Final Fantasy 14 is living proof that ‘JRPG’ is an outdated term
Finding fantasy
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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 likeFinal FantasyandDragon 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.
However, the DNA ofFinal Fantasy 14- one of the biggest andbest MMOsout there - suggests that this divide is something of an illusion. Though the spikey hair and large swords ofFinal Fantasymay look at odds with the grit of Western RPGs, scratch the surface and you’ll see that they share common roots and influences.Speaking at a press conference at theFinal Fantasy 14London Fan Festival, the MMO’s director Naoki Yoshida made clear, in no uncertain terms, that he drew a great deal of personal inspiration from ‘Western’ video games.
The term ‘JRPG’ is something of a double-edged sword
“I’m a hugeBlizzardfan”, stated Yoshida, when asked about his dream crossover. Also, the producer ofFinal Fantasy 16, Yoshida introduced himself as “a fan of games from all over the world” and how this was a motivating force when it came to building “crossovers with other franchises.” Though he took the time to elaborate on how he’d love aDiablo 4crossover forFinal Fantasy 14, what’s noteworthy is how the veteran developer spoke of how such a thing would “generate more hype and excitement for the overall industry.” It’s clear that Yoshida seesFinal Fantasy 14as part of the global tapestry of video games, contrary to the idea of JRPGs as niche or aloof.
A world unsundered
Yoshida has previously made his distaste for the term ‘JRPG’ clear. “When this term first appeared 15 years ago… it was like a discriminatory term […] as though we were being made fun of for making these games” (via PushSquare). To many, the term remains othering, casting Japanese-made RPGs as part of an out-group. This is where the phrase gets itshistorical baggage.
At the Fan Fest press conference, Yoshida spoke about how he was a “die-hard Xbox gamer” and how “delivering the game to many more fans” on Xbox was a “dream that [he’d] had for a long time.” When asked who was the happiest about this development, he wryly replied: “Me and [CEO ofMicrosoftStudios, and head of the Xbox brand] Phil Spencer.”
By speaking in these global terms, it’s clear that the director wished to break down perceived cultural boundaries and haveFinal Fantasybe as international in its ambitions as Microsoft and Xbox.
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During that same press conference, Yoshida also spoke fondly of 90s MMORPGUltima Online. “When I played it, it really shocked me. Back in the early stages ofUltima Online, there was a sense of chaos, but also a sense of freedom. I would like to create something close to that sense, but… if you were to create that kind of MMO now, it probably wouldn’t sell.”
The works of Garriott and Origin Systems were formative for Japanese developers
For those not in the know,Ultima Onlineis a seminal MMO from Origin Systems released back in 1997 and was produced by renowned developer Richard Garriott. As inspirations go,Ultima Onlineis firmly rooted in what some would call the ‘Western’ tradition of MMORPGs.MMORPG.comcreditsUltima Onlinewith the “core ideas and concepts that have driven the MMO genre for 21 straight years.”
What’s crucial here is that Yoshida and his contemporaries were playing these games during the early days of their release. The works of Garriott and Origin Systems were formative for Japanese developers, as were the works of Japanese game design legends like Hironobu Sakaguchi or Yuji Horii, the fathers ofFinal FantasyandDragon Questrespectively.
Bursting the bubble
Yoshida’s remarks in regards to Xbox,Diablo 4,andUltima OnlineaboutFinal Fantasy 14hint at a common history for ‘Japanese’ and ‘Western’ RPGs which, when explored, shows us exactly how flimsy this perceived divide has always been.
Hironobu Sakaguchi himself, the guest of honor atFinal Fantasy 14’s London Fan Fest, drew heavily fromDungeons & Dragons (D&D)when creatingFinal Fantasy. It’s also well known that theFinal Fantasyseries itself was inspired by what Sakaguchi called the “genius” ofYuji Horii’sDragon Questgames. However, both series looked toD&D’s earlier editions as well, rooting their turn-based mechanics firmly within the satisfying chance-based arithmetic of Gary Gygax’s influential pen-and-paper RPG.
Hironobu Sakaguchi drew heavily from Dungeons & Dragons when creating Final Fantasy
Speaking with Forbesback in 2018, the creator ofDragon Quest,Yuji Horii, spoke about how his first games were intended to take care of the “nasty little chores” that pen and paper RPGs demanded of their players “such as working out all the other monster parameters and behavior and things like that. There were a lot of advantages to be had by letting a computer handle all of that for you.”
Inspired as it was byDragon Quest, the earlyFinal Fantasygames were so stylistically and mechanically similar toD&Dthat assets in the originalFinal Fantasyhad to be changed to avoid lawsuits (via TheGamer). The title also embracedAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons’ idea of class specializations, allowing warriors to become knights, monks to become masters, and mages to become wizards.
Final Fantasy 14contains the essence of every game that influenced the originalFinal Fantasyand all of its sequels. The MMO is, as Yoshida said at the press conference, a “theme park of sorts for theFinal Fantasyfranchise.” Sakaguchi, Gariott, and Gygax are all contained within, their works embedded into the structure of the MMO’s various ‘rides.’ EvenFinal Fantasy 14’s class system borrows fromFinal FantasyandD&D’s shared class design, with all of the game’s original high-level jobs being a refined version of a basic ‘class’ that allows you to unlock them.
Final Fantasy 14isn’t a global game because of itsambitious crossover eventsor Xbox distribution deals, it’s a global game because the design fundamentals honed by Yoshida and his predecessors exist within the same melting pot as most other RPGs.
Yes, there may be aesthetic differences, butFinal Fantasy 14is no less dedicated to taking care of those “nasty little chores” than the likes ofBaldur’s Gate 3. All of these games exist as part of the same continuum. Any talk of an arbitrary divide between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ RPGs misses the shared heritage and decades of cross-pollination that have helped form these titles.
Want more great narrative-driven titles? Check out our lists of thebest story gamesandbest single-player games.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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