Role-playing games are a very broad genre, including a whole bunch of offshoots. But jRPG games, where the j in the name stands for Japanese, stand apart. Just like their Western counterparts, they have fun plots, and just like slots, they offer users remarkable soundtracks and gameplay. This year, fans are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the subgenre, which began with the legendary Dragon Slayer in 1984. Here are the best games in the genre of jRPG.
Features of the jRPG Genre
It is impossible to determine exactly where the boundary is between classic Western RPGs and Japanese role-playing games.
Plot and Narrative
It’s impossible to imagine the jRPG genre without deep emotional stories, even if it’s a simple exploration of randomly generated dungeons. The adventures are usually epic, full of personal dramas and various philosophical speculations. Characters in jRPGs necessarily develop. Players watch them grow, overcoming their own prejudices and internal conflicts. Even the most insignificant minor character can have a history and a storyline worthy of a Hollywood movie adaptation.
Characters
Characters in jRPGs are archetypal and rarely unconventional. The good and righteous Paladin warrior, the conniving brigand, the go-anywhere yakuza, or the humble granny. All of them can be found in many games of the genre. Chemistry happens when characters of different archetypes come together to solve some problem or defeat enemies.
Combat System
A subject of heated debate among fans of the genre. On the one hand, the classic feature of jRPG is considered to be turn-based tactical combat, where groups of characters attack each other one by one. On the other hand, real-time combat has ceased to be a rarity in Japanese RPGs over the last 10-15 years. So don’t get hung up on the combat, trying to figure out if it’s a jRPG or not.
World and Exploration
Fantastic worlds in jRPGs can give a head start to the creations of Professor Tolkien or George Martin. Fictional universes are thought out in detail; the history of each state and dynasty is described almost from the moment of their creation. And players can explore all this in free mode.
The world is described in a lot of different ways: through in-game books, visuals, main and additional quests, and even random dialogs with minor characters.
Graphics and Style
And this point for a jRPG is more important than the type of combat system. Most Japanese RPGs are created in an anime style. This is evident in character design, animations, dialog, and general visual aesthetics. Often, the worlds in jRPGs are colorful and detailed, creating the atmosphere of a magical fairy tale and adventure.
Social Elements
In many jRPGs, such as the Persona series, the development of relationships between characters is an important part of gameplay. The love or hate of a certain NPC can open and close access to new story branches, ability choices, and more. Also, the player often has to make choices that affect not only the ending of the game but also the whole plot.
Character Development and the Pumping System
Character progression in jRPGs can be different from simplistic with three to five characteristics to super complex, more like a remote control of a nuclear power plant. For the genre, it’s important only that the pumping exists. Because at some point, trying to go further in the story, you will get a soft-block in the form of strong opponents. And to defeat them, you need to go back, close all side quests, and pump up to the maximum.
Persona 5
A high school student finds himself in the huge city of Tokyo. Having entered the local school, he led an ordinary teenage life, until one day a stranger appeared to him in a dream. Some entity endowed the guy with superpowers, and he must now become a Phantom Snatcher, the deliverer of ordinary people from their own vices. But he will do it at night because during the day, he needs to continue to live normally. The game is distinguished by elaborate social connections between characters, intricate pumping, and stunning visuals with anime-style inserts. We’re talking about the fifth part because it won the most gamers’ affection and became the first game in the series to receive full English dubbing.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Ichiban Kasuga, or simply Ichi, is a young, punchy, and mentally ill yakuza. According to the traditions of the Japanese mafia, he had to take on the crime of a higher-ranking gangster and spent 18 years in prison. On his way out, he caught a bullet from a former leader of his clan and a close friend and almost died. Now he has to rise from the dirt to the princes to find out why he deserves such an attitude towards himself, and take revenge on all the villains. He will be helped by a stinky bum named Yu Nanba, an alcoholic cop who has lost his job, and a charming barmaid named Saeko. This is far from the first game in the Yakuza series. However, its sequel, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, already got rid of the “Yakuza” prefix, starting a new sub-series with the protagonist-robber Ichiban.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Alrest is a world whose oceans are covered by a vast sea of clouds. Above this sea roam the giant Titans, upon which the entire population lives. However, the Titans have begun to die, submerging underwater, and the people fear for their future. Legend has it that at the top of the Tree of Life, standing in the center of the ocean, is the gateway to Elysium, a paradise place with enough room for everyone. But no one has ever made it to that tree.
Rex makes a living by picking up various finds and useful things from the bottom of the cloudy sea. One day he meets Pyra, who claims that Elysium is her home and she needs to return there. Rex decides to help her on this dangerous journey.
