By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Stats87 on 13 March 2010
Edit Thread
CaptainPrice said:
Khuutra said:
CaptainPrice said:

Most posters are dismissing the idea that JRPG are in decline, but it's hard to argue that this has been a good generation for them. I think FFXIII is the best reviewed JRPG this generation (PS3/X360 anyway - I don't pay attention to Wii or handhelds) and it's only at 83 on metacritic. So there's half a dozen or so WRPGs ON CONSOLE that have better metascores than the best JRPG. A genre can only survive on past glories for so long.

Metascores rarely translate directly into success or failure this gen.

That's largely true for individual games, but when you're talking about a whole genre getting mediocre reviews there's bound to be some effect. Apart from anything else, potential newcomers are less likely to try a genre if there are no stand out titles. FFXIII is hardly going to hook new gamers like FFVII did, and it's the best the genre's got. (By the way, I forgot that Valkyria Chronicles and Demon's Souls have metascores in the high 80s, but they're pretty unusual JRPGs - one is basically a turn-based strategy game, the other a super-hard WRPG-alike. Games like that could never really have the wide appeal of a FF.)

I think review scores are lower because the expecations of the average reviewer has changed. Most of the RPG's that have come out have stuck to the formula and haven't deviated much from prior games in the franchse or genre. Those like myself find ourselves disagreeing with reviewers a lot because games like Lost Odyssey are giving us what we want. Whereas it seems more and more critics want games like Oblivion and Mass Effect.

Also, Demon's Souls is the best reviewed RPG from Japan and Valkyria Chronicles is the 2nd best when it comes to 360/PS3. Which fits into what I just said, as these two games are probably the most unique of the bunch.