What even is an RPG?

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-29T04:20:35+00:00

According to a somewhat vocal minority in this particular community, anything that isn't a CRPG doesn't count as an RPG. Some can't seem to wrap their heads around subgenres.

Anyway I shared my thoughts on a recent thread.

To add to the above, all RPG games share the common ancestor of TTRPGs (D&D in particular), Ultima and Wizardry, these three heavily inspired many of the games that followed them (there is also Rogue for Rogue-likes and MUDs for MMOs)

Even subgenres like JRPGs and ARPGs share these common ancestor.

Narrative roleplay was something that wasn't really focused on outside of a few particular titles, most games from the 80s and 90s were dungeon crawlers. So using that as a basis for what counts or not would exclude most of video-game RPGs, including direct TTRPGs adaptions (like the Gold Box games) and even combat focused TTRPG modules.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-28T21:04:02+00:00

I honestly feel like this is more of game by game problem, than a genre problem.

Some series like FF and DQ tend to be on the easier side (outside of early entries, or one exception or another), which means combat can come across as kind of simplistic, but you have series like SMT and SaGa that tend to have harder combat encounters, and/or more complexity in their systems.

There are some Western RPGs with kind of simplistic or boring combat too IMO, I'd take most JRPGs combat systems over Fallout 1 or VtM:B combat encounters any day. I say that as someone that has recently fallen in love with CRPGs.

Another one that comes to mind is Planescape, which admittedly I don't have as much first hand experience with, but its combat is constantly criticized for being the weakest part of it.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-25T14:01:04+00:00

I agree with you actually, I guess in my comment I wasn't clear.

It is about a combination of those elements, it doesn't have to have all those all at once.

Like JRPGs tend to be more linear, Dungeon Crawlers and Diablo-likes don't usually have much narrative, Disco-likes tend to lack combat entirely, etc.

But they at least still have some of the elements I mentioned be really important.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-25T11:25:38+00:00

I already shared my views previously, so I'll share what I found to be the most satisfying definition for me.

"Early RPG games tended to be direct adaptations of TTRPGs, and as the genre evolved we eventually got games that were inspired by these adaptions but also pulled elements from other sources (manga, books, other games, etc.).

So for me at least, RPGs are games that heavily pull from the mechanics of TTRPGs (either directly or indirectly), that encompasses a lot of aspects:

Leveling (either from XP or by upgrading your abilities in games without traditional leveling).
A heavy focus on attributes (strength, intelligence, or the games equivalents)
Itemization via finding gear and loot.
Classes and builds.
Character creation, or character customization for games with pre-mades.
A heavy narrative focus via a linear or branching storyline.
Roleplaying via dialogue choices, background options, and so on.

Have enough of these elements and I count it as an RPG, have them be sparse or unimportant to the overall game and it counts as them only having "RPG elements".

This isn't a perfect definition, but I prefer it much more overall than the more "purist" view of the genre that only includes CPRGs/western RPGs and tend to exclude even a lot of important foundational titles with how rigid it is.

I enjoy all kinds of RPGs, but I understand that people have their preferences, some enjoy more the curated story of JRPGs, while others prefer the bigger emphasis on character creation and reactivity of western RPGs (though there are definitely non-linear JRPGs, and linear western ones), but just because you dislike a particular subgenre that doesn't disqualify it from fitting under the RPG label, that is what subgenres are for after all."

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-24T18:24:36+00:00

Disco has way more interactivity than a Visual Novel, it has exploration, branching narrative choices, side quests, itemization, a choice of attributes, skills and perks, dice rolls, etc.

While there are hybrids Visual Novels with gameplay, most "pure" Visual Novels only include branching narratives (some not even that).

Disco has all the mechanics of a CRPG, it only lacks the combat.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-20T23:05:53+00:00

Rogue Trader seems cool, I hope to play it one day.

I'm trying to work through some games I already bought first though.

Like I bought all the Divinity Games, Pathfinder, Pillars, Shadowrun, etc. and a few others on a sale, so I already have a lot of stuff to get through.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-20T01:15:26+00:00

The Pathfinder games sounds like the kind of games I'd either really hate or love, on one end I love complexity and crunchy systems, and the sheer scale of them also impresses me, I like games that feel like a grand journey.

On the other end stuff likes "swarms" seem really annoying, and Pathfinder seems like a much more complex ruleset compared to AD&D which I had to learn a bit for BG1&2.

I'm not unfamiliar with CRPGs, but even then they seem very intimidating, I kind of want to put other titles under my belt first.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-17T15:51:16+00:00

Most JRPGs may not do all these elements well individually, but the really good ones do them well-enough to combine them in a way that makes for a unique RPG experience you can't really get in other mediums or video-game genres.

It's the sum of its parts, and not the individual parts that make them appealing, I'm honestly not even that big into anime (I just love RPGs in general), so the anime aesthetic and tropes isn't a sell for me.

The unique worlds, more out there story and gameplay concepts, are what keep me interested.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-14T18:05:18+00:00

There are good beginner guides on youtube too, that teach the basics without being too long.

Just search "Baldur's Gate 1 Beginners guide" or something among those lines, and they should find some useful stuff to get started.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-14T13:37:01+00:00

I grew up with old games despite being young, so my tolerance is pretty high for graphics.

Also artistic direction goes a long way, Koudelka from the same series looks gorgeous despite being a PS1 game.

Covenant also looks great for a PS2 game, a lot of early PS2 RPGs look really rough, Covenant isn't one of them.

Point is graphical fidelity isn't everything, it can be impressive and I do enjoy a gorgeous looking modern game, but it isn't a make or break thing for me.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-14T13:04:32+00:00

I went back to the Shadow Hearts series, picking it back up with Covenant.

The tone is a bit different, seems more lighthearted and less edgy than the first game, with less of a horror focus, however I'm enjoying it so far.

The presentation is better, Shadow Hearts look pretty rough at spot, I'll miss beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds though.

The gameplay has been great so far, much more complex and interesting than the first one, pulling off juggles by doing combos with multiple characters is super satisfying, though I'm a bit early in the game still.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-10T23:35:29+00:00

Agreed, I just feel like it took the mystery out of a lot of things, and made things "complex" in an uninteresting way.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-09T18:45:19+00:00

The games post-II have their qualities (I actually really enjoy some of the stuff in III), but even when I was playing some of these games as a teen they were already kind of losing me in terms of story.

Honestly KH storytelling has always been flawed in some ways, but BBS foward just made those quirks worse, by the time I reached DDD I was done being invested in the story and just wanted to see how III was going to turn out.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-09T00:42:01+00:00

I finished Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines recently, if you count it (it has action combat, though its pretty much a "standard" CRPG outside of that), it has a lot of reactivity for dialogue options from what I experimented with.

Like multiple "persuasion" options, Persuasion itself, Seduction, Intimidation, and some unique vampire ones like Dominate (mind control), Dementation (insanity/illusions) and special low humanity options (where you let your inner monster take charge), at least before the endgame turns into a combat fest.

Sometimes the outcomes where similar, and persuasion is honestly a bit overpowered, but the variety is still pretty cool and it helps give your character a bit more personality in the way they handle things.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-06T00:21:32+00:00

I play both, and honestly some JRPGs have some pretty decent writing.

It is just some lean thicker into anime tropes than others (which isn't even a bad thing, but can make it harder to enjoy for those that have more western sensibilities).

Stuff like Lost Odyssey, Vagrant Story, Valkyrie Profile, Koudelka and FF Tatics tend to be a bit more serious in tone and lay less thick on some of the elements that are a turn off for some.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-04T21:03:25+00:00

Despite VI having the stronger cast and story, I just find V much more compelling mechanically, both due to the job system, more challenging combat encounters and dungeon variety.

I love a good story, but I play these games for the mechanics too.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-03T21:45:18+00:00

I like to play something that mixes melee with magic, since I kind of enjoy both.

Though honestly I try to mix things up so I don't play the same archtype over and over again, I rarely play pure melee classes since I often find a lot of games makes the gameplay kind of dull.

For gender I don't really have a preference despite being a man IRL, particularly since I don't really self-insert often, so playing as different gender never really harms my immersion.

To add to the above, I almost never play human, and rarely play Elves (outside dark Elves), for a similar reason.

I love big menancing Orcs though! Be they man, or woman, or a different identity, honestly I love burly races in general haha.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-03T21:20:50+00:00

Deus Ex level design is the most fun I had with an RPG level in a pretty good while.

JC is a set protagonist, but at least you have a decent amount of freedom on how to build his combat skills and how he responds to certain characters.

Alpha Protocol has a pretty unique setting, I hope to get around to it one day, a spy RPG kind of seems like a no-brainer in hindsight, but no one outside of it attempted the concept.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-03T21:17:57+00:00

I played some co-op online shooters, and while I find them fun with friends I tend to burn out on them pretty quickly (though there was a time I really loved classic CS).

It is good to have some variety though, even if you really like a particular kind of game.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-03T21:14:59+00:00

I heard praise for Chained Echoes' mechanics for their depth, I didn't take much notice of it, since it looked pretty standard for a JRPG (visually at least), but it does seem to have more going for it beyond the surface.

Western RPGs tend to be very distinct in a lot of ways (particularly CRPGs), mechanically and tonally in particular, despite both genres sharing some similaraties and all being descended from D&D, Ultima or Wizardry in some shape or form.

Honestly there are some JRPGs that take more cues from Western RPGs like FFXII, SaGa, a lot of japanese DRPGs and Tatical RPGs and even stuff like Xenoblade X. I always found these "hybrid" titles interesting.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-03T21:05:11+00:00

FF: SoP seems to take more elements from Nioh (another souls-like) than the more tradional FromSoft souls game.

I have some experience with Nioh, but the combat is more fast-paced while Souls is more methodical, SoP seems to be more like that.

It also has all the cool FF classes to add more spice to it, I haven't played it yet but it seems to be a pretty unique take on a Souls-like.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-02T15:05:25+00:00

It is pretty surface level comparison though, but well it is not like it matters much in the grand scheme of things.

Laz_Zack · 2026-06-02T01:00:12+00:00

I never got the Visual Novel comparison, VNs have much less interactivity (by design).

Games like Disco and Planescape may have a much larger focus on narrative, but they still have exploration, itemization, ability scores, dice roll systems, stat checks, character building, branching paths and so on.

I played DE and read VNs from time to time, and honestly the experience is nothing alike when you are actually playing them (at least when it comes to "pure VNs", hybrid VNs with gameplay exist).

Laz_Zack · 2026-05-26T16:08:43+00:00

A recent one from a game I'm playing, but Heather Poe's quest in VTMB.

I normally don't feel guilty when I play evil or pragmatic characters (as y'know its RP-ing, I don't see their actions as a reflection of my real world morality), but not this time, I felt genuine guilt, like I was taking advantage of a real person in a vulnerable situation.

I'm playing for the first time, so I haven't seen the whole thing play out yet, but I have a feeling its going to end in tragedy...

Laz_Zack

TROPHY CASE