Japanese or Western RPGs?

[GameWizard001]

On story side, JRPGs always do have a lot more interesting stories to follow. Valkyria Chronicles alone is a great RPG. You can recruit a ton of characters along with the main ones to help you, you set up a squad based on who prefers to be with whom. They actually have a bit on their stat screen on who they work best with or what environment they excell at.

What was even more interesting was, if a character falls in battle and an enemy touches them, that character is dead and gone forever! Only can get them back when you start the game over.

I am still yet to lose a soldier. Or, well, I lost Jann Walker once but I ended up losing the battle and had to start over so I managed to pull everyone through on the final try. It was really sad too, his dying words were something like "Largo, I hoped you'd hold me at least once" or something similar anyway and he was literally almost resting in Largo's lap when that happened.

OH! Sad. Also the flying pig Hans was adorable, I want one so bad! Please science, make these creatures a reality!

I actually hate that thing. It takes away from my weird war fantasy by being an unnecessary "mascot". I don't mind creatures like that in something more fantasy based like Final Fantasy but with what is basically a war game it's just kind of off putting. For me at least.

A war game with magical beings that wipe out whole armies with a shield and lance?

[Mass Distraction]

On story side, JRPGs always do have a lot more interesting stories to follow. Valkyria Chronicles alone is a great RPG. You can recruit a ton of characters along with the main ones to help you, you set up a squad based on who prefers to be with whom. They actually have a bit on their stat screen on who they work best with or what environment they excell at.

What was even more interesting was, if a character falls in battle and an enemy touches them, that character is dead and gone forever! Only can get them back when you start the game over.

I am still yet to lose a soldier. Or, well, I lost Jann Walker once but I ended up losing the battle and had to start over so I managed to pull everyone through on the final try. It was really sad too, his dying words were something like "Largo, I hoped you'd hold me at least once" or something similar anyway and he was literally almost resting in Largo's lap when that happened.

OH! Sad. Also the flying pig Hans was adorable, I want one so bad! Please science, make these creatures a reality!

I actually hate that thing. It takes away from my weird war fantasy by being an unnecessary "mascot". I don't mind creatures like that in something more fantasy based like Final Fantasy but with what is basically a war game it's just kind of off putting. For me at least.

A war game with magical beings that wipe out whole armies with a shield and lance?

I just never felt the need for a mascot. At all.

[RepentantSky]

I cannot get into Western RPG's. I'm thinking of maybe giving Borderlands a second shot but the idea of RPG characters mostly wielding guns in a less than fantasy setting, which is common for most Western RPG's, is just off-putting and I didn't enjoy playing a lot of the games I've already tried.

[GameWizard001]

I cannot get into Western RPG's. I'm thinking of maybe giving Borderlands a second shot but the idea of RPG characters mostly wielding guns in a less than fantasy setting, which is common for most Western RPG's, is just off-putting and I didn't enjoy playing a lot of the games I've already tried.

Borderlands would be more Science Fiction as a genre with a touch of the western elements as you are essentially outlaw type characters going on a treasure hunt while killing bandits, over throwing government corporation entities and also has a *wink wink* moment at the end where you

Spoiler

fight a tentacle monster which always makes me think "I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going"

Also the DLC is awesome. I recommend anyone thinking of buying it now get the GOTY edition as it has all the DLC and doesn't require any extra things like other games that release a GOTY and then have you buy one or two extra things they then release afterwards. ME2 did that along with Borderlands 2's GOTY but they are mostly extra missions if you want to keep the fun going but they aren't major story missions.

[BumblebeeCody*]

Both:
Western RPGs for generally...better everything.
Eastern RPGs for genrally....better everything else.

WRPGs have more serious tone to them outside of Borderlands. JRPGs usually have a relaxed nature to them which don't need to be taken seriously.
WRPGs have easy to learn mechanics. JRPGs have the in-depth mechanics which takes many days or even weeks to learn.
WRPGs have a higher quality level of writing, dialogue and overall story. JRPGs are mostly nonsensical bullshit that you don't need to really care about.
Eh. Different reasons to like each one. Both are good and well worth playing regardless of the place of origin. Just seems silly.

[retrolinkx]

They're both okay in my book, but I prefer JRPG's to an extent, just because you can usually have a great adventure on those.

WRPGs have a higher quality level of writing, dialogue and overall story. JRPGs are mostly nonsensical bullshit that you don't need to really care about.

Spoiler

Both JRPG's and WRPG's have a lot of shit writing.

[BumblebeeCody*]

They're both okay in my book, but I prefer JRPG's to an extent, just because you can usually have a great adventure on those.

WRPGs have a higher quality level of writing, dialogue and overall story. JRPGs are mostly nonsensical bullshit that you don't need to really care about.

Spoiler

Both JRPG's and WRPG's have a lot of shit writing.

Completely agree with you on that one. I wouldn't even put Fallout 3 on a list of having a good engaging story. I'm mostly referring to games such as: Borderlands/ Mass Effect/ Alpha Protocol/ The Witcher. As opposed to JRPGs that I generally don't find the story to be often as a big as a part of the overall experience, because the gameplay is a stronger element.

[GameWizard001]

They're both okay in my book, but I prefer JRPG's to an extent, just because you can usually have a great adventure on those.

WRPGs have a higher quality level of writing, dialogue and overall story. JRPGs are mostly nonsensical bullshit that you don't need to really care about.

Spoiler

Both JRPG's and WRPG's have a lot of shit writing.

Completely agree with you on that one. I wouldn't even put Fallout 3 on a list of having a good engaging story. I'm mostly referring to games such as: Borderlands/ Mass Effect/ Alpha Protocol/ The Witcher. As opposed to JRPGs that I generally don't find the story to be often as a big as a part of the overall experience, because the gameplay is a stronger element.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is actually a pretty good story. Pretty cut and dry sure, little boy finds out he is a wizard and is meant to kill an evil bad guy (pretty much Harry Potter but then again most Hero's Journey tales are like that).

I found it like a mix of Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner meets Studio Ghibli. You capture monsters to make them fight for you, they level up and evolve. You get a few other characters to fight with you. Overall a good story, wonderful design for characters and the world environments, and the combat isn't too shabby either.

Only downside is it takes a while to get going at first, just because they do slowly introduce the mechanics to you a few bits at a time so as not to overwhelm you with details. That and they give you a "spellbook" that has not only spells that you can use, but all the monsters you would meet and could capture, locations, even flipping fairy tale/fables too that are actually really entertaining.