What JRPGs Need to Appeal to Western Audiences
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While a relatable cast of characters and story-based situations isn't the only thing that JRPGs need to present a broader appeal to Western audiences, it is one thing that I feel needs the most work. Look at Western RPGs like the recently released Dragon Age: Origins - that game has heavy themes running throughout that you rarely, if ever, see in a JRPG. You see how the characters deal with slavery, abuse, betrayal, murder and even rape. At their best, JRPGs might feature one of those themes, and never the worst of them.
Eastern developers have tried time and again to make their games appeal to Western audiences. The Last Remnant was heralded as being a role-playing game with worldwide appeal, yet it still held very tightly to JRPG clichés in nearly all story- and character-related aspects. We want more than war between nations and a mystical artifact of power, we want more than the anmesiac boy who ends up being the last survivor of some powerful beings. There are strides being taken, but I don't feel they're large enough. The Persona titles are working in the right direction. In a way, it seems Eastern developers just don't want to get their hands dirty. Don't get me wrong, standard happy-go-lucky RPG fare has its place, but to appeal to that worldwide audience, we need more.
