Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) are famous for timeless designs, jaw-dropping abilities, and memorable storylines. Coincidentally, JRPGs also have an infamous reputation due to their substantial length. This juggernaut of a genre packs content and side quests for players to immerse themselves. While old JRPGs certainly made the virtual grind adventurous, modern games have opt for a friendlier tone.
How Many Hours in a JRPG?
I’m going to level with you; JRPGs require dedication. JRPGs offer a marvelous tales with unforgettable characters and exciting game mechanics. However, they demand precious time to level up yourself and your party that differs from other genres. Western RPGs like Fallout or Mass Effect clock in close to fifteen or twenty hours to complete the main story. Their Japanese counter parts like Final Fantasy or Pokémon can range from forty-five to ninety hours of total game time.
Cons of a JRPG
A game’s length of completing the main story along with the extras (like side missions) depend on the player. If you enjoy every aspect of the game, time flies. A JRPG can certainly feel like a chore if gameplay feels off or the narrative feels meaningless. A huge contributor to a negative experience is navigating a JRPG. Older JRPGs were notorious for dropping you in the game without any maps or displaying objectives. Speak with an NPC (non-playable character), head in that direction and fight random encounters till you reach your goal. If you were lucky, the developers may even bless you with a compass.
Exploring the world of an JRPG is part of the charm but also harmful to a player’s enjoyment. Without a map/compass in an older game, it is extremely likely for a player to get lost. Getting lost can mean burning out and quitting the game. The final nail in the coffin is returning to a save point and forgetting your progression altogether. Of course, players can always circumvent their navigation problems with a guidebook or YouTube videos. The biggest hurdle, however, is overcoming that initial frustration to continue or moving to a different game.
Somewhere along the line, taking an extended break from the game can be harmful for progression if you plan to play multiple games. Stopping in the middle of a JRPG only results in confusion of how mechanics work or what might have transpired in the story. Earlier titles rarely provided the means to summarize past events or even a hint where to navigate next if you were loss. If only there was some way JRPGs could be friendlier to their player base.
How Modern JRPGs Fixed Frustration
Behold the mighty quality of life improvements packed with an objective user interface! Albeit, telling the player where to go deviates how JRPGs naturally are, it causes less headache. I could also argue that having a menu to point you in the right direction keeps players focus. Newer role-playing games has graced players with maps that survey the land and indicates the destination to progress the story. The uptake is that limitless exploration in newer JRPGs like Dragon Quest XI or Persona 5 is still possible.
While it may come off as restricting, being locked out of certain areas helps. Blocking off areas with a prompt ensures a players focus to advance the story and pointlessly backtracking the wrong sections. Discussing random encounters, modern JRPGS make confrontation optional. From Blue Dragon to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the player can choose to farm levels making the experience way more comfortable.
Other Improvements
Outside of fixing navigation, current role-playing games make quality of life improvements that are gratifying. Tales of Arise, for example, has one of the player friendly menus I have witnessed. You can mark on the map to track missions and bookmark a skill point when you have enough points. The characters also point out when you are near a collectible (owls in this case) or have enough materials to craft new weapons. The Yakuza series also provides a similar item that allows you to find coin locker keys easier through a loud noise.
The latest Tales game also makes talking to NPCs stress-free. Before, if you spoke with any townsfolk or guard, it was possible to lose track of the many conversations. Now, Tales of Arise places check marks after dialogue to prevent confusion. Persona 5 also grayed out thought bubbles to keep track of NPC interaction. The combination of easier navigation, detailed maps, and updated NPC exchanges make completing JRPGs fun once more.
Conclusion
Japanese role-playing games are a genre built with a well-established reputation. From the likes of Dragon Quest and its predecessors, JRPGs have sold the idea of exploring a vast world with astounding visuals. While the charm of grinding levels and random encounters are tolerable, I am grateful for the more player friendly direction of modern games. The bonus of making the games easier to navigate and offering the player a choice of combat is hospitable. Modern Japanese role-playing games offer smoother player experience added with challenging gameplay which ensures the genre maintains its longevity.
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