Is it that American RPGs are story-driven with no room to deviate from point A to point C and that Japanese RPGs are into exploration?

I think you have it backwards for the most part. If you look at Baldur's Gate or Morrowind, you can do just about anything. It's very nonlinear. Japanese RPGs like FFX follow a linear path. I guess it all depends on the RPG since each is different from one another.

one is in English and the other is in Japanese, duh

Baldurs Gate is just a linear as any other RPG I have played.

WHAT? It's just the opposite! Also, Japanese RPG's (aka "RPG Lite") usually assign you a character, whereas in American RPGs you choose what character you want to play.

As for Baldur's Gate, I'm pretty sure that NeonGlow was talking about the PC game, not the recent console hack-and-slash.

I agree with the others. Japanese RPGs of late are very linear, holding your hand from one point to another, not allowing you any freedom with your character, and guides you through a set story. American RPGs (mainly the PC ones based on D&D) are more "role playing". Some allow you to create a character completely from scratch, a process that can take forever if you are as indecisive as me. They let you roam around more freely and pursue certain quests if you wish and the order you wish. American RPGs also seem to have more emphasis on the choices you make throughout the game, especially with responses to certain questions, that change the outcome of the game and the effect on your character.

Now I'm not saying all American RPGs are this way, or all Japanese RPGs are that way. It's just more common nowadays. I remember Final Fantasy VI as a great game that gave you some freedom to explore and choices that can affect the outcome of the game, such as death of characters, recruiting new characters, obtaining certain weapons, etc. But as the series went on it became more linear. But it justs reflects the popularity of character development of assigned characters and set storylines.

I loved the Final Fantasy series for it's cinematics, most of the characters, and the storylines on the most part. But I also love games like Star Wars KotOR where I can play through the game as a good guy, and then again and be a bad guy.

Japanese RPGs (post-1997) can be beaten by following instructions. All you typically need to do is download some text off the internet and follow it; do this, do that, do this. No actual skill is expected of the player other than to have the paitence to sit through another "angsty teenager" plot.

Being another indecisive guy, I couldn't design a starting character that I would be happy with. The stats are randomized, and indecisive in how I would want to distribute the attribute points.

If you go for freedom, you'll have to lose structure. If you go for structure, you'll lose freedom.

JP and US RPGs are designed on different ideals so no dumb RPG lite comments and the bolstering of Western superiority.

Don't forget that western RPGs have their own cliches and faults too.

The term "RPG Lite" has nothing to do with so-called "Western Superiority." It has to do with the fact that Japanese RPG's tend to simplify a big part of role-playing: the freedom to create a character and play them how you want. I also consider hack and slash games like Diablo to be in the "RPG Lite" category, although for different reasons.

Another term I've heard for Japansese RPG's recently is "Role-Acting Games" or RAG's. It's appropriate, since you are taking the character through a script, like an actor in a play. The advantage of this is that it does create a better atmosphere for telling a story. However, I haven't been all that impressed with most of the stories I've seen in these RPG's.

If rolling up your own characters doesn't interest you, most American RPG's come with pre-rolled characters. In fact, I can't think of any in the last few years that didn't.

They're almost 2 different genres. You will get people on both sides (but more on the American side) saying that "oh those aren't REAL rpgs." But thats just an opinion from the way they grew up playing them. There are just certain tendencies that each kind has.

Most console (japanese) rpgs have set characters, names, and story. They have turn based battles and the battles are random but not always. Tend to be more fantasy or sci-fi based.

Most American (PC) rpgs have you make your own character from pre-set pieces. The story is fairly linear but you have choices sometimes . The battles are usually real time. They tend to be more like Dungeons & Dragons type of games.

There are HUGE exceptions to those and a lot of best rpgs don't fit in either or combine the two, but those are the differences as I see them. I think its one of those eye of the beholder things. Personally I go for the console rpgs, I love the character designs, enjoy the storytelling, and the way the battles are set up. DVD Lamer put it quite nicely, they are based on different ideals.

Eye of the Beholder was a great RPG...the sequel was even better.

I thought America invented the genre with the Wizardry series, and the Japanese took that formula and refined it more and more! Truthfully, I think "Western" rpgs take more chances, in combat, in story telling (Fallout), and in freedom (Fallout/Morrowind, etc) than the Japanese counterpart.

Having said that, some of the Japanese RPGs are just flat out more fun than something as daunting as free flowing as Morrowind. Some of my personal favorites are Phantasy Star 1, Lunar 1 and 2, etc.

If you want to try a Japanese RPG but that isn't in the "Final Fantasy" paradigm, try Disgaea. I just had to pimp up this great strategy RPG. Lots of customizations and random stats but hell of fun.

Even Penny Arcade loves it:



Also read the front page on PA.

In a sense, some Japanese rpgs are more like traditional adventure games (like the old sierra games) with some random battles or other action element thrown in. Something like Final Fantasy has a very rigid plot with only the occasional diversion from it (like a minigame or secret item). Also there usually isn't any significant change in the plot or story on repeat plays.

In Baldurs Gate 2 or Fallout 2 (for example) you can complete the game and only touch on may 10-20% of the overall experience (or available game areas to use another term). Also depending on your character class or alignment, entire parts of the game will be inaccessible.

I think most of the posts hit it right on the head with the linearity thing. Not that its a bad thing. What that does mean that Japanese RPG's become more hit and miss because the point of the game is to get from point A to point B while telling a story. If you don't like the story or it starts out slow, it's hard to keep playing.

American RPG's, particularly the D&D variety (which i hate, BTW) give you more freedom with your character, making it feel more like you're involved in the story rather then watching the story. You have more control over what you want your character to be... although there have been a few FF games that give you more freedom.

I suppose one could get into the Anime influence as well. Ah well

Essentially, Japanese RPG's are fairly linear. You play as a set of pre-made characters through a set story. Some still have branching paths and multiple endings.

American RPGs, you make your own character, and pretty much do what ever you want. There's usually a main quest with several paths through it, and a ton of optional sidequests.

I personally greatly prefer Japanese RPGs, as I hate open-ended gameplay in general. I like having a good story, that's the main reason I play RPG's. To have a good, slightly interactive story. Being openended generally makes it tough to impossible to tell a good story, though there are some exception like KOTOR. But really, KOTOR isn't all that open ended. The worlds are very linear, you just pick which order to go to them, how many sidequests to bother with, and whether to be a light or dark jedi.