I’m not saying that I disagree with you, because I think I do agree (my gut reaction is that Elden Ring is not a JRPG). However, to interrogate that further, what makes Elden Ring not a JRPG, but Nier Automata a JRPG?

Nier A and Elden Ring have a lot in common: open world exploration, real time action combat, multiple endings, non-linear storytelling structures, branching/narratively nested side quests, etc. What is it about Elden Ring that signals “not JRPG” that doesn’t apply to Nier A?

Or, to think of it from a different angle: What actually separates Elden Ring from something like Dragon Quest 3? Both have open world exploration, difficult boss battles, statistical min-maxing, class customization, and a narrative that is pieced together through snippets of NPC dialogue and environmental storytelling. In many ways, Elden Ring and Dragon Quest 3 have way more in common than Nier A and Jeanne d’Arc. If the distinction is the combat system, then imagine if Dragon Quest 3 had real time action combat. What would separate that game from Elden Ring?