Eastern RPG

"[Hironobu] Sakaguchi and [Akitoshi] Kawazu are living representations of the Japanese RPG's Yin and Yang. Sakaguchi relishes telling stories and designing worlds, while Kawazu lives to subject players to grinding, guesswork, and arbitrary chance. Sakaguchi wants to make a game that keeps you up at night; his aim is to compel to decide that you'd rather be deprived of rest than have to wait until you return from school or work the next day to find out what happens next, discover where the path leads, and unravel the next knot of the mystery. Kawazu wants his games to make you throw down the controller in a rage, shut the game off, go to sleep angry, and come home the next afternoon to give it another go like a black-eyed housewife convinced she can make it work this time."

- Pat R., The Rise and Fall of Final Fantasy

The term "Eastern RPG" can be used in two different ways:

A Role Playing Game developed in East Asia, specifically Japan.

Or a Role Playing Game following a style popularized by Japanese console developers, which can be differentiated from Western RPGs by having several or more of the following features:


 * Created in Japan (or, more recently, China, Taiwan, or South Korea).
 * Generally found on consoles (and more recently, handhelds) rather than a PC.
 * Tend to follow linear plots, with less of a Wide Open Sandbox setting. Many will not feature discrete "quests".
 * The player usually controls a party of pre-designed characters. The player is sometimes offered a choice of what characters to use, but not the option of designing his own protagonists.
 * The party members are usually written into the plot, rather than blank slates.
 * A linear plot and lack of character creation that, hopefully, allows a more cinematic and tightly-scripted story.
 * Later games tend to have one or more elaborate, minigame-like "systems" (such as the License Grid in Final Fantasy XII) that allow skill and ability customization.
 * Random Encounters are a common gameplay element, especially in older games.
 * Turn-based combat is also prominent, though action-based combat was more prominent in the past.
 * A degree of Level Grinding is strongly encouraged, if not outright required, to proceed through the game.
 * Most encounters are resolved through combat or cutscenes. Most quests and abilities are combat-oriented.
 * Dice rolls are always hidden and stats are given as arbitrary numbers.
 * Often contain a few Mini Games.
 * Often targeted towards a broader audience, including female audiences (hence the Bishonen characters often found in this genre).

In the past, the Eastern Console format was arguably more prolific and hence more popular than the Western Computer format, with even some Computer games mimicking Console ones. Lately, however, the Computer format is becoming more popular in the West, rivaling (and occasionally trumping) the Console format in popularity, partly due to progresses in technology making arguably more immersive games, which in turn has led to rising budgets. As a result, many Console development teams nowadays focus more on handhelds due to lower budgets.

The Console RPG genre has been building on the classic Dragon Quest / Final Fantasy formula (ironically inspired by Computer RPGs such as Wizardry) for a long time. With later generations, the gameplay has been mixing up with other genres (including Action Games, Adventure Games, Simulation Games, and Strategy Games) though the general "explore / get into battles / some variation on turn-based combat" is still going strong for many games within the genre.

The Eastern RPG genre has several subgenres of its own. A subset of this genre is the Action RPG, which mixes this type of gameplay with the Action Adventure, so that while it keeps the strongly plotted story, anime-influenced characters, experience and statistics, the turn-based battle system is done away with in favor of a more real-time method of attack resembling Action Games. Also, many Turn Based Strategy games are done in "Console RPG style" and are often referred to as "Strategy RPGs" or "Tactical RPGs", though more recent examples of the subgenre have also incorporated Real Time Strategy elements. Another subset is the Dungeon Crawler, a subgenre that can include both Eastern and Western games, though this subgenre has become more popular in the East than it is in the West.

See also How to Play A Console RPG.

Games in this genre:

 * The 7th Saga
 * Adventures to Go
 * Aetherion (freeware)
 * Agarest Senki 2
 * A Home Far Away (freeware)
 * Anachronox (An American game)
 * Albion is German, but mostly fits.
 * Alter AILA(freeware)
 * Ancient Magic
 * Arcana
 * Arc Rise Fantasia
 * Arc the Lad
 * Ar Tonelico
 * Ar Tonelico 2
 * Ar Tonelico 3
 * Atelier Series
 * Atelier Iris Eternal Mana
 * Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny
 * Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm
 * Atelier Annie: Alchemist of Sera Island''
 * Atelier Rorona: Alchemist Of Arland''
 * Atelier Totori: Alchemist of Arland''
 * Avalon Code
 * Aveyond (Made in RPG Maker)
 * Bahamut Lagoon (mixed with Turn Based Strategy)
 * Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden (freeware)
 * Baten Kaitos
 * Beyond the Beyond
 * Black Matrix
 * Black Rock Shooter
 * Black Sigil (a Canadian-developed game)
 * Blue Dragon
 * A Blurred Line (Made in RPG Maker)
 * Boktai
 * Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
 * Brave Story
 * Breath of Death VII
 * Breath of Fire
 * Breath of Fire I
 * Breath of Fire II
 * Breath of Fire III
 * Breath of Fire IV
 * Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter
 * Castlevania II
 * Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
 * Chaos Rings
 * Chaos Rings
 * Chaos Rings Omega
 * Chaos Rings II
 * Chronicles of Inotia Children of Carnia
 * Chrono Trigger
 * Radical Dreamers
 * Chrono Cross
 * Contact
 * Cosmic Fantasy
 * Costume Quest
 * Cross Edge
 * Crystalis
 * Cthulhu Saves the World
 * Dark Cloud
 * Dark Chronicle
 * The Dark Spire
 * Deception
 * The Demon Rush (a Canadian-made game)
 * Demon's Souls
 * Dark Souls
 * Dhux's Scar (freeware)
 * Digimon World
 * Digimon World 2
 * Digimon World 3 (aka Digimon World 2003)
 * Digimon World DS
 * Digimon World Dawn/Dusk
 * Diver Down (freeware)
 * Dragon Force
 * Dragon Quest (aka Dragon Warrior), the Trope Maker and granddaddy of all Console RPGs, including Final Fantasy.
 * Dragon Quest I
 * Dragon Quest II
 * Dragon Quest III
 * Dragon Quest IV
 * Dragon Quest V
 * Dragon Quest VI
 * Dragon Quest VII
 * Dragon Quest VIII
 * Dragon Quest IX
 * Dragon Quest Monsters
 * Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2
 * Dragon Quest Swords
 * Dragon Slayer
 * Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu
 * Faxanadu
 * Dragon Slayer IV: Legacy Of The Wizard
 * The Legend of Heroes VI: Sora no Kiseki
 * Drakkhen
 * Dual Hearts
 * Dubloon (freeware)
 * Eien no Filena
 * Embric of Wulfhammers Castle (freeware)
 * Enchanted Arms
 * Endless Frontier: SRW OG Saga
 * Ephemeral Fantasia
 * Eternal Legacy
 * Eternal Sonata
 * Etrian Odyssey
 * Evolution the World of Sacred Device
 * Evolution Worlds
 * Evony
 * Exit Fate (freeware)
 * Fate Extra (A spinoff of Fate Stay Night)
 * Final Fantasy
 * Final Fantasy I
 * Final Fantasy II
 * Final Fantasy III
 * Final Fantasy IV
 * Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
 * Final Fantasy V
 * Final Fantasy VI
 * Final Fantasy VII
 * Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
 * Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
 * Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
 * Final Fantasy VIII
 * Final Fantasy IX
 * Final Fantasy X
 * Final Fantasy X-2
 * Final Fantasy XII
 * Ivalice Alliance
 * Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings
 * Final Fantasy Tactics
 * Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
 * Final Fantasy Tactics a 2
 * Vagrant Story
 * Final Fantasy XIII
 * Final Fantasy Versus XIII
 * Final Fantasy XIII-2
 * Final Fantasy XIV
 * Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
 * Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
 * Dissidia Final Fantasy
 * Final Fantasy the 4 Heroes of Light
 * Final Fantasy Type-0
 * Final Fantasy Legends
 * Chocobo's Dungeon
 * Final Fantasy Brigade
 * Fire Emblem (Also a Turn Based Strategy/Tactics game)
 * Folklore
 * Fortune Summoners
 * Fossil Fighters
 * Forever's End (freeware)
 * Goblis Adventure
 * Glory of Heracles
 * Golden Axe Warrior
 * Golden Sun
 * Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
 * Grandia
 * Grandia
 * Grandia II
 * Grandia III
 * Grandia Xtreme
 * Grand Knights History
 * Guardian Heroes
 * Guardian's Crusade
 * Gunparade March
 * Heros Realm
 * Heroes Phantasia
 * Hexyz Force
 * Hoshi wo Miru Hito
 * Hourai Gakuen
 * Hybrid Heaven
 * Inazuma Eleven
 * Infinite Space
 * Iron Gaia (freeware)
 * Ivalice Alliance
 * Jays Journey (freeware)
 * Kartia the Word of Fate
 * Kingdom Hearts
 * Kingdom Hearts
 * Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 * Kingdom Hearts II
 * Kingdom Hearts coded
 * Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
 * Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
 * Kingdom Hearts 3D
 * Knights of Xentar
 * Lagoon
 * The Last Remnant
 * Langrisser
 * Last Scenario (freeware)
 * The Last Story
 * Laxius Power/Laxius Force (produced in Europe, but follow a Dragon Quest-like template)
 * Legend of Dragoon
 * Legend of Heroes VI
 * Zero no Kiseki
 * Legend of Legaia
 * Lennus II
 * Leo and Leah (freeware)
 * Lil Monster
 * Linear RPG (a parody; also freeware)
 * Live a Live
 * Lost Kingdoms (contains elements of Action Game and Collectible Card Game)
 * Lost Odyssey
 * Lufia
 * Lufia and The Fortress of Doom
 * Lufia II Rise of the Sinistrals
 * Lufia Curse of the Sinistrals
 * Lufia the Legend Returns
 * Lunar series:
 * Lunar the Silver Star (plus the other three versions in R Emake form)
 * Lunar Eternal Blue (and its Remake)
 * Magical Vacation (and Magical Starsign)
 * Magic Knight Rayearth (the SNES game)
 * and the TV show actually follows a similar style of plot, giving rise to Umi and Fuu lampshading this aspect. (Poor Hikaru, who isn't a gamer, doesn't know what they're talking about.)
 * Magi Nation
 * Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche (Korean)
 * Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata/Tears of Blood
 * Magna Carta 2
 * Maka-Maka
 * Neptunia
 * Hyperdimension Neptunia
 * Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk 2
 * Mana series (Seiken Densetsu)
 * Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden)
 * Sword of Mana (Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu)
 * Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2)
 * Seiken Densetsu 3
 * Dawn of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 4)
 * Legend of Mana
 * Children of Mana
 * Heroes of Mana
 * Mana Khemia Alchemists of Al Revis
 * Mana Khemia 2 Fall of Alchemy
 * MARDEK (freeware)
 * Master of the Monster Lair
 * Master of the Wind
 * Mega Man Battle Network
 * Mega Man Star Force
 * Mega Man X Command Mission
 * Melolune (made by an indie Western developer)
 * Metal Saga
 * Mimana Iyar Chronicle
 * Mitsumete Knight R : Daibouken Hen
 * Monster Hunter
 * Monster Lab
 * Monster Rancher
 * MOTHER 1
 * Earthbound (aka MOTHER 2)
 * Mother 3
 * Mugen Souls
 * Mr. Robot (the hacking sequences therein, anyway)
 * MS Saga a New Dawn
 * Mystic Ark
 * My World, My Way
 * Nie R
 * Ni no Kuni
 * Nostalgia
 * Ogre Battle
 * Okage
 * Opoona
 * Oracle of Tao
 * Orphen: Scion of Sorcery
 * Paladins Quest
 * Pandoras Tower Until I Return to Your Side
 * Panzer Dragoon Saga
 * Parasite Eve (also a Survival Horror game)
 * Phantasy Star
 * Phantasy Star I
 * Phantasy Star II
 * Phantasy Star III
 * Phantasy Star IV
 * Phantasy Star Online
 * Phantasy Star Universe
 * Phantasy Star Zero
 * Pier Solar and The Great Architects
 * Pokémon
 * Pokémon Red and Blue, and the remakes Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
 * Pokémon Gold and Silver, and the remakes Pokémon Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver.
 * Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and the remake Pokémon Emerald.
 * Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and the remake Pokémon Platinum.
 * Pokémon Black and White
 * Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
 * Pokémon Colosseum and the sequel Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (don't laugh at the latter's title)
 * Pokémon Ranger
 * Pokémon Quartz (a fan-made hack; hey, where else would it be indexed?)
 * Pokémon Brown and Prism (another fan-made hack)
 * Radiant Historia
 * Radiata Stories
 * Rance
 * Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
 * The Reconstruction (freeware)
 * I Miss the Sunrise (freeware; blended with Western RPG)
 * Resonance of Fate
 * Rhapsody a Musical Adventure
 * Riviera the Promised Land
 * Rogue Galaxy
 * Rune Factory
 * Rune Factory Frontier
 * Rune Factory 3
 * Rune Factory Oceans
 * SaGa
 * Makai Toshi Sa Ga/Final Fantasy Legend
 * SaGa 2/Final Fantasy Legend 2
 * SaGa 3/Final Fantasy Legend 3
 * Romancing Sa Ga
 * Romancing Sa ga 2
 * Romancing Sa ga 3
 * Saga Frontier
 * SaGa Frontier 2
 * Unlimited Saga
 * Sands of Destruction
 * Science Girls
 * SD Snatcher
 * Secret of Evermore - an American made game for Squaresoft
 * Secret of the Stars
 * Septerra Core
 * Serious Sam the Random Encounter
 * Shadow Hearts
 * Koudelka
 * Shining Series
 * Shining in The Darkness
 * Shining the Holy Ark
 * Shining Wind
 * Shin Megami Tensei
 * Megami Tensei II
 * Shin Megami Tensei I
 * Shin Megami Tensei II
 * Shin Megami Tensei If
 * Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
 * Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey
 * Revelations: The Demon Slayer
 * Persona
 * Persona 2
 * Persona 3
 * Persona 4
 * Digital Devil Saga
 * Soul Hackers
 * Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army
 * Raidou Kuzunoha VS King Abaddon
 * Devil Survivor
 * Devil Survivor 2
 * Shiren the Wanderer
 * Sigma Harmonics
 * Sigma Star Saga
 * Skies of Arcadia
 * Skylight (Canadian-made)
 * Song Summoner
 * Soma Bringer
 * Sonic Chronicles
 * Soul Blazer
 * Illusion of Gaia
 * Terranigma
 * The Spirit Engine 2 (freeware)
 * Star Ocean
 * Star Ocean 1
 * Star Ocean: The Second Story
 * Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
 * Star Ocean: The Last Hope
 * Star Stealing Prince (freeware)
 * Steambot Chronicles
 * Suikoden
 * Suikoden I
 * Suikoden II
 * Suikoden III
 * Suikoden IV
 * Suikoden Tactics (Rhapsodia)
 * Suikoden V
 * Suikoden Tierkreis
 * Summon Night
 * Super Chinese
 * Super Mario RPG
 * Paper Mario
 * Paper Mario (original)
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Super Paper Mario
 * Mario & Luigi
 * Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
 * Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
 * Super Press Space to Win Action RPG 2009
 * Super Robot Wars
 * Sweet Home
 * The Sword and The Fish
 * Sword of Vermilion
 * Syukusho Gakuen
 * Tales of the Drunken Paladin (Made in RPG Maker and freeware.)
 * Tales Series
 * Tales of Phantasia
 * Tales of Destiny
 * Tales of Eternia
 * Tales of Symphonia
 * Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
 * Tales of Rebirth
 * Tales of Legendia
 * Tales of the Abyss
 * Tales of the Tempest
 * Tales of Innocence
 * Tales of the World
 * Tales of Vesperia
 * Tales of Hearts
 * Tales of Graces
 * Tales of Xillia
 * Tales of Itzkeria
 * Telefang
 * Thousand Arms
 * The Tiamat Sacrament (freeware)
 * To the Moon
 * Touhou Labyrinth
 * Touhou Mother
 * Touhou Pocket Wars Evolution
 * Treasure Hunter G
 * Treasure of the Rudra
 * Trinity Universe
 * Twinbee RPG
 * Unterwegs in Duesterburg
 * Vagrant Story
 * Valkyria Chronicles
 * Valkyria Chronicles II
 * Valkyria Chronicles III
 * Valkyrie Profile
 * Valkyrie Profile Silmeria
 * Vampires Dawn
 * Vanguard Bandits
 * Vay
 * Wandering Hamster (freeware)
 * The Way (freeware)
 * White Knight Chronicles
 * Wild Arms
 * Wild ARMs 1
 * Wild ARMs 2
 * Wild ARMs 3
 * Wild ARMs 4
 * Wild ARMs 5
 * A Witchs Tale
 * The World Ends With You
 * Xenogears
 * Xenosaga
 * Xenoblade
 * Yakuza series (Ryu Ga Gotoku)
 * Ys
 * Zelda II the Adventure of Link
 * Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku