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Role-playing video games, also known asCRPG (computer/consolerole-playing games), comprise a broadvideo game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills). Role-playing games almost always feature combat as a defining feature and traditionally usedturn-based combat; however, modern role-playing games commonly feature real-timeaction combat or even non-violent forms of conflict resolution (with some eschewing combat altogether). Further, many games have incorporated role-playing elements such as character advancement and quests while remaining within other genres.
Role-playing video games have their origins intabletop role-playing games[1] and use much of the sameterminology,settings, andgame mechanics. Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player-character development, and elaborately designed fantasy worlds. The electronic medium takes the place of thegamemaster, resolving combat on its own and determining the game's response to different player actions. RPGs have evolved from simpletext-based console-window games into visually rich3D experiences.
The first RPGs date to the mid 1970s, when developers attempted to implement systems likeDungeons & Dragons on university mainframe computers. While initially niche, RPGs would soon become mainstream on consoles like theNES with franchises such asDragon Quest andFinal Fantasy. Western RPGs for home computers became popular through series such asFallout,The Elder Scrolls andBaldur's Gate. Today, RPGs enjoy significant popularity both as mainstreamAAA games and as niche titles aimed towards dedicated audiences. More recently,independent developers have found success, with games such asOFF,Undertale, andOmori achieving both critical and commercial success.
Role-playing video games use much of the same terminology,settings andgame mechanics as earlytabletop role-playing games such asDungeons & Dragons.[2]Players control a central game character, or multiple game characters, usually called aparty, that will grow in power and abilities. Also, characters are typically designed by the player.[1] Usually, the characters attain victory by completing a series ofquests or reaching the conclusion of a central storyline. Players explore a game world, while solving puzzles and engaging in combat.
Role-playing games are traditionally divided into turn-based RPGs, that rarely challenge a player's physical coordination or reaction time, andaction-based RPGs, that do the opposite.[3]
Role-playing video games typically rely on a highly developed story and setting,[4] which is divided into a number of quests. Players control one or several characters by issuing commands, which are performed by the character at an effectiveness determined by that character's numeric attributes. Often these attributes increase each time a character gains alevel, and a character's level goes up each time the player accumulates a certain amount of experience.[5]
Role-playing video games also typically attempt to offer more complex and dynamic character interaction than what is found in other video game genres. This usually involves additional focus on theartificial intelligence andscripted behavior of computer-controllednon-player characters.[3][6]
In order to be considered a role-playing game, characters have to become more functionally powerful by gaining new skills, weapons, and magic. This creates a positive-feedback cycle that is central to these games: the player grows in power, allowing them to overcome more difficult challenges, and gain even more power.[3] This is part of the appeal of the genre, where players experience growing from an ordinary person into a superhero with amazing powers. Whereas other games give the player these powers immediately, the player in a role-playing game will choose their powers and skills as they gain experience.[3]
Three different systems of rewarding the player characters for solving the tasks in the game can be set apart: theexperience system (also known as the "level-based" system), thetraining system (also known as the "skill-based" system) and theskill-point system (also known as "level-free" system)
In some video games from the Eighties and Nineties, thescore was called "Experience" in-game, but this did not make them role-playing games, if there was no character development.
The premise of many role-playing games tasks the player with saving the world, or whichever level of society is threatened.[citation needed] There are often twists and turns as the story progresses, such as the surprise appearance of estranged relatives, or enemies who become friends or vice versa.[3] The game world is often rooted inspeculative fiction (i.e.fantasy orscience fiction),[7] which allows players to do things they cannot do in real life and helps playerssuspend their disbelief about the rapid character growth. To a lesser extent, settings closer to the present day or near future are possible.[3]
The story often provides much of the entertainment in the game. Because these games have strong storylines, they can often make effective use of recorded dialog and voiceover narration. Players of these games tend to appreciate longcutscenes more than players of fasteraction games. While most games advance the plot when the player defeats an enemy or completes a level, role-playing games often progress the plot based on other important decisions. For example, a player may make the decision to join a guild, thus triggering a progression in the storyline that is usually irreversible. New elements in the story may also be triggered by mere arrival in an area, rather than completing a specific challenge. The plot is usually divided so that each game location is an opportunity to reveal a new chapter in the story.[3]
Pen-and-paperrole-playing games typically involve a player called thegamemaster (or GM for short) who can dynamically create the story, setting, and rules, and react to a player's choices.[8] In role-playing video games, the computer performs the function of the gamemaster. This offers the player a smaller set of possible actions, since computers can't engage in imaginative acting comparable to a skilled human gamemaster. In exchange, the typical role-playing video game may have storyline branches, user interfaces, and stylized cutscenes and gameplay to offer a more direct storytelling mechanism. Characterization of non-player characters in video games is often handled using adialog tree. Saying the right things to the right non-player characters will elicit useful information for the player, and may even result in other rewards such as items or experience, as well as opening up possible storyline branches.Multiplayeronline role-playing games can offer an exception to this contrast by allowing human interaction among multiple players and in some cases enabling a player to perform the role of a gamemaster.[3][9]
Exploring the world is an important aspect of many RPGs.[3] Players will walk through, talking tonon-player characters, picking up objects, and avoiding traps.[3] Some games such asNetHack,Diablo, and theFATE series randomize the structure of individual levels, increasing the game's variety and replay value.[3] Role-playing games where players complete quests by exploring randomly generated dungeons and which includepermadeath are calledroguelikes, named after the 1980 video gameRogue.[10]
The game's story is often mapped onto exploration, where each chapter of the story is mapped onto a different location. RPGs usually allow players to return to previously visited locations. Usually, there is nothing left to do there, although some locations change throughout the story and offer the player new things to do in response. Players must acquire enough power to overcome a major challenge in order to progress to the next area, and this structure can be compared to theboss characters at the end of levels inaction games.[3]
The player typically must complete a linear sequence of certain quests in order to reach the end of the game's story. Many RPGs also often allow the player to seek out optional side-quests and character interactions. Quests of this sort can be found by talking to a non-player character, and there may be no penalty for abandoning or ignoring these quests other than a missed opportunity or reward.[3]
Players can findloot (such as clothing, weapons, and armor) throughout the game world and collect it.[3] Players can trade items for currency and better equipment. Trade takes place while interacting with certain friendly non-player characters, such as shopkeepers, and often uses a specialized trading screen. Purchased items go into the player's inventory. Some games turn inventory management into a logistical challenge by limiting the size of the player's inventory, thus forcing the player to decide what they must carry at the time.[11] This can be done by limiting the maximum weight that a player can carry, by employing a system of arranging items in a virtual space, or by simply limiting the number of items that can be held.[3]
Most of the actions in a Role-Playing Game are performed indirectly, with the player selecting an action and the character performing it by their own accord.[3] Success at that action depends on the character's numeric attributes. Role-playing video games often simulate dice-rolling mechanics from non-electronic role-playing games to determine success or failure. As a character's attributes improve, their chances of succeeding at a particular action will increase.[3]
Many role-playing games allow players to play as an evil character. Although robbing and murdering indiscriminately may make it easier to get money, there are usually consequences in that other characters will become uncooperative or even hostile towards the player. Thus, these games allow players to make moral choices, but force players to live with the consequences of their actions.[3] Games often let the player control an entire party of characters. However, if winning is contingent upon the survival of a single character, then that character effectively becomes the player'savatar.[3] An example of this would be inBaldur's Gate, where if the character created by the player dies, the game ends and a previous save needs to be loaded.[12]
Although some single-player role-playing games give the player an avatar that is largely predefined for the sake of telling a specific story, many role-playing games make use of acharacter creation screen. This allows players to choose their character's sex, their race or species, and their character class. Although many of these traits are cosmetic, there are functional aspects as well. Character classes will have different abilities and strengths. Common classes include fighters, spellcasters, thieves with stealth abilities, and clerics with healing abilities, or a mixed class, such as a fighter who can cast simple spells. Characters will also have a range of physical attributes such as dexterity and strength, which affect a player's performance in combat. Mental attributes such as intelligence may affect a player's ability to perform and learn spells, while social attributes such as charisma may limit the player's choices while conversing with non-player characters. These attribute systems often strongly resemble theDungeons & Dragons ruleset.[3][13]
Some role-playing games make use ofmagical powers, or equivalents such as psychic powers or advanced technology. These abilities are confined to specific characters such as mages, spellcasters, or magic-users. In games where the player controls multiple characters, these magic-users usually complement the physical strength of other classes. Magic can be used to attack, defend, or temporarily change an enemy or ally's attributes. While some games allow players to gradually consume a spell, as ammunition is consumed by a gun, most games offer players a finite amount ofmana which can be spent on any spell. Mana is restored by resting or by consuming potions. Characters can also gain other non-magical skills, which stay with the character for as long as the character lives.[3]
Role-playing games may have the player focus only on a single character throughout the game; the character may be joined by computer-controlled allies outside of the player's control. Other games feature a party that the player can create at the start or gather from non-player characters in the game, coming into partial or full control of the player during the game.
Older games often separated combat into its own mode of gameplay, distinct from exploring the game world. More recent games tend to maintain a consistent perspective for exploration and combat.[3] Some games, especially earlier video games, generate battles fromrandom encounters; more modern RPGs are more likely to have persistent wandering monsters that move about the game world independently of the player. Most RPGs also use stationaryboss monsters in key positions, and automatically trigger battles with them when the PCs enter these locations or perform certain actions.[citation needed] Combat options typically involve positioning characters, selecting which enemy to attack, and exercising special skills such as casting spells.[3]
In a classicalturn-based system, only one character may act at a time; all other characters remain still, with a few exceptions that may involve the use of special abilities. The order in which the characters act is usually dependent on their attributes, such as speed or agility. This system rewards strategic planning more than quickness. It also points to the fact that realism in games is a means to the end ofimmersion in the game world, not an end in itself. A turn-based system makes it possible, for example, to run within range of an opponent and kill them before they get a chance to act, or duck out from behind hard cover, fire, and retreat back without an opponent being able to fire, which are of course both impossibilities. However, tactical possibilities have been created by this unreality that did not exist before; the player determines whether the loss of immersion in the reality of the game is worth the satisfaction gained from the development of the tactic and its successful execution.Fallout has been cited as being a good example of such a system.[14]
Real-time combat can import features fromaction games, creating a hybridaction RPG game genre. But other RPG battle systems such as theFinal Fantasy battle systems have imported real-time choices without emphasizing coordination or reflexes. Other systems combine real-time combat with the ability to pause the game and issue orders to all characters under his/her control; when the game is unpaused, all characters follow the orders they were given. This "real-time with pause" system (RTwP) has been particularly popular in games designed byBioWare. The most famous RTwP engine is theInfinity Engine. Other names for "real-time with pause" include "active pause" and "semi real-time".[14][15] Tactical RPG maker Apeiron named their system Smart Pause Mode (SPM) because it would automatically pause based on a number of user-configurable settings.[16]Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel andArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura offered players the option to play in either turn-based or RTwP mode via a configuration setting. The latter also offered a "fast turn-based" mode, though all three game modes were criticized for being poorly balanced and oversimplified.[17][18]
EarlyUltima games featured timed turns: they were strictly turn-based, but if the player waited more than a second or so to issue a command, the game would automatically issue a pass command, allowing the monsters to take a turn while the PCs did nothing.[citation needed]
There is a further subdivision by the structure of the battle system; in many early games, such asWizardry, monsters and the party are arrayed into ranks, and can only attack enemies in the front rank with melee weapons. Other games, such as most of theUltima series, employed duplicates of the miniatures combat system traditionally used in the earlyrole-playing games. Representations of the player characters and monsters would move around an arena modeled after the surrounding terrain, attacking any enemies that are sufficiently close.[citation needed]
Earlier role-playing video games used a two-dimensional top-down view or tile-based first-person view. Early action-based role-playing games often used a side-scrolling view. Most notably sinceUltima Underworld (1992), role-playing games started implementing true three-dimensional (3D) graphics, where players typically navigate the game world from a first or third-person perspective. However, anisometric or aerial top-down perspective is common in party-based RPGs, in order to give the player a clear view of their entire party and their surroundings.[19]
Role-playing games require the player to manage a large amount of information and frequently use a windowed interface. For example, spell-casting characters will often have a menu of spells they can use. On the PC, players typically use the mouse to click on icons and menu options, while console games have the player navigate through menus using a game controller.
The role-playing video gamegenre began in the mid-1970s onmainframe computers, inspired by pen-and-paperrole-playing games such asDungeons & Dragons.[20] Several other sources of inspiration for early role-playing video games also included tabletopwargames,sports simulation games,adventure games such asColossal Cave Adventure,fantasy writings by authors such asJ. R. R. Tolkien,[21] traditionalstrategy games such aschess,[22][23] and ancientepic literature dating back toEpic of Gilgamesh which followed the same basic structure of setting off in variousquests in order to accomplish goals.[24]
Originally, role-playing video games were classified into three main styles: roguelikes (named afterRogue, 1980) that focused on exploration of procedurally created mazes; dungeon crawlers (popularized byWizardry, 1981), that took place within one or few dungeons, with little or no interaction with an outer world; and open worlds (popularized byUltima, 1981), that include an explorable world surface with several dungeons, cities, continents, and more.
After the success of role-playing video games such asUltima andWizardry, which in turn served as the blueprint forDragon Quest andFinal Fantasy, the role-playing genre eventually diverged into two styles,Eastern role-playing games andWestern role-playing games, due tocultural differences, though roughly mirroring the platform divide betweenconsoles andcomputers, respectively.[25] Finally, while the first RPGs offered strictly asingle player experience, the popularity ofmultiplayer modes rose sharply during the early to mid-1990s withaction role-playing games such asSecret of Mana andDiablo. With the advent of the Internet, multiplayer games have grown to becomemassively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), includingLineage,Final Fantasy XI, andWorld of Warcraft.[26]
The role-playing video game genre began in the mid-1970s, as an offshoot of early universitymainframe text-based RPGs onPDP-10 andUnix-based computers, such asDungeon,pedit5 anddnd.[27] In1980, a very populardungeon crawler,Rogue, was released. FeaturingASCII graphics where the setting, monsters and items were represented by letters and a deep system of gameplay, it inspired a whole genre of similar clones on mainframe and home computers called "roguelikes".
One of the earliest role-playing video games on amicrocomputer wasDungeon n Dragons, written byPeter Trefonas and published byCLOAD (1980). This early game, published for aTRS-80 Model 1, is just 16K long and includes a limited word parser command line, character generation, a store to purchase equipment, combat, traps to solve, and a dungeon to explore.[28] Other contemporaneous CRPGs (Computer Role Playing Games) wereTemple of Apshai,Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure andAkalabeth: World of Doom, the precursor toUltima. Some early microcomputer RPGs (such asTelengard (1982) orSword of Fargoal) were based on their mainframe counterparts, while others (such asUltima orWizardry, the most successful of the early CRPGs) were loose adaptations ofD&D.[citation needed] They also include bothfirst-person displays and overhead views, sometimes in the same game (Akalabeth, for example, uses both perspectives). Most of the key features of RPGs were developed in this early period, prior to the release ofUltima III: Exodus, one of the prime influences on both computer and console RPG development. For example,Wizardry features menu-driven combat,Tunnels of Doom features tactical combat on a special "combat screen", andDungeons of Daggorath features real-time combat which takes place on the main dungeon map.[29]
Starting in 1984 withQuestron and50 Mission Crush,SSI produced many series of CRPGs. Their 1985 gamePhantasie is notable for introducingautomapping and in-game scrolls providing hints and background information. They also releasedPool of Radiance in 1988, the first of several "Gold Box" CRPGs based on theAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. These games feature a first-person display for movement, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat. One common feature of RPGs from this era, which Matt Barton calls the "Golden Age" of computer RPGs, is the use of numbered "paragraphs" printed in the manual or adjunct booklets, containing the game's lengthier texts; the player can be directed to read a certain paragraph, instead of being shown the text on screen. The ultimate exemplar of this approach isSir-Tech'sStar Saga trilogy (of which only two games were released); the first game contains 888 "textlets" (usually much longer than a single paragraph) spread across 13 booklets, while the second contains 50,000 paragraphs spread across 14 booklets. Most of the games from this era are turn-based, althoughDungeon Master and its imitators have real-time combat. Other classic titles from this era includeThe Bard's Tale (1985),Wasteland (1988), the start of theMight and Magic (1986–2014) series and the continuingUltima (1981–1999) series.[30]
Later, in the middle to late 1990s, isometric, sprite-based RPGs became commonplace, with video game publishersInterplay Entertainment andBlizzard North playing a lead role with such titles as theBaldur's Gate,Icewind Dale and the action-RPGDiablo series, as well as the dialogue-heavyPlanescape: Torment and cult classicsFallout andFallout 2. This era also saw a move toward 3D game engines with such games asMight and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven andThe Elder Scrolls: Arena.TSR, dissatisfied with SSI's later products, such asDark Sun: Wake of the Ravager andMenzoberranzan, transferred theAD&D license to several different developers, and eventually gave it toBioWare, who used it inBaldur's Gate (1998) and several later games. By the 2000s, 3D engines had become dominant.[31]
The earliest RPG on a console wasDragonstomper on theAtari 2600 in 1982.[32] Another early RPG on a console wasBokosuka Wars, originally released for theSharp X1 computer in 1983[33] and later ported to theMSX in 1984, theNES in 1985 and theSharp X68000[citation needed] asNew Bokosuka Wars. The game laid the foundations for thetactical role-playing game genre, or "simulation RPG" genre as it is known in Japan.[citation needed] It was also an early example of areal-time,[34]action role-playing game.[35][36] In 1986,Chunsoft created theNES titleDragon Quest (calledDragon Warrior in North America until theeighth game), which drew inspiration from computer RPGsUltima andWizardry and is regarded as the template for future Japanese role-playing video games released since then.[37]
In 1987, the genre came into its own with the release of several highly influential console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs, including the genre-definingPhantasy Star, released for theMaster System.Shigeru Miyamoto'sZelda II: The Adventure of Link for theFamicom Disk System was one of the earliestaction role-playing games, combining theaction-adventure game framework of its predecessorThe Legend of Zelda with the statistical elements ofturn-based RPGs.[38] Most RPGs at this time were turn-based.[39]Faxanadu was another early action RPG for the NES, released as a side-story to the computer action RPGDragon Slayer II: Xanadu.[40]Square'sFinal Fantasy for the NES introduced side-view battles, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs.[41] In 1988,Dragon Warrior III introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game.[citation needed] Another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."[42] In 1989,Phantasy Star II for theGenesis established many conventions of the genre, including anepic, dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter.[43]
Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters. Console RPGs often featured intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs at the time but absent from most computer RPGs.[44] During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.[45] Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures.[46]
The next major revolution came in the late 1990s, which saw the rise ofoptical disks infifth generation consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, andfull-motion video. This was first clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success ofFinal Fantasy VII, which is considered one of the most influential games of all time.[47][48] With a record-breaking production budget of around $45 million,[47] the ambitious scope ofFinal Fantasy VII raised the possibilities for the genre, with itsdozens of minigames and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds,[49] battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motionCGI video seamlessly blended into the gameplay,[48] effectively integrated throughout the game.[47] The game was soon ported to the PC and gained much success there, as did several other originally console RPGs, blurring the line between the console and computer platforms.[45]
Computer-driven role-playing games had their start in Western markets, with games generally geared to be played on home computers. By 1985, series likeWizardry andUltima represented the state of the art in role-playing games. In Japan, home computers had yet to take as great a hold as they had in the West due to their cost; there was little market for Western-developed games and there were a few Japanese-developed games for personal computers during this time such asThe Black Onyx (1984) which followed theWizardry/Ultima format. With the release of the low-cost Famicom console (called theNintendo Entertainment System overseas), a new opportunity arose to bring role-playing games to Japan.Dragon Quest (1986) was the first such attempt to recreate a role-playing game for a console, and requires several simplifications to fit within the more limited memory and capabilities of the Famicom compared to computers; players inDragon Quest controlled only a single character, the amount of control over this character limited due to the simplicity of the Famicom controller, and a less-realistic art style was chosen to better visualize the characters within atile-based graphics system.Dragon Quest was highly successful in Japan, leading to further entries in the series and other titles such asFinal Fantasy that followed the same simplifications made in RPGs forDragon Quest.[50] Because of these differences, the role-playing genre began to be classified into two fairly distinct styles:computer RPG andconsole RPG.[25][51][52][Note 1]
By the early 2000s, the distinction between platforms became less pronounced as the same games appeared on both console and computer, but stylistic differences betweenWestern role-playing games (WRPGs) andJapanese role-playing games (JRPGs) remained, rooted in the earlier distinctions.[53] Though sharing fundamental premises, WRPGs tend to feature darker graphics, older characters, and a greater focus on roaming freedom, realism, and the underlying game mechanics (e.g. "rules-based" or "system-based"[53]); whereas JRPGs tend to feature brighter,anime-like orchibi graphics, younger characters, turn-based or faster-paced action gameplay, and a greater focus on tightly orchestrated, linear storylines with intricate plots (e.g. "action-based" or "story-based"[53]).[25][54][55][56][57][58][59] Further, WRPGs are more likely to allow players to create and customize characters from scratch,[60] and since the late 1990s have had a stronger focus on extensivedialog tree systems (e.g.Planescape: Torment).[61] On the other hand, JRPGs tend to limit players to developing pre-definedplayer characters, and often do not allow the option to create or choose one's own playable characters or make decisions that alter the plot.[59][Note 2] In the early 1990s, JRPGs were seen as being much closer tofantasynovels,[63] but by the late 1990s had become more cinematic in style (e.g.Final Fantasy series). At the same time, WRPGs started becoming more novelistic in style (e.g.Planescape: Torment), but by the late 2000s had also adopted a more cinematic style (e.g.Mass Effect).[61]
One reason given for these differences is that many early Japanese console RPGs can be seen as forms of interactivemanga or anime wrapped around Western rule systems at the time,[64] in addition to the influence ofvisual noveladventure games.[65] As a result, Japanese console RPGs differentiated themselves with a stronger focus on scripted narratives and character drama,[54] alongside streamlined gameplay.[64] In recent years, these trends have in turn been adopted by WRPGs, which have begun moving more towards tightly structured narratives, in addition to moving away from "numbers and rules" in favor of streamlined combat systems similar to action games.[64][66] In addition, a large number of Westernindie games are modelled after JRPGs,[67] especially those of the16-bit era, partly due to theRPG Makergame development tools.[64]
Another oft-cited difference is the prominence or absence ofkawaisa, or "cuteness", in Japanese culture, and different approaches with respect to character aesthetics.[25] WRPGs tend to maintain a serious and gritty tone, whereas JRPG protagonists tend to be designed with an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, and even male characters are often young,androgynous, shōnen orbishōnen in appearance. JRPGs often have cute characters, juxtaposed with more mature themes and situations; and many modern JRPGs feature characters designed in the same style as those inmanga andanime.[60] The stylistic differences are often due to differing target audiences: Western RPGs are usually geared primarily towards teenage to adult males, whereas Japanese RPGs are usually intended for a much larger demographic,[68] includingfemale audiences,[56] who, for example, accounted for nearly a third ofFinal Fantasy XIII's playerbase.[69] In 2015,IGN noted in an interview withXenoblade Chronicles X's development team that the label "JRPG" is most commonly used to refer to RPGs "whose presentation mimics the design sensibilities" of anime and manga, that it's "typically the presentation and character archetypes" that signal "this is a JRPG."[70]
Modern JRPGs are more likely to featureturn-based battles; while modern WRPGs are more likely to featurereal-time combat.[56][59][71] In the past, the reverse was often true: real-timeaction role-playing games were far more common among Japanese console RPGs than Western computer RPGs up until the late 1990s, due togamepads usually being better suited to real-time action than the keyboard and mouse.[72]
Some journalists and video game designers have questioned this cultural classification, arguing that the differences between Eastern and Western games have been exaggerated. In an interview held at the AmericanElectronic Entertainment Expo, Japanese video game developerTetsuya Nomura (who worked onFinal Fantasy andKingdom Hearts) emphasized that RPGs should not be classified by country-of-origin, but rather described simply for what they are: role-playing games.[73]Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator ofFinal Fantasy andThe Last Story, noted that, while "users like to categorise" JRPGs as "turn-based, traditional styles" and WRPGs as "born fromfirst-person shooters," there "are titles that don't fit the category," pointing toChrono Trigger (which he also worked on) and theMana games. He further noted that there have been "other games similar to the style ofChrono Trigger," but that "it's probably because the games weren'tlocalised and didn't reach the Western audience."[74]Xeno series directorTetsuya Takahashi, in reference toXenoblade Chronicles, stated that "I don't know when exactly people started using the term 'JRPG,' but if this game makes people rethink the meaning of this term, I'll be satisfied." The writer Jeremy Parish of1UP.com states that "Xenoblade throws into high relief the sheer artificiality of the gaming community's obsession over the differences between" Western and Japanese RPGs, pointing out that it "does things that don't really fit into either genre. Gamers do love their boundaries and barriers and neat little rules, I know, but just because you cram something into a little box doesn't mean it belongs there."[75] Nick Doerr ofJoystiq criticizes the claim that JRPGs are "too linear", pointing out that non-linear JRPGs are not uncommon—for instance, theRomancing SaGa series.[76] Likewise, Rowan Kaiser of Joystiq points out that linear WRPGs were common in the 1990s, and argues that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games arestereotypes that are generally "not true" and "never was", pointing to classic examples likeLands of Lore andBetrayal at Krondor that were more narrative-focused than the typical Western-style RPGs of the time.[53]
Due to the cultural differences between Western and Japanese variations of role-playing games, both have often been compared and critiqued by those within the video games industry and the press.
In the late 1980s, when traditional American computer RPGs such asUltima andDefender of the Crown were ported to consoles, they received mixed reviews from console gamers, as they were "not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports", and lacked thearcade andaction-adventure elements commonly found in Japanese console RPGs at the time.[77] In the early 1990s, American computer RPGs also began facing criticism for their plots, where "the party sticks together through thick and thin" and always "act together as a group" rather than as individuals, and wherenon-player characters are "one-dimensional characters", in comparison to the morefantasynovel approach ofSquaresoft console RPGs such asFinal Fantasy IV.[63] However, in 1994, game designerSandy Petersen noted that, among computer gamers, there was criticism against cartridge-based console JRPGs being "not role-playing at all" due to popular examples such asSecret of Mana and especiallyThe Legend of Zelda using "direct" arcade-style actioncombat systems instead of the more "abstract"turn-based battle systems associated with computer RPGs. In response, he pointed out that not all console RPGs are action-based, pointing toFinal Fantasy andLufia.[78] Another early criticism, dating back to thePhantasy Star games in the late 1980s, was the frequent use of definedplayer characters, in contrast to theWizardry andGold Box games where the player'savatars (such as knights, clerics, or thieves) were blank slates.[79]
As Japanese console RPGs became increasingly more dominant in the 1990s,[45] and became known for being more heavily story and character-based, American computer RPGs began to face criticism for having characters devoid of personality or background, due to representing avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted characters with distinctive personalities. American computer RPGs were thus criticized for lacking "more of the traditionalrole-playing" offered by Japanese console RPGs, which instead emphasized character interactions.[54] In response, North American computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with interactive choice-filled adventures.[80]
Several writers have criticized JRPGs as not being "true" RPGs, for heavy usage of scriptedcutscenes and dialogue, and a frequent lack ofbranching outcomes.[81][Turner] Japanese RPGs are also sometimes criticized for having relatively simple battle systems in which players are able to win by repetitively mashing buttons.[81][Turner][81][82][Note 3] As a result, Japanese-style role-playing games are held in disdain by some Western gamers, leading to the term "JRPG" being held in the pejorative.[71] Some observers have also speculated that JRPGs are stagnating or declining in both quality and popularity, including remarks by BioWare co-founderGreg Zeschuk and writing directorDaniel Erickson that JRPGs are stagnating—and thatFinal Fantasy XIII is not even really an RPG;[84][85][86] criticisms regarding seemingly nebulous justifications by some Japanese designers for newly changed (or, alternately, newly un-changed) features of recent titles;[87] calls among some gaming journalists to "fix" JRPGs' problems;[88][89][90][91] as well as claims that some recent titles such asFront Mission Evolved are beginning to attempt—and failing to—imitate Western titles.[92] In an article forPSM3, Brittany Vincent of RPGFan.com felt that "developers have mired the modern JRPG in unoriginality", citing Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada who stated that "they're strictly catering to a particular audience", the article noting the difference in game sales between Japan and North America before going on to suggest JRPGs may need to "move forward".[93] This criticism has also occurred in the wider media with an advertisement forFallout: New Vegas (Obsidian Entertainment) in Japan openly mocked Japanese RPGs' traditional characteristics in favor of their own title.[94] Nick Doerr ofJoystiq noted thatBethesda felt that JRPGs "are all the same" and "too linear", to which he responded that "[f]or the most part, it's true" but noted there are also non-linear JRPGs such as theRomancing SaGa series.[76] Such criticisms have produced responses such as ones by Japanesevideo game developers,Shinji Mikami andYuji Horii, to the effect that JRPGs were never as popular in the West to begin with, and that Western reviewers are biased against turn-based systems.[95][96][97][98] Jeff Fleming ofGamasutra also states that Japanese RPGs on home consoles are generally showing signs of staleness, but notes thathandheld consoles such as theNintendo DS have had more original and experimental Japanese RPGs released in recent years.[99]
Western RPGs have also received criticism in recent years. They remain less popular in Japan, where, until recently, Western games in general had a negative reputation.[57] In Japan, where the vast majority of early console role-playing video games originate,[100] Western RPGs remain largely unknown.[101] The developerMotomu Toriyama criticized Western RPGs, stating that they "dump you in a bigopen world, and let you do whatever you like [which makes it] difficult to tell a compelling story."[102]Hironobu Sakaguchi noted that "users like to categorise" WRPGs as "a sort of different style, born from first person shooters."[74] In recent years, some have also criticized WRPGs for becoming less RPG-like, instead with further emphasis on action.[64] Christian Nutt ofGameSpy states that, in contrast to JRPGs, WRPGs' greater control over the development and customization of playable characters has come at the expense of plot and gameplay, resulting in what he felt was generic dialogue, lack of character development within the narrative and weaker battle systems.[81][Nutt] He also states that WRPGs tend to focus more on the underlying rules governing the battle system rather than on the experience itself.[81][Nutt] Tom Battey ofEdge Magazine noted that the problems often cited against JRPGs also often apply to many WRPGs as well as games outside of the RPG genre.[90]BioWare games have been criticized for "lack of innovation, repetitive structure and lack of real choice."[103] WRPGs, such asBethesda games, have also been criticized for lacking in "narrative strength" or "mechanical intricacy" due to the open-ended, sandbox structure of their games.[104]
Despite the criticisms leveled at both variations, Rowan Kaiser ofJoystiq argued that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games arestereotypes that are generally not true, noting various similarities between several Western titles (such asLands of Lore,Betrayal at Krondor, andDragon Age) and several classic Eastern titles (such asFinal Fantasy andPhantasy Star), noting that both these Western and Japanese titles share a similar emphasis on linear storytelling, pre-defined characters and "bright-colored" graphics.[53] The developer Hironobu Sakaguchi also noted there are many games from both that don't fit such categorizations, such as his ownChrono Trigger as well as theMana games, noting there have been many other such Japanese role-playing games that never released in Western markets.[74]
Christianity is a minority religion in Japan and depictions of Christian symbolism and themes in Japanese media are fraught with potential controversy. This tends to be problematic when JRPGs are exported to Western countries such as the United States where the topics of religion and blasphemy remain sensitive.[105] A JRPG can exhibit elements that would be controversial in the West, such asXenogears orFinal Fantasy Tactics featuring antagonists that bear similarities to theAbrahamic God[106] and theCatholic Church,[107] respectively; negative depictions of organized religions; and "characters banding together and killing God."[108] Nintendo has made efforts in the past to remove references such as these prior to introducing their games into the North American market.[25]
Typically action RPGs feature each player directly controlling a single character in real-time, and feature a strong focus on combat and action with plot and character interaction kept to a minimum. Early action RPGs tended to follow the template set by 1980sNihon Falcom titles such as theDragon Slayer andYs series, which featurehack and slash combat where theplayer character's movements and actions are controlled directly, using akeyboard orgame controller, rather than using menus.[109] This formula was refined by theaction-adventure game,The Legend of Zelda (1986), which set the template used by many subsequent action RPGs, including innovations such as anopen world,nonlinear gameplay, battery backupsaving,[110] and an attack button that animates a sword swing or projectile attack on the screen.[111][112] The game was largely responsible for the surge of action-oriented RPGs released since the late 1980s, both in Japan and North America.[113]The Legend of Zelda series would continue to exert an influence on the transition of both console and computer RPGs from stat-heavy, turn-based combat towards real-time action combat in the following decades.[114]
A different variation of the action RPG formula was popularized byDiablo (1996), where the majority of commands—such as moving and attacking—are executed usingmouse clicks rather than via menus, though learned spells can also be assigned to hotkeys. In many action RPGs,non-player characters serve only one purpose, be it to buy or sell items or upgrade the player's abilities, or issue them with combat-centric quests. Problems players face also often have an action-based solution, such as breaking a wooden door open with an axe rather than finding the key needed to unlock it, though some games place greater emphasis on character attributes such as a "lockpicking" skill and puzzle-solving.[citation needed]
One common challenge in developing action RPGs is including content beyond that of killing enemies. With the sheer number of items, locations and monsters found in many such games, it can be difficult to create the needed depth to offer players a unique experience tailored to his or her beliefs, choices or actions.[109] This is doubly true if a game makes use of randomization, as is common. One notable example of a game which went beyond this isDeus Ex (2000) which offered multiple solutions to problems using intricately layered story options and individually constructed environments.[109] Instead of simply bashing their way through levels, players were challenged to act in character by choosing dialog options appropriately, and by using the surrounding environment intelligently. This produced an experience that was unique and tailored to each situation as opposed to one that repeated itself endlessly.[109]
At one time, action RPGs were much more common on consoles than on computers.[115] Though there had been attempts at creating action-oriented computer RPGs during the late 1980s and early 1990s, often in the vein ofZelda, very few saw any success, with the 1992 gameUltima VII being one of the more successful exceptions in North America.[115] On the PC,Diablo's effect on the market was significant: it had many imitators and its style of combat went on to be used by many games that came after. For many years afterwards, games that closely mimicked theDiablo formula were referred to as "Diablo clones".[116] Three of the four titles in the series were still sold together as part of theDiablo Battle Chest over a decade afterDiablo's release. Other examples of action RPGs for the PC includeDungeon Siege,Sacred,Torchlight andHellgate: London—the last of which was developed by a team headed by former Blizzard employees, some of whom had participated in the creation of theDiablo series.[116][117] LikeDiablo andRogue before it,Torchlight andHellgate: London made use ofprocedural generation to generate game levels.[118][119]
Also included within this subgenre are role-playing shooters—games that incorporate elements of role-playing games andshooter games (includingfirst-person andthird-person). Recent examples include theMass Effect series,[109][120]Fallout: New Vegas,Borderlands 2 andThe 3rd Birthday.
This subgenre consists of RPGs where the player leads a party of adventurers infirst-person perspective, typically through a dungeon or labyrinth in a grid-based environment.[citation needed] Examples include the aforementionedWizardry,Might and Magic andBard's Tale series; as well as theEtrian Odyssey andElminage series. Games of this type are sometimes called "blobbers", since the player moves the entire party around the playing field as a single unit, or "blob".[121][122]
Most "blobbers" are turn-based, but some titles such as theDungeon Master,Legend of Grimrock andEye of the Beholder series are played in real-time. Early games in this genre lacked anautomap feature, forcing players to draw their own maps in order to keep track of their progress.[citation needed] Environmental and spatial puzzles are common, meaning players may need to, for instance, move a stone in one part of the level in order to open a gate in another part of the level.[citation needed]
Though many of the original RPGs for the PLATO mainframe system in the late 1970s also supported multiple, simultaneous players,[123] the popularity ofmultiplayer modes in mainstream RPGs did not begin to rise sharply until the early to mid-1990s.[26] For instance,Secret of Mana (1993), an earlyaction role-playing game bySquare, was one of the first commercial RPGs to featurecooperative multiplayer gameplay, offering two-player and three-player action once the main character had acquired his party members.[124][125] Later,Diablo (1997) would combine CRPG andaction game elements with anInternet multiplayer mode that allowed up to four players to enter the same world and fight monsters, trade items, or fight against each other.
Also during this time period, theMUD genre that had been spawned byMUD1 in 1978 was undergoing a tremendous expansion phase due to the release and spread ofLPMud (1989) andDikuMUD (1991). Soon, driven by the mainstream adoption of the Internet, these parallel trends merged in the popularization ofgraphical MUDs, which would soon become known asmassively multiplayer online role-playing games or MMORPGs,[126][127] beginning with games likeMeridian 59 (1995),Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (1996),Ultima Online (1997),Lineage (1998), andEverQuest (1999), and leading to more modern phenomena such asRuneScape (2001),Ragnarok Online(2002),Final Fantasy XI (2003),Eve Online (2003)Disney'sToontown Online (2003) andWorld of Warcraft (2004).
Although superficially similar to single-player RPGs, MMORPGs lend their appeal more to the socializing influences of being online with hundreds or even thousands of other players at a time, and trace their origins more from MUDs than from CRPGs likeUltima andWizardry. Rather than focusing on the "old school" considerations of memorizing huge numbers of stats and esoterica and battling it out in complex, tactical environments, players instead spend much of their time forming and maintaining guilds andclans. The distinction between CRPGs and MMORPGs and MUDs can as a result be very sharp, likenable to the difference between "attending arenaissance fair and reading a good fantasy novel".[45]
Single-player games are great, and I love them. They have a great feature. Your life is very special. You arethe hero and you get to save thewhole world. (...) [Tabula Rasa] is likeDisney World... You can go to shops and get food, but when you get on the boat for the pirate ride, you're in your own version of reality. Once the ride starts, you are blissfully unaware of the boats in front of you and behind you.
Further, MMORPGs have been criticized for diluting the "epic" feeling of single-player RPGs and related media among thousands of concurrent adventurers. Stated simply: every player wants to be "The Hero", slay "The Monster", rescue "The Princess", or obtain "The Magic Sword". But when there are thousands of players all playing the same game, clearly not everyone can bethe hero.[128] This problem became obvious to some in the gameEverQuest, where groups of players would compete and sometimes harass each other in order to get monsters in the same dungeon to drop valuable items, leading to several undesirable behaviors such askill stealing,spawn camping, andninja looting.[129][130][131] In response—for instance by Richard Garriott inTabula Rasa (2007)[128]—developers began turning toinstance dungeons as a means of reducing competition over limited resources, as well as preserving the gaming experience—though this mechanic has its own set of detractors.[132]
Lastly, there exist markets such as Korea and China that, while saturated with MMORPGs, have so far proved relatively unreceptive to single-player RPGs.[66] For instance, Internet-connected personal computers are relatively common in Korea when compared to other regions—particularly in the numerous "PC bangs" scattered around the country, where patrons are able to pay to play multiplayer video games—possibly due to historical bans on Japanese imports, as well as a culture that traditionally sees video games as "frivolous toys" and computers as educational.[133] As a result, some have wondered whether the stand-alone, single-player RPG is still viable commercially—especially on the personal computer—when there are competing pressures such as big-name publishers' marketing needs, video game piracy, a change in culture, and the competitive price-point-to-processing-power ratio (at least initially) of modern console systems.[45][66][134][Note 4]
A monster-taming game (also known as a monster-catching game) is a subgenre of role-playing games that most notably includes thePokémon franchise. WhilePokémon is the most recognizable example of such a game to Western audiences, the origins of the genre were in theMegami Tensei series, which involved fighting, negotiating with, and recruitingdemons and othermythological beings.
@.Roguelike is a subgenre of role-playing video games, characterized byprocedural generation ofgame levels, turn-based gameplay, tile-based graphics,permanent death of the player-character, and typically based on ahigh fantasy narrative setting. Roguelikes descend from the 1980 gameRogue, particularly mirroringRogue'scharacter- orsprite-based graphics.[135][136] These games were popularized among college students and computer programmers of the 1980s and 1990s, leading to a large number of variants but adhering to these common gameplay elements. Some of the more well-known variants includeHack,NetHack,Ancient Domains of Mystery,Moria,Angband, andTales of Maj'Eyal.[137] The Japanese series ofMystery Dungeon games byChunsoft, inspired byRogue, also fall within the concept of roguelike games.[138]
More recently, with more powerful home computers and gaming systems, new variations of roguelikes incorporating other gameplay genres, thematic elements and graphical styles have become popular, typically retaining the notion of procedural generation. These titles are sometimes labeled as "roguelike-like", "rogue-lite", or "procedural death labyrinths" to reflect the variation from titles which mimic the gameplay of traditional roguelikes more faithfully.[138] Other games, likeDiablo[139] andUnReal World,[140] took inspiration from roguelikes.
Sandbox RPGs, oropen world RPGs, allow the player a great amount of freedom and usually feature a more open free-roaming world (meaning the player is not confined to a single path restricted by rocks or fences etc.).[citation needed] Sandbox RPGs possess similarities to other sandbox games, such as theGrand Theft Auto series, with a large number of interactable NPCs, large amount of content and typically some of the largest worlds to explore and longest play-times of all RPGs due to an impressive amount of secondary content not critical to the game's main storyline. Sandbox RPGs often attempt to emulate an entire region of their setting.[citation needed] Popular examples of this subgenre include theDragon Slayer series byNihon Falcom, the earlyDragon Quest games byChunsoft,The Legend of Zelda andPokémon Scarlet and Violet byNintendo,Wasteland byInterplay Entertainment, theSaGa andMana series bySquaresoft,System Shock andSystem Shock 2 byLooking Glass Studios andIrrational Games,Deus Ex byIon Storm,The Elder Scrolls andFallout series byBethesda Softworks andInterplay Entertainment,Fable byLionhead Studios andPlayground Games, theGothic series byPiranha Bytes, theXenoblade Chronicles series byMonolith Soft, and theDark Souls series byFromSoftware.[citation needed]
This subgenre of turn-based role-playing games principally refers to games which incorporate elements fromstrategy games as an alternative to traditional role-playing game (RPG) systems.[141] Tactical RPGs are descendants of traditional strategy games, such aschess,[22] and table-top role-playing and strategicwar games, such asChainmail, which were mainly tactical in their original form.[142][143] The format of a tactical CRPG is also like a traditional RPG in its appearance, pacing and rule structure. Like standard RPGs, the player controls a finite party and battles a similar number of enemies.[141] And like other RPGs, death is usually temporary, albeit some have permanent death of party members. But this genre incorporates strategic gameplay such as tactical movement on anisometric grid.[141] Tactical RPGs tend not to featuremultiplayer play.
A number of early Western role-playing video games used a highly tactical form of combat, including parts of theUltima series, which introduced party-based, tiled combat inUltima III: Exodus (1983).[144]Ultima III would go on to be ported to many other platforms and influence the development of later titles,[145] as wouldBokosuka Wars (1983), considered a pioneer in the strategy/simulation RPG genre, according to Nintendo.[146] Conventionally, however, the term tactical RPG (known assimulation RPG in Japan) refers to the distinct subgenre that was born in Japan; as the early origins of tactical RPGs are difficult to trace from the American side of the Pacific, where much of the early RPG genre developed.[142]
Many tactical RPGs can be both extremely time-consuming and extremely difficult. Hence, the appeal of most tactical RPGs is to the hardcore, not casual, computer and video game player.[147] Traditionally, tactical RPGs have been quite popular in Japan but have not enjoyed the same degree of success in North America and elsewhere.[148][149] However, the audience for Japanese tactical RPGs has grown substantially since the mid-90s, withPS1 andPS2 titles such asFinal Fantasy Tactics,Suikoden Tactics,Vanguard Bandits, andDisgaea enjoying a surprising measure of popularity, as well as hand-held war games likeFire Emblem.[150] (Final Fantasy Tactics for the PS1 is often considered the breakthrough title outside Japan.[151][152]) Older TRPGs are also being re-released viasoftware emulation—such as on theWiiVirtual Console—and onhandheld game consoles, giving games a new lease on life and exposure to new audiences.[153] Japanese video games such as these are as a result no longer nearly as rare a commodity in North America as they were during the 1990s.[citation needed]
Western video games have utilized similar mechanics for years, as well, and were largely defined byX-COM: UFO Defense (1994) in much the same way as Eastern video games were byFire Emblem.[154] Titles such asX-COM have generally allowed greater freedom of movement when interacting with the surrounding environment than their Eastern counterparts.[155][156] Other similar examples include theJagged Alliance[157][158] (1994–2013) andSilent Storm[158][159] (2003–2005) series. According to a few developers, it became increasingly difficult during the 2000s to develop games of this type for the PC in the West (though several had been developed in Eastern Europe with mixed results);[160][161] and even some Japanese console RPG developers began to complain about a bias against turn-based systems.[97][98] Reasons cited include Western publishers' focus on developing real-time and action-oriented games instead.[161]
Lastly, there are a number of "full-fledged" CRPGs which could be described as having "tactical combat". Examples from the classic era of CRPGs include parts of the aforementionedUltima series;[162] SSI'sWizard's Crown (1985) andThe Eternal Dagger (1987);[31] theGold Box games of the late '80s and early '90s, many of which were later ported to Japanese video game systems;[30] and theRealms of Arkania (1992–1996) series based on the GermanThe Dark Eye pen-and-paper system.[31] More recent examples includeWasteland 2,[163]Shadowrun: Dragonfall[164] andDivinity: Original Sin[165]—all released in 2014. Partly due to the release of these games 2014 has been called "the first year of the CRPG renaissance".[166]
Turb-based RPGs have actions take place in a sequence which can be determined by various factors. Unlike other genres, actions by others characters cannot be performed unless it is their turn to perform them. This can be limited to just battles in games or even movement around the overworld depending on the game mechanic or subgenre.[167] This genre started off on PC with series likeUltima and then become very popular on console with releases likeDragon Quest.
A steadily increasing number of other non-RP video games have adopted aspects traditionally seen in RPGs, such as experience point systems, equipment management, and choices in dialogue, as developers push to fill the demand for role-playing elements in non-RPGs.[66][168] The blending of these elements with a number of differentgame engines andgameplay styles have created a myriad of hybrid game categories formed by mixing popular gameplay elements featured in other genres such asfirst-person shooters,platformers, andturn-based andreal-time strategy games. Examples include first-person shooters such as parts of theDeus Ex (starting in 2000) andS.T.A.L.K.E.R. (starting in 2007) series;[169][170][171][172] real-time strategy games such asSpellForce: The Order of Dawn (2003) andWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (2009);[173][174]puzzle video games such asCastlevania Puzzle (2010) andPuzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (2007);[175][176] and turn-based strategy games like theSteel Panthers (1995–2006) series, which combined tactical military combat with RPG-derived unit advancement. As a group, hybrid games have been both praised and criticized; being referred to by one critic as the "poor man's" RPG for omitting the dialogue choices and story-driven character development of major AAA titles;[168] and by another critic as "promising" for shedding the conventions of more established franchises in an attempt to innovate.[177]
RPGs seldom test a player's physical skill. Combat is typically a tactical challenge rather than a physical one, and games involve other non-action gameplay such as choosing dialog options, inventory management, or buying and selling items.[178]
Although RPGs share some combat rules withwargames, RPGs are often about a small group of individual characters.[61] Wargames tend to have large groups of identical units, as well as non-humanoid units such as tanks and airplanes. Role-playing games do not normally allow the player to produce more units. However, theHeroes of Might and Magic series crosses these genres by combining individual heroes with large numbers of troops in large battles.[3]
RPGs rivaladventure games in terms of their rich storylines, in contrast to genres that do not rely upon storytelling such assports games orpuzzle games.[3] Both genres also feature highly detailed characters, and a great deal of exploration. However, RPGs also feature a combat system, which adventure games lack. In doing so, RPGs tend to emphasize complex internal mechanics where characters are defined by increasing numerical attributes.
Gameplay elements strongly associated with this genre, such as statistical character development, have been widely adapted to other video game genres. For example,Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, anaction-adventure game, uses resource statistics (abbreviated as "stats") to define a wide range of attributes including stamina, weapon proficiency, driving, lung capacity, and muscle tone, and uses numerouscutscenes andquests to advance the story.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, areal-time strategy game, features heroes that can complete quests, obtain new equipment, and "learn" new abilities as they advance in level.[179] A community-createdmod based onWarcraft III,Defense of the Ancients (DotA), served as significant inspiration for themultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre.[180][181] Due to itsWarcraft III origins, MOBA is a fusion of role-playing games, real-time strategy games, and action games, with RPG elements built in its core gameplay. A key features, such as control over one character in a party, growth in power over the course of match, learning new thematic abilities, using ofmana,[182] leveling and accumulation of experience points,[183] equipment and inventory management,[184] completing quests,[185] and fighting with the stationaryboss monsters,[186][187] have resemblance with role-playing games.
According toSatoru Iwata, former president ofNintendo, turn-based RPGs have been unfairly criticized as being outdated, and action-based RPGs can frustrate players who are unable to keep up with the battles.[39] According toYuji Horii, creator of the popularDragon Quest series and Ryutaro Ichimura, producer ofSquare Enix, turn-based RPGs allow the player time to make decisions without feeling rushed or worry about real-life distractions.[39]
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Thebest-selling RPG series worldwide isPokémon,[55] which has sold over 300 million units,[188][189][190][191] with over 30 million sales forPokémon Red,Blue, andGreen alone.[192] The second and third best-selling RPG franchises worldwide areSquare Enix'sFinal Fantasy andDragon Quest series, with over 110 million units and over 64 million units sold as of March 31, 2014, respectively.[193][194][195] Nearly all the games in the mainFinal Fantasy series and all the games in the mainDragon Quest series (as well as many of the spin-off games) have sold over a million copies each, with some games selling more than four million copies.[196] Square Enix's best-selling title isFinal Fantasy VII, which has sold over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2010.[197]
Among the best-selling PC RPGs overall is the massively multiplayer online gameWorld of Warcraft with 11.5 million subscribers as of May 2010.[198] Among single player PC RPGs,Diablo II has sold the largest amount,[citation needed] with the most recently cited number being over 4 million copies as of 2001.[199] However, copies of theDiablo: Battle Chest continued to be sold in retail stores, with the compilation appearing on theNPD Group's top 10 PC games sales, list as recently as 2010.[200] Further,Diablo: Battle Chest was the 19th best-selling PC game of 2008—a full seven years after the game's initial release;[201] and 11 million users still playedDiablo II andStarCraft over Battle.net in 2010.[202] As a franchise, theDiablo series has sold over 20 million copies,[203] not includingDiablo III which was released for Windows and OS X in 2012.[204][Note 5]
TheDragon Quest series was awarded with six world records in the 2008Gamer's Edition of theGuinness Book of World Records, including "Best Selling Role Playing Game on the Super Famicom", "Fastest Selling Game in Japan", and "First Video Game Series to Inspire a Ballet".[207] Likewise, thePokémon series received eight records, including "Most Successful RPG Series of All Time".[208]Diablo II was recognized in the 2000 standard edition of theGuinness Book of World Records for being the fastest selling computer game ever sold, with more than 1 million units sold in the first two weeks of availability;[209] though this number has been surpassed several times since.[210][211] A number of RPGs are also being exhibited in theBarbican Art Gallery's "Game On" exhibition (starting in 2002) and theSmithsonian's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit (starting in 2012); and video game developers are now finally able to apply for grants from the USNational Endowment of the Arts.[212]
According toMetacritic, as of May 2011, the highest-rated video game by reviewers is theXbox 360 version ofMass Effect 2, with an average metascore of 96 out of 100.[213][Note 6] According toGameRankings, the four top-rated video game RPGs, as of May 2010, areMass Effect 2 with an average rating of 95.70% for the Xbox 360 version and 94.24% for the PC version;Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition with an average rating of 95.40% for the PlayStation 3 version;Chrono Trigger with an average rating of 95.10%; andStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic with an average rating of 94.18% for theXbox version.[55] Sales numbers for these six aforementioned titles are 10 million units sold worldwide forFinal Fantasy VII as of May 2010;[197] 161,161 units ofXenoblade Chronicles sold in Japan as of December 2010;[214] 1.6 million units sold worldwide forMass Effect 2 as of March 2010, just three months after release;[215] 4.7 million units forFallout 3 on all three platforms as of November 2008, also only a few months after publication;[216] 3 million units for both the Xbox and PC versions ofStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as of November 2004;[217] and more than 2.65 million units for the SNES and PlayStation versions ofChrono Trigger as of March 2003,[218] along with 790,000 copies for theNintendo DS version as of March 31, 2009.[219] Among these titles, none were PC-exclusives, three were North American multi-platform titles released for consoles like the Xbox and Xbox 360, and three were Japanese titles released for consoles like theSNES,PlayStation andWii.
Final Fantasy VII toppedGamePro's "26 Best RPGs of All Time" list in 2008,[220]IGN's 2000 "Reader's Choice Game of the Century" poll,[221] and theGameFAQs "Best Game Ever" audience polls in 2004 and 2005.[222][223] It was also selected inEmpire magazine's "100 Greatest Games of All Time" list as the highest-ranking RPG, at #2 on the list.[224] On IGN's "Top 100 Games Of All Time" list in 2007, the highest ranking RPG isFinal Fantasy VI at 9th place;[225] and in both the 2006 and 2008 IGN Readers' Choice polls,Chrono Trigger is the top ranked RPG, in 2nd place.[226][227]Final Fantasy VI is also the top ranked RPG inGame Informer's list of its 200 best games of all time list, in 8th place; and is also one of the eight games to get a cover for the magazine's 200th issue.[228] The 2006Famitsu readers' poll is dominated by RPGs, with nearly a dozen titles appearing in the top twenty;[229] while most were Japanese, a few Western titles also made a showing.[230] The highest-ranking games on the list wereFinal Fantasy X, followed byFinal Fantasy VII andDragon Warrior III.[229] For the past decade, theMegami Tensei series topped several "RPGs of the Decade" lists. RPGFan's "Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade" list was topped byShin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga &Digital Devil Saga 2 followed byPersona 3,[231] while RPGamer's "Top RPGs of the Decade" list was topped byPersona 3, followed byFinal Fantasy X andWorld of Warcraft.[232]
Lastly, while in recent years Western RPGs have consistently been released on consoles such as the Xbox and Xbox 360,[233][234] these systems have not shown as much market dominance in Eastern markets such as Japan,[234][235][236] and only a few Western RPG titles have been localized to Japanese.[237][Note 7] Further, RPGs were not the dominant genre on the most popular of theseventh generation video game consoles, theWii,[238] although their presence among handheld systems such as theNintendo DS is considerably greater.[239]
Notable early RPG developers includeDon Daglow for creating the first role-playing video game,Dungeon, in 1975;[55]Yuji Horii for creating theDragon Quest series;[55]Hironobu Sakaguchi for creating theFinal Fantasy series;[55]Richard Garriott for creating theUltima series;[55] andBrenda Romero for writing and design work on theWizardry series.[citation needed] Other notable RPG developers includeBethesda Game Studios, creators ofFallout 3,Fallout 4, andThe Elder Scrolls series;[citation needed]Ray Muzyka andGreg Zeschuk for foundingBioWare;[55] andCD Projekt, creators ofThe Witcher series andCyberpunk 2077.[citation needed] Finally, Ryozo Tsujimoto (Monster Hunter series) andKatsura Hashino (Persona series) were cited as "Japanese Game Developers You Should Know" by1UP.com in 2010.[240]
Since 2009[241]there has been a trend ofcrowdfunding video games using services such asKickstarter. Role-playing games that have been successfully crowdfunded includeSerpent in the Staglands (2015),The Banner Saga series (2015–2018),Dead State (2014),Wasteland 2 (2014),Undertale (2015),Shadowrun Returns and its sequels (2012–2015), thePillars of Eternity series (2015–2018), theDivinity: Original Sin series (2014–2017) andTorment: Tides of Numenera (2017).[citation needed] Due to the release ofWasteland 2,Divinity: Original Sin,The Banner Saga andDead State (as well as some more traditionally funded titles such asMight and Magic X,Lords of Xulima andThe Dark Eye: Blackguards) 2014 was called "the first year of the CRPG renaissance" byPC Gamer.[242] However, it has been speculated that the spike in funded projects at around this time was the result of a "Kickstarter bubble", and that a subsequent slump in project funding was due to "Kickstarter fatigue".[243][244]
The highest crowdfunded CRPG as of May 2017 isTorment: Tides of Numenera with $4,188,927 raised via Kickstarter.[245] Kickstarted games have been released for the personal computer, video game console, and mobile platforms.[citation needed]
Last year also saw the coattail effect of traditional bestselling CRPGs being ported over onto dedicated game machines as the new market of machines blossomed into money trees. Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, and Defender of the Crown appeared to mixed reviews. These stalwarts of computer fame were not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports.
Not long ago, I received a letter from a Dragon Magazine reader. This particular woman attacked the whole concept of cartridge-based role-playing games very vigorously, claiming that games such asZelda are not role-playing at all. Presumably, she thinks they are arcade games.Zelda has some features of the classic arcade game: combat is direct. Each push of the button results in one swing of the sword, which if it connects, harms or kills an enemy. In standard computer roleplaying games, at least until recently, combat is more abstract. [...] But all that is changing. [...]Ultima VIII requires you not only to control your character's every move in combat, but also his dodging of enemy blows, whether he kicks or stabs, etc. [...] The two forms of play: "arcade" and "role-playing" seem to be mixing more and more in computer and cartridge games. We'll see how far this trend goes, but I suspect there will always be a place for a game which is totally cerebral in combat, instead of relying on reflexes. For everyZelda, orSecret of Mana, there'll be aFinal Fantasy II orLufia.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Japanese publishers have been singing the "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" song from The Jungle Book for the past few years and it's no longer flattering. Instead of borrowing elements and making them their own, the publishers have opted to assimilate and attempt to hide within the Western crowd. Herein lies the problem with Front Mission Evolved: It wants to be so much more than it has been in the past and ends up stalling at the starting line.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[pp. 10] The ancestors of MMORPGS were text-based multiuser domains (MUDs) [...] [pp. 291] Indeed, MUDs generate perhaps the one historical connection between game-based VR and the traditional program [...]
Developers had long considered writing a graphical MUD. [...] the last major 2D virtual environment in the West marked the true beginning of the fifth age of MUDs: Origin Systems' 1997 Ultima Online (UO).
Spawn camp affords an absolute position, controlling the game not by strategic action but through immobility—to the extent that popular games likeEverQuest have come to be known asEverCamp.
The roots of tactical RPGs go back to tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and old-school wargames; in other words, the roots of gaming itself.
It wasn't too long ago that I mentioned how difficult it is to get into tactical RPGs. It's an intimidating genre, what with all the grids and customization and names like Tactics Ogre. People are worried that they won't understand what's going on. That it'll be hard. That it'll be boring. So if you've made it past all those fears and you're ready to take the plunge, congratulations. You're a lot stronger than I was while contemplating Final Fantasy Tactics a decade ago. But people like you have also been asking me the same question, time and time again—where to start?
Although the RPG has gained popularity in the US, its tactical offshoot, the strategy-RPG, has had a harder time gaining similar popularity.
The tactical RPG genre may not be a chart-topper in the West, but hardcore followers of Japanese RPG specialists Nippon Ichi will be delighted to hear that the studio is bringing the latest instalment to its critically acclaimed series to PS3 next year.
As the Tactical RPG genre has grown in recognition and popularity, it was inevitable that a few would manage to make their way to the handheld systems.
Tactical RPGs have been gaining popularity in the United States since a PS1 game called Final Fantasy Tactics introduced a legion of gamers to its detail-oriented strategy. ... Although FFT is often praised for giving birth to the tactical RPG genre, that PS1 masterpiece would never have existed without this classic pair of Super NES ports.
Final Fantasy Tactics did much the same thing for tactical RPGs that Final Fantasy VII did for the genre as a whole—made it more popular, more accessible, and more visible to the rest of the gaming world.
Final Fantasy Tactics is being given a new lease of life on Game Boy Advance, and Capcom has plans to release an Onimusha Tactics title in the near future too.
One of the absolute essentials from that era was X-COM: UFO Defense, which defined western tactical RPGs every bit as much as Fire Emblem did for strategy RPGs in the east. ... The crux of the game is efficiently defeating the aliens in turn-based combat, building up various bases, and outfitting soldiers with the latest and greatest equipment.
The interesting wrinkle here is that when outside of battle, it's possible to explore the world in the same manner as any other RPG, and that's where Dragon Age Journeys has something in common with western tactical RPGs. The X-Coms of the world have always a great deal more freedom than even Valkyria Chronicles, and Dragon Age takes that one step further by offering actual dungeons to explore, rather than asking players to take on simple missions like 'kill everyone.'
For Japan, the Famicom's Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari is the archetype for the whole genre. Over the years, franchises like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics have offered unique twists and refinements, but the basic conceits have remained the same, with square-based grid being one of the subgenres most recognizable traits. Western SRPGs, however, have generally allowed for a bit more freedom of movement, with some like Freedom Force (and Dawn of War II, if you're willing to call it an SRPG) going real-time.
The world of Paradise Cracked was largely influenced by such movies as Matrix, Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell, as well as novels of Philip K. Dick and various other cyberpunk writers. It actually has one of the most interesting plots ever—but I won't give it away just yet. The game's genre can be called tactical RPG, drawing some of its best features from such games as X-Com, Jagged Alliance, Incubation and Fallout.
When choosing a team to develop a project of this type and scale, it was obvious that we needed Russian developers, the same people that created games with similarities to Jagged Alliance 2, both in genre and the time setting. I'm referring to releases likeSilent Storm, Night Watch, Brigade E5 and others. Such projects have not been created in Western countries for a long time, which can make development more difficult.
Publishers run a mile from anything with turn-based mechanics—it is regarded as too niche. RTS games pretty much killed off turn-based strategy games in the mid-90s—but now even RTS games are regarded as niche. (...) Thanks to 'Advance Wars', 'Fire Emblem' and 'Final Fantasy Tactics' it seems turn-based games are not totally dead—at least for Nintendo handhelds.
The core elements of a computer roleplaying game are pretty simple and straightforward. You basically have a task resolution system for an individual unit based on its statistics. Mix this with the ability to modify those stats through circumstances, equipment, spells, level increase or whatever. (...) Modern computer RPGs tend to be a bit more complex than this. (...) Hybrid RPG can emphasize some other element of gameplay that are FAR less development-intensive than pure roleplaying games. Thus they are cheaper and easier to make. Does this make them the "poor-man's RPG?" Meaning a poor / inexpensive substitution for the real thing? (...) Maybe.
Deus Ex, often considered one of the best PC games ever made, is a FPS/RPG hybrid about uncovering an international conspiracy in a near-future, cyber-punk setting.
How do you beat your own record? How do you out-do a one-of-a-kind FPS/RPG hybrid that met substantial critical acclaim and garnered praise from gamers across the board? Perhaps this is one question that Ion Storm shouldn't have asked, for while Deus Ex: Invisible war is a functional, and even enjoyable title on its own, it is a far cry from its predecessor, and bears several serious flaws that keep it from being anything other than a mediocre experience.
In this Gamasutra analysis piece, Tom Cross looks at GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky and its odd combination of FPS, RPG and tower defense game, examining the art of gameplay hybrids.
Back in late 2001 we got our first look at an impressive game called Oblivion Lost, then a squad-based action game from GSC Game World. In 2007 the title that we now know as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl finally released, plunging players into a survival-FPS-RPG hybrid and the post-apocalyptic wasteland surrounding the Chernobyl power plant after its meltdown.
SpellForce is making the future of hybrid genre games look very positive indeed. (...) However, I do have a penchant for armies of minions doing my bidding and I do enjoy RPG elements in a game, which is why I was quite interested in the release of Phenomic's SpellForce, an RPG/RTS hybrid.
Standalone expansion continues solid mix of RPG and RTS
Ever since its 2002 release, Microsoft's Xbox has been a colossal sales flop in Japan.
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