The term Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG) may seem innocuous at first glance but carries with it a certain amount of baggage. On paper, a JRPG refers to any RPG that exhibits qualities traditionally associated with iconic Japanese game series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Larger-than-life art styles and bombastic high-drama are the norm in these games alongside set-piece boss fights and complex battle systems.
Unfortunately, this term is also something of a double-edged sword. It allows critics to frame role-playing games developed in Japan as separate from ‘Western’ RPGs - caught in their own bubble and cut off from the wider video game ecosystem.
