East vs West: Who leads the tug-o-war when it comes to upcoming RPG titles

The conflict between the East and the West is a topic that always emerges when talking about RPG developers and their games. The answer to this is never black and white but rather includes shades of gray. Nevertheless, when looking at upcoming role-playing games, the debate looks to be in favor of Eastern developers as some of the most anticipated ones are to be released by them. 

Video game developers usually hail from different regions, and all of them are known for their specialties. When it comes to recognition in the RPG genre, Eastern developers have gained a lot of attention over the years. For instance, FromSoftware, miHoYo, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are a few of the leading ones in the world now. All of these studios are based in the Eastern part of the world and have a huge fan following globally.

On the other hand, western developers have also been a force to be reckoned with and the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Cyberpunk 2077 in 2023 make it quite apparent. Two of these games have been nominated in multiple categories at The Game Awards this year. Furthermore, Baldur’s Gate 3 even got a lot of recognition for being an RPG that has set unrealistic standards among developers.

On the other hand, there is a huge market for JRPGs in the Western market for their gameplay and way of doing things. These developers create games that appear to have over-the-top action and storyline, which many adore. This appeal has been missing from Western RPG games, as these types of ideas are not their style. Hence, this difference in styles also leads to certain biases among gamers.

This year in particular has seen releases from both sides that have appeared to be lackluster, even though they were highly anticipated. The games under the spotlight are Armored Core 6 from FromSoftware and Starfield from Bethesda. These releases have come out to be disappointing for fans as they are releases from well-known developers. Thus, many are looking forward to upcoming game releases in 2024, in the hope that they will be more promising.

Nonetheless, Baldur’s Gate 3 has been one of the best RPG releases in 2023 and Larian Studios has set new benchmarks to be met. Meanwhile, FormSoftware has dominated the market by creating the souls-like sub-genre, which made many Western developers follow the same patterns. A similar condition can be seen with the Assassin’s Creed franchise as they tried to adopt an eastern RPG style, which eventually failed

Evolution of RPGs in the East and how FromSoftware played an important role in that

FromSoftware has dominated the RPG race over the years through franchises like Armored Core and Dark Souls. FromSoft started their journey in the western markets through King’s Field. First released in 1994, the game got a lot of attention for being a 3D metroidvania which was challenging during that time. 

Many follow-ups came and went, but the studio started to pick up its pace with the Armored Core franchise. Being a mecha title, the game found success in both Western and Eastern mediums, due to the rise in Anime during the late 90s. However, most of these games were released for PlayStation only, which made the titles less adopted.

Nevertheless, the big break for the company came with the release of the first Dark Souls in 2011. The game quickly became a sensation due to its difficulty and unique RPG elements which were never seen before. Over the years, the developers kept releasing new and improved games with the same formula, which later turned into a genre of its own.

The souslborne or souls-like genre became a norm in the Western demographic for its unforgiving gameplay and rich lore. However, none could quite replicate the feeling other than FromSoftware themselves. Hence, their influence is more evident in 2023, through games like Lies of P, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and other game releases. Most of these recent titles have taken inspiration from Elden Ring and prior souls-like games.

There has been a pattern among Western developers, where they have tried to replicate unique features from other successful RPGs. Taking Witcher 3 for example, many developers have tried to take the same path after it got the GOTY award. In this case, Ubisoft diverted from their usual Assassin’s Creed gameplay to deliver an RPG title named Origins. This was great for the company initially, but in the long run Odyssey and Valhalla weren’t successful.

In the meantime, the same formula worked for Ghost of Tsushima which was developed by Sucker Punch Productions. The company mostly had experience in the action game genre through their Infamous franchise, yet their RPG was a success..

The Western market also displayed great reception for gacha RPGs and Genshin Impact became a hit after its release in 2020. The game’s success was due to the popularization of Anime and the Covid-19 pandemic which got many strive for new games to try. The fans of JRPG continue to grow even now and miHoYo is taking the lead in that field.

On the other hand, classic JRPGs are mostly known for showcasing extravagant gameplay which is appealing to many. The Yakuza franchise from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio remains a favorite among Westerners. These titles are unique and none could quite give a similar experience. Due to the familiarisation among the masses, the company found success with the Judgement franchise as well.

Upcoming RPG releases and why the East is a force to be reckoned with

Fans are excited since Eastern developers have a strong line-up of games that are scheduled to be released in 2024. Some of the highly anticipated ones are Phantom Blade 0, Crimson Desert, Black Myth: Wukong, and others. All the games look visually stunning and have appealed to many globally. Not only that, these titles have showcased great gameplay which West is yet to catch up on.

The gaming market which has mostly been dominated by Western houses like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, CD Projekt Red, and recently Larian Studios, could be at risk. The level of improvement that has been shown with these games is truly worth talking about. Moreover, there are chances that this level of detail might become a norm for new-generation games.

Nevertheless, success cannot be guaranteed as their games are yet to be released and the final product is never as showcased. Misleading gameplay is common in the gaming market, which still raises doubts in many.

Western RPG, the big players, and what they have in store for the future

2023 has been pretty successful for Western developers like Larian Studios, CD Projekt Red, and Bestheda. The majority of the market has been taken up by Larian Studios with Baldur’s Gate 3 which has been nominated for Game of the Year. In the case of CD Project Red, the developers were able to revive Cyberpunk 2077 with Update 2.0 and a DLC that extends the storyline for the title. 

Looking at the future, Obsidian Entertainment is working on a new title named Avowed, which might be released in 2025. The gameplay showcase looks promising as it features high-tier graphics and a new direction with a first-person combat system in the world of Eora. The game will mix up a medieval RPG theme with some tweaks, like the addition of a pistol.

In the far future, Bethesda will also be releasing The Elder Scroll 6, which has been highly anticipated. Knowing how detailed Skyrim was, the developers might pull off something large-scale like Starfield. However, fans are skeptical about it as the space RPG didn’t perform so well in 2023.

Lastly, CD Projekt Red confirmed The Witcher remake, which will be recreated in Unreal Engine 5. The game is being developed by Fool’s Theory with veterans who’ve worked on the original version. The game will be catering to next-generation players who, wish to experience the beginning of the franchise.

The emergence of China and how it has seemingly overtaken Japan to become the leading force behind the East’s RPG success today

The modern RPG industry has been taken over by Chinese game developers like miHoyo, NetEase, Kuro Games, and Yostar. In 2020, gacha games became popular among the masses due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Since then, miHoYo has captured a large chunk of the market which is loyal to their creations.

Within only three years, the company has managed to release multiple RPGs like Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, and more. Additionally, the developers are working on releasing a new IP named Zenless Zero Zone, based in a modern setting. This style of live service RPGs is doing well in the market and promoting Chinese game developers.

Despite such success, players feel overwhelmed by so many games. This makes it hard for consumers to choose which game they really wish to play. Overall the future of Chinese developers looks great, but there are certain issues. Tencent had been funding most of these development studios, which raised many data-related controversies. Still, we cannot disagree that the future does look bright for them.