OmaeWaMouShindiggity
Member
Let me preface this with saying that these views are my own and not saying anyone else’s views are right or wrong.
After a lot of thinking, RPG’s are undoubtedly my favorite genre of game. The ability to take either a predetermined character with a backstory, or create my own character and build him/her/it from scratch can not be rivaled by any other type of category (and I pretty much play every genre heavily except horror). RPG’s have such versatility as to how you can apply stuff that you can pretty much make an RPG out of....anything.
There are plenty of good and bad RPGs but what makes an rpg “great/memorable”? In this scenario I am specifically talking about videogame RPGs (not to take away from other mediums like board games or larping, etc.)
Well first...what makes an RPG a “true” RPG? It isn’t as simple as “taking over control of a character” because that would make something like Call of Duty an rpg. Creating your own custom character with stats and abilities? NBA2k is now an rpg. Making choices that affect the story? Until Dawn/Man of Medan is an rpg.
For me, an RPG has to have some combination (or more) of a few key elements:
I am not saying any of these games are the cream of the crop, just that playing these specific games made me go “wow, that was an experience” and caused me to judge other RPGs much harsher by causing my expectations to go up.
Fable 1: This is pretty much my base when it comes to judging modern day action RPGs. If you can’t outperform a game that came out in 2004 then I don’t know what to tell you. For all it’s flaws the game had me captivated. A solid balance of combat, gameplay logic, and story. I sincerely hope this reboot blows away my expectations and brings me the feelings I had when I first played the original.
Pokemon: I mean come on...this might be one of the few RPGs where leveling doesnt actually feel grindy. The simple yet complex way you can set your team up and approach battles puts it ahead of hundreds of other RPGs. Sure the story is mediocre but this is the perfect example of how a game can be carried solely by its gameplay loop.
Mass Effect 1/2: These two games were the first time I felt like my choices affected the universe, not just a town or kingdom. Wonderfully crafted universe and storylines that kept me involved and trying to choose the “right” (or wrong ) answer based on how I wanted to play. Having so many different ways to fight was a cherry on top of ice cream whether I wanted to be jean grey or slightly mutayes Rambo, I could do it. Too bad mass effect 3 ending blew my day and andromeda didn’t scratch that same itch.
The Witcher 3: Easily my favorite RPG of this gen. The number of side quests and side storylines in this game were so amazingly good I’m not even sure if any other game can compete narrative wise. Even the freakin DLCs trumped most games main stories. My first play through I wanted to do everything and “do” everyone cuz duh I’m a badass Witcher. Did I look like a fool at endgame when I saw the consequences of some of my actions. The variety of the ways I could approach fights also helped push this higher on my list, as well my choices in conversation and decisions to do actual quests actually mattering when it came to other quests on both a small and large scale (defense of home base for example). Bonus points for Gwent being addictive as hell.
Kingdom Come Deliverance: I ignored this game completely as I thought it looked stupid. Then gamepass said “hey try this out”. Boy was I wrong about it, after getting around the somewhat unforgiving combat learning curve at the beginning of the story I was pulled into an almost too convincing medieval world that I had not to this day experienced. I didnt feel overpowered, I didn’t feel catered to, and every combat situation made me tense up and properly plan and attack or defend. I do hate how the story abruptly ends at a climax point but hey, nothing is perfect. For all it’s issues, once I got into the meat of this game I didn’t put it down until I was done.
Nier Automata: For how weird this game was, I loved it. Combat didn’t feel dated. And the story kept me locked in. And the music....some of the best tracks I’ve heard in a game easily. Then again I’m a sucker for Sci-fi based RPGs. Throwing in the 2nd and 3rd play through that changed how you battled is what pushed this game a tier higher, as I had to deprogram myself from playing the way I did the entire game.
KOTOR: I don’t think Mass effect in particular would exist if KOTOR hadn’t been released. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I like vast sci-fi game worlds with good storylines and the ability to build my character the way I want to. Another game that needs a high quality reboot.
Elder Scrolls 3/Fallout 3: Oddly enough i feel the third iteration of both of these series are the ones that left the most lasting impression on me. If you looked up “sandbox rpg” in the dictionary these two games should be in the list somewhere. I don’t think their successors ever hit the “sandiness” these two hit. (Yeah new Vegas was great everyone knows that)
Final Fantasy 13: YEAH I SAID IT. I LIKED 13. Sure there are arguably “better” FF’s but 13 is the one I couldn’t put down. Not sure where 15 went wrong.
So my question to you GAF, is what makes an RPG grasp you in a way others haven’t? It doesn’t even have to be the entire game. Was it story? Addictive gameplay loop? Well thought out character skill tree builder? Rewarding combat?
If you could combine certain things from multiple RPGs into one finished game, what would they be?
After a lot of thinking, RPG’s are undoubtedly my favorite genre of game. The ability to take either a predetermined character with a backstory, or create my own character and build him/her/it from scratch can not be rivaled by any other type of category (and I pretty much play every genre heavily except horror). RPG’s have such versatility as to how you can apply stuff that you can pretty much make an RPG out of....anything.
There are plenty of good and bad RPGs but what makes an rpg “great/memorable”? In this scenario I am specifically talking about videogame RPGs (not to take away from other mediums like board games or larping, etc.)
Well first...what makes an RPG a “true” RPG? It isn’t as simple as “taking over control of a character” because that would make something like Call of Duty an rpg. Creating your own custom character with stats and abilities? NBA2k is now an rpg. Making choices that affect the story? Until Dawn/Man of Medan is an rpg.
For me, an RPG has to have some combination (or more) of a few key elements:
- the ability to customize the abilities/talents of a character/team based on how you want to play (specialist vs all around, range vs melee)
- Branching storylines that can both cross with each other and also be completely separate storylines
- The ability to choose how you want to interact with the world (good vs bad, angel vs asshole, pacifist vs violent etc) and these choices having a direct effect on how the game world responds to you as the player
- A “bearable” combat system. Doesn’t matter if the first 3 are wonderful if it’s a slog to go through your game.
I am not saying any of these games are the cream of the crop, just that playing these specific games made me go “wow, that was an experience” and caused me to judge other RPGs much harsher by causing my expectations to go up.
Fable 1: This is pretty much my base when it comes to judging modern day action RPGs. If you can’t outperform a game that came out in 2004 then I don’t know what to tell you. For all it’s flaws the game had me captivated. A solid balance of combat, gameplay logic, and story. I sincerely hope this reboot blows away my expectations and brings me the feelings I had when I first played the original.
Pokemon: I mean come on...this might be one of the few RPGs where leveling doesnt actually feel grindy. The simple yet complex way you can set your team up and approach battles puts it ahead of hundreds of other RPGs. Sure the story is mediocre but this is the perfect example of how a game can be carried solely by its gameplay loop.
Mass Effect 1/2: These two games were the first time I felt like my choices affected the universe, not just a town or kingdom. Wonderfully crafted universe and storylines that kept me involved and trying to choose the “right” (or wrong ) answer based on how I wanted to play. Having so many different ways to fight was a cherry on top of ice cream whether I wanted to be jean grey or slightly mutayes Rambo, I could do it. Too bad mass effect 3 ending blew my day and andromeda didn’t scratch that same itch.
The Witcher 3: Easily my favorite RPG of this gen. The number of side quests and side storylines in this game were so amazingly good I’m not even sure if any other game can compete narrative wise. Even the freakin DLCs trumped most games main stories. My first play through I wanted to do everything and “do” everyone cuz duh I’m a badass Witcher. Did I look like a fool at endgame when I saw the consequences of some of my actions. The variety of the ways I could approach fights also helped push this higher on my list, as well my choices in conversation and decisions to do actual quests actually mattering when it came to other quests on both a small and large scale (defense of home base for example). Bonus points for Gwent being addictive as hell.
Kingdom Come Deliverance: I ignored this game completely as I thought it looked stupid. Then gamepass said “hey try this out”. Boy was I wrong about it, after getting around the somewhat unforgiving combat learning curve at the beginning of the story I was pulled into an almost too convincing medieval world that I had not to this day experienced. I didnt feel overpowered, I didn’t feel catered to, and every combat situation made me tense up and properly plan and attack or defend. I do hate how the story abruptly ends at a climax point but hey, nothing is perfect. For all it’s issues, once I got into the meat of this game I didn’t put it down until I was done.
Nier Automata: For how weird this game was, I loved it. Combat didn’t feel dated. And the story kept me locked in. And the music....some of the best tracks I’ve heard in a game easily. Then again I’m a sucker for Sci-fi based RPGs. Throwing in the 2nd and 3rd play through that changed how you battled is what pushed this game a tier higher, as I had to deprogram myself from playing the way I did the entire game.
KOTOR: I don’t think Mass effect in particular would exist if KOTOR hadn’t been released. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I like vast sci-fi game worlds with good storylines and the ability to build my character the way I want to. Another game that needs a high quality reboot.
Elder Scrolls 3/Fallout 3: Oddly enough i feel the third iteration of both of these series are the ones that left the most lasting impression on me. If you looked up “sandbox rpg” in the dictionary these two games should be in the list somewhere. I don’t think their successors ever hit the “sandiness” these two hit. (Yeah new Vegas was great everyone knows that)
Final Fantasy 13: YEAH I SAID IT. I LIKED 13. Sure there are arguably “better” FF’s but 13 is the one I couldn’t put down. Not sure where 15 went wrong.
So my question to you GAF, is what makes an RPG grasp you in a way others haven’t? It doesn’t even have to be the entire game. Was it story? Addictive gameplay loop? Well thought out character skill tree builder? Rewarding combat?
If you could combine certain things from multiple RPGs into one finished game, what would they be?
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