost Odyssey and Chrono Trigger. All of the others are super boring and/or way too long, but these two are very well balanced and always interesting.
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I loved JRPGs growing up and have mixed feelings about them these days. There's a lot of trash in the genre anymore. Over the last few years I've played Persona 3, Final Fantasy IX, FFVII Remake, Xenoblade Chronicles and Tales of Vesperia.
I hadn't played FFIX since it launched, but that game holds up even today. FFVII Remake was my personal 2021 game of the year.
There was a lot I liked in Persona 3 in terms of stories and characters, but I found the social links kind of killed pacing. I wasn't as interested in that component of the game. I ended up dropping the game at the final boss because I couldn't beat it.
Tales of Vesperia was good, but not great and 10 to 15 hours too long. There's a lot of good in there mixed with some cringe.
Xenoblade was a game that I also had mixed feelings about. The 13 year old version of me would have adored it. But the 37 year old version of me who played if felt frustrated because I had limited time and whenever I'd sit down to play the game I'd make little progress because the areas where so huge.
It's a weird genre. I still like a lot of what it offers, but as others have said it peaked in the PS1 era. Once voice acting became prominent and graphics got better alot of the magic of JRPGs was gone. There are still good ones out there but it's harder to find.
I hadn't played FFIX since it launched, but that game holds up even today. FFVII Remake was my personal 2021 game of the year.
There was a lot I liked in Persona 3 in terms of stories and characters, but I found the social links kind of killed pacing. I wasn't as interested in that component of the game. I ended up dropping the game at the final boss because I couldn't beat it.
Tales of Vesperia was good, but not great and 10 to 15 hours too long. There's a lot of good in there mixed with some cringe.
Xenoblade was a game that I also had mixed feelings about. The 13 year old version of me would have adored it. But the 37 year old version of me who played if felt frustrated because I had limited time and whenever I'd sit down to play the game I'd make little progress because the areas where so huge.
It's a weird genre. I still like a lot of what it offers, but as others have said it peaked in the PS1 era. Once voice acting became prominent and graphics got better alot of the magic of JRPGs was gone. There are still good ones out there but it's harder to find.