Name: Anonymous 2006-04-21 22:00
Japanese RPGs usually have good character development, take place in an interesting world, and beautiful art but are incredibly linar and don't have much to do or get immeresed in. You never actually are the character, you're just watching a movie with some gameplay elements.
American RPGs generally take place in crappy DnD/Toklien rip offs (or just DnD worlds) and are ugly as sin (recently technology has improved enough for western polygon obsessed artists to make decent looking environments. though), and generally lack much character development but are quite non-liniar and immersive. You actually are part of the story yourself, not just an observer.
Granted there are some exceptions. Some of the newer bioware games (particularly Jade Empire) have an interesting setting and a few hints of character development so I'm quite certain that a game could be made to incorperate all of these positive aspects, but neither culture seems to be able to break out of the mold. Yes, the story might not be able to be quite as complex with multiple choices, but it could still be done to some extent.
In American RPGs still take twice the graphics power to look half as good and they still have us walking around through castles and making repetative small talk with elves. In JRPGs we still have no controll over anything except for how fast we move on to the next cut scene. What's wrong with these people?!
I want to walk around and explore places like Ivalice, not watch some fairy boy in metal pants do it, and I don't want to explore yet another god damn kobold/orc lair. Sheesh
AMIRITE?
American RPGs generally take place in crappy DnD/Toklien rip offs (or just DnD worlds) and are ugly as sin (recently technology has improved enough for western polygon obsessed artists to make decent looking environments. though), and generally lack much character development but are quite non-liniar and immersive. You actually are part of the story yourself, not just an observer.
Granted there are some exceptions. Some of the newer bioware games (particularly Jade Empire) have an interesting setting and a few hints of character development so I'm quite certain that a game could be made to incorperate all of these positive aspects, but neither culture seems to be able to break out of the mold. Yes, the story might not be able to be quite as complex with multiple choices, but it could still be done to some extent.
In American RPGs still take twice the graphics power to look half as good and they still have us walking around through castles and making repetative small talk with elves. In JRPGs we still have no controll over anything except for how fast we move on to the next cut scene. What's wrong with these people?!
I want to walk around and explore places like Ivalice, not watch some fairy boy in metal pants do it, and I don't want to explore yet another god damn kobold/orc lair. Sheesh
AMIRITE?