J-RPGs - Repeated Patterns

This post most likely is gonna interest the J-RPG lovers, but i just couldnt resist writing about it. One of my passions, conserning video games, is the J-RPG genre (Japanese Role Playing Game). Having played quite a lot of those during the years, i can say with safety that there are some really classic and standard patterns that are being repeated almost deliberately. Some of them has to do clearly with the plot and some of them with the designing process and the gameplay style. More extensively:

1. Main Character - Swordsman

Cloud Strife

Dart

Almost in every  J-RPG the main hero will be a sword expert even if the game is not placed in a medieval-like age. Maybe the technology around him is growing stronger n stronger but he still uses a blade that he can do nearly every stand that a mind can come up with. So we can see Cloud Strife of FF 7 with his massive Buster Sword, Squall Leonhart of FF 7 with his Gunblades, Dart, Ryudo, and Ryu with their blades  and so on...

2. Every hero must form a party 

Breath of Fire 4 party

One of my great expectations when i start playing a new turn-based  J-RPG is to start meeting the new members of the upcoming party so to know their strengths n weaknesses and to find out their role and past. Japanese manufacturer companies surely know how to surprise their gaming audience since almost every character is quite different from the others or is just peculiar or unique in their own way (see Quina - FF 9). One of the advantages of this feature is that the game never loses its interest cos u can always chose a different combination of characters to play with and that means new combat styles, spells and eventually a totally new point of view of the gameplay. It is also a really nice trick cos though we see the story of the main character being unraveled in front of us, we also see the stories of the secondary heroes being twisted with each other's at the same time.

3. Every hero can use only one type of weapon

From the early years of the japanese genre each character could use only one type of weapon and that feature, passed down like a tradition to the games till nowdays. For instance we have Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 who specializes in guns n shotguns, or Shana in Legend of Dragoon who specializes in bows, Spinel (Crimson Gem Saga) in daggers etc.

4. Mysterious/brute-force/low-inteligence character

Kongol - Legend of Dragoon

Almost in every  J-RPG title there must be a least one of the above characters in order to make the contrast usually to the main character. For example, Kongol (Legend of Dragoon) is a kind-hearted giganto with lethal physical strength that none of the rest of the party can match with. He is not so well-known for his brain as he is for his raw strength. The same thing applies for Mareg of Grandia 2. From the other hand Vincent Valentine, Auron and Amarant from the FF series are quite the mysterious type of guys that dont reveal all of their papers but their are with the party to serve their own purposes.

5. Healer/Shaman character

Cecilia - Wild ARMs

Not only in  J-RPGs but in DnD (Dungeons and Dragons) games as well, always there is a healer, shaman, or cleric that provides his comrades with healing and protective spells and always fights from the back row using ranged weapons cos of his physical weakness. Its has become a tradition in gaming, movies or even literature (if it is heroic fantasy) if there is a party being formed along the way, at least one magician/priest/wizard to exist in it. But in  J-RPGs they have something in common. They are ALL women or girls and usually is the character that the main one falls in love with. They all have big-cute-colored-watery manga style eyes. Aeris of FF 7, Garnet of FF 9, Yuna and Lulu of FF 10, Cecilia of Wild ARMs, Shana of Legend of Dragoon, Elena of Grandia 2, Nina of Breath of Fire 4 etc.

6. Main character / main villain = Brothers

Kuja vs. Zidane - FF 9

Each  J-RPG that wants to be a classic has to follow the rules and this one seems quite catchy as it is being used quite frequently simply cos in the final battle the drama grows immensely.  J-RPGs have the ability to absorb the players' minds into their own world and into each character's personality and past, like really not many games can do. You dont just play, you feel for them! So when the ending of the game is near what is more dramatic than putting two men who share the same blood to fight each other?! And trust me japanese people know exactly how to make a dramatic scene like this worth its while!  

7. Each character has his own music theme

The tradition in constructing  J-RPGs, indicates that each character has a distinctive musical piece that defines him. Thats happening just because each character plays an important role in the game's plot and he/she is not there just as a secondary playable character. So whenever something happens and has to do with him most of the times we can hear his/her theme as a background  music. The same thing happens with the different regions throughout the game.

8. 2D J-RPGs nowadays

Atelier Iris - Eternal Mana

Crimson Gem Saga

There are still getting produced nowadays  J-RPGs in total 2D environments and characters even for consoles like PS2, PS3 etc. like they were back in the 90's just because its classic and of course easy and more effortless. Its a tested method know to the public so why should anyone take any risks?

Dont get me wrong! Im a sucker for that kind of similarities in those games. Its what keeping the genre going all those years. Those patterns are its legacy and history. So I just thought that it would worth a while mentioning and listing them. Arigato!