When youre talking about RPGs, they are more or less divided into two sections.
Japanese RPGs and Western RPGs.
But where a game is made does not define its genre.
So if location doesnt define these two genres, then what does?
When taking a harder look into JRPGs and WRPGs, it becomes clear that they are extremely different.
JRPGs and WRPGs really are both distinct genres.
But how exactly do they differ?
What Is an RPG?
To define the distinctions between JRPGs and WRPGs, we must first ask ourselves,what are RPGsin general?
A game where you play as a character.
JRPGs tend to tell the story of a particular character.
The protagonist’s story is already predetermined.
You are just playing it out as you progress through the game.
In WRPGs, on the other hand, you usually have more freedom to create your own story.
Characters are introduced and the relationships between them are thoroughly explored, almost like a novel.
In a video game format, this results in the characters joining your party.
They usually help you out in battle and are an intrinsic part of the story.
This is because there is often no guarantee of how the player’s adventure will actually play out.
Think of Skyrim, for example.
There are hundreds of NPCs in the world of Skyrim.
Each player decides where they want to go and when.
They might not even interact with every NPC.
Creating a storyline that intertwines with yours in combat for every NPC is not practical in a WRPG.
Combat is usually a good way to tell them apart.
JRPGs are often more whimsical and fantasy oriented when it comes to their narrative.
This is reflected in the combat.
JRPGs commonly use a turn-based battle system.
Think of Pokemon battles, for example.
WRPGs usually utilize a real-time combat system.
This heightens the sense of realism in your adventure as the combat unfolds right before your eyes.
You have much less time to decide how you want the battle to play out.
JRPGs often have an anime art style.
WRPGs are usually more gritty and realistic in terms of their art style.
They have a tendency to be darker and more life-like.
You are the character in a WRPG.
The realism helps you immerse yourself deeper into the experience and become one with your alter-ego.
They had similarities, but they were distinctly different, meaning they couldnt fall under the same category.
So instead, they were distinguished by region.
Region is no longer a distinguishing feature of JRPGs and WRPGs.
They really deserve to be recognized as what they are, two distinctly different genres.
