And the gamers who play them: J-RPGs

Traditions. This article is all about those widely accepted customs.
What better time to discuss this subject than now, with Pascha (or easter, whichever you prefer) impatiently waiting on our collective doorsteps.

Japan is a country which traditions are intensively cherished. While most inhabitants of the land of the rising sun have never been true believers, they absolutely adore traditions associated with religion. In Japan you will find temples-a-plenty, polytheïstic rituals, christian weddings, bhuddist funerals and so on.

Naturally the Japanese culture also shines through in games originated from this country. Although there is more to Japanese games than just this genre, I will be discussing Japanese roleplaying games - J-RPGs for short - with you.

Those who are unimpressed by such games, often tend to point out how the games this genre consists of a plethora of similar games that lack real innovation. And to be honest, they are quite right.
It is exactly this samey-ness™ that J-RPG fans tend to embrace, though. The formulaic nature of these games has its positive aspects. Start up any Final Fantasy game, and you'll know exactly what you can expect. Two minutes into the game you'll immediately feel at home and be immersed in the vast unexplored world each game lets you discover. That is, if you appreciate this genre. There is no accounting for tastes.



Turn-Based battles and J-RPGs go hand in hand. The turn-based system allows a great degree of strategy to be implemented within the game, but unfortunately it rarely is. The sword, more often than not, cuts both ways: Boss battles are epic, challenging and require you to spot certain attack patterns. Random encounters, on the other hand, are as dull as can be, and simply exist to level up before the next boss battle. You'll be spending alot of time grinding versus these weaker monsters.
J-RPG gamers do not mind investing alot of time playing these games. This type of player is easily emerged in a game world. That world isn't going to save itself, so there is work to be done.



Generally, there are three types of players that play and enjoy these roleplaying games.
The long time fan, the dreamer and the Japanist.

Long time fans appreciate J-RPGs for their rich history and the memories they associate with it. They have thoroughly played hundreds of games from this genre, and love certain franchises not so much for the quality of new additions to said series, as the qualitie of its older games.

Dreamers are very easily sucked into a game. They adore J-RPGs for their length and depth. A cinematic game with an epic storyline full of twists and turns will get this type of gamer easily excited.

The Japanist is obsessed with Japan and its culture. When watching anime, reading mangas and listening to J-Pop is just not enough, this type of person will turn to videogames for relaxation. The character design will entrance him, the Japanesque love story that never quite reaches a conclusion will surely make this gamer salivate.

Here ends our study of Japanese roleplaying games and the gamers who play them.
I'm wishing you all a happy eastern and a memorable crucifiction.
Also, don't forget to comment ;) - I really appreciate the feedback.