Is there anyone else here who prefers Japanese video games over American ones?

[The Drunkard Kid]

Generally speaking, I like Fighting Games, RPGs, Visual Novels, and Action/Adventure games. Tons of bonus points are issued for good stories, interesting mechanics, and a neat aesthetic.

Due to this, I generally prefer Japanese games, but the West does seem to be upping its quality in recent years with things like the Arkham games, Injustice and a bunch of neat indie titles to go along with some of the better classics from this side of the international dateline like the Ultima series. And I am also big on Point and Click Adventures, and I can't think of anything quite like King's Quest out Grim Fandango from Japan, off the top of my head (though I'd be interested to hear of them).

Edit:Mmaaaybe Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney are kinda sorta that kimd pf game, if you squint.

[The Drunkard Kid]

You screwing up. What your seeing are niche games for a now niche handheld. Even the Vita has it's share of the diverse Japanese titles. I like how you fail to mention all the hunting games on it.

Yeah, for every Criminal Girls type of game, there's probably at least 2 games like Soul Sacrifice, Toukiden, Sword Art Online, Ragnarok, Freedom Wars, etc... Heck, in the case of SS, Toukiden, SAO and Ragnarok, that's literally the case.

And that's not taking into account stuff like Persona 4G, FFX/2 HD, Tales of Hearts R, Dragon's Crown, Muramasa Rebirth, Ys:MoC, Mind/Zero, Borderlands 2, Oreshika, etc...

[Xero Kaiser]

But the west gave us Dragon Age 2 and Heavenly Sword.

I see your DA2 and HS and raise (lower?) you Ninja Gaiden 3 and Final Fantasy 13.

It's not nostalgia, most games are worse now than before, especially when we're talking about these big modern games coming out of the west. Games aren't getting more complex...not when it comes to the actual game part. Yeah, they're lots of complex graphical stuff, but FPSers have been getting dumber with simpler stages for years now. As a whole they're probably less engaging too. I'm guessing you mean they're engaging because of their stories or something, but video games are about the game part. I don't care about seeing some developers crappy movie, if I want a traditional narrative I'll go to a media that does that far better; like books and movies. Im not going to suffer through some terrible stealth game that's at best an average third person shooter so I can watch it's majestic zombie story that full of hamfisted graffiti narrative bits like some kind of half-assed Left4Dead or Portal.

FPS games have definitely taken (many) steps back. At least the AAA ones. Same with RPGs. If you want something with some actual meat on it, you have to look for the games from the smaller studios. You look at what games like Terraria, Wasteland 2, Divinity: Original Sin and Pillars of Eternity do with a fraction of a fraction of the budget that Bioware has to work with and I just can't wrap my head around it. That's not to say that everything new sucks but much has been lost in this incessant drive to create a, "cinematic" experience. I just don't agree with this being a problem exclusive to the West. JPRGs were the first to fall to this mentality. No exploration, no character building, linear as hell with crazy-long cutscenes all over the place.

But if you haven't already you should check out Shadow Warrior. Probably the best modern FPS game since the original Painkiller.

[simbob4000]

I see your DA2 and HS and raise (lower?) you Ninja Gaiden 3 and Final Fantasy 13.

Those are bad, but they aren't as bad as the crap I named. Heavenly Sword makes Ninja Gaiden 3 looks like a Itagaki Ninja Gaiden game. Final Fantasy 13 sucks, but it's got better gameplay than DA2, and it sure as hell doesn't look as bad.

[Xero Kaiser]

Those are bad, but they aren't as bad as the crap I named. Heavenly Sword makes Ninja Gaiden 3 looks like a Itagaki Ninja Gaiden game. Final Fantasy 13 sucks, but it's got better gameplay than DA2, and it sure as hell doesn't look as bad.

FF13's gameplay was so braindead that it basically played itself 90% of the time. And it's the poster-child for the cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway-> "level design" that plagues so many modern games. It was pretty though, I'll give it that.

Don't get me started on NG3, I'll be here all day.

[The Drunkard Kid]

For Heavenly Blade/God of War, there's Bayonetta/Devil May Cry/Asura's Wrath/Etc... AW doesn't have the best mechanics, but in terms of story, characters, and grandeur it is excellent. For JRPGs with gameplay, I'd recommend stuff like the Grandia, Star Ocean, and the Tales Series. Not to mention things like Demon's/Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma.

Honestly, my biggest problem with Western games is that they try to stick with a realistic aesthetic which tends to chain them down. The Indie scene is still pretty strong, though.

[The Drunkard Kid]

Although it's single player and has 3rd person brawler elements to it, I'd say that Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is a pretty creative Western FPS. The Unfinished swan technically would be an FPS, too.

Would The Elder Scrolls count as an optional FPS (at least in the same sense that Ultima Underworld and Hexen could count as FPSes)?

Great, now I want an Ultima Underworld remake, possibly for the Vita.

[simbob4000]

FF13's gameplay was so braindead that it basically played itself 90% of the time. And it's the poster-child for the cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway->cutscene->hallway-> "level design" that plagues so many modern games. It was pretty though, I'll give it that.

Don't get me started on NG3, I'll be here all day.

I didn't say it's good, I said they're still not as bad. You named two bad games, they just both happen to still be better than Dragon Age 2 and Heavenly Sword. At least FF13 had different hallways, Dragon Age 2 has the same hallway over and over again, and it wasn't pretty to look at.

[simbob4000]

Although it's single player and has 3rd person brawler elements to it, I'd say that Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is a pretty creative Western FPS. The Unfinished swan technically would be an FPS, too.

Would The Elder Scrolls count as an optional FPS (at least in the same sense that Ultima Underworld and Hexen could count as FPSes)?

Great, now I want an Ultima Underworld remake, possibly for the Vita.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is pretty great, but it's also from the original Xbox generation. I can think of a number of good and interesting western developed games from then, the problem is that was a while ago now.

Yes, Elder Scrolls, at least starting with Oblivion, (when they dropped the invisible dice roll system) and especially moving into Skyrim, is a FPS. The thing is their games have terrible gameplay. Bethesda has shockingly not learned anything from anyone who's done first person combat better. Or first person archery. Or first person stealth.

[Immortal Weapon]

But if you haven't already you should check out Shadow Warrior. Probably the best modern FPS game since the original Painkiller.

I've been playing the new Wolfenstein and it's pretty awesome. Sucks it has linear level design but it's gunplay is on point.

[Xero Kaiser]

I've been playing the new Wolfenstein and it's pretty awesome. Sucks it has linear level design but it's gunplay is on point.

Wolfenstein was really good too. And I like FarCry 3 and 4. It's not all bad with modern FPS games, but if you're looking for a throwback to 90's FPS games, I can't think of a better game than Shadow Warrior. Although, I hear Toxikk is supposedly to be pretty good.

[simbob4000]

Wolfenstein was really good too. And I like FarCry 3 and 4. It's not all bad with modern FPS games, but if you're looking for a throwback to 90's FPS games, I can't think of a better game than Shadow Warrior. Although, I hear Toxikk is supposedly to be pretty good.

More the Serious Sam games, and the first Painkiller?

[Immortal Weapon]

Wolfenstein was really good too. And I like FarCry 3 and 4. It's not all bad with modern FPS games, but if you're looking for a throwback to 90's FPS games, I can't think of a better game than Shadow Warrior. Although, I hear Toxikk is supposedly to be pretty good.

How was the Rise of the Triad remake? I hear that's a true throwback to 90s FPS. Level design and all.

[Xero Kaiser]

More the Serious Sam games, and the first Painkiller?

Not gonna lie, I forgot about Serious Sam when I typed that. But I thought the enemies were more interesting to fight in Shadow Warrior and I really like what they did with the melee combat and the spells. Not sure I'd put SW over the first Painkiller though, that's a hard one to beat. Damn shame that the remake ended up being crap.

How was the Rise of the Triad remake? I hear that's a true throwback to 90s FPS. Level design and all.

I somehow managed to miss that game entirely 0_o

I'm about to fix that.