Must I Say Goodbye?: Leaving Behind jRPGs  [10 April 2012]  By
Mattie Brice    In a sense, jRPGs represent a lot of what’s
wrong with video games. Namely, things being there just because.
Many of these titles advertise 60+ hours of gameplay, but a lot
of that time is spent grinding levels and includes other filler
tactics. The numerous cutscenes would be worth it if they were
something other than the usual young genki girl flirting with
the dismissive and brooding protagonist. Again. jRPGs are
actually embarrassing to play now, as evidenced by the many
sheepish smiles and explanations that I had to give my friends
when they walked in on me playing Tales of Graces f.  Short of
destroying genre lines entirely, I think that these games could
revitalize a once high demand sector of video games. The later
installments of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series—and Altus
games overall—have garnered wide attention. Persona 3 and 4
captured my own attention in a way that I’d consider indentured
servitude if it meant t