The two highest rated and best RPGs from last year were Persona 4 and   Fallout 3. Persona 4 was the best JRPG and Fallout 3 was arguably, the   best WRPG.

And yes, this is kind of a JRPG vs WRPG thread, but I also wanted to share how my experience with these games have been very positive.

From what I've played so far, I feel that both games are very similar:

• They both are open-ended where you can choose what you want to do, even though Fallout 3 is much more open-ended whereas Persona 4 is semi-open ended.   
• They both have a silent protagonist.   
• Both begin with a linear introduction that leads into the main meat of the game.   
• And both give you the option to choose your response when you exchange dialogue. And what you say or not say can determine your course of events in the game, even though Fallout 3 relies more on this whereas Persona 4 determines how you create stronger bonds with other characters.   
• The customization is similar but done differently. Fallout 3 let's you customize what you want in your character whereas in Persona 4, your actions and reactions with other characters determines how you     level up and get stronger.   
• Both do a great job of immersing the player into the game, but I notice that Persona 4 immerses me more with the characters whereas Fallout 3 immerses me with its world. Fallout 3's characters seem cold and indifferent whereas Persona 4 has a ton of personality to it.   
• And finally, both provide hundreds of hours of game time.

It seems that JRPGs tend to hold your hand a bit more. Even though   Persona 4 breaks tradition and keeps things more open for the player   to determine how the game progresses, it still is pretty   straight-forward and linear like JRPGs with a focus more on the   characters. WRPGs tend to focus more on the world itself by making you   the player feel like you're a part of it. It really doesn't tell you   what emotion your character is feeling and unlike JRPGs, it doesn't   tell you if your sad, in love, mad, or happy. I think WRPGs are more like a simulated virtual world where the game gives you an experience, and instead of the game telling you how you feel, you as the player must generate what emotion your going through.

I think these games are good examples for a WRPGs vs JRPGs discussion. For me, I'm loving both games. But at the end, it really   is tough to choose what I prefer. I guess in this case, I'm preferring   Fallout 3 over Persona 4, which is a first for me because I usually always choose JRPGs over WRPGs. But so far, Fallout 3 has blown me away.

Persona 4 has charmed me and I'm really enjoying what I'm playing. Fallout 3 is just immersing me in its world and totally making me   stand at awe in the game. But both games really does set new standards   for the genre. I hope more developers in Japan break tradition and do more games like Persona 4 and also, I hope WRPGs continue to meet or surpass the standard Fallout 3 set for this gen.

Watch out Ask, GG is going to make you describe the whole game from start to finish. 

About the jRPG and wRPG discussion: there are a bit different, but I think you are going to see more merging between the two genres in the future. Check out the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles the Crystal Bearers (the one who thought of this name needs to be shot) here on the VGPress. Just go to GGweekly and fill in Crystal Bearers in the serch box. 

Why am I telling you to watch the movies? Because the game seems to be an open world RPG or at least an Zelda like game. It's about a guy with telekinetic powers it seems, and he is already a hero when you start the game. So no "normal guy grows up to be a hero" archetype. I thought you would find it interesting to know that Square is building an open world kind of game.

gamingeek said:

So tell me more about Persona, I think it may be getting a Wii port in which case I will buy it, its gotten great reviews.

I think JRPGs are more linear like you said, though I dont think its a bad thing. You're right, WRPGs like Fallout and Oblivion are like open worlds with side stories you just stumble upon them in your own order. Love Oblivion and want Fallout badly.

Have you played Persona 3? The concept is about the same but I feel Persona 4 has a better story and better characters. Also, the world design is more appealing and mysterious.

I've only begun playing Persona 4 but so far it's been a great fun ride. It's kind of like a social/adventure RPG where the object of the game is creating close bonds of friendship with the characters in the game. By doing so you get stronger attributes where you use that in the main battles. I don't want to give anything away but unlike Persona 3, this time the adventure feels like it has a purpose. Persona 3 was more like just getting to the top of the tower to uncover the mystery, but in Persona 4, you actually have something to fight for which is saving people while trying to uncover the mysteries of the dungeon.

I played Persona 3 but never really got into it as much as I wanted to. I want to go back and play it again. But Persona 4 has got me hooked from the very beginning.

And are you sure it's getting a Wii port? If so, than that'd be great. But if not, I highly recommend picking it up for the PS2, if you still have the PS2. I read online that Atlus confirmed that there won't be a expansion to Persona 4 like the way Persona 3 had FES, and that it is the final version. I wonder if that also means that there will be no ports for it. So that convinced me to pick up the game instead of waiting for a expanded version. I had to get it before the game isn't on shelves anymore.

Foolz said:

There is one major similarity between the two too! I both want them!

It's like apples an oranges. Are oranges better than apples? Sure, but it's a matter of taste! I enjoy both apples and oranges, but apples give you cancer, so oranges get the nod from me.

I like turn-based-oranges.