JRPG ( plural JRPGs )Yeah the pre-determined narrative part is the defining characteristic of a JRPG versus something like Baldur's Gate where the story is wildly different depending on your choices.
1. ( video games ) Initialism of undefinedundefined , a traditional genre of role-playing video game generally understood as involving a pre-determined story and player characters, a party of multiple controllable characters, and an emphasis on narrative and storytelling.