They Finally Did It Right!

I have enjoyed playing RPGs since the mid 90's when I finally jumped into the Super Mario RPG on my Super Nintendo. After countless friendly arguments with my best friend over my action oriented games vs his final fantasy games, I had finally seen the light. But what makes an RPG? What imaginary boxes have to be checked in order for a game to wear the mighty mantle of a true Role Playing Game? A quick online search tells me "An RPG video game is where players take on the role of a character in a fictional world and interact with the game's setting." Now, wouldn't that mean every video game is an RPG? I take on the role of Mario, the role of Trevor Belmont, the role of Luke Skywalker, or the role of the Dragonborn in each of their games. Every game out there lets us step into the role of the main character and live out the adventure through their experiences. What about the story? The combat? The mechanics and item inventory? Let's explore what makes and RPG an RPG and look at a game that absolutely did it right!

Now, as for taking on the role of the main character, I believe there is a difference between taking on the role of the character and simply piloting that character through their adventure. I don't feel like I am Mario in the OG Super Mario Bros because I have no agency in the Mushroom Kingdom. I simply travel from level to level, left to right, until I reach the end of the game. My actions don't impact that world or the path I take in it (apart from the hidden warp pipes). But, when I take to Final Fantasy VII, I'm not just piloting Cloud around Midgard. I'm interacting with the slums, the NPCs that live there, and the story as it unfolds. My actions and interactions lead me down branching paths. I'm not just passing through the world, I'm part of it. If I interact with an out-of-the-way NPC earlier in the game, they might show back up and repay the favor later. Saving the child from the monsters now might get me some free healing items later. My choices now can impact the game later on for good or for worse. But most of all, those interactions build more ties between me and the world I'm playing in. I get more emotionally invested in the journey. But, that alone isn't enough to make a game feel like an RPG.

RPGs tend to have more weight on story arcs, branching side quests, open exploration and discovery. To return to my NES analogy, I spent a lot of time in The Legend of Zelda in my early gaming life. But I don't remember hearing Zelda referred to as an RPG in those days. Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, Crystalis and Star Tropics were the RPGs I knew about. In present days, Zelda is considered an RPG, but what was it missing back when I was younger? Link had an impact in the world of Hyrule, he had exceptionally open exploration and a need for discovery, cryptic hints hidden around the world even sent him on side quests. What Zelda really lacked, in my opinion, was a real story arc...now, put down your pitchforks and douse your torches. We all know the convoluted and interweaved Zelda Timeline. But, apart from from a box of text in the opening menu stating Ganon had stolen the Triforce of power and that Link needed to find the 8 pieces of the Triforce of wisdom before Ganon could, there was NO STORY! The opening scroll literally says "Please look up the manual for details." But, in spite of this shortfall, The Legend of Zelda has gone on to be my favorite video game franchise ever. I love the open ended non-story of the NES Zelda. I was able to project myself into the game and create whatever story I wanted. It wasn't until I got older, and the franchise had become more monumental that the story began to solidify. So, that is where I believe The NES Zelda missed the mark. It checks all the boxes so far except for having a real story arc to follow through the game.

The next two categories are common in most games, but the execution of them is specific to if a game qualifies as an RPG or not... Combat and Item Inventory. Combat for RPGs can be the classic turn based combat or it can be the more modern action style combat. Either way, the use of strategy, items, magic, CHOICES are what matter. It's the difference between Final Fantasy XV and God of War II. In Final Fantasy XV, Noctis explores his world and fights various creatures and enemies in an active battle system, but he has the choice of his weapon, magic, items. He can attack with his sword, drop back and cast elemental magic, or throw a healing potion to an ally. He has the freedom to choose his course of action and that choice can bring victory or defeat. God of War II's Kratos, on the other hand, has physical attack combos and unlocked spells to intermix with his attacks. But, there isn't any real choice concerning fights. Kratos hacks and slashes until the job is done. This is partly due to Kratos' lack of an RPG's combat options and inventory system. RPGs always have some sort of inventory system for the quest items, consumable items, upgrade items, equipment, etc. From changing out equipment to be more effective in combat, storing up potions to heal your damage in the field, ethers to replenish magic power, or carrying a mysterious key until you finally find the door it opens, items are a huge part of the RPG experience.

I'm still not entirely sure how to tell you what an RPG is, but I can tell when I'm playing one. It's a sentiment I've heard from other gamers as well. We all know how an RPG feels, but putting down a definitive list of RPG characteristics is very difficult to do. That being said, I think I found the perfect example of what a real RPG is. And it's not part of the Final Fantasy universe. Baldur's Gate III might be the most authentic RPG experience I've ever had outside of playing D&D on my friend's dinning room table. It has it all, in depth story, side quests galore, your decisions have real impact on the world and on your colleagues, combat is strategic, and filled with varying options for your actions that each have a real impact on the outcome of the encounter, and a great inventory system. I'm late to the party with Baldur's Gate III, but I am so incredibly happy to have taken the plunge and started this new journey. It's been a long time since I've really committed to playing a lengthy RPG, and it feels great to shake the cobwebs loose and immerse myself in such a deep and exciting story. As I move through the Baldur's Gate III's story, I expect to have more to write about, with a review coming at the end.

So, if you like RPGs or think you might like some aspects of what RPGs do, give some of them a try. Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, The Mario RPG, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, the list goes on and on. But, if you're an RPG believer, do not sleep on Baldur's Gate III. I'm only 30 hours in, and I already can't wait to recommend it to you. So, get comfortable, grab your favorite soda and dive into a new world for a while. You'll be glad you did...Game On.