Top Traditions in JRPGs That Define the Genre

• Many JRPGs focus on deep character development, providing personal stories and connections for players.
• Party systems in JRPGs often offer diverse companions with unique backgrounds, creating engaging interactions.
• Overworld maps and random encounters in JRPGs can provide immersive exploration and challenging gameplay mechanics.

Considering that JRPGs have been around since the 1980s, it makes sense that they would look and feel a lot different these days given how far technology has come since then, but there are still a few mechanics and specific elements that always carry over between these games. In other words, there are certain traditions that have become mainstays in the JRPG genre, and though they might be altered and tinkered with every now and again, they always make it in one way or another.

JRPGs have long been one of the most popular genres in the industry, so it makes sense why developers would decide to replicate the same formula; if it's not broken, there's really no need to fix it. With that being said, though, these traditions also help to bring some familiarity and even nostalgia to the people playing these games, which is why it's so important for them to be included. With that being said, these are among the biggest and most important traditions that almost always appear in JRPG games .

Complex And Deep Characters

JRPGs Tend To Explore Their Characters On A Deeper Level Compared To Western RPGs

While many Western RPGs will place a bigger focus on the gameplay and the world that players will explore throughout the playthrough, JRPGs tend to hone in more on the cast of characters. A prime example of this can be seen with the Final Fantasy franchise. Sure, the first game in this series may have been pretty light when it came to the story, but by the time the series had reached its fifth mainline game, many of the characters being introduced would be explored in much greater depth, allowing players to connect with them over the course of the journey.

This idea of centering on each character's personal journey has remained a very prevalent aspect of many JRPGs. This also applies to the protagonists themselves, since most JRPGs will include an original character who already has some sort of story that can be fleshed out, rather than players creating their own protagonist. This focus on personal stories is what has made characters such as Cloud, Ichiban, Ness, and many other iconic JRPG protagonists so beloved among fans of the genre.

Party System

Travel The World With A Rag-Tag Group Of Buddies

Most JRPGs won't force players to go on an adventure by their lonesome; they will typically be accompanied by a few friends who make up what is known as a party. A JRPG party often features characters from all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life , which is ultimately what makes them such great additions, considering that there's always so many interesting conversations to be had.

In some cases, such as with the immensely popular Persona 5 , for example, there will be large chunks of the story that are entirely dedicated to exploring one of these characters before they eventually join up with the rest of the party. Another way developers can shake up this formula is by forcing the party members to split up every now and again in order to embark on their own mini-adventures, as seen in Final Fantasy 13 . Either way, it's always a lot of fun getting to know a brand-new cast of characters, with these party members often accompanying the player until the very end.

Overworld

Explore A Giant World Full Of Unique Areas And Secrets To Uncover

Before the open world genre took the industry by storm, JRPGs had the Overworld, a giant map that players were able to traverse in order to reach a new location during a playthrough. While many people trace the first Overworld back to the Western RPG Ultima , it would quickly become a staple of Japanese RPGs after it was featured in the hugely successful Dragon Quest . However, while the Dragon Quest series has carried the Overworld into every one of its mainline games, many other developers have also incorporated them into their own titles.

Final Fantasy , Chrono Trigger , Secret of Mana - these are just a few well-known JRPGs that feature big and sprawling maps that allow players to feel truly immersed in the world that they are venturing through. By having an Overworld rather than just one linear path leading from A to B, it allows JRPGs to feel like one big grand adventure, which is why they are so commonly used within the genre.

Experience Points

A Rewarding Progression System That Makes Every Battle Worth It

The whole idea of earning experience points and leveling up might seem commonplace in this day and age, but there was once a time when the idea was specifically related to the JRPG genre. Considering the sheer amount of enemies that players will need to take on in battle over the course of a typical JRPG playthrough, being able to earn a small reward in the form of EXP ensures that none of these fights ever feel like random filler and are always important to the journey.

As the years have gone on, many JRPGs have begun using the level of system in some pretty creative ways, such as locking certain abilities or jobs behind a specific rank. The, there are games like Metaphor: ReFantazio , which enable players to level up not only a character, but also a monster known as their Archetype , making battles feel even more worthwhile as a result.

Turn-Based Combat

Strategize The Next Attack To Outmaneuver The Enemy

During the 2000s and 2010s, conversations began to arise about whether the turn-based combat system , which had become synonymous with JRPGs, was starting to become a little stale. However, realizing that this is a core part of the JRPG identity, many developers have done their best to enhance and improve this classic mechanic to make it a little more engaging, rather than removing it entirely.

An early example of this can be seen with Super Mario RPG, where players would need to time certain button presses in order to deal the maximum amount of damage during combat. This same idea was then replicated in the turn-based Like a Dragon games. Square Enix in recent years have decided to lean more heavily into the action genre with games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake while still giving players the option to slow down time so that they can return to that familiar turn-based combat system. Being able to take a strategic and methodical approach to the action has always helped JRPGs stand out from their Western equivalents and is ultimately what makes these kinds of games so unique.

Random Encounters

Players Will Face Off Against Monsters Of All Sizes During Their Adventures

The way random encounters work has changed a lot in the last few decades, but they are still an integral part of the core JRPG gameplay loop that works to keep players engaged at all times. In classic JRPGs such as the Dragon Quest games and the Final Fantasy titles leading up to the 10th game, monsters would randomly appear to fight the player and their party while they traversed the open world. This ensures that players are always immersed in the experience, since they need to be prepared for the goblins, ghouls, and monsters that they would come to encounter along their travels.

In more recent years, this system has been changed around a little bit to allow players to actually see the enemies from a distance, rather than throwing them onto the screen unexpectedly. However, developers will always get a little creative to make sure that these fights are largely unavoidable, so while they give players a heads-up on what they're about to face, they can still feel a little random in how they're implemented.

Character Customization

Change The Skills, Equipment, Gear, And Jobs Of Each Party Member

It would end up getting pretty boring if the main party of a JRPG possessed the same skills, weapons, and abilities throughout an entire game. JRPG developers are clearly well aware of this, as almost all games within the genre will include some level of character customization that encourages players to think about the role that they want each party member to assume in combat. It was Final Fantasy 3 that first introduced the job system, allowing characters to assume different roles depending on their preferred playstyle, but another game in the franchise that revolutionized this mechanic was Final Fantasy 7 with its Materia , granting individual skills and abilities to each member of the party independently.

While being able to switch weapons has also been a very prominent aspect of JRPGs and their customization options, this also applies to the equipment, which is often used to provide a boost to certain stats, such as a person's health or strength, for example. This creates a nice sense of progression where players can work their way up towards a specific role or job in order to make their party as strong as possible to handle anything that comes their way.

Anime Aesthetic

Many JRPGs Go For More Of An Anime Aesthetic Rather Than Being Too Grounded

Considering JRPGs are created by Japanese developers, it makes sense why many of these games feature a very anime-heavy aesthetic when compared to Western RPGs, which tend to be a little more grounded in comparison. While this obviously relates to the visual style, it can also refer to the cast of characters too, with their over-the-top personalities and abilities being very reminiscent of classic anime .

This has become such a common part of JRPGs that it is very noticeable when a game in the genre tries to stray away from this style, one such example being Final Fantasy 16 , which clearly took on a lot of Western influence with its more realistic setting and tone. However, most JRPGs are still comfortable using the anime visual aesthetic to help their games stand out, and considering how many fans love this form of presentation, it doesn't seem like it's going to disappear anytime soon.