Sam Hart

Japanese Role Playing Games (or JRPGs) have been a dominating force in the global video game industry over the last 20 years. Ever since "The Warrior" first appeared in the classic NES game Dragon Warrior, we, the collective gamers of the world, have been hooked. We reveled in the exploits of Alis in Phantasy Star, cried when Aeris was murdered in Final Fantasy VII, and roamed time trying to prevent planetary destruction in Chronotrigger.

But the JRPG genre has become increasingly clichéd lately, and many recent JRPG releases have not lived up to expectations. Additionally, we've seen a rise in both quantity and quality of Western Role Playing Games (WRPGs), which have raised the bar globally for role playing adventures. Will the JRPG makers catch up, or are they doomed to be second fiddle to western developers?