You can put a J in front of it, but FFXIII isn't an RPG

[Phoenix Goddess]

In Bioware games, you spend most of the time backtracking/doing useless uninteresting quests and stuff

In Squenix (especially FF XIII) it's nearly non stop action with (not always) interesting sidequests after the story

Just my 2 cents

Because Metroid and Castlevania have proven that backtracking is terrible.

And seriously, it's not like I have ADD, I can deal with a game that isn't BAM POW BOOM POW every second. I want something that gives me more insight into the characters and how they affect you. If you really need action every single second to enjoy a game then you're truly not getting what a good game is.

And for the record, the quests in Mass Effect and other BioWare games are interesting, and when morality plays a part, it really makes a difference.

I agree with you completely. Not to mention, in DAO, if you're not satisfied with how nice a character is, you can change them (In particular Alistair and Leliana) and if you don't like a character, you can tell them to leave!

Know how many times I wanted to tell Snow and a few others to leave -_-

 

[Jaems]

In the classic sense, JRPGs are more "RPG" than most western RPGs. Assuming the concept of "RPG" is rooted in the table-top genre (dungeons and dragons), than Final Fantasy is a faithful escalation of the genre. Isn't every command just a strategic choice followed by an unseen dice roll? Make a decision based on circumstance, roll, chance of critical, chance of miss.

As of late, western RPG > JRPG. But this guy is talking out of his ass.

You can see it that way.

But most BioWare games have been based on Dungeons & Dragons rules and the whole create-your-hero/choices thing.

 

[Lily]

If he wants to knock FF13 I've got no problem with that -- it's the penultimate degeneration of what the modern JRPG has become. All flash, no substance, very little input from the user. He's right to criticize it as long as he does it for the right reasons. Putting a "J" in front of "RPG" simply lets the end-user know what type of experience to expect. Implying that somehow the "W" RPG that Bioware has a hard-on for is better than everything else is outrageous. Bioware games can be just as lifeless as the very game he criticizes, and for many of the exact same reasons.

A role playing game in the most general sense is defined as: "A type of game, played either with pencil and paper, on a computer, or through another medium, in which the player(s) assume the role of a character. Gameplay is usually determined in part by statistics attached to each character and frequently influenced by a character class." Buddy from Bioware needs to stop drinking the kool-aid.

 

[Daizu]

FFXIII plays and feels like an RPG (Though not a very good one, FFXIII is one of the worst in the series in my opinion but it's still an RPG). Dunno what BioWare's talking about. BioWare used to be one of my favorite company's, but after that little comment, my respect for them has dropped considerably. Simply making a character and saying he's you isn't what an RPG is about.