Role Playing in Japan

Does anyone here know of any RPGs set deep in Japanese culture? I've been thinking lately and noticed that most RPGs that come from Japan mythologies and settings that are culturally based in Europe. That seemed a bit odd to me. Out of all the JRPGs out there I haven't come across one that takes place in feudal Japan or any era before. The Final Fantasy series from time to time may throw in an environment with Asian influence like Wutai in VII, but it's usually restricted to just a job like Ninja.

The only JRPG I've played so far that had a Japanese setting was Persona 3, but that is more of urban fantasy than the more traditional sense which is the main discussion here.

Japan has a lot of interesting mythologies that I'd like to see explored more in these video games, but why are they so few and far between?

Category:Video games set in Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Category:Video games set in feudal Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Of those, I've played Izuna. It's a fuedal Japan kind of setting, but the tone is 100% humor and not historical, so dunno if that's what you're looking for.

It is a very fun game though, if you like weird handheld roguelike RPGs. Also it's pretty brutal. When you die, you lose all of your equipment and money and the game auto-saves when you enter and leave dungeons, so you can't really cheat the system. Thanks again, Atlus. :heart:

EDIT: Another game I think of is Bushido Blade and Bushido Blade 2. It's not an RPG, it's a fighting game, but the idea of the game is to be somewhat realistic. So you have no health gauge, and one solid hit from a sword often kills you (or your opponent) or cripples you, as it likely would IRL. It has a cool style and there are a variety of weapons, swords and polearms and so on. It's set in a feudal Japan-ish setting, though again not historically accurate. It's also a PS1 game, so pretty dated at this point.

Not an RPG, but the Tenchu games were set in old Japan. Tenchu 2 was the best imo, mainly because it had a pretty realistic setting and story whereas Tenchu 1 and 3 both featured demons and other fantasy things. Everything after 3 kinda took a nosedive quality wise :cry:

>>> Because, Dragons and Knights > everything..

and the japanese know that fact..:luca:

Muramasa Demon Blade is pretty Japanese culture'ish. But it's barely an action-RPG, let alone a real RPG. It's closest relative is really the Metroivania style. And barely even that. But still, very Japanese lore

Okami actually has a lot of Japanese myths in the game and is sorta old Japan themed. Probably also as close to an rpg as it gets.

Damn, only 1 listed in this thread so far. It just seems weird and boring that about 90% of these RPGs coming from Japan are using the medieval fantasy or a sci-fi setting. If the state of RPGs still look boring from a setting standpoint then I'll take the initiative and provide a JRPG with a Japanese setting.

Bushido Blade is great and I would also recommend it. I hope to try Okami someday!

Its a big fantasy world in those games, anything goes there ;)
Fun fact: Reason Final Fantasy game was called by that name, was because it was going to be the last game to be created by Square Soft due to bankruptcy.

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Originally Posted by Niale

Its a big fantasy world in those games, anything goes there ;)
Fun fact: Reason Final Fantasy game was called by that name, was because it was going to be the last game to be created by Square Soft due to bankruptcy.

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"Though often attributed to the company allegedly facing bankruptcy, Sakaguchi explained that the game was his personal last-ditch effort in the game industry and that its title, Final Fantasy, stemmed from his feelings at the time; had the game not sold well, he would have quit the business and gone back to university."

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Originally Posted by Tasura

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Originally Posted by Niale

Its a big fantasy world in those games, anything goes there ;)
Fun fact: Reason Final Fantasy game was called by that name, was because it was going to be the last game to be created by Square Soft due to bankruptcy.

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"Though often attributed to the company allegedly facing bankruptcy, Sakaguchi explained that the game was his personal last-ditch effort in the game industry and that its title, Final Fantasy, stemmed from his feelings at the time; had the game not sold well, he would have quit the business and gone back to university."

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Wikipedia is helpful :)

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Originally Posted by Pete for President

Okami actually has a lot of Japanese myths in the game and is sorta old Japan themed. Probably also as close to an rpg as it gets.

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Sorta? I'd say nearly nothing but.