In the modern gaming marketplace, the RPG genre now encompasses a large number of sub-genres, and RPG elements are present in a variety of other game types. However, the main division of Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy and Western RPGs like Skyrim still remains. There are many more distinguishing characteristics between the two than simply the country of origin for their developer, as JRPG-style games are now often produced outside of Japan, and some Japanese developers have created games that contain characteristics typically indicative of Western RPGs.

The earliest examples of JRPGs and Western RPGs had more common ground, as both adapted concepts borrowed from tabletop RPGs, like the early versions of Dungeons & Dragons, into video game form. The commonalities, which remain to this day, include such tabletop RPG staples as Hit Points as a measurement of health, statistics which can be viewed from a menu that serves as an in-game “character sheet,” and characters increasing in power through battles. By the late 8-bit era, the distinctions between the two grew clearer, and from the 16-bit generation on, it was easier to identify traits common to a JRPG versus a Western RPG.

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Broadly speaking, JRPGs have become known more for having pre-defined characters with set traits and personalities, whereas Western RPGs tend toward customizable characters, where the player determines the character’s mechanical function and moral alignment. There are exceptions to both, of course. The original Final Fantasy allowed the player to create their entire party, offering no suggested names and no distinct character traits among them. Some modern Western RPGs, like The Witcher series, have a set protagonist with a very well-defined personality. In general, it is more likely that a Western RPG will focus on customization, and JRPGs will offer pre-set, but more distinctive, characters.

JRPGs Told Epic Stories, Western RPGs Embraced Choice

The party at the title of Battle Chasers Nightwar

Linearity is another common distinction between the two main branches of RPGs, since well before the modern trend of open-world games Western RPGs tended to focus more on exploration and experimentation, whereas JRPGs typically had a more distinctly defined narrative path, with rarer detours to find optional side-content and secrets. This divergence in priority leads to strengths for both styles. Western RPGs might offer players a more personalized experience, as different character builds and choices in a game like the original Fallout or Baldur’s Gate might lead to distinctly different personal anecdotes. JRPGs tend to focus on strong, epic narratives that would be shared experiences for all players, as every Dragon Quest 5 player experiences the same generation-spanning tale of good against evil despite the differences in monsters they may recruit along the way.

Aesthetics are another easy way to tell JRPGs and Western RPGs apart. Japanese RPGs tend to use anime-style designs, while Western RPGs have generally stayed closer to a grittier (and somewhat more realistic) art style, more reminiscent of the art from the tabletop RPGs that inspired them. The aesthetics also influence the mechanics, as JRPGs tend to feature much larger level numbers than Western RPGs, as well as attacks that are more visually over-the-top in nature, resembling the stylized violence of more fantastical action manga and anime. Western RPGs tend to use smaller level numbers, staying closer to their tabletop RPG roots, and also lean toward more reserve in their depictions of attacks, staying a bit closer to reality.

Modern RPGs Blur The Line Between East And West

Differences Between Western RPGs And JRPGs - Dragon's Dogma Image

As JRPGs and Western RPGs are more genres than descriptions of where they were developed, there are many examples of games with JRPGs characteristics being produced in the West, as well as the reverse. Games like Demon Souls and Dragon’s Dogma, despite being from Japan, carry more traits people would associate with Western RPGs, from the aesthetics to the gameplay. Similarly, titles like Battle Chasers and Cosmic Star Heroine are western-made games that showcase the look and gameplay style of JRPGs.

There are other traits that define the two branches of RPGs, but for every rule there is an exception. JRPG heroes are more likely to be teenagers or young adults, but Nier Gestalt featured a father in his 40s as the lead and Final Fantasy games have included older adult characters as well. Western RPGs tend to stick with a single genre, as Skyrim is distinctly a fantasy game and Mass Effect is sci-fi, but titles like Shadowrun Returns blend cyberpunk and fantasy together. Both of these schools of RPG design have their merits, however.

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