Summary
Hype can either make or break a title, with some games doing a great job of capitalizing on this interest to let players enjoy one of the greatest video games ever made. However, the inverse is true if a game fails to live up to its lofty promises and alienates many fans.
The JRPG genre is no exception here, with the recent resurgence of this genre making it clear why fans anticipate these Japanese role-playing games to wow them if the marketing is executed to a T. Unfortunately, some JRPGs fail to deliver in this department and end up being disappointing, as a result.
Final Fantasy 15is a video game that went through development hell, being rebranded and reworked numerous times before finally releasing a decade after its announcement. For a game that was in the works for so long, it isn’t great to see an incomplete story, puzzling design decisions, anda combat system that provides little to no challenge whatsoever.
However, that’s not to say thatFinal Fantasy 15is a bad game, just one that suffered many problems during its development and would never live up to the hype that built up after ten years for one of the most historied JRPG franchises of all time. The game’s beautiful open world, detailed animations, and interesting story made it clear that this game got a ton of things right too, but stumbled in other departments.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witchis the perfect title for Studio Ghibli fans who want to check out a playable story with the same charm and light-hearted tone. Fans expected the same from the sequel, butRevenant Kingdomhad other plans.
While the art style was retained, the tone of the story was all over the place and failed to capture the charm of the first game. Combat was a major improvement that fans appreciated, but not at the cost of the game’s narrative qualities and a kingdom management system that felt like an afterthought.
The firstXenoblade Chroniclesgame andXenoblade Chronicles Xmade a strong impression for a series that would become a mainstay on Nintendo consoles ever since. Fans expected the same fromXenoblade Chronicles 2, but a wealth of issues prevented this game from reaching the heights of the previous games.
For starters, the game was loaded with too many tutorials that prevented players fromenjoying the strengths of the combat systemuntil they’d clocked in more than fifteen hours. This, coupled with a narrative that was nowhere near as ironclad as previous games in the series, led toXenoblade Chronicles 2being a game that was a good JRPG, but an averageXenobladegame.
If there’s one thing fans remember aboutFinal Fantasy 13, it’s the incessant focus on linear corridors with little to no room for meaningful exploration. The battle system was also far from engaging, with the game promoting cinematic flair over combat mechanics that gave players more control.
It takes way too long for the game to stop tutorializing everything and let players explore an open zone, and it’s too late by that point. Despite having its high points,Final Fantasy 13deserves the moniker of being a mainline title in the series that failed to live up to this franchise’s lofty standards.
Chrono Triggeris one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, and it’s a given that any game trying to elicit the same charm as this title would be hyped to the moon and back. This is whyI Am Setsunawas so interesting for JRPG veterans, but the launch of this game was underwhelming at best.
The story emulatedFinal Fantasy 10’s narrative structure, preventing it from feeling unique. Still, the combat employs tried-and-tested mechanics that are fun to interact with andthe world is charming enoughto keep players engaged for its decent runtime.I Am Setsunais a good JRPG in its own right but pales in comparison to the game that inspired it.
Fans were salivating fora new mainlineKingdom Heartsgameafter the second title established itself as one of the best titles on the PS2. Spinoffs, sidequels, and other such games existed, butKingdom Hearts 3is the game people were waiting for with bated breath.
Unfortunately,Kingdom Hearts 3buckled under the weight of all this hype, featuring a narrative that felt more convenient than satisfying. The changes made to combat split fans down the middle too — some players loved the cinematic flair of the combat, while others missed the challenge and control present in the combat system of previous games.
Octopath Traveleris a game that wowed many fans with its HD-2D visuals. The graphics andgameplay were universally laudedupon its launch, but fans expecting a cohesive narrative were left disappointed.
The individual stories of each adventurer felt isolated, with the party barely interacting with each other barring some Travel Banter that felt rather forced. To make things worse, the game hides its true ending behind a series of sidequests coupled with a superboss that is ridiculously hard and warrants a perfect playthrough for the heroes to attain victory, which can be too frustrating for casual JRPG fans.
Final Fantasy 8is the quintessential example of a JRPG that was a victim of its hype. It follows the coattails of one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, making it clear that the eighth mainline entry had some big shoes to fill.
The Junction system, while innovative, was brokenand promoted grinding. It didn’t help that the narrative had some hamfisted moments, but the beautiful visuals ofFinal Fantasy 8that were ahead of its time ensured that this game would occupy a soft spot in the hearts of some fans despite others treating it as the black sheep of the series.
