FF13 director explains the JRPG/WRPG divide

Uses Tomb Raider and Hitman as examples.

When comparing the Japanese RPG with the western RPG you'd expect to bring up the likes of Final Fantasy on one side and perhaps Oblivion or Mass Effect on the other. Not Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama; for his comparison he used Tomb Raider and Hitman.

We're not sure exactly how these titles can be perceived as western RPGs, but the games in question aren't as important as Toriyama's view on the differences between the two types of game.

Toriyama explained that western gamers - especially those who play Eidos titles with a single protagonist - play from their own perspective, while Japanese gamers play from the perspective of their character.

Take from that what you will.

Via Kotaku