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Best JRPG of 2022 so far?

Best JRPG of 2022 so far?

  • Elden Ring

    Votes: 65 62.5%
  • Triangle Strategy

    Votes: 19 18.3%
  • Stranger of Paradise:Final Fantasy Origins

    Votes: 8 7.7%
  • Rune Factory 5

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus

    Votes: 5 4.8%
  • Atelier Sophie 2

    Votes: 6 5.8%

  • Total voters
    104

Nautilus

Banned
Elden Ring counts as a JRPG in my opinion. If you look at what constitutes a WRPG since forever, it's basically any action RPG with some menus, equipment and stats. If those are WRPGs, then this is a JRPG.

If you think JRPGs only count if its pixel art, uses a menu, or says Final Fantasy on the box, then you're basically dooming JRPG to just be an old and outdated genre. You have to move with the times. Final Fantasy is also going to be action combat in FFXVI. Is that not a JRPG also? Really think about it. It's obviously changed.
Not to mention that there are old games like Secret of Mana which was one of the first action RPGs out there and I don't see people saying that's not a JRPG.

Much like any with any genre, the games evolved and the genre with it. I don't get, what it almost feels like a hatred against successful JRPGs like Elden Ring, that " if it's selling like WRPG then it can't be JRPG.JRPGs have to be niche, so that has to be something else".

But this thread is to celebrate the JRPGs that released this year, and I'll focus on that, and this will be the only reply I'll give to this nonsense.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
1-A614-F22-F428-4336-A0-C3-EE393394674-F.jpg

Elden Ring is technically a Japanese RPG if you consider Demon’s Souls, which is classified as a Fantasy Action RPG. A lot of modern JRPGs are action based.
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
I don't consider Elden Ring a JRPG. It's like Borderlands... a different type of game with RPG elements added on.
 

AmuroChan

Member
Triangle Strategy for me.

I personally go by the genre definition of JRPG and not the geographic definition. So games like Cosmic Star Heroine and Secret of Evermore are absolutely JRPGs, even though they're not made in Japan.
 

Astral Dog

Member
It was released last year, but i just played it recently, for me Tales of Arise has been the best jRPG of 2022 so far, i was suprised by its quality combat is very well made and fun, art/tech wise its simply amazing
 
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Astral Dog

Member
I don't consider Elden Ring a JRPG. It's like Borderlands... a different type of game with RPG elements added on.
Its an ambigious definition for gamers, but i think it can apply, i mean plenty of people who play Jrpgs also bought Elden Ring. Its just a different design.type of action RPG

I seen gamers say Paper Mario/Mario and Luigi aren't JRPGs and that's just dumb, so why not Souls as well, its a broad genre it doesn't need to be defined by character design or common tropes.

Specially when it comes to list wars, gamers conveniently exclude the FROM games for random reason, that's just annoying
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
Elden Ring counts as a JRPG in my opinion. If you look at what constitutes a WRPG since forever, it's basically any action RPG with some menus, equipment and stats. If those are WRPGs, then this is a JRPG.

If you think JRPGs only count if its pixel art, uses a menu, or says Final Fantasy on the box, then you're basically dooming JRPG to just be an old and outdated genre. You have to move with the times. Final Fantasy is also going to be action combat in FFXVI. Is that not a JRPG also? Really think about it. It's obviously changed.
JRPG = Japanese RPG. It doesn't have to be anime or turn based, they're pretty varied actually. Maybe in gaming it's not common the "J" letter before any Japanese thing but in everything else we're clear what it means (J-Music, J-Rock, J-Pop). It just happened that RPGs made in japan had common features once upon a time and some made their minds around it. Some will even say something is not JRPG because they've shat soooo much on anime stuff and JRPGs in general that will fight the simple idea of liking a JRPG lmao
 
  1. Triangle Strategy
  2. Stranger in Paradise
  3. Elden Ring
  4. Pokemon Arceus
Triangle Strategy is the best SRPG ever made in my opinion, and 1st place by a landslide.

I've been playing more Stranger in Paradise the last few days, and it's honestly one of the most underrated games of the year. The combat is phenomenal. Some fights almost surpassed Nioh for me when you're using all the different combos to specifically select elements that certain enemies are weak to, absorbing moves with your parry, class shifting to buff and heal. I always knew it was good, but the more I play of it - it's VERY good.

Elden Ring has an impressively large world, and great art design. Lots of content, lots of cool looking shit. Same combat as I've played for the last 10 years, and very poor balancing. The horse was enjoyable.

Arceus is technically and artistically flawed, but still the best Pokemon game I've ever played. The combat and catching elements are fantastic.

I have Live A Live and Xenoblade 3 pre-ordered, both coming in the next week basically.
Better than final fantasy tactics???
 
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TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Elden Ring counts as a JRPG in my opinion. If you look at what constitutes a WRPG since forever, it's basically any action RPG with some menus, equipment and stats. If those are WRPGs, then this is a JRPG.

If you think JRPGs only count if its pixel art, uses a menu, or says Final Fantasy on the box, then you're basically dooming JRPG to just be an old and outdated genre. You have to move with the times. Final Fantasy is also going to be action combat in FFXVI. Is that not a JRPG also? Really think about it. It's obviously changed.
Gameplay aside, I've always considered being heavily story driven a mandatory thing for JRPGs, which Elden Ring is not.

Same reason why I don't consider Dragon's Dogma a JRPG, even if it has level ups and is party based.

It's kinda subjective I guess. As you said times change and so do game genres and how they are played.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
Yeah, some of these can't be considered JRPGs...

With that said, it seems it's a weak year for JRPGs.
"If I like it and it deviates from other RPGs from Japan it's not, it's probably a master piece and never a JRPG. But if it's a piece of animu weaboo crap then yes, F all JRPG they're for weirdos" LMAO

P.S.: Dark Souls is a JRPG. Pokemon and Super Mario RPG are too.

Gameplay aside, I've always considered being heavily story driven a mandatory thing for JRPGs, which Elden Ring is not.

Same reason why I don't consider Dragon's Dogma a JRPG, even if it has level ups and is party based.

It's kinda subjective I guess. As you said times change and so do game genres and how they are played.
It is not, actually... JRPGs come from Japan, the thing is that by culture many share same features but they're not limiting. Take as example "J-Music" or "J-Rock"... Later same fandom used "K-Pop" as they did with "J-Pop" for Korean pop.

It's not a "shape" definition, it's an origin one. In anime fandom we're pretty used to use that "J-" whatever sometimes to set things coming from Japan to those from everywhere else.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
"If I like it and it deviates from other RPGs from Japan it's not, it's probably a master piece and never a JRPG. But if it's a piece of animu weaboo crap then yes, F all JRPG they're for weirdos" LMAO

P.S.: Dark Souls is a JRPG. Pokemon and Super Mario RPG are too.


It is not, actually... JRPGs come from Japan, the thing is that by culture many share same features but they're not limiting. Take as example "J-Music" or "J-Rock"... Later same fandom used "K-Pop" as they did with "J-Pop" for Korean pop.

It's not a "shape" definition, it's an origin one. In anime fandom we're pretty used to use that "J-" whatever sometimes to set things coming from Japan to those from everywhere else.
I don't agree man. An RPG being made in Japan doesn't mean it's a JRPG, at least in my opinion.
 

mortal

Gold Member
Is this one of those threads where people argue that any game that doesn't have:
A) turn-based combat
and/or
B) an anime art direction
are not JRPGs?

JPRG literally just means Japanese RPG, as in a RPG developed by Japanese game designers. Everything else is superfluous.
 
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JPRG literally just means Japanese RPG, as in a RPG developed by Japanese game designers.
No it doesn't. JRPG is a game genre. The genre of a game is not determined by where the game was made. Quit taking things so literally.

The term originated for games that resembled the types of early RPGs made popular by Japanese games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
 
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mortal

Gold Member
No it doesn't. JRPG is a game genre. The genre of a game is not determined by where the game was made. Quit taking things so literally.

The term originated for games that resembled the types of early RPGs made popular by Japanese games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
Some of the very same games considered to be JRPG have completely different art directions and game designs.
It's not even an actual genre. It's just a moniker.

If modern Final Fantasy games can be considered to be JRPGs, even with their action-based battle systems, then so can Elden Ring and Souls games.
Every time someone tries to make this argument they always cite games that either have turn-based battle systems and/or have anime-inspired art directions.

Also, the entire point of genre categories is to be defining and literal.
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
I don't agree man. An RPG being made in Japan doesn't mean it's a JRPG, at least in my opinion.
It's ok, you have your whole life associating "JRPG" to something but that's just japanese cultural vision on design... I guess it's like when some people think that a AAA game means "quality" and not budget, something have been used enough in some way that the meaning is left to "interpretation"
 

Graciaus

Member
Some of the very same games considered to be JRPG have completely different art directions and game designs.
It's not even an actual genre. It's just a moniker.

If modern Final Fantasy games can be considered to be JRPGs, even with their action-based battle systems, then so can Elden Ring and Souls games.
Every time someone tries to make this argument they always cite games that either have turn-based battle systems and/or have anime-inspired art directions.

Also, the entire point of genre categories is to be defining and literal.
That's why there are subgenres in JRPGs to further define a game. Calling something a JRPG has never been very specific. Just because you liked Ogre Battle doesn't mean you are going to like Star Ocean, Final Fantasy Tactics or Secrets of Mana. They are all different genres.
 

mortal

Gold Member
That's why there are subgenres in JRPGs to further define a game. Calling something a JRPG has never been very specific. Just because you liked Ogre Battle doesn't mean you are going to like Star Ocean, Final Fantasy Tactics or Secrets of Mana. They are all different genres.
The fact that it isn't specific is more or less indicative that it isn't an actual genre.
It's just a moniker much like WRPGs, and there is hardly any contention with western RPGs having that distinction based on region.
Yet for some reason JRPG is all of a sudden this special genre onto itself when it's completely arbitrary based on how people often classify titles.

Funnily enough, all the titles you've cited are either turn-based and/or have anime inspired art directions, despite being different genres. So the only thing that consistently makes sense is regional distinction.
When you look at the actual genre of these game they aren't even classified as JRPG they are classified as their actual genre, such as RPG, action-RPG, MMORPG, tactical RPG/SRPG, etc.
 
The fact that it isn't specific is more or less indicative that it isn't an actual genre.
It's just a moniker much like WRPGs, and there is hardly any contention with western RPGs having that distinction based on region.
Yet for some reason JRPG is all of a sudden this special genre onto itself when it's completely arbitrary based on how people often classify titles.

Funnily enough, all the titles you've cited are either turn-based and/or have anime inspired art directions, despite being different genres. So the only thing that consistently makes sense is regional distinction.
When you look at the actual genre of these game they aren't even classified as JRPG they are classified as their actual genre, such as RPG, action-RPG, MMORPG, tactical RPG/SRPG, etc.
It's not only illogical, but it was a self-defeating mindset back in the early Xbox360 days. Back then it was all about East vs. West. Really easy to shit on East when anytime they advance past SNES style graphics, people act like it's not a JRPG. Anytime they try something modern and new, it doesn't count. But somehow the Witcher and Mass Effect 2 are WRPGs. It's been especially illogical for over 10 years.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
I knew this would become a discussion, I always frown when I see DS or ER being billed JRPG. I don't know, its not what my take on a JRPG is. When I think JRPG, I think Tales of, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean etc. Generally very story driven games. If someone liked DQXI and asks me to recommend another JRPG, I don't think I would come up with Elden Ring as a suggestion. But rather something like Tales of Arise, P5 or Chrono Cross HD or something.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
It's ok, you have your whole life associating "JRPG" to something but that's just japanese cultural vision on design... I guess it's like when some people think that a AAA game means "quality" and not budget, something have been used enough in some way that the meaning is left to "interpretation"
Bro your post is so condescending that I'll just abandon ship and let you believe whatever you like about what a JRPG actually is.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Oh, sorry, didn't mean to... Was actually trying to find a reason even tho it may feel that way
I think it's fine to have different oppinions, but the moment you link my opinion to one that's objectively wrong (AAA games maning on quality and not budget) I lose all drive for discussion.

I still love you tho, so no hard feelings. :)
 
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Nautilus

Banned
To no one's surprise, Elden Ring wins as the best JRPG(so far).

Have to say, I expected more votes for Arceus. Guess there aren't alot of Pokemon fans here?

Either way, I'll be leaving the poll open, but doubt it's going to get much more votes. When 2022 is over, probably in january, I'll do a new poll. By then we'll have more contestants to make things more interesting(Go XC 3 go!)
 
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