Summary
If historians were to look back and tell a complete story of video games, they would no doubt point to the arrival of computer roleplaying games as a tectonic shift in the timeline. Before the advent of RPGs, video games were exclusively considered toys or novelties. However, with the introduction of statistical complexity, deeper non-playable character interaction, and highly realized simulated worlds, they became windows into other worlds, and Japanese developers had a huge part in driving the innovations that made that possible.
Most early JRPGs primarily used turn-based systems to determine battle outcomes. Computing power has since allowed developers to simulate more lifelike physics as a basis for battle sequences. However, given thefanfare that turn-based games have hadover the last few years, it seems that, rather than representing a technological shortcoming or gap-fill, the format has an appeal all of its own, meaning that these games were not only culturally influential but are still highly playable today.
With all due credit to theShin Megami Tenseiseries (from whichPersonaemerged as a spin-off title), thePersonaseries was instrumental in shaping an interest in RPGs with slice-of-life activities and relatable stories for high school-aged young adults. The first in the series,Revelations: Persona,began as an attempt to bridge the gap betweenShin Megami Tenseititles and more casual console audiences. This gamble paid off, and itbecame an overnight hit.
Persona 3took the series to a new level by breaking into Western markets, bringing theMegami Tenseifranchise to global attention. The modern setting and focus on psychological and occult elements are told through a nuanced and highly persona(lized) character-based narrative, appealing to adults andhigh-school-going young adultsof any background. The series succeeded in bringing the more grounded, personal stories usually found in visual novels to interactive roleplaying games, thanks to a focus on social/life simulation and “social links.”
During the development of the JRPG genre, many studios played safe and continued to output “fighting fantasy” worlds and scenarios. While there are examples of JRPGs taking place in unusual or modern settings,EarthBoundshook players' expectations of what an RPG could be with a stellar script, memorably unusual game mechanics, and a bright, well-realized modern lampooning of contemporary American life (at least one as seen from a Japanese perspective). AlthoughEarthboundwas confined mainly to Japan, it developed a devout cult following overseas.
For a game about a couple of kids getting up to no good, presented with what many North American critics called “childish visuals,“EarthBoundbrought self-aware maturity to the genre along with an often absurd, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Its frankness, willingness to bend conventional rules, and ability to use the medium of video games in a capacity rarely seen before had a profound influence, notably on Japanese audiences butalso on video game studiosacross the world, especially in the indie scene.
Considered by many to be the pinnacle Japanese roleplaying game,Chrono Triggerwas shaped in part by the combined experience of Yuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creators ofDragon QuestandFinal Fantasy, respectively.Chrono Triggerwas a burst of innovation in the JRPG scene. For example, rather than cut away to a battle sequence, fights would take place in the main environments, and freedom of movement left room for a wider scope of tactics.
While many Western RPGs experimented with non-linear gameplay, most JRPGs put players on a defined path, regardless of whether they featured an open-world map.Chrono Triggershook things up by offering branching narrative paths and multiple endings depending on the player’s actions.Chrono Triggeralso popularized the “new game plus,“a feature that is practically standardin most JRPGs (and many non-JRPGs) today.
The earliest Western RPGs were attempts at using computers to simulate worlds seen in tabletop games such asDungeons & Dragons. This hot dice-driven tabletop trend did not catch on in Japan during the 80s, but the early computer RPGs that developed following its emulation in expensive university computers did. Inspired by games likeUltimaandWizardry, the developers at Enix producedDragon Quest, marketed asDragon Warriorin North America. Unlike its inspirations,Dragon Questaspired to be user-friendly, less punishing, technically streamlined, and appealing to newcomers.
The series has remained rooted in this philosophy ever since, with each entry’s world bursting with rich personalities brought to life by the artistry of thelate great Akira Toriyama. It is widely considered one of the great forerunners of the JRPG genre, and its DNA can be felt encoded in just about every Japanese-made roleplaying game since. In terms of influence in Japan, theDragon Questseries would take the top spot, but it was only until the eighth installation that the series gained fame in the rest of the world.
Over its long and illustrious reign, theFinal Fantasyseries has set many trends and put a flame in the hearts of gamers worldwide. Many contenders from the series could take the spot;Final Fantasy 4brought a level of sophistication to storytelling that had been previously unseen, andFinal Fantasy 6elevated the bar for narrative complexity even further. However, in terms of influence both overseas and in Japan, none can match the gravity ofFinal Fantasy 7, which spawned an anthology series of its own and whose characters have become recognizable even to non-gamers.
With one foot in fantasy andanother in cyberpunk dystopia,Final Fantasy 7pioneered 3D graphical capabilities in an emerging artistic space. It injected politics, philosophy, ecology, psychology, and nuanced storytelling into mainstream video game discourse and birthed some of the most iconic characters in fiction, period. The series and story have continued to evolve since its release in 1997, thanks to theRemaketrilogy. As ofFinal Fantasy 16, the series has since turned away from the turn-based format, but it may still make a return someday.
When GameFreak pitched their idea for a monster collecting game to Nintendo, the suits weren’t exactly sure what to make of it all. After taking a risk and publishing the game anyway,Pokemon Red & Blue(Red & Greenin Japan)became the flash point for one of the mostculturally significant and profitable propertieson the planet, spawning TV shows, movies, countless spin-offs, card games, and not to mention a billion-dollar merchandising bonanza, gaining fame (and, in some cases, infamy) across both the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
Rather than fighting with swords or magic, players take control of trainers who would throw collectible monster characters into the ring. The turn-based battles are, on the face of it, simplistic and easy to pick up, but there is just enough room for nuance, especially when playing against other players. This, plus the gentle difficulty curve, the social aspect of training and trading, and the portable capacity of the Game Boy, madePokemona cultural touchstone that still captivates players of all ages.
