JUICY GAME REVIEWS
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio

video game reviews

ANything from Xbox 360, Playstation 3, playstation 5, xbox series x and Nintendo Switch

Have we witnessed the decline of the JRPG?

8/5/2015

4 Comments

 
Guest blog by Luis Gonzalez
When gamers heard the words Final Fantasy in the late 90s/early 2000's, most associated it with large scale, grand and epic video games. Games that immersed the player in a large world and a story full of intrigue, adventure and wonder. They contained characters we loved and some we hated. Areas and scenes we'll never forget, battles that had us at the edges of our seats and music to wrap it all into one almost perfect package. And it wasn't just Final Fantasy that allowed us to feel this way. There were dozens of games being developed at that time who, while not reaching the levels of success as Squaresoft did with Final Fantasy, still managed to keep things fresh in a genre many people hold dear to their gaming hearts: the Japanese Role Playing Game.
JRPG juicy agme reviews
Final Fantasy VI
But what happened since then? How do most gamers react when they hear the same two words (Final Fantasy) nowadays? Most think of it as a joke, a relic of the past. However Final Fantasy games are still being released. FFXV is due out relatively soon and the hype isn't really there. Not like how it used to be. Not to mention Final Fantasy XIII was released to very mixed reviews. It was criticized for being extremely linear (a complaint not normally associated with FF games of the past) and its sequels saw relatively low sales. Especially Lightning Returns. Would it be fair to compare the old games to the new? I think so.

Squaresoft, after the merger with Enix, began to pump out less and less traditional, turn based RPGs. With the exception of Bravely Default on the 3DS, you just don't see the type of games that made the company soar to the top in the late 90s/early 2000's. It's difficult to pinpoint why exactly this is. Was it because many of the  original development teams and big names left the company (Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu and to a lesser extent Yoshinori Kitase having a less hands on position)? Was it the shift in focus in the company? Publishing more than developing? Square-Enix's focus on mobile games is apparent and it may very well be a leading cause. 

When it comes to the heavy hitters that are due to come out (FFXV, Kingdom Hearts 3), both games are or were originally brainchilds of Tetsuya Nomura, a character designer who climbed the ranks in the company after his influential designs in FFVII, Kingdom Hearts, Parasite Eve, The World Ends With You, etc. The problem with Nomura nowadays is that many gamers are now growing tired of his, plainly speaking, overused designs. You'd be hard pressed to differentiate the designs of Cloud Strife (FFVII) and Prompto (FFXV). Sure the same can be said about an artist like Akira Toriyama (of Dragon Ball, Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest fame), but there is a certain undeniable charm to his designs and it's not normally a complaint made by many gamers due to the differences in personalities in his characters. 

I want to talk about other series now besides Final Fantasy that have unfortunately been neglected or declined in quality over the years:
JRPGs juicy game reviewsSuikoden 2
Suikoden - Here's a series introduced just before the FFVII hype that was so amazing in terms of story telling and combat. 108 characters to recruit of which 6 can fight at once in a fast paced and turn based combat system. Suikoden was a bit of a niche title at the time, but later grew in popularity with the release of its sequel, Suikoden 2 in 1998. But by the time the series jumped to the Playstation 2, I felt it started to stray from what made it popular among fans. The fantastic lore was still there, but the gameplay shifted to a paired battle system. The story was told through the viewpoints of three different characters and the overall artistic direction changed. I personally wasn't a fan of the game and resorted to just reading about the events that took place. Suikoden 4 went deeper in the change with a four character to a battle system and the setting taking place primarily surrounded and in water. The game was met with relatively less than average reviews. Finally, the Suikoden team sought to reverse the changes made with the third and fourth installments and brought back a six player battle system and a single silent protagonist. And while it was an overall good game, the awful loading times and very short print run could not lift the series back to the height of popularity the original two set. The Suikoden series (sans a tactics game and a spinoff on the DS) has since been abandoned. Fans still yearn for a proper sixth entry.

JRPG games juicy game reviews breath of fire IIIBreath of Fire III
Breath of Fire - A very popular series in the late 90s in Japan and the West alike, BoF was adored for its tale of a hero (normally named Ryu) who can shapeshift into a dragon and Nina, a winged heroine who always helped Ryu in his quest. The first four games held true to the original formula of turn based combat, 2D visuals and mini games like fishing. When Dragon Quarter came out for the PS2, so many things were cut. No longer was the game turn based, no more 2D graphics and fishing was absent. It made a drastic change and the series never recovered. Recently, news of a sixth BoF game began to surface, but much to the dismay of the original fans, it was announced the game was to be web-based, online and optimized for tablets and mobile phones. 

I can go on and on with series that have been abandoned or changed completely to cater a different audience and it's sad really as I think if developers went back to what made these games succeed, they would find an entirely new fanbase. However, it's worth mentioning that there are still some games keeping the old school feel alive. The Tales of series is still going strong. Never truly straying from its original style of telling stories through skits, exciting action combat and strong anime visual influence. Persona is a series currently at its height of popularity with each iteration receiving incredibly positive reviews and selling astronomically. Finally Dragon Quest is the prime example of a series that never attempted to stray from its roots. Even while making its tenth game a massively multiplayer online RPG, it is still very much at its core a Dragon Quest game. No matter what console it comes out on, fans of the series can expect a very long, turn based adventure akin to its original release on the NES in 1986.

Have we witnessed the decline of the JRPG? Yes. Can it resurge? Most definitely. All it takes is a massive outcry from fans (something to the lengths the guys and girls over at Operation Rainfall accomplished a few years back). People are quick to complain, but don't do much about it. Starting petitions may seem absurd and futile, but to get the word out is power in this day and age. Writing an article displaying passion goes a long way. 

What do you think on the topic? Do you think the genre has declined? Has it died? Can it ever be revived?"


Thanks to Luis for his awesome insight in to the JRPG world. You can follow him here: Twitter & Instagram
JRPG secret of mana juicy game reviewsSecret of Mana
Mana Series (photo of Secret of Mana) - There's no denying the impact the original Secret of Mana (and to a lesser extent Seiken Densetsu or Final Fantasy Adventure for the Gameboy) had on the success of JRPGs for the Super Nintendo. Fun multiplayer combat, fantastic music and incredibly vibrant and colorful sprites and graphics. The same can be said for its sequel, Secret of Mana 2 (sadly never released in the west) which in my opinion does everything better than the original. Sword of Mana for the Gameboy Advance was a remake of the original and was very fun to play, though it wasn't perfect. After these though, the series started its decline. Average at best games for the DS and Playstation2 that didn't push the series forward at all. Some of these games did have ambition, but yet again its departure from what made the series succeed ultimately led to its failure. Its recent games were released for, you guessed it, mobile platforms.

Thegebs24 Youtube channel
Check out these rad gaming stores. Suiting all your retro needs.
4 Comments
Ronnie Boy
8/5/2015 16:02:45

Really good article here. I agree, we have seen a decline for sure, but it can still bounce back. As you mentioned Persona, Dragon Quest, The Tales series, Final Fantasy Type 0 and not to mention all the mobile JRPGs from Kemco, even the old school classics from Old Square, all of these are starting to pick up. Also, dont' forget about emulation. I know people will be playing the "old" games here, but if it can bring new people interested in the genre and if the outcry is big enough, that might be another thing that will helps things get going agian. Things may never be the same as they once were, with the market and gaming scence changing so much, but there will always be that niche that will want and crave these types of games.

Reply
Luis link
8/5/2015 17:07:19

Well said Ron. The genre will never truly disappear and as long as that core group of fans sticks around, there's always a chance for a major revival.

Reply
Juicy Game Reviews
9/5/2015 07:05:30

Great article Luis.
I really enjoyed ToX and I agree with you that the Tales series is still going strong. Final Fantasy lost its way for me. I was deeply disappointed when I played FF13 for the first time. Rigid mechanics on the control systems put me off. Maybe that's just me though?

Reply
welly
20/1/2018 19:59:35

You forgot about legend of mana for PSX in the Mana series writeup. That game was amazing

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Video Game Reviews for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

    Join the Community:

    Thegebs24 youtube
    Click me

    Latest YouTube Videos:

    Video Game Shops:

    entertainment station logo
    Retro Games across TWO Stores
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Kenny's buy sell trade
    Kenny's - Buy, sell, trade
    doorway to dorkness
    Doorway to Dorkness
    Super Game Shack
    Super Game Shack
    Vintage Gamer
    Vintage Gamer
    Picture
    Check out Warner's Retro Corner
    Picture
    Game Smart Yardley
    Tweets by @JuicyGameReview
    RE3 Remake review
    RE3 Remake review
    days gone review
    Days Gone Review
    198X The Game Review
    198X The Game Review
    world war z review
    World war Z review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Sega Mega Drive classics review
    Sega Mega Drive Classics Review
    Super Mario Odyssey
    Super Mario Odyssey Review
    Resident evil VII review
    Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - 3 reasons we love it
    Dark Souls 3  - 3 Tips to early success
    Dark Souls III - 3 Tips to early success

    Categories

    All
    3DS
    Alan Wake 2
    Alien Isolation
    Amiibo
    Assassin's Creed
    Batman Arkham Knight
    Bloodborne
    CoD
    Destiny
    Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls
    Doom
    E3
    Eurogamer
    Fallout 4
    Far Cry 4
    Far Cry Primal
    GTA V
    JRPG
    Just Cause 3
    Majora's Mask
    Mario Kart 8
    Metal Gear Solid V
    Microsoft
    Minecraft
    Next Gen Consoles
    Nintendo
    Nintendo Switch
    PC
    PS3
    PS4
    PS4 Slim
    PS4 VR
    PS5
    Resident Evil
    Silent Hills P.T Demo
    Tales Of Xillia
    The Division
    The Evil Within
    The Last Of Us
    Turtle Beach
    Uncharted 4
    Until Dawn
    Wii U
    Wolfenstein
    Xbox 360
    Xbox One
    Xbox One S

    RSS Feed

Juicy Game Reviews

About
TheGebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24

Get Involved

Affiliates
Retro Gaming
Juicy Game Reviews 2023 ©
Privacy Policy
Social Media Icons License Creative Commons 3.0
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio