Axe of the Blood God: The State of JRPGs in 2020

From Persona 5 to Atelier Ryza, Kat and Nadia talk about how JRPGs are faring as a new decade begins.

Podcast by Kat Bailey, Editor in Chief

Updated on 10 February 2020

JRPGs weren't in such a great place in 2010. Things are better now, but how much better? In the latest episode of Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and I take a closer look at how JRPGs are faring as a new decade begins. [download link here].

Among our scattered observations:

Main franchises like DQ and Final Fantasy have stabilize
JRPGs have benefited from the spread of very accessible technology and engines.
JRPGs have benefited from a generation that grew up with anime
JRPGs have found a home on Switch, PS4, and Steam
We have lost some prominent creators to mobile

We talk about all of these observations, as well as the current biggest franchises, the games that have faded from history, and much more.

Want to join in the conversation? Leave a comment below! We may read it on the show!

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Show Description

Having chosen the best RPGs of the 2010s, Kat and Nadia conclude by taking a closer look at where JRPGs stand as the new decade gets underway. They talk about what the return to consoles have meant for the genre; the proliferation of cheap and accessible graphics technology, and the sneaky importance of Steam. Plus, Kat has some hot takes about the Vita. Check it out!

Music from Axe of the Blood God is courtesy of Lena Raine, composer of Celeste. I also use music from the RPG Music Pack over at rpgmaker.net. Check it out!

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Kat Bailey

Editor in Chief

Kat Bailey is a former freelance writer and contributor to publications including 1UP, IGN, GameSpot, GamesRadar, and EGM. Her fondest memories as a journalist are at GamePro, where she hosted RolePlayer's Realm and had legal access to the term "Protip." She is USgamer's resident mecha enthusiast, Pokemon Master, and Minnesota Vikings nut (skol).

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