I still enjoy playing JRPG’s. I’ve finished a few this generation. However, I’d be lying if I said all is find and dandy with the current state of Japanese RPG’s. Generation after generation, genre’s have changed or evolved with the times. Japanese RPG’s have not. There are very common archetypes and formulas that they use over and over and over and over. It’s tired to say the least. Sales of JRPG’s have waned; not just in the western markets but in Japan as well. So the problem isn’t just with western audiences, it’s with their own demographics. It’s time for Japanese Developers to re-evaluate the RPG genre and give it a much needed overhaul.

What needs to be done away with are the storied based on Joseph Campbell’s Hero with 1000 faces. No more stories about the spunky 14 year old boy. I’m also tired of the bad ass loner that doesn’t talk. I’ve never liked the emotionally fragile kid that always whining and is always unsure of himself.

If I were to make a recommendation, I’d suggest that developers examine Sega’s Panzer Dragoon Saga and go from there.

Oh! And Please! No more Full Motion Video!

I mean a couple of things when I say “grow up”. So first, yes, more mature. The stories don’t have to be dark and gritty like WRPG’s but something that isn’t so ham fisted and campy all the time… All in all just treat the gamer as an adult for once. I can’t tell you how important character design is for me personally, I am not some pimply faced anime nerd that wishes to be Japanese or cares to play a 19 Japanese male that looks like he would get his period soon. Character design needs to improve by giving the gamer options, I am not asking for a character creator like oblivion or the fallout series but for example Phantasy Star online, I know it is not a traditional JRPG but the character creator is simple and effective and I made a character in the JRPG art style that I enjoyed looking at and playing as, after all these are Role-Playing games right. There are more tweaks I would ask for but I won’t go on. Those would be the biggest adjustments I think would work for 30 year old + gamers such as myself.

@Jack mamma: If by “grow up” you want them to be more like Western RPGs – no thank you. That would be completely losing their identity. If by “grow up” you mean in subject matter or have more mature stories – I agree, I wouldn’t mind seeing some of that myself.

You bring up some very good points. I am an old school gamer and was brought up on a steady diet of JRPG’s during the 16 bit age such as Phantasy Stars and your Final Fantasy’s. I loved them and still have fond memories of them. However i have grown up, i am now thirty years old and the industry has grown up as well but JRPG’s have not. I have tried to play a lot of JRPG’s because i do have fond memories of them but i look at them now the same way i look children’s toys of today. If i was a kid again i would love them but i am not. I have no desire to play as the same pretty boy characters that are 12 years old that look like they were created for a children s book or the spunky spikey haired 20 year old characters that have no depth or shallow personalities. The industry is not 6 years old anymore and you can’t expect 25 year old+ gamers to appreciate the JRPG genre and that is coming from someone that will still list phantasy star 2 as one of the greatest RPG’s of all time. I agree on your points of accepting a JRPG for what it is because your right, expecting a JRPG to be WRPG is the wrong way to look at it. However JRPG’s do need to grow up if they hope to find their way back into gamers like mines hearts and i hope they do

Chad, you always know how to catch my interest with these articles. Great read.

Nice article, brings up lots interesting points.

Great read, Chad. I’ve been a fan of JRPGs since day one; and in growing up with the genre, I have adapted to what to and not to expect in the majority of their games. Good points about the stories and character design. Japanese developers base their stories and character designs according to what their culture is more comfortable with and what they know. I think that having a character with mediocre to good fashion sense isn’t always the worst of things

Overall, dude, nice read.