WRPGS or JRPGS?

[Illusion]

What types of rpgs do you like best, Japanese or Western? I'll confess rpgs are not my favorite genre of games (in the sense that I play action/advanture games more often), but from the few that I've played it looks to me like Japanese games tend to tell a more involving story in terms of character relations, interactions, and development. Western games seem to be a little light on those points; for example, games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age where pretty good games (in my opinion, obviously), but a typical FF game has characters that are much deeper and better developed than any character found in those games. Did that make any sense?

It will always be a question of taste and style, but do you like your games to be more about the story and characters, or about exploration and advanture (as I felt games like Oblivion and Fall Out focus on)?

[ZantetsukeN]

I prefer JRPGs. I'm not a massive fan of Western RPGs, although I do like Dragon Age and Fallout. I think JRPGs have better character development throughout the story, and better stories at that. Like with the WRPGs I've played the story is slow and fairly standard, while JRPGs are wonderfully over-the-top (that's a good thing).

Although WRPGs are all about actually putting you in the role (hence the term 'Role-playing game'), which gives you full customisation options, whereas you don't usually get that in JRPGs.

Overall, JRPGs for the win. All of my favourite games are JRPGs, so it's got be to really

[Taco-Calamitous]

The last several years, JRPG's really haven't been getting it done for me anymore. The story and the characters just always seem the same to me. Combat system is usually similar, too. And they generally don't allow for much freedom in the way you play through the game, or explore. FF13 was the epitome of linearity, for example.

On the other hand, Bethesda has made some of my favorite games ever. What kind of games do they make? WRPG's. The Elder Scrolls games, Fallout games. I love the game play, story, etc. in these games. I even enjoy the characters. I also loved Dragon Age. So there it is; kind of a "What have you done for me lately?" case with me. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[smurphy]

I have to agree with Telegraph that JRPGs(with the odd exception like the Persona games) have been hugely underwhelming as of late and really have failed to live up to the illustrious standard set in the late PS1/early PS2 era. Whereas games made by the likes of Bioware and Bethesda have really evolved.

But if I look at the JRPG vs WRPG case in general terms I think JRPGs are superior(the fact that I grew up on JRPGs probably helps). The games are classics in the sense that they age brilliantly(FF IV and Chrono Trigger being prime examples) while WRPGs, due to their reliability on the systems they are on, dont have the same timelessness. On my all time favourite games list, it is JRPGs and not WRPGs which dominate.

[Calvan]

To me an RPG is an RPG.
At first I wouldn't play western RPGs.
Then someone got me to try fallout 2.
I was hooked.

Then fallout 3 came out.
I fell in love all over again.

[Unknown Entity]

To me an RPG is an RPG.

This.

I like both. It doesn't really matter who made it; as long as it's a good game I'll enjoy, and I'm in the mood for it, it'll get the job done.

I like WRPGs because a lot of them are sandbox, and allow advanced character customisation, down to facial features, clothes, weapons, story choices, etc... and I don't think there's that many JRPGs that have those capabilities further than character classes. The story is usually pretty shit though, and if you're lucky, the game won't be bugged to hell.

JRPGs have a little more charm, and have a better story in my opinion. Customisation is still there in some cases, but rarely something huge in comparison to WRPGs.

[BlackBlade]

I use to say JRPG but recently there's been some pretty good WRPG's. To be honest its been said but an RPG is an RPG I think its more a title to title thing for me, different genres different strengths. I do have friends who would never play a WRPG since they see it as far inferior to the JRPG just like I know people who would never play RPG's period.

[The_Dream_Recluse]

I never played any Western RPG style games as a child, and i suppose that may explain why i tend to avoid them. I have a special place in my heart for Japanese RPG's, whether they be Final Fantasy or Star Ocean or Ape Escape (not that that really counts as an RPG).

Side note: I think i may be the only person who actually disliked Dragon Age: Origins. I bought the game after hearing good reviews from my friends and i just couldn't get into it. Call me crazy, but a map where you pick and choose a destination and transport there almost instantaneously isn't much of a free-roam choice. On the other hand, for mature gamers i suppose it's alright since you can romance certain characters.

[Alex]

I play both, actually. JRPGS has often a very detailed story and is more
story-driven and more into character development (and awesome gameplay of
course!) WRPGS is more into free roaming and side-quests and not that much into story (the one's I played).
As JRPGS, I play Final Fantasy, and as WRPGS I play the elder scrolls and eventually Skyrim!

[The_Dream_Recluse]

As JRPGS, I play Final Fantasy, and as WRPGS I play the elder scrolls and eventually Skyrim!

Argh how could i forget Oblivion?! Silly me! A Western RPG that i actually enjoy playing! Thanks for reminding me Alex xD

[Xanatos]

I usually play both, though as of late I enjoy playing WRPG's way more. Your actions affect both story, and characters, in some games such as Witcher II even setting, thus greater replay value, better interaction with NPC's, and more freedom in general is what gives WRPG's the edge in my opinion.

JRPG's have better story and more developed characters, second one can be debated though. Unfortunately JRPG's have lost their charm it seems, while WRPG's grow even stronger.

[Alex]

Argh how could i forget Oblivion?! Silly me! A Western RPG that i actually enjoy playing! Thanks for reminding me Alex xD

No problem

[Zardoch]

If you were to base this purely on era's, JRPG's would probably get the 90's + '01-'06 and WRPG's everything after that. Why? It's repeated history that whenever a specific market becomes a cash cow, companies (*cough* Square *cough) decide to relax from making better games. That's what JRPG's have become, albeit people are starting to realize most of them these days offer very little. It's simply the typical rehashed formula being used in fear that if they try something different they'll go bottom-up, which is only true if they really sucks at their jobs. Linear game-play and storyline, mediocrity, and big wasteful budgets are what studios are all about; and it's not just the JRPG's that have come to that but plenty of big WRPG studios have already been doing this crap for the last 5-6 years, though Blizzard had a head-start on them all.

So to answer your question I probably would go with JRPG's just because I loved the games growing up. Now? I don't touch many of them. What's worse is--as I said--WRPG studios are starting this mediocre trend now after Mass Effect and Dragon Age did so well. I loved D.A., hated M.E., and now I'm going to have to wait a couple years at most before these companies realize that such crap only pollutes the market and makes it harder or smaller studios who want to make good games lose profit when they're simply out-advertised by gagillion-dollar giants.

[Michael Swayne]

I find all RPGs to be equally fun and entertaining, regardless of where they come from. The story is what gets me playing and keeps me playing. I don't care where the game comes from. As long as the story is intriguing, I am playing it.

East or West, RPGs are the best.

[Furore]

These days WRPGs. For over a decade I preferred JRPGs for their stories and characters, but recently a good JRPG seems quite rare and some WRPGs have such a large world I can keep playing until the next one arrives with new experiences each play through.