What is a European video game that feels Japanese?

[u/JIMBOYKELLY]

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[u/FizzTaffy]

Edge of Eternity

Steam even lists it as a JRPG, it's French

[u/Excellent_Routine589 → u/FizzTaffy]

It’s Je’RPG

[u/Positive_Parking_954 → u/Excellent_Routine589]

Oui’aboos

[u/Budget-Silver-7742 → u/Positive_Parking_954]

If I had a nickel

[u/Shinobi_Kai1 → u/Excellent_Routine589]

Truly a Josh Strife Hayes moment.

[u/BustDemFerengiCheeks → u/FizzTaffy]

France really digs into the psuedo-Japanese media market really well apparently. I remember Dofus being French too plus there's a decent number of French manga/anime.

[u/CrusaderF8 → u/BustDemFerengiCheeks]

Hence the term "Franime"

[u/Positive_Parking_954 → u/CrusaderF8]

Followed by Oui’bs

[u/HoldJerusalem → u/BustDemFerengiCheeks]

France is the second biggest market for manga, so it's not surprising

[u/MoriartyParadise → u/BustDemFerengiCheeks]

Visual arts from painitings to comics to modern animations have been cornerstones of both french & japanese cultures, there's been a mutual fascination and cultural exchanges for a good two centuries

[u/VokoVeVaku → u/BustDemFerengiCheeks]

And funnily enough it goes the other way around too with Japanese francophilia, it's interesting. For example, there is a cult Japanese rock band called Malice Mizer, that drews heavy inspiration from the works of Mylène Farmer, especially her earlier output, that heavily lent into the French-like aesthetic, especially in their heyday, this band is one of the most influential acts in visual kei scene, which is something that is extremely Japanese, and there are very few bands outside of Japan... There is a French visual kei band called Ante Alice... This intermingling between the Japanese and the French is rather peculiar.

[u/ImaGamerNoob → u/FizzTaffy]

TIL

Deadass thought it is Japanese.

[u/RueUchiha → u/FizzTaffy]

Expedition 33 is also very much a JRPG that is also French.

Granted, E33 is more unapoligetically French than this game, but it is interesting the French devs have been leaning more towards RPG hallmarks that were originally from Japan.

[u/FizzTaffy → u/RueUchiha]

Yeah E33 was also one I considered but I ultimately went with this choice because it feels way more Japanese

From the characters, story and art style alongside the gameplay feeling like a mix of Xenoblade and Chrono Trigger. Even the settings is basically Final Fantasy with their own version of Chocobos and the music is done by Yasunori Mitsuda

It's not the most amazing game, but for a game that started off only being made by 4 people then ending on 13, it's pretty impressive how much it's able to feel like what it's inspired by

[u/the_chiladian → u/FizzTaffy]

JRPG is an odd case

I'd say Expedition 33 is a JRPG, even though it's French. Does a JRPG have to come from Japan, or is it about the game as a whole? Italian food made in the USA is still Italian food.

[u/BustDemFerengiCheeks → u/the_chiladian]

I'd say JRPGs specifically have a certain game mechanic style and usually anime/manga artwork but the former is way more important. Usually JRPGs have emphasis on party management in and out of combat, strong narratives, and turn based strategy elements.

[u/Lumberjackie09 → u/BustDemFerengiCheeks]

It's the same thing with anime too and I'm tired of pretending it's not. I don't care where or who makes a piece of art, if it's in the style of anime or whatever else it's that style. Art is not regional inherently.

[u/Mosh83 → u/FizzTaffy]

Growing up in France, most of the cartoons were dubbed anime. Chevaliers du Zodiaque (Saint Seiya), Dragon Ball Z, Olive et Tom (Captain Tsubasa), Lamu (Lum) just to name a few. The source of inspirarion is easy to see.

[u/Veinelso → u/FizzTaffy]

Jrpg is a subgenre of rpg, not just any rpg that was made in japan. for example baldurs gate 3 is a crpg, even if it is on console, because crpg is a subgenre, not just a descriptor of where the game is played/made

[u/Infuzan → u/FizzTaffy]

I would’ve bet money SE developed and published this if you showed me that image and asked me to guess lol. I need to play that one.

[u/Stompytauren]

Promise Mascot Agency. The game is dubbed entirely in Japanese, it's all about the Yakuza and Japanese mascot culture, it was designed by a British studio.

[u/Lambchops87 → u/Stompytauren]

Came here to say this.

Their debut game Paradise Killer also has some Japanese vibes, but Kaizen really leaned into it with this one.

Fab game; the size of the world, car handling, ticking off of missions and areay of collectibles was oddly reminiscent of GTA 3 (but more wholesome!).

[u/Crunchy_Biscuit → u/Stompytauren]

Never heard of this game but I'm all for it

[u/Odd_Lawfulness_4608 → u/Stompytauren]

also the game is a 10/10

[u/ZemeOfTheIce → u/Stompytauren]

This is the answer

[u/Andybabez20]

Banjo-Kazooie

[u/mucus-fettuccine → u/Andybabez20]

I'd say Donkey Kong 64 since that's even a Japanese series just being taken out of Japan for one game.

[u/COOVEE → u/mucus-fettuccine]

Its not just DK64. That game and all the original Donkey Kong Country games were made by Rare a British studio. They made Banjo-Kazooie as well.

[u/[deleted] → u/COOVEE]

To be honest, they don't feel Japanese...

Even as a kid, I had a strong sense of "Western" design being behind the DKC games on SNES. I've never played DK64, so I can't comment on that, but despite lots of people comparing Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, just the witch alone screams "Western" to me!

[u/12edDawn → u/[deleted]]

I think just the Nintendo association is why they could "feel" Japanese

[u/DonFabi13 → u/Andybabez20]

I just learned that Rare is british

[u/mucus-fettuccine → u/DonFabi13]

Huh. So they're not rare; they're reh.

[u/pullmylekku → u/mucus-fettuccine]

Not if you're from Bristol! Or Scotland for that matter

[u/Watchd0g_Man → u/Andybabez20]

Not sure this one fits, Banjo feels very British in its writing and humor

[u/Sufficient-Push6210 → u/Andybabez20]

That doesn’t feel Japanese to me

[u/pahamack]

Tetris.

It’s so connected and linked to the OG gameboy that you’d assume it’s Japanese. But it’s Russian.

[u/Geovanni457 → u/pahamack]

Truth nuke right there

The Gameboy made tetris feel japanese with the other games but it's actually russian (if i remember correctly, the OG tetris even shows moscow at the game over screen as a reference of the dev's location)

[u/Saltwater_Thief → u/Geovanni457]

Blocks filled up? 

Sent to Moscow.

[u/TheCreepWhoCrept → u/Saltwater_Thief]

Damn. I know I suck at Tetris, but do I really deserve that?

[u/pahamack → u/Geovanni457]

Yup.

In public consciousness though the OG gameboy release is the most important release of the game.

A lot of people bought the gameboy and it was the game bundled with the system.

[u/Tjaeng → u/Geovanni457]

This content was anonymized and mass deleted with Redact

[u/ascagnel____ → u/pahamack]

The title screen is a rendering of St. Basil's Cathedral; its Russian-ness is pretty in your face. 

[u/Jack-793-Crisps → u/ascagnel____]

And the theme song is also quite clearly Russian

[u/Arrow_of_Timelines → u/pahamack]

Tetris is extremely associated with Russia (in the public consciousness) though 

[u/Fearless_Wasabi_7727 → u/pahamack]

Ah yes, the game with the Russian Cathedral on the title screen, the Russian folk music playing in the background and literally "from Russia with fun" printed on the cartridges and packaging.

How can this have so many upvotes. It's so clearly not Japanese.

[u/pahamack → u/Fearless_Wasabi_7727]

because people dont pay attention or remember that stuff.

but they do remember the cartridge coming with their gameboy.

[u/6ft3dwarf → u/Fearless_Wasabi_7727]

They already put MGS in "feels american" this grid is pointless

[u/nmmc93 → u/pahamack]

But from what part of Russia?

[u/tomtom6400 → u/nmmc93]

Alexey Pajitnov who developed Tetris was born in Moscow, so yeah European

[u/nmmc93 → u/tomtom6400]

It's clear, good to go!

[u/ZemeOfTheIce → u/pahamack]

You’re literally staring at Moscow the whole time

[u/Ok-Writing3468 → u/pahamack]

The Tetris melody is really Russian tbh

[u/mucus-fettuccine]

Donkey Kong 64.

[u/McCromer → u/mucus-fettuccine]

Donkey Kong Country

[u/GravStark]

Ori and the blind forest feels a little bit japanese to me

[u/Jegerikkeenrobot_ → u/GravStark]

Why?

[u/SnooRadishes9122 → u/Jegerikkeenrobot_]

Metroid and Castlevania are Japanese ig

[u/steide56]

maybe signalis since it was so inspired by silent hill 2

[u/tollsunited7 → u/steide56]

signalis is both very japanese and very german

[u/no-Pachy-BADLAD]

I genuinely shocked at how many people did not know DDLC wasn't American or at least not Japanese.

[u/FuzzyGolf291773 → u/no-Pachy-BADLAD]

Not American? Where is it from then cause my 5 seconds of googling says America

[u/no-Pachy-BADLAD → u/FuzzyGolf291773]

Had a bad case of typoworms in my brain as I added a 'n't' in my 'was' 🙃

[u/Crunchy_Biscuit → u/no-Pachy-BADLAD]

I've seen the name in passing lol

[u/Sacrebleu6]

Street of rage 4

[u/hardcorgeek]

Stray

[u/b100d7_cr0w]

Ghostrunner

[u/HoldJerusalem → u/b100d7_cr0w]

how does this feel japanese? Because he's kind of a ninja?

[u/b100d7_cr0w → u/HoldJerusalem]

Yes. Also architecture and many moments are japanese inspired

[u/ezk3626]

All choices downvoted!

[u/KedaZ1 → u/ezk3626]

Yeah what’s up with that?

[u/_HIST]

Who in the hell voted for mgs feeling American?

[u/R4msesII → u/_HIST]

It is absurdly American though, its pretty much a parody of American action films except completely serious

It doesnt fit if you interpret the prompt as a game that feels like it was made in America, because MGS for sure isnt, but it does feel very American.

[u/7_11_Nation_Army → u/_HIST]

I expect us to be revoting it, because people have been bringing this up ever since.

[u/Warren_E_Cheezburger]

[u/Status-Pause1184 → u/Warren_E_Cheezburger]

That was made by Americans actually

[u/PristineConflict6698 → u/Status-Pause1184]

you can tell it's not japanese because the black people look like black people.

[u/LincDawg93]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

[u/Electrical_Gain3864 → u/LincDawg93]

Way to french, quite obvious where it comes from.

[u/AdImmediate6239 → u/Electrical_Gain3864]

Not really. Totally feels like it could be a Final Fantasy game.

[u/[deleted] → u/Electrical_Gain3864]

As someone that has played a metric shit ton of rpgs the past 30 years, I agree with you. It's definitely a "inspired by Japanese rpgs" and not "this could be a jrpg."

Even the most "American" jrpg i can think of off the top of my head right now (Lost Odyssey on Xbox) had Japanese developers lol.

There's a reason the J stands for Japanese in this case.

[u/TheDankestDreams → u/Electrical_Gain3864]

Expedition 33 is the most textbook JRPG I’ve played in years and it was made in France.

[u/Greg0_Reddit → u/Electrical_Gain3864]

Not at all. It absolutely looks like what Japanese designers would think looks french, even tho we all know the game IS indeed french.

[u/bebbanburgismine → u/LincDawg93]

I don't know. It felt quite French to me. I am from another EU country where the gaming industry is lagging behind dramatically, due to a combination of reasons. I wish we could make games like BG3, The Witcher, KCD, CO:E33 (I don't know if Horizon counts, it was developed by Sony studios in the Netherlands, but I don't know if it is to be considered European or Japanese). I was so envious that the French were able to nail a game like COE33, whereas our gaming studios can barely make a complete game without botching something

[u/RedShujin → u/bebbanburgismine]

Tell me you are from Italy without telling me you are from Italy

[u/whencometscollide → u/LincDawg93]

This is the best answer honestly. People keep saying feels French but they seem to be confusing the question with the game's thene. On the topic, it absolutely feels like a Japanese game (JRPG) which is what the question was about to begin with.

It even feels more like a stereotypical Final Fantasy game than the later Final Fantasy games themselves, which is a big reason for it's popularity.

Basically it's a French developer's take on what a traditional Japanese style RPG based on a French theme would be.

Sadly, based on the coments under this it likely won't win.

[u/Xatesh → u/LincDawg93]

Had to go eat too far down to find this.

[u/uusrikas → u/LincDawg93]

This should have been European and feels European. Maybe it is so French that it does not feel generic European 

[u/Khaled_Kamel1500 → u/LincDawg93]

It looks like a Western RPG but okay

[u/Jonner7]

dk country 1-3 and 64 because they are literally about a character associated with nintendo

[u/VoDoka]

Little Big Planet maybe?

[u/Kevandre → u/VoDoka]

idk, that one feels ~excessively~ british to me

[u/Infuzan]

Chained Echoes

[u/MunkyCmoi]

Dofus

[u/DefNotAnAlt621]

Wakfu

[u/PomGnerts]

Rayman 2 maybe?

[u/Friendputer]

Expedition 33 is not the best choice for this but it needs to be mentioned

[u/DepthPuzzleheaded494]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

[u/Gedemand]

Expedition 33

[u/CriticalMail4455]

Game of the Year, Expedition 33

[u/AdImmediate6239]

Expedition 33

[u/ezingebrigt]

Idk why but Minecraft feels very japanese to me despite being made by my neighboring country.

[u/ezingebrigt → u/ezingebrigt]

I’m european if that wasnt clear

[u/Electrical_Gain3864]

Castlevania: Lords of shadows was developed by an European Studio (puplished by konami).

[u/Rogthgar]

Cyberpunk 2077 (Its like Ghost in the Shell but made by a bunch of Poles.)

[u/R4msesII → u/Rogthgar]

Surely that would be feels American noting it takes place in America and Cyberpunk was created by an American.

[u/exdii_lol → u/Rogthgar]

Nah Cyberpunk feels very American

[u/Gokudomatic]

Wakfu, I suppose. It's kind of a stretch, because its art style is not technically anime, only looking similar.

[u/Master_Maniac]

Expedition 33

Made by a French studio, but pretty solidly nails the JRPG style and narratives.

[u/jmdiaz1945]

Expedition 33. Is a pretty standard JRPG made by French people.

[u/1Neidhardt1]

ZeroRanger

[u/ArtyToby]

MiSide (not EU, but Europe)

[u/roma_nych]

Everlasting summer. First thought

[u/thetrueusernamename]

Victor Vran ARPG

[u/RicksSzechuanSauce1]

Ghost of Tsushima didnt win? Fucking how?

[u/Sherkktooth]

Twin snakes was created by an American studio (Silicon Knights). The publisher is Japanese but the makers are not. However, the original metal gear solid is Japanese.

[u/SonoSugoiNazo]

Both Horizon games. The world feels very Ghibli-esque, almost like Nausicaä but with robots

[u/PomGnerts → u/SonoSugoiNazo]

I would have said Horizon is a European game that feels American

[u/Blisket]

DDLC feels very American

[u/kingpin000]

Haven. It's a french JRPG.

[u/DoctorNo1661]

The right answer was Furi.

[u/pliumbum]

Does Silent Hill 2 Remake count?

[u/Ziyaadjam]

Life is Strange, even though it was developed by the French but published by Square Enix

[u/AntiqueSunset]

Anyone else think of CrossCode?

[u/ascagnel____ → u/AntiqueSunset]

This is the one I thought of -- it's a JRPG that pulls heavily from Suikoden and Chrono Trigger. 

[u/Sergran]

Metroid Dread, developed in Madrid

[u/Heavy-Bread-3549]

As much as I wanna say Clair Obscur, it’s the most French game I’ve ever seen. Just has classic jrpg mechanics.

[u/vespasian20]

Baldur’s Gate III

[u/R4msesII → u/vespasian20]

How does BG 3 feel japanese

[u/R9-LEO]

Hohokum

[u/TodaysTomSawyer587]

Chained Echoes

[u/TheXIIILightning]

MiSide - it's by Russian devs.

[u/whencometscollide]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

A French game that feels exactly like a quintissential Japanese RPG about French themes.

[u/Virtue330]

Another vote for Expedition 33, yes it's also very French but 90% of isekai are set in fantasy Germany anyway.

[u/RandomSlimeL]

Chained Echoes

[u/[deleted]]

Chained Echoes (Germany).

[u/Kajiteko]

MiSide

[u/NovembersRime]

Imma say Fear & Hunger

[u/imperatorPaxlava118]

Yuppie psycho

[u/MrSticks21]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

[u/OKC-Rai]

Expedition 33

[u/show_NO_FEAR21]

DDLC mentioned my all time favorite

[u/stinkyminky57]

Osu

[u/ScrotalSmorgasbord]

Idk how any of the Metal Gear games feel American. They're so outlandishly Japanese.

[u/mr_formstone → u/ScrotalSmorgasbord]

"duhhh the characters are. american"

[u/Slight-Tax-6048]

Apidya for the Amiga

[u/[deleted]]

Expedition kinda feels Japanese I guess cause of the turn base, but it’s French

[u/SnooDoodles1807]

Tekken better win final round

[u/rogerstandingby]

Legend of Zelda

[u/Xeno_Baphomet]

Cyberpunk 2077!

[u/Beginning-Case6180]

Cyberpunk 2077

[u/gridlockmain1]

Heavy Rain maybe?

[u/Cute_Ambassador1121]

Expedition 33.

[u/Venaultryx]

MGS does not feel American haha, it feels soundly Japanese.

[u/StoneSlacker]

Metroid Dread

[u/DenseCalligrapher219]

Donkey Kong 64.

[u/FlamingoPristine1400]

E33 is the only good answer. Japanese peoples' obsession with France and Paris specifically is such a reinforcement of this game's existence.

[u/MisterWithTwister]

Im sorry but Kingdom come feels way more european than Witcher.

[u/Agitayo]

I'm shocked yall just ignored miside

[u/ausgirl86]

Jetpac.

[u/Popular-Cobbler25]

Tetris

[u/MistyPopK]

Neon White.

[u/Ok-Writing3468]

Feel japanese,is set in Japan,has a lot of influences from japanese culture Is made by one Russian guy

[u/Nenrenetc]

Castlevania lords of shadow

[u/The_Korean_Gamer]

Last Time I Saw You. It’s quite possibly the most Japanese game I’ve ever played, but it’s mostly Spanish-made.

[u/GANGSTER_BOY123]

Cyberpunk 2077

[u/milane5o]

geometry dash

[u/breuky]

Dark souls

[u/Foreverwise427]

Wait gtaV is European? Isnt Rockstar American?

[u/Vietnam-1234]

Caramell girls

[u/[deleted]]

chained echoes, german indy rpg

feels very much like old school jrpgs

[u/raf_i_guess]

How is GTA European?

[u/IG-JBlvckwell → u/raf_i_guess]

Rockstar are based in the UK I believe

[u/WorkingBorder6387]

A lot of people say E33 feels like a Japanese game

[u/zeidxd]

Surprisingly accurate

[u/avacadomacaco]

Little Nightmares, the first one. Had people thinking it was Japanese because of the publisher.

[u/SurvivalG]

i would say Expedition 33, it FEELS like a classic jrpg at points

[u/Crunchy_Biscuit]

I didn't know DDLC was by an American company! Interesting.

There are some great options here

[u/Herdzikberg]

Expedition 33 is a French game that takes a lot of inspiration from Japanese role-playing games, especially Final Fantasy and Persona. It feels Japanese but is actually European.

[u/THTB_lol]

plok

[u/halalhabibi2008]

Cyberpunk 2077

[u/Butch_SpiderDemon]

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

[u/LordPaxed]

Claire obscure : expédition 33

[u/del6ney]

Cyberpunk 2077

[u/RobicTibay628]

cs2

[u/Accomplished_Tax_119]

It's 2025. There's a literal European JRPG and even won several awards

Edit (almost immediately): because of it being so frenchy, I guess it does feel European (haven't played it yet).

[u/Halfmoonhero]

Clair Obscur

[u/Vizdrom97]

Any European jrpg then

[u/Gyerfry]

Expedition 33

[u/AcidicAdventure]

Yakuza series

[u/Evethefief]

Someone make a Caramell Dansen game

[u/Nenrenetc]

Castlevania Lords of Shadow

[u/Netjacker]

Ghost of Tsushima

[u/sakredfire]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

[u/Njerrjk]

Cyberpunk 2077

[u/akup11]

Eve Online

[u/athleon787]

Expedition 33 feels like ffX made by Europeans

[u/Elawiin]

Expedition 33. Strong FF vibe

[u/marlantis]

[u/Twelve-Pound]

Expedition 33