Western & Japanese RPGs

 http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/western-japanese-rpgs-part-3
Please watch the series in the Link above before reading my thoughts below. 

Wow this series started off with a bang, I thought they were going to play it equal and show some real truth. But slowly it started to add in concepts that I don't follow. Starting with Abnegation. I don't know the last time I played an RPG, Western or Japanese, when I wanted to turn my brain off. Sure, I play these games to release stress, but if I'm so stressed after work that I need to turn my brain off. The last thing I want to do is play a game and screw up on a boss / dungeon ect because my brain is off.  Second there is the "Menus based combat" argument. Sure in the 80s and early 90s it might not have been as engaging as action or shooting games, but it gave a lot more options to your combat than those games had. Also now it boils down to more strategy. I don't want to say that JRPG gamers (or RPG gamers in general) are more intelligent than other gamers.  But it does take quit a bit more thought and time to decide what you want to do within a menus as you plan your moves/equip items/ ect than it does to mash buttons (no offense to the tales games). Though I agree that many JRPGs have fallen short because they are aiming (IMO) Moe crap or overly cinematic stories with no actual substance or deep and provocative story telling. But when they claim that "DQIX" and Dark Souls are games that should be "given money" for I cringe. Those games are more Western based in much of their execution than other games. Their stories are almost non-existent, which is the opposite of why I play many JRPGs, and the opposite of why this show says JRPG were superiors. Aren't there plenty of games (many of them overlooked) that have great stories that weren't mentioned and aren't "WRPG" styled/inspired?  Games that come to mind are Radiant Historia, Nier, Shin Megami strange Journey, Resonance of Fate, ect. These are "newer" JRPGs that have a solid and deep story, why not give them some money?  Long story short, this started off awesome but ended up missing the mark completely. At least in my opinion.

Its Dangerous To Go Alone....

I have been playing some Dragon Age Origins lately and thoroughly enjoying myself. That was until yesterday when I got lost, then I made a few arbitrary decisions that equaled to absolutely no changed. Then I wondered around a bit. However, I still had fun, I actually found myself starting to wonder if I might like WRPGs again, just a bit more....Then I saw my brother play the new Elderscrolls game Skyrim...and it.nailed exactly why I can't play most western RPGs aside from a few Bioware games. No direction. Sure it's a sandbox, filled with turds, used needles and condoms...but did we mention you can do almost anything and go almost anywhere? Cool huh?  ( I look to the old man and he says "Its Dangerous to go alone take this" handing me an anti-WRPG vaccine.)

PS I still love Dragon Age so far.