When it comes to Japanese RPGs, development studios like to play with clichés, both to the delight and chagrin of fans. From the protagonist’s mysterious memory loss to the everyday life of a high school student to invincible bosses who actually just want to buy time: there is many different clichés, which always find their way into role-playing games anew. And they also like to separate the ghosts.
What some can’t get enough of, others can no longer see. It is well known that tastes differ and ensure that every title finds its fans. But no matter how different they may be, all clichés have one thing in common: They are typical of JRPGs and just belong. There are often parallels to anime that draw on similar clichés. If you travel a lot in the genre, you have probably noticed that some aspects come up again and again. You might even find some of them in your favorite games. Let’s start with clichés 1 to 3!
1. Amnesia: What was that again?
A handy way to establish a character’s backstory that isn’t revealed until later in the game is amnesia. The developers are sometimes more, sometimes less obvious and drop hints about the character’s past early on. An example of this is the protagonist Alphen from Tales of Arise (buy now ), who can’t remember anything that happened before he woke up on the planet Dhana. He also has no idea why he wears an iron mask.
Of the memory loss does not necessarily have to be established at the beginning, but can also be used in the middle of the game as a narrative tool. The dropouts make for an incomplete narrative, especially when the person concerned is the protagonist from whose perspective you are being told the action.
Nevertheless, it is quite striking how many of the heroes, who are actually in top form and full of energy, suddenly suffer from a bad memory. Is there a higher power at play haunting our loved ones? Perhaps they should make sure to get more vitamin B12 to strengthen their mind as well as their bodies. This will definitely help in the fight against the final bosses, which we will talk about later.
2. Sounds of Silence: Mute protagonists
If you’re starting a new JRPG, chances are the main character won’t be talking – at least aside from intermittent exclamations of “Hiyah!” that Link especially makes The Legend of Zelda coined. The whole thing should serve to make you feel closer to the protagonist and to determine his character to a certain extent. This works primarily through selectable dialogue options that have different consequences and give you the chance to get involved in the game yourself.
Or you don’t want exactly that and instead train as rebellious a character as possible. Joker from Persona 5 in particular has some snappy sayings in store that would certainly get him into trouble in real life. Especially quiet are, on the other hand, their own trainers in the Pokémon games – but wait a minute, nobody’s talking anyway. The protagonist out Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Also communicates exclusively through facial expressions and gestures, but his Felyne buddy Navirou can’t stop talking.
Games like Scarlet Nexus or Nier Automata. Despite this, it is used often enough and is one of the clichés that fans dislike the most. A connection to the character can be created all the better, the more you notice his authentic nature.
3. As in anime: tsundere protagonists
Typical JRPG: You will encounter these 15 tropes in almost every Japanese role-playing game (2)
Source: Bandai Namco
It is not surprising that Japanese games are heavily influenced by anime and manga. Accordingly, it is not surprising that you regularly visit one so-called tsundere will meet.
These are characters who act particularly bitchy, but actually aren’t. For example, they are extremely likable in the presence of other characters they are interested in; or they try to hide their true feelings behind this uncomfortable shell.
It already speaks volumes that there is even a term for it in Japanese pop culture. You can basically fire up any JRPG and you’ll quickly encounter such a character. Often they are even the protagonists themselvesthat carry these traits: Shionne from Tales of Arise, Kasane from Scarlet Nexus, Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 … the list is almost endless. But let’s be honest, regardless of whether it’s a game or an anime: don’t we love the characters precisely because that’s how they are?
Let’s continue on page 2 with clichés 4 to 6!
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