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JRPGs have existed for a very long time and still have a distinct feel to them. What makes it a JRPG though? Are they that much different from their western counterparts? Is it even possible to properly define a JRPG today? We’ll give it a shot!
There is no perfect definition that can tick all the boxes unfortunately, and the more “precise” you try to be, the more you’ll realize the futility of it. Something like “A game primarily created in Japan or highly influenced by games made there, with (mostly) turn-based combat, numerical stats, and high focus on a (again mostly) linear narrative from pre-made characters within the world” could vaguely work, but there’s a lot of titles which that doesn’t cover.
So, what makes a JRPG a JRPG?
It’s a common meme that JRPGs usually start the characters up in a setting where they are either very weak or have fallen from grace, only to end up fighting literal gods. It’s common, since it’s a quite popular trope in the genre.
JRPGs tend to focus on telling a story, rather than letting players act out a role, like in western RPGs. As the game progresses and the characters become more intertwined with the main story, the stakes continue to rise and what is the highest possible stake if not the existence of the world or even the universe itself? A group of friends and/or unlikely allies fighting against fate is quite prevalent as far as themes go.
As mentioned above, the player controlled characters are usually already part of the world. JRPGs often put players into the shoes of an already existing being that has a backstory and place in the world.
We’re helping them unravel the story rather than write it ourselves. Players still make choices which can affect the story but they mostly lead to the same place. This mimics the backstory you’d have in a TTRPG, as your character is “real” within the story and not just a blank slate with no stake within it.
Whether an unlikely hero or a chosen one, the main character always starts up from the bottom. Even if they hold some higher position, they aren’t able to use their influence in any meaningful way until they’ve proven themselves through their journey to become heroes.
This doesn’t just mean grinding high levels of course but rather following the main story and gradually helping out against the crysis. Since without a threat to the world, you don’t need a hero to save it.
There’s no stakes like high stakes! And what could be more important than saving the very world that the hero(es) inhabit? Luckily, there’s a lot of time before the end actually happens. The closer the player sticks to the main quest, ironically, the more imminent it becomes.
So while saving the world IS an important task, surely there’s time to grind all those super rare items and summons, right?
Unsurprisingly, the core RPG mechanics that exist in the western RPGs are present here as well. Levelling up, equipment, etc are a big part of JRPGs mechanics. Combat, exploration, quests it’s all present here as well. It’s the same but a little bit different. So let's go through some of the gameplayer mechanics in JRPGs!
JRPGs are mostly thought of as turn-based combat games and for a good reason.
There were very few titles that attempted a more real-time combat, mostly focusing on polishing the already established system. Turn-based combat can be super fun, but grinding levels vs generic enemies has a tendency to become really tedious.
Real-time action with combat menus or action shortcuts can add an interesting twist to the gameplay in such scenarios. It does take away the more tactical aspect of the game though, so it’s a good practice that some franchises mix things up a bit.
Classic JRPGs love having a party of characters going on adventures. It allows developers to add interesting dialogue and storylines for the players to enjoy, while at the same time giving them options to customise the party to fit their playstyle.
Having companions that take part in the journey along with the main character is a great way to introduce different viewpoints and further immerse players in worldbuilding. Plus it adds that emotional attachment in case something unfortunate happens to any of the party members.
Some games allow players to choose the class or abilities of the characters. While others focus on pre-designed roosters that players can choose from for better synergy or simply because they like the characters more.
There are interesting ways of how JRPG add extra options, like unlocking skills via items/equipment or becoming more proficient as you use certain weapons/abilities, merging classes/jobs into another one etc.
Since JRPGs existed for a very long time, there were many ways they’ve handled levelling up. Some went with the classic increase in base stats and learning new skills, improving proficiency as long as the characters used certain types of weapons/skill, “mastering” classes/jobs and then switching them to another one to unlock abilities of these classes.
There are plenty of different designs and each can offer an interesting take on the classic levelling up system. So long as it doesn’t require literal hours of grinding to unlock them that is…
It would be no exaggeration to say that the art style in JRPGs is VERY connected to manga and anime. Character designs are very distinct and often immediately recognizable even if you’re not a connoisseur of either JRPGs, manga or anime. You can take a single look at a game and you’ll immediately know where it’s a JRPG or was influenced by it.
Manga and anime have a really big following in Japan (and today, the world!). Before the existence of JRPGs, they were already a huge part of the mainstream culture, so naturally the artists that created art for the games were either influenced by or actual mangakas (manga artists). And as they saw more and more success, the style became an indistinguishable part of the genre. While it’s not a “100% definitely a requirement”, the art style is usually a very prevalent part of a JRPG.
Music in JRPGs is often remembered as fondly as the game itself. Some franchises have actual live performances of their OSTs (original sound tracks) and multitude of remakes, remasters etc.
Music is a massive part of the JRPG experience, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that a lot of memorable scenes are defined by the music accompanying them. The greatest JRPGs are remembered not only by their stories and gameplay but also for the music.
Dragon Quest was perhaps the strongest influence on the original JRPG style. Its success basically created the genre.
The first game was admittedly quite basic and was focused on a single character, each new iteration became more akin to the recognisable party style gameplay. While it drew inspiration from the CRPGs and TTRPGs in the west, due to the limitations of the consoles back then, developers had to simplify the mechanics to make it more accessible to the wider public.
Along with the help from the manga industry for the marketing, Dragon Quest became the definition of a JRPG and still releases new titles today.
Final Fantasy is perhaps the most recognisable JRPG franchise of all time. Final Fantasy, similarly to Dragon Quest, drew inspiration from the RPG scene in the west. The first title even allowed the players to pick different classes for their initial characters, which showed up a few more times in later titles.
With the growth of consoles in the west, Final Fantasy became quite popular due to its interesting stories and simple but challenging gameplay. Today they remain very popular, with the newest releases shifting more towards action RPG rather than its original JRPG style.
Popular JRPG series that started off as a spin-off Megami Tensei franchise. The overall premise focused on high school students (plus a few other colourful characters) dealing with supernatural entities like demons by using “Personas” , a physical manifestation of a character's psyche. The series focuses a lot on the concepts of finding true self through the extensive use of religious symbolisms, mythology, tarot cards etc.
Starting with the third instalment, the game introduced “social link”, which allowed players to strengthen their personas by the way of building their connection to characters they encountered during free roam. The franchise is very successful around the world, even creating anime and manga adaptations.
Art style, narrative style, and overall presentation are the most distinct differences. But they blur more and more as the games get more complex.
The earliest versions of Pokemon are definitely JRPGs. Instead of having a regular party though, you catch pokemon instead.
Zelda is more of an action adventure rather than an RPG. It’s more focused on exploration and skill based combat.
Majority of Final Fantasy games are JRPGs. The most recent releases focused more on action RPG style gameplay, with a mix of JRPG and ARPG.
No, definitely not. It could be a genre on its own at this point. It does contain a lot of action and some degree of RPG mechanics, so closer to an ARPG but still not definitive description.
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