While there’s a lot of games developed in Japan that come out every year for every platform, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Japanese-developed games do not have the same impact they once had in recent years.
Having said all that, with the release of highly regarded games like The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy XV, Nioh, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Resident Evil 7 and more, it looks like Japanese devs are back! By “back” I mean, back to being awesome, multi-million selling games that are adored by everyone regardless of what genre they prefer.
In this week’s Now Loading, the staff weighs in on whether we think Japanese devs are truly back, or whether this is just dumb luck, perfect timing, a combination of the two or something else. Or maybe, heck, Japanese devs haven’t really lost their mojo and the gaming populace tastes are just tired of shooters and the like.
Got a Now Loading suggestion? Let us know via email or in the comments and it might be featured in the next Now Loading.
Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).
Essential Reading:
- Now Loading…What Do You Think of the Project Scorpio Specs?
- Versus – US/EU PlayStation Plus vs. Asia PlayStation Plus
- How They Need to Improve and Everything Wrong With JRPGs
Now Loading...Are Japanese Devs "Back?"
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Now Loading...Are Japanese Devs Back?
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Louis Edwards
NIS America, and now the new Spike Chunsoft PR team, are both bringing quality titles to the West with names like Danganronpa, Zero Escape, Rose in the Twilight, and One Piece: Burning Blood to name a few. These are games that have a decent following in Japan and have hit some impressive sales marks. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to see these same games, albeit with slightly different names at times, do well here. If you haven't played a Danganronpa game and had fun with that bad ass, evil bear Monokuma, you are missing out.
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Zarmena Khan
It's more than just a comeback, I think. Japanese games have become really accessible, resulting in heightened interest across the globe. Looks like the country's developers and publishers have found the best way to tap into markets they hadn't explored and at a time when people are generally craving something different. Well done to them.
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Chandler Wood
Japanese devs are coming back and kicking asses in a huge way! While maintaining their classic style, they have somehow managed to finally grab hold of what the world wants out of games after a lull that has lasted too long. They still have a special niche, but they do it in a way that everyone can get into. Purists might hate it, but for the rest of us, there's a beautiful world of games that we're finally getting access to.
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Cameron Teague
I think they have finally started to find that perfect spot where they stay Japanese while adding just enough Western flavor.
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Tyler Treese
There have been some absolutely amazing games by Japanese developers this year (NieR: Automata and Persona 5 are two of my favorite games in quite some time), but I don't think this really speaks to the quality of development as a whole. If you look at the examples of top-notch Japanese developed games, they aren't surprising. Atlus made another great RPG. Yakuza 0, while undeniably rad, is also a step down from Yakuza 5 in both quality and ambition. As far as NieR goes, Platinum Games makes great combat systems (see Bayonetta 2) and Yoko Taro is a genius, so it's not surprising that it turned out well. The only thing that comes as a surprised is really Resident Evil 7: biohazard, and that's a flawed experience that gets outdone by horror indie games in a lot of aspects. So, no, Japanese development isn't magically of a higher quality now, and it's way too early to act like some renaissance is happening, just a bunch of good games came out in a short time period (which was helped by Persona 5 and Yakuza 0 taking months to be localized) from very talented developers. Great Japanese games never went away, and they'll continue to release a few times each year. It just so happened that the majority of 2017's released early on.
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Michael Briers
Finding that sweet spot where they're able to appeal to an international audience without sacrificing their core Japanese heritage goes a long way, as Cam mentioned, and even Final Fantasy XV is a good example of a JRPG infused with western sensibilities. Granted, FFXV was a long time coming — ditto for Persona 5, Yakuza 0 and even Nioh — so I think it's more a case of good timing than anything else. You wait for a bus and suddenly...
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Alex Co
Compared to previous years? Hell yeah! I think it's more of Japanese developers now "getting" just what makes gamers tick from all over the world.
While some of the big JP games are still quirky, they're not to the extent that will alienate those who just want a good game. Thankfully for us, these games (RE7, Nioh, Nier, etc.) are just damn good games on their own right.
Are JP games back? Yeah, I like to think so. I did notice that more and more people seem to be tired of the same old shooter and Western RPG, and playing more and more games that have that Japanese flavor to 'em. And you know what? I'm definitely happy with it.
Games are the real winners here, right? And I'm damn excited to see what's next.
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Mack Ashworth
It's fantastic to see so many great games coming from Japanese studios, and they are sure to please both hardcore fans and newcomers. Persona 5, Nioh, Yakuza 0, and Resident Evil 7 have all impressed me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next!
