What Makes a Game a JRPG? 

⚔How do YOU define what a JRPG is?

I never really put too much thought into this question, because I just kind of know what a JRPG is whenever I see it. and when you start putting clear definitions on what a game is, or should or shouldn’t be, it really hamstrings creativity. On one hand, I like how Japanese developers are opening up to western ideas but on the other hand, I really do miss the older style of JRPGs, with a linear story, world maps, cute encounters, and not too much fluff.

Nailed it. I got so many "whoa moments" watching this video. You truly put these pieces together and define them so well at the same time.

Weirdly this is how I've always recognised JRPGs so I agree with how this is all described! Great style of video dude!!!

I always go with art style and vibe. Looking forward to hearing you talking about more jrpg. Great video

I absolutely love this video! From the editing to the break down of what is a JRPG? It was very entertaining to watch. I always wondered what makes a game a JRPG and these criteria make sense

wow. super well made video here taylor. i’ve occasionally found myself trying to explain what a jrpg is for others. thanks!

Great video as always, thanks! And the series about going through some jrpgs to see it they meet these criteria sounds pretty interesting

I agree with all 5 points. I don't think this will be a controversial video, all points you made definitely are important to distinguish an JRPG from a WRPG.

Great video. Visuals and storytelling are the biggest indicators for me of a JRPG. Its why i mostly prefer them over WRPGs. Though they tend to lack the character choice of western rpgs, they focus more on likeable characters and companions. The action also feels more fantastical than the more grounded western approach. They also aren't as prudish with female designs as the west are.

I think there are, say, 30 things that make something a jrpg, but a single game doesn't need any particular one of those 30 qualities. It just needs, say, 20-25 of them, and is free to experiment around that. Like 1 of those qualities is experience points. Not every jrpg has them, but they one quality of several combined with others that most have. So there are things that tend to define what a JRPG is, but because JRPG is an amalgam of different traits, there's no one thing you can point to as a requirement. I think you did a good job of outlining some of the most major qualities (of the 30 I mentioned) in this video, and you acknowledge that a single Jrpg never need absolutely require a single one of them. Well made video!

You hit the nail right on its JRPG head. Your explanation is perfect. And for those games that come close to the genre, we can say they are JRPG inspired IMO.

Great video! This is a criteria that I think you touch on: JRPGs typically have a party. It's about you and your friends telling a story (which directly ties into the charm that you described). WRPGs are stories more about the individual. This is why I love JRPGs. Friendship is essential for me to fall in love with a title.

JRPG to me is defined by games like Arc the Lad, Suikoden, and the GOAT Chrono Trigger

I think you already nailed all the point. When you are new and asked for a JRPG, a JRPG players will first give names such a Final Fantasy, Tales of, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, Pokemon, Breath of Fire, Ys, Trails, etc. And maybe Nier, but seldom Zelda or Elden Ring/Dark Soul/Nioh, although quite sure Stranger of Paradise. In wiki they describe JRPG as an RPG that involves turn based combat, linear gameplay, a pre determined story and characters, and an emphasis on narrative and storytelling. I think this is kinda suffice but still lacks details, first it's an RPG (I don't want to debate this. If the game has stats up/new abilities after level up, equipments, some sort of "class/role/job" I will just call it an RPG). So it's clear it won't include something like the new God of War or Uncharted even though they checks other points. Second turn based combat, yeah this is simply not true because Tales of and Ys exist, I dare say even FF's combat (especially 4-9, 11-15) is not what I will call turn based combat. Third it's linear in gameplay not strictly "the world" as you said. Fourth and Fifth are self explained. You playing an anime/manga (because of course the story will heavily Japanese influenced). The direct consequence of fourth and fifth are the art style and the friends as you said, it simply doesn't feel JRPG without adventuring with friends. Now, as for something like Fire Emblem, Triangle Strategy, FF Tactics, Stella Glow, Gungnir, etc. I will still call them TRPG first and foremost but yeah I will give it a pass as a JRPG because they do have the "RPG" I define and checks other points too. And indeed all of this are to JRPG players can be curated as "you just know when you play one".

Seeing tales of arise and triangle strategy made me happy.

This is an excellent informational piece. The one core thing I would add is the insight the games give to what makes characters who they are - both the protagonists and especially the antagonists. Often, there are themes of tragic villainy where the player even sympathizes with their enemies though the way their history are presented. Cutscenes are often a big part of this, moreso than Western RPGs.

Very good explanation of what makes a game a JRPG. There are always exceptions to every rule but those is very concise.

Great content, man.

WJRPGs and JRPGs have taken so much inspiration from one another it so hard to define what a JRPGs! Fun video, it got me thinking! 😃

Awesome video dude...loved it.

Been playing JRPGs for 30 years as well.

I've always like JRPG more because most of them focused more on character driven stories moving in a larger plot scale. Also overall core party member dynamics in JRPG are more interesting than western ones, and I feel more connected with the cast most of the time. Although WRPG have more freedom of choice in the story.

This was fantastic! I agree with all your points and particularly liked the category of Vibe. Sometimes you just get a feel for a game and you just...know that's it's a JRPG. I think long time JRPG fans have that sense. I used to be a stickler for the game to be at least "made in Japan or by Japanese developers." but I think the Vibe category can sort of overrule that notion. I also appreciate the recap at the end.

Good video. I do look forward to hearing what you think about Zelda. The debate with that series if it qualifies or not has been going on for many years.

granblue music made me remember how i wasted 4 years (literally thousands of hours) on that game thanks!

Thank you. I've always been intrigued by what a JRPG is, having never played them. This makes me want to try one.

"digital stage performance" or "cyber bunraku" Becouse they are playable anime.

Amazing video!

The vibe of most JRPGs to me, is the values they present in different ways: innocence, purity, childlikeness, compassion, both masculine (often the hero archetype) and feminine (nurturing, wisdom, ...) strengths. In essence stories in JRPGs are about the most precious qualities of humanity. A reminder of what we truly are, even when we get hurt so badly, in a world that feels so unsafe and cold (especially in the west), that we close down, and learn to use sarcasm and cynisism to protect these precious parts of ourselves.

Gonna be honest, it feels to me like some people started making a distinction between japanese and western RPGs because they dislike the former. So I no longer care. Persona and Mass Effect? Both are RPGs and both are worth playing!

Is that FFT music i hear in the background :D

I generally define JRPGs as 1. An rpg (Obviouslly lol) 2. More story focused That definition might be a bit iffy and may need some work but generally that's how I would define it

JRPGs tend to be party based. You usually have several playable units/characters. I would add this as a trademark of the genre. I'd also say that despite many JRPGs have action-based combat systems, they still tend to feel tactical, a succesful combat usually depends more on how you manage your passive skills, cooldowns and synergies among your playable characters than on your skill with the controller (this happens in games like FF VII Remake, Xenoblade Chronicles or Tales of Arise)

I agree with your list, I would also like to add JRPGs tend to have a party of characters (not all, but a lot of them!) Even the ones where you only play one character, there's usually an entourage following the main character.

Excellent explanation, I agree with it all.

I like how a decent amount of JRPGs come from the west and a decent amount of WRPGs come from japan and it really blurs the lines. There are even some RPGs that are kinda in the middle of both genres like Xenoblade X or even Undertale(Yeah, remember how that game's selling point was to bring heavily choice-based progression into a linear adventure based on JP-media?). And honestly, that's a good thing, genres should be guidelines that help you keep design tidier and not law that you have to obey intinsically or extrinsically. 1:10 What in the world is a CRPG?

I think we've gotten to the point where media is so international that regional terms like JRPG, Anime, Manga etc are kind of meaningless because everyone takes inspiration from everyone else.

I love this video ! congratulations 🌟 I am very happy that now you can make videos as incredible as this one For me, a jrpg will always be the ones that come from Japan and have an anime style 😅 I know there's a lot more than that but at least they share almost everything else with some exceptions

I think the first thumbnail was better!

"If your charm isn't high enough you cannot hang out with certain female characters." Yo why would you call me out like that 😂

RPG's as a whole has become kinda hard to nail down. Other types of games have incorporated typical RPG elements like experience, leveling up and party members. While RPG's has spread, evolved and grown in different direction. No longer is turn based combat viewed as a necessity or requirement, different genres get mixed in and styles and game structures wildly varies. Back in the day you could categorize games from a glance to a much higher degree than today. Today you still know a shooter when you see one. But show me modern games from Final Fantasy, Dragons Dogma, Persona, Dark Souls and Pokemon and tell me they're all JRPS, then I'm gonna need some time to realize that's true lol.

Lunar

I 100 completely agree.. I would also. Include world building and stories that are inspired by psychology.. Religion.. Mythology and anime.. Some jrpgs are dark.. Example being shadow hearts and xenogears.. Also their battle systems either being turned based.. Real time command based or action, always have some kind of mechanic which make use of enemy weakness... Characters that either have unique abilities playing a role in the battle.. And limit breaks...also final fantasy has a hybrid anime /realistic style.. Introduced by Tetsuya nomura in ff8

Is genshin impact and honkai Star rail also counts as a jrpg bc both have anime art style dispite the developers hoyoverse comes from China and yes they also have offices in Japan that’s only for jp voice overs

at work now so imma watch this fully later. but just based off the title of this video...umm are you about to start some ish right now? lol

Idea for a stream: "is it an rpg?"

Its really down to artstyle like difference in manga, comics, manhwa, manhua, etc You experience enough of it, you just know it

While Final Fantasy 16 looks visually stunning, I’m not getting JRPG vibes there…is this going more into the direction of Action/Adventure?

Definitely agree here..id also say they are much more character oriented than other rpgs though.

I feel like they are way too similar to be considered separate genres. Maybe because I see where both started, and they are pretty much the same thing until like the late 2000s we’re western RPGs started to become more inspired by Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Maybe I don’t have enough knowledge of western RPGs, but they kinda are the same thing to me.

The thing I'm trying to look up on RU-vid right now and that I'm not finding what's the difference between an Esports player and an RPG player I'm looking at buying a better monitor, and they're like Esports players want high frames per second but 1080p But then when they explain the reason why I'm like okay well when I want the same?? I can't find that answer

The term is actually alot older theb ff10 looks like roughly around 1992 was when it originated

I agree with most of this except I do think that, to be a true RPG, a game needs to be turn based. Something like the Mana series may be an action rpg but thats a different thing. True RPGs (including strategy rpgs) are turn based.

For me jrpg always have traditional turn based system, normally menu based. No movement and positioning of units on a battlefield. I prefer tactical RPGs which do have movement and positioning

People think one of two ways about JRPGs. 1. JRPGs mean turn-based RPG, and anything else isnt a JRPG. Tales of, Kingdom Hearts, any real-time Final Fantasy (some of the most JAPANESE styled games of their genre) aren't JRPGs because they arent turn-based. 2. JRPGs are Japanese RPG, and there's no deeper definition. Its that simple. Chained Echoes and the upcoming Chrono Trigger-esque Sea of Stars (regardless of how explicitly tightly they follow the norms of a Japanese design) aren't JRPGs cause they were created outside of Japan. These mindsets are so outdated and wrong. I agree that its about the aesthetic, design intent, and all the ingredients that build towards the tropes and expected JRPG mechanics/storytelling that make a JRPG an applicable JRPG, not whether its a turn-based-only made in Japan product.

Now how would define Sword art online fatal bullet? Cause I has some mmo elements, third person shooter. And jrpg elements. And as for how I define jrpgs I say if they have an anime manga aesthetic and/ or being developed or published by a japanese company. Combat style can be anything

Can we consider God of War a JRPG? to me, it ticks all the box except for the character design not being manga anime inspired.

psp Don't forget BRAVE STORY NEW TRAVELER

I still consider games like Dragon's Dogma and Dark Souls JRPGs because while the art style is more western inspired, they still employ the same tropes and they are made in Japan.

Linear or choose your own adventure.

Wait, what is a CRPG? Great video.

Ocarina of time is an action rpg, right?, i usually get confused there

well if viiremake is a jrpg i guess kingdom hearts is which i never thought of

Thanks for the video...i, like you, play rpg games for more than 30 years too.....i am 46 now...and all of this began with Zelda and FF Mystic Quest and others.... and people around me in social media mostly are hard to understand why Elden Ring is not a JRPG for me, for example kkkkkkk it's like i will be beaten in the streets if i meet them kkkk

Yes

Great list! I would also add that stories in JRPG's like to take some time before getting really interesting (im looking at you, Persona 5!)

Forspoken tho developed by former FF15 devs it feels and plays so much like an "WRPG"

The terms JRPG and WRPG have never been a reference for what country a game was made in, it has always refered to a style of game made popular in a certain country, where the game was made has always been irrelevant to the term, it has always been about the style of RPG being made.

I'd say a relatively linear closed-loop narrative driven RPG

yeah this is pretty much it. But there is one thing i'd like to add and some people will agree and some won't. I think the biggest difference between a Jrpg and a western RPG goes back to the storytelling. Let me clarify i mean no disrespect to American or any other creators when i say this because they are all great in their own way. But in my opinion Jrpg's tell stories in a way western Rpg's just can't. it's why i became such a huge fan in the first place. nice video Taylor and i will be watching your Fe retrospective.

I'm sorry, but you brought up other jrpgs with social mechanics in the video, but then seemingly forgot them when it came to social mechanics relegating that almost exclusively to Persona. Even those Fire Emblem titles relatively _light_ on social mechanics, still have the Support system which impacts gameplay and story. Xenoblade has, depending on the game, the Heart to Heart and Affinity systems which impact various things including avaliable questlines. SMT has demon negotiation which is vital to recruiting party members. NEO: TWEWY has an entire social web clearly inspired by Xenoblade's where building up your relationships with various characters and shops nets you various gear and stat bonuses. The Rune Factory series outside of combat with monsters is all about building up social relationships with the townspeople and even finding a spouse, etc...

For me it in the name. Any rpg made by a japanese developer (yes I count fromsoft games jrpgs). Honestly, I find the debate and exclusions and labels that many terminally online fans put into this as way too exhausting to care all that much about.

so where the roleplaying part in j(rp)g? when it is linear no choices no character creation

I don’t see FFXVI as a JRPG, and for good reasons it doesn’t have most of the tropes you mentioned, yet people still keep marginalizing it as one.

Do you consider Zelda a JRPG?

Oh boy, this subject. Admittedly, as interesting of a subject I find this to be, discussions about it get muddled far too frequently. And really, I can't blame anyone (mostly) for it since it's such an unclear term to begin with. Everyone has their own rough idea of what is a Japanese RPG so it all becomes a battle of semantics where we end up arguing more about what we mean than what the tags actually represent. Well, that and all the insults and mockery unfortunately. So I guess I should apologize in advance if I come off rather strongly at points due to a mix of passion, frustration, and just poor communication skills on my end. To start, to me, JRPG is not a genre. There might be some broad strokes: turn-based, "anime" art style, pre-defined character focus, etc. But even those frequently don't always work. For every possible definition you can give me, I could easily find exception after exception after exception. It's come to a point where whenever someone says a game is a Japanese RPG...that often tells me very little about the game itself. "Nier" "Disgaea" "Demon Gaze" "Dragon Quest" "Shiren the Wanderer" "Growlanser" ...and so on. These all are commonly referred to as Japanese RPGs, I think it's safe to say most people would not disagree,...but they all are wildly different types of RPGs. "Nier" is an Action RPG, "Disgaea" is a Strategy/Simulation RPG, "Demon Gaze" a Dungeon RPG, "Dragon Quest" is I think a Traditional RPG, "Shiren" is a Mystery Dungeon RPG, "Growlanser" funnily would count as a Computer RPG (sometimes usually exclusively associated with Western RPGs), etc. These all already have more concrete genre identifiers that more or less stand on their own just fine, with only the hybrids and sub-genres getting a bit iffy. Foolish or not, I'd advocate we just get rid of the term JRPG. Just strip the (J) part right off. As mentioned earlier, everyone has their own definition of it and all that has led to is unnecessary infighting. Even Sony's recent definition of it had a lot of usage of "typically", "traditionally", "generally", and so on to create leeway since it's so unclear. Heck, even this video is like that. It's become a worthless term that means anything and nothing at the same time. So with the (J) part gone, we now would just have RPGs with particular focuses and actual specified genres to point towards. Stuff that isn't exclusively tied to a country. Anyone anywhere can use them. That way, JRPG can just mean what it says, an RPG from Japan. Or at least primarily Japanese focused. Since, as a fellow RPG content creator keeps bringing up as a counter, "Final Fantasy 9" was developed in Hawaii. Still primarily by Japanese directors and for a Japanese target audience but still, heavily Hawaiian influenced. So much media nowadays is produced internationally to varying degrees. And really, this back and forth exchange has been going on for decades. As much as people would want to point out how much Western developers have been getting influenced by Japanese RPGs, early Japanese RPGs were influenced by stuff like "Ultima", a Western RPG series. It's all a hotpot of cultural ideas and always has been once we move past the labels. One idea from somewhere will get more developed or innovated and then everywhere else follows suit. Not to mention due to how JRPG has been getting used nowadays, it's kind of become somewhat of a stigmatized term. There are some pretty damning associations that people have attached to it. It's partly why I've stopped saying JRPG and just prefer saying Japanese RPG. Both mean the same thing but saying it like the latter seems to focus more on the RPG part instead of the (J) part. I know it sounds silly, but it seems to oddly work. So...uh, yeah. A very unpopular set of opinions to have, I'm aware, but I genuinely believe this.

For the most part I agree with your set criteria. I like to keep things simple though. If an RPG is made in Japan or by primarily Japanese devs then it's a JRPG. Everything else is an homage. Nothing wrong with being an homage but the Japanese part of Japanese Role Playing Game is the distinguishing factor. And yes that means everything that FromSoft makes is a JRPG.

This is all correct. Those who think otherwise are missing quite a bit of nuance in their lives. Another factor you could use to separate JRPG (Tales) vs. ARPG (Souls) is…. Evade. Is it skill based or numbers based. Nice work.

Elden Ring in fact is jrpg

JRPGじゃなくて普通にRPGって呼んで欲しいがな、 元々外人の偏見から始まった言葉なんだから、 方向性の違いを上下関係で捉える欧米特有の差別意識も確実に入っている。

theyre not "ecchi advs" or eroges they could have (j)rpg elements though but that doesnt make it their (primary) genre

Yakuza games, yokai watch games are jrpgs

"I just kind of know what a JRPG is whenever I see it." lol, yeah thats why its so wrong to recomended people Dragon Dogma or Darksoul series to people who want to play game like FF7R/Persona/Radiata Stories/Xenosaga/.hack. usualy we call this lump of game as JRPG. and if its more a action game and no party then its ARPG something like nier automata. and if it similiar to super robot war, disgaea, FF tactic, valkyria Chronicle, Frontmission. we call this As TacticRPG or StrategyRPG/SRPG

I see why i hate wrpg and love jrpg. Jrpg are perfect, no nonsensical stuffs like go around and get lost in the world or not a good story.

Its very simple. JRPGs are basically just "anime" RPGs

Amazing video but you forgot about the FANSERVICE

The real answer? Anime hair. That's a real and serious answer. The distinction is fake.

Some of my favorite games of all time are mostly WRPG's

WHAT IS A JRPG!? *Throws wine glass*

Uh oh. Everyone is doing one.

JRPGs in my opinion tend to follow plot structures of old literature and mythology like Journey to the West, and are more likely to follow the five-man band structure of party comp. JRPG's tend to rely more on dated stereotypes for LGBTQ characters, especially gay men. Both Persona and Dragon Quest still do this, and don't get me started on Angelica from Trails of Cold Steel. JRPGs with dating sim elements also tend to have harems, with one clear canonical choice for a waifu. Yukiko, Yukari, and Makoto from the Persona series, Alisa from Cold Steel, and Colette from Tales of Symphonia all meet this.

A Japanese Role Playing Game would most likely be turn based or Strategy Tactics RPG.

Ah, but what about Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII? It is clearly a shooter that is defined as a JRPG.

All you need to do is run a simple cringe-per-minute test.

Jrpg's are defined by everything that Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy did

Thanks so much for this video. Now show it to everyone that says Dark Souls/Elden Ring is their favorite JRPG. Those aren't JRPGS! 😫

I mean i know what it is. Played them my whole fucking life but i guess to each his own.

U forgot about the most important aspect waifus 😂😂 lol but in a serious note this is very well done video, I love this genre so much, and that why p5 is my favorite game ever, I love other jrpgs too of course and trails of cold steel is very close to it like very close as the story of that game is so good just finished the third game and it broke me emotionally, just like how p5R did sry this pathetic of me but I can't I am an emotional guy 😅 anyway I am unto the fourth game now haven't started it yet but I will soon. P5 is still my favorite though it hard to tops it in my opinion.

JRPG's are dead, storytelling has fallen to the wayside and everything is a action Demon Souls qte mess. RIP