TirithRR wrote:
I'm guessing when people say they don't like Western RPGs, they really mean they don't like the FPS RPG hybrid that Western RPGs carry to appeal to the non JRPG crowd. Not so much the Western RPGs' storylines.
Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
Mass Effect
Fallout
Bioshock
Dragon Age (to a lesser extent, not quite the same as the previous)
Etc.
They probably dislike it even more because the gameplay style has permeated itself into other game series that have traditionally been more JRPG. And after the PS2's massive traditional RPG offerings, they see what happened with the current gen and blame Western RPGs for the downfall.
I guess that makes sense. I honestly don't really think of much beyond "it was made in the west" when I hear "Western RPG" nowadays. There's just too much diversity. I know they probably have character designs that are less akin to anime. But that's not a rule. Beyond that, idk.
It may be that I don't typically gravitate towards any particular style, so I'm not sensitive to the features of that style. My favorite RPGs of all time include: Skyrim/(Obliv/Morrow), Mass Effect (1-3), Dragon Age Origins (and I did like DA2, though I see why others wouldn't), Kingdom Hearts 1 &2, Final Fantasy X, KotOR. This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, it's just what happens to be coming to mind right now. We have Action J-rpgs, classic J-rpgs, and W-rpgs (action, strategic, and fps).
I'm generally most sensitive to the story of an RPG though, particularly where characters are concerned. Do that well, and I can be very forgiving of everything else.
That said, BeanX, you should really try Dragon Age Origins. For one thing, the combat is strategic--it plays very similar to an MMO. Except you can control up to 4 characters and you can pause while you plan your attack. Don't have to, though--you can let the AI manage. You can micromanage however much you want. But it gives you decent choices when it comes to building your team of characters, you manage their equipment, and it has a solid central story, interesting/expansive world, and a strong cast of characters.