History of J-RPG, Japanese RPG

Of course, at JV, we have been following his case for a long time. This is the latest project of the Sabotage studio, which had offered us the excellent action-platform The messenger in 2018. But this time, complete change of decor (and formula) ! Sea of ​​Stars therefore presents itself as a “retro” RPG, inspired by Chrono Trigger or even an illusion of Time, but with a whole bunch of elements brought up to date. And for allergic to J-RPG like me: that changes everything … So here is what makes the difference.

J rpg

There are only fools who do not change their mind, says the saying. In this case, I was finally touched by grace … After years to watch the J-RPG from afar, I found one that suits me.

This article is an opinion ticket, it is by nature subjective. The author’s opinion is personal and is not representative of that of the rest of the editorial staff of JV. Thank you in advance, good reading !

I don’t like J-RPG, or what gets closer. I have never finished Final Fantasy X, Valkyrie Profile is not part of my vocabulary and I watch the success of Persona 5 very far. It’s simple, their universe does not speak to me and I do not really like the fights at the Tour-Tour … then, in the Lorgnette which separates Armored Core 6 of Starfield, A certain Sea of ​​Stars is (finally) fell from the sky.

Of course, at JV, we have been following his case for a long time. This is the latest project of the Sabotage studio, which had offered us the excellent action-platform The messenger in 2018. But this time, complete change of decor (and formula) ! Sea of ​​Stars therefore presents itself as a “retro” RPG, inspired by Chrono Trigger or even an illusion of Time, but with a whole bunch of elements brought up to date. And for allergic to J-RPG like me: that changes everything … So here is what makes the difference.

Simple and universal issues

Already, Sea of ​​Stars, these are simple issues with just what you need magic to transport you. We follow the adventures of two solstice children, who will combine their powers to repel the creatures invoked by a terrible alchemist ! After a brief training at the local school, our heroes are released in nature (and you like it). It’s up to you, to meet a whole bunch of characters. Thus will be added touching themes (friendship in particular) served by a sober but spirit -in -minded writing … in short, No need to take out your dictionary As soon as you are told about scenario. Sea of ​​Stars goes to the point with enough ramifications to keep interest.

A universe that can be “touched”

We told you about magic, and visually, the sabotage title overflows. On the sidelines of a pixel art that really does the job, we note the presence of small touches of modernity, like a dynamic lighting system – that has its effect when sending a spell – and even a day cycle | night. It may seem not much says like that, but it helps this Sea of ​​Stars to set up vibrating sets that make you want to be explored. A last aspect of the very important.

Forget your preconceptions on retro rpg ! Here you can jump, climb, swim or fall from a edge, within a level design that puts a lot on verticality and hidden corners. Where I am, after five hours, each table transported to me | Make you want to unravel its secrets. We meet with A very successful rhythm which mixes exploration, narration and unexpected events. A treat to play, to which is added a last important aspect also modernized: the fights.

Fights where we are more active

So we finish with the action phases at the Tour-Tour. If you also find that this system is often done at the expense of rhythm, Sea of ​​Stars will make you happy … as in Chained Echoes -which also dusts the classic J -RPG -, clashes start without transition, at the same place where you walk around. It’s simple, effective – and above all, we don’t waste time ! Above all, Sabotage offers you to be actor of these fights frozen in time, By pressing for example at the right time to absorb some damage from an opposing attack (or conversely strengthen your own blow). We are not going too much to tell you, but basically, these sequences only become more engaging. Intrigued ? Sea of ​​stars is available on PC and consoles, or via the PS Plus | Game Pass.

History of J-RPG, Japanese RPG

Very fashionable genre during the end of the 80s and in the 90s, Japanese role -playing game was a very popular type of game of lovers of dreamlike adventures and eccentric twists and turns.

Nowadays, the good Japanese RPGs are rare and the many fans of this sub-genre of role-playing starts to regret bitterly the blessed years when Hits of the scale of Secret of Mana and Terranigma landed in their shops of import.

We therefore offer you this little time trip to discover the story of a category of play still too underrepresented in Europe to our taste and perhaps launching a momentum of nostalgia for some of you. But first of all, a small introduction is essential, for the few howrtus at the bottom of the room who would never have had the chance to taste the joys of role -playing playing.

This article was published for the first time in 2013. We take advantage of the brand new version of the site to offer you an updated “remaster” version which, we hope, will still have a good time. Good reading !

The eleventh episode of the cult saga arrives on September 4 on PC and PS4 !

J-RPG: user manual

1) Definition

For those who really do not know the Japanese role -playing game, just know that in a typical title, you will control a team of heroes necessarily finding themselves after a while to save the world from any threat. Each character will have clean statistics or even a class and you will need to improve them by garnering XP and money in order to increase in terms of level and be able to buy better equipment. The J-RPG is also often criticized for its countless shots, distinguished from one game to another. Amnesic hero, destroyed native village, the teammate who actually turns out to be someone from your family, the girl of the group who keeps moaning. And there are still many, but we must admit that it is also part of the charm of this kind of game.

Same, no exploration as advanced as in an Elder Scrolls for example, the player being invited quite regularly to advance in the frame of the game. Freedom will generally be won after the first three quarters of the scenario, very often thanks to a flying vehicle. Less mature than stories told in Western RPGs, the adventures portrayed in role-playing games give way to the sirens of gutters, pose-attitude and fan-service. But beware, I only cite you a few generalities, many titles can escape all these clichés. Pell meal, we can cite the series of Shadow Hearts, the Persona, the Valkyrie Profile The Parasite Eve or of course the most wacky series in the world of J-RPG: the excellent Mother.

Intro of Parasite Eve 2: When the Survival-Horror crosses the J-RPG

2) The different categories of J-RPG

Japanese RPG is a type of play derived from the role-playing role-playing games in the mid-80s, which were themselves very inspired by paper role-playing games of the time. The J-RPG genre is available in several subcategories (the same as for Western role-playing games). Let us try to see together the gameplay of each of them, knowing that some J-RPG are at the limit of the unclassifiable, such as vagrant Story which mixes downright strategy, turn and action within the same system playing.

As its name suggests, the A-RPG offers more dynamic fights than other categories of role-playing games and will put the player’s reflexes and skills to Rude. Style has started to be emulated all over the world thanks to Seiken Densesu 2 alias Secret of Mana on Super Nintendo. The first densest seiken had also arrived at home under the name Mystic Quest. Very big game from the Gameboy, MQ is a fairly unknown title compared to his little brother, which still does not prevent him from being a worthy representative of the A-RPG style.

Nowadays, one of the biggest representatives in this category is obviously Kingdom Hearts, a license taking up the universes of Disney and Squaresoft/Square-Enix, all sprinkled with a gameplay with small onions which gives pride of place sick combos. We can also cite the excellent series of Tales of Namco Bandaï or the already cult Xenoblade of Monolith. In general, a good A-RPG aims to be special enjoyable in its clashes and has a rise in power very marked at each level up.

If you plan to put yourself in the A-RPG, the Kingdom Hearts seem to be suitable if you want to set foot in. Simple maneuverability to understand, a nice universe and scenario less stupid than it seems, the only problem: the whole series is scattered on a whole bunch of supports. And then if you don’t care graphics, why not try the secret of mana adventure ? Cult game among cult games, Som Allie 2D Impeccable and Fou Fouurie to a fairly technical gameplay (playable up to 3) and a story that can be followed (despite the completely messy French translation).

Kingdom Hearts 3, the game that knows how to be desired.

The combat system in a Dungeon RPG perhaps of several types, but its construction will remain significantly the same from one game to another. You start from a central hub and explore dungeons to the corridors generated randomly, in search of increasingly powerful equipment. Often the hub will evolve as you progress in the scenario, revealing new possibilities enriching the game system and keeping the player taped to the screen. Because a good Dungeon RPG will be very addictive, the quest for power is often very motivating. Whether the trips are box by box or in a more classic way, good preparation before going out in keep will always be the key to success.

Unless you lack lucky. Because like any good game involving the random, it is very likely that some dead occur in a rather disgusting way. Like deemed hardcore because very punitive, the least patients of you are likely to leave the ship from the first hours, as the task can prove to be arduous. We can cite as worthy representatives of this category: Azure Dreams, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, Les Etrian Odyssey or the sympathetic series of Chocobo Dungeon. In the case of Etrian Odyssey or Dragon Quarter, we can also talk about Rogue-like, a sub-genre appreciated by those who like to hurt themselves.

If you are interested in this category, it is already a little more complicated since you will still need some personal experience of the role -playing game in general in order to get out of it. Persona 3 & 4 will however make first choice candidates, just like Reciper on PC. The latter will ask you to manage a typical RPG store, but to recover beautiful goods, you will have to hire a hero that you can control in some dungeons. In general, once well installed in a game of this type, difficult to get out of it before having completed it, all being quite time -consuming.

Etrian Odyssey: Cartography of labyrinths while improving your mercenary team.

• The J-RPG in turn

Certainly the most represented category of the J-RPG genre. In a conventional turn by turn, the player has all the time to decide what action each character will perform and of course what enemy the attack will be launched. Licenses still preserving this style of play are rare, but some resist again and again. Thus Dragon Quest, Pokemon and the Shin Megami Tensei are worthy representatives of this classicism which they have been gaining greatly for more than two decades now. Besides that, many turn -based derivatives have emerged and the best known hybrid model is undoubtedly possible the ATB gauge (Active Time Battle) established in the Final Fantasy. Concretely, each protagonist on the battlefield has an ATB gauge that fills up over time. Once this one is full, the player’s action can then be decided.

Only, the enemies will not wait for the player to end his turn to reply, so it will sometimes be necessary to anticipate the assaults of the opponents and know how to defend himself at the right time. A good J-RPG in turn is distinguished mainly thanks to small subtleties during its clashes and to ensure that farming is well balanced, so that the player can move forward in the scriptwriting frame without having to spend four hours kill trash-mob. A overabundance of random fights can also completely rot the rhythm of a game, a perfect example of this case being skies of arcadia on Dreamcast (excellent game anyway).

Regarding RPG RPG, do not start directly with one of the games in the Shin Megami Tensei series. Being deemed to be very hardcore, this license will only appeal to the most tenuous gamers, not being afraid of losing an hour or two of play because of an unfair death. No, you have to stay on the basics: Final Fantasy IX is for example a very good start: good script ‘, gameplay not too complex and graphics that have not aged so much. Dragon Quest VIII would also act as an excellent springboard for those who want to try a turn.

RPG category that requires the most reflection on the part of the player. At the control of an army of soldiers on large grid cards, the trips are limited and the scope of the attacks and the placement of your units will be decisive elements during the battles. The clashes are carried out on turn, with a phase for the player and another for that of the opponent. The objectives of a fight are diverse and varied, ranging from the simple destruction of the enemy army to the protection of a particular unit. T-RPG also has a management aspect with the recruitment, equipment and maintenance of your armies.

The majority of tacticals do not have exploration phases and the whole narration will be between two battles, by a series of dialogues that some could find barbing because it is generally complex. Most of the time, the scenario will mix tragedies and betrayals against the backdrop of complex political conflicts. The PSP is full of this type of game and there are many cult series of this kind often shunned by players. In the best known, we can quote: the Ogre tactics, the Fire Emblem, the Disgaea or the Valkyria Chronicles.

With the Dungeon RPG, the tactical is what is called a kind of niche, that is to say that only a certain category of players will be able to fully appreciate the ins and outs of a title of this type. However, do not hesitate to get started and a lot of T-RPG User Friendly have emerged in recent years. Thus, the Valkyria Chronicles are an excellent start: beautiful, fairly easy to apprehend, a scenario well staged and some subtleties that make the games very catchy. We can also quote the Disgaea as a starting point, this series being delusional and full of content to the marrow. Be careful not to be overwhelmed by all the possibilities of one of these games.

2) common denominators

If the gameplay differs from one category to another, some prerequisites are common to all types of RPG. For example, having a catchy and well -staged script is something very important in order to hold the player’s attention. For the Dungeon-RPG and the T-RPG where the staging is voluntarily minimalist, the dialogues must on the other hand be of the very first order, with characters with developed psychologies and a frame succeeding in making the complex cohabit and the concise. We could then cite some examples of Japanese RPG which could have claimed the qualifier of cult title if their story had not been so flat and slow, like Blue Dragon or Eternal Sonata: good games at the end particularly engaging, but which bother the player throughout his adventure because of poorly made cut-scenes or adventures without real interest.

Another characteristic common to all marking games of the genre: the quality of their soundtrack. Nobuo Uematsu, Hiroki Kikuta, Motoi Sakuraba, so on and the best. All these names remaining in the shadow of producers and other project managers, however often contribute to ensuring that a title is successful or not. What would be Suikoden 2, Xenogears or Final Fantasy VI without their magnificent OST ? Who did not want to tear Jenova with Rage when Aeris’ theme played during the fight succeeding his death or who did not flock his butt each time a confrontation launched into Final Fantasy VIII during the Passages with Laguna ?

Last point to approach concerning these common denominators: Character-design. Because even if it may seem anecdotal, to hit 50 hours with a strip of slaps straight out of high school is not necessarily to everyone’s taste. Fortunately, some creatives of genius still manage to lay characters with undeniable charisma. Yuuji Himukaï (Etrian Odyssey), Masayuki Doi (Shin Megami Tensei 4) or Akihiko Yoshida (Bravely Default) are real artists tickling our mirettes still today.

All the themes of Baston de Bravely Default are dingos.

• The J-RPG for Dummies
• Japanese role -playing story