WRPGs versus JRPGs, or: My mis-adventures in KOTOR

[Scoobes]

Alphachris said:

Scoobes said:

Anyway, we agree that the most important factor of a JRPG is story and characters but we disagree as to how a game tells that story. Final Fantasy XIII for instance, for me, was just too reliant on cut scenes with little to expand on the storyline beyond them (other then the datalog which is a chore to read). If you don't enjoy the way the story is told in those cut scenes (as was the case with me for large chuncks of the game) then the enjoyment of the story is damaged. With little else

I know JRPGs have little room for story influence, but most have places to explore and mini quests/easter egg moments to expand on the mythology. Some can even help to further expand the background of certain characters. In FFVII for instance, there are a few moments where you can have mini-flashbacks that are completely optional but give a good amount of back story.

Take a look at these two videos and tell me if you see what they were doing:

Final Fantasy XIII - Intro/Train Scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRAGlaJ3X3w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZAJz6W0dxM&feature=related

 

Final Fantasy used not only Mythology, they used our own history to make us think about the impacts of some historic events. Final Fantasy X used the Theme of self-sacrificing for the good of all and the consequences of blind belief (which is a complex moral topic, given the acts of terrorism we had to witness). Final Fantasy XII used Nabudis to make us think about the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Final Fantasy XIII should make us think about the Nazi Regime in Germany and the effects of Propaganda. Square managed to tel a story about these heavy topics without pathos. Thery were dealing these topics very sensible. The Japanese are truly masters of Storytelling. Their stories are not always loud and straightforward. They are discrete and want you to make you think for yourself about ethical issues. Final Fantasy XIII was one of the best stories on the whole PS3 if you take the time trying to understand what they want to tell you.

Take this scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KidNeJuoLa0

 

Simply brilliant. Snow and Hope are saving the civilians from the Purge: They were sentenced to death. But as they see the stigma (a symbol like the "Judenstern") they fight against their saviors and even called for the military (the ones, who were leading them into the Purge train)... That is how strong the Propaganda is working. This is truly deep and mature storytelling. Maturity with the topic, not maturity by depicting violence, blood and gore.

You want backstory to immerse yourself? Have you ever thought about the life of normal people of the Third Reich while you were playing Final Fantasy XIII? Maybe you will change your mind about this game if you think about it.

I think you missed my point a little. My comment was on the way the story is told. First and foremost, Final Fantasy is a video game and it should use the advantages of the medium to convey the story. It doesn't matter that they tried to convey a deep story based on our history if they're simply copying the medium of film. Games have many tools and methods at their disposal to convey story and the themes you described above. Whilst JRPGs are known for cut scenes, they often also incorporate other elements (side quests, NPC character interaction, exploration) to enrich the story.

I suppose a good example would be to compare The Walking Dead TV show with the game. Both are critically acclaimed and present different stories, but both play to the strengths of their medium. The TV show uses quality acting and cinematography to great effect whilst the game plays to the strengths of the interactive medium by allowing the player to make key decisions on how to interact and influence other characters.

You also make it sound like these themes and methods are exclusive to JRPGs when plenty of video games even outside the RPG genre have dealt with major issues without resorting to copying the film industry. Half-Life 2 also uses our own history to create a dystopian world filled with propaganda but is all presented with you in complete control of your actions. The story is conveyed through your experience with the world and characters rather than film. Deus Ex Human Revolution intellectually poses questions regarding the ethics of transhumanism and the role and power of multinational corporations in globalization, yet it doesn't rely on cut-scenes to present these arguments. Witcher, Dragon Age and Mass Effect all raise questions concerning racism and prejudice but present it in ways that you can influence and actively makes you think about these issues. This is especially true with Witcher where the morality of these issues isn't always as straightforward as presented in many Final Fantasy games.

The themes presented in FFXIII aren't anything particularly special and the way they're presented mean those themes are often lost in passive dialogue. Many films and games cover similar themes and many of those games have engaged me more then FFXIII.