Final Fantasy XIII is a Japanese-made game. It is also a role-playing-game. Yet, don’t tell FFXIII producer Yoshinori Kitase that it’s a JRPG — he’ll set you straight!
“There’s a trend these days to strictly categorise games as western RPGs or Japanese RPGs, but Final Fantasy is something that we don’t try to categorise as either/or,” Kitase told news outlet EDGE. Understandable that the man doesn’t want his game pigeonholed; however, it is Final Fantasy — a game for many that epitomises JRPG.
“For us,” Kitase added, “the game straddles genre.” But what about for us?!
Square: Final Fantasy XIII not J-RPG [CVG via Final Fantasy-XIII.net]
Mr Waffle
May 7, 2009 at 1:05 PM
So will it not feature 12 year old heroes saving the world by walking back and forth in a dungeon for 10 hours levelling up? Somehow I doubt that…
Report PermalinkCat Tactics
May 7, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Mate, I’ve seen the demo footage and the game definately plays like a JRPG.
Report PermalinkK RAD
May 7, 2009 at 2:11 PM
@ Cat Tactics
Have to agree. I’ve played the demo and this thing is the very definition of JRPG. It seems cool and like it’s doing something new. But a JRPG all the way.
Report PermalinkRambler
May 7, 2009 at 3:57 PM
IMO dont know if i am entirely correct but, in japan the term rpg doesnt really mean role playing game, it just means rpg. I think this is where english speaking countries has literalised the meaning of ‘rpg’ too much and allowed action-adventure games, shooter-adventure and the like to be labelled in the same genre. eg. Fable, Baldurs Gate, Fallout, Zelda, Bioshiock???. I think he is confused as to what he is arguing against.
Report PermalinkDrWadsy
May 8, 2009 at 8:26 AM
I think the significant part of JRPG is`the J.
JRPG’s have certain features (typically epic story, androgenous teenage heroes (often with amazing hair), turn-based combat, story controlled by the characters not the player (eg in TWEWY you have to solve a simple math puzzle to work out where to go, and you can’t just go there you have to run into a couple of places to get the main character to work it out first). There are many others.
While this may not be a real ‘RPG’ it certainly looks like it’s got the J down-pat. Not that that’s necessarilly bad, as mentioned above FF is basically the incarnation of JPG, and it’s one of the most recognised game brands in the world…
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