The Future SoonBy Locke on August 26th, 2009
I started noticing that RPGs are starting to make a comeback. I’ve grown tired of the cookie cutter RPGs that have emerged over the last couple years. I’ve tried to analyze what makes good rpgs good, compared to the established franchises that sell like Krispy Kremes. My first stop was Baldur’s Gate, the Black Isle title that put Bioware on the map. Baldur’s Gate is western fantasy, and DnD to boot. Back when I had first played BG, which was like…the sixth grade, I was amazed at how deep it was. Customizable classes, open world, sidequests galore. My other exposure to RPGs was JRPGs, and I instantly noticed the hostility between the communities that favored one over the other. JRPGs favor scenario, unique combat systems, and CG cutscenes. Western RPGs favored story, depth, and sidequests. The RPG aspect in JRPG is somewhat misleading. Much of the time you cannot backtrack to explore areas in final fantasy after a certain point in the story. My biggest example, Disk 4 of FF8. Western RPGs are hard though, often leaning towards skill and know-how over mindless grinding. Also, Western RPG have more emphasis in power with Epic Loots rather than Lvl. After a while though, the stereotypes became so bland that the jokes about the games in themselves became jokes. Now, we’re starting to see games like Mass Effect, Dragons Age, Shin Megami Tensei, Knights in the Nightmare, and others slink their way onto the scene. While these games embrace the history of their predecessors, they stand out on their own with unique ways to play. Fallout 3 is a perfect example of how the RPG has evolved into a storytelling juggernaut. I think the biggest aspect of how RPGs work is how you are introduced into a world. I’ve found that in most JRPGs the world is fleshed out completely. That’s cool and all, but I feel out of place in the world. WRPGs seem to push you slowly into a world where there are still many mysteries and history to be shaped or discovered by the player. WoW failed on this aspect at first, but made up for it in some quests in Wrath of the Lich King. Cataclysm is set to take this aspect to new heights, reshaping Azeroth into something completely different. I was surprised when I saw the announcement trailer. I was actually emotionally effected by the change. Azeroth, the place I spent countless hours of questing in, was suddenly ripped apart. Familiar locals gone. And the world was shaped anew. It compelled me to WANT to revisit this world, to become one with it’s ongoing history. I hope I can get my tower fixed soon, so I can immerse myself into new and interesting games that wait on the horizon. – Locke |
You just put into words what I’ve been thinking my whole life…
Haha, thanks, I try. Ence says I think about this too much.