Japanese role-playing games

The “Final Fantasy” series now has many games. In addition to the numerous titles in the main series (15), there are also remakes of the older parts. The games do not tell a coherent story, but always include new characters and game mechanics. Most parts of the series are about a powerful villain that the heroes have to defeat. In 1987, the first “Final Fantasy” saved the Japanese studio Square (now Square Enix) from ruin. The best-known JRPG series is probably “Pokémon”. The main series comprises almost 40 games; there are also spin-off parts such as “Pokémon Stadium”. In the main series, the player takes on the role of a Pokémon trainer who wants to earn all the medals in the region. To do this, he must catch and train wild Pokémon in order to compete with them in arenas. If you encounter wild Pokémon, you have to defeat them with attacks from your own Pokémon. The battle system is turn-based. “Octopath Traveller” also features a turn-based battle system. The focus of the game is on assembling the team, among other things. The art style is an interesting mix of 2D and 3D, which gives the game its own charm. The player can follow various storylines that revolve around individual characters. Voice acting is unusual for a JRPG, but “Octopath Traveller” does this brilliantly for its genre.

The JRPG genre was already establishing itself in the Western market before the turn of the millennium. The games may not offer any major innovations in terms of mechanics, but they can convince with story and art style.

Anyone interested in games should try out a JRPG.