The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
...is RPGs, role playing games, because ever since I was a kid playing Fighting Fantasy books by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson or programming text-based adventures on the ZX81, RPGs have always been able to fuel my imagination.
Elves, goblins, witches, trolls, warriors, mages, magic, weapons, armour, hit points, defence classes, spell powers, statistics by the hundred, all these combine in a game to take me away from reality and immerse me inside my own mind with the gameplay, so that I'm literally in a world of my own when I play these types of games.
You effectively 'become' the lead character of the RPG game you are playing, you empathise with them when they get hurt, you wince at the cost of upgrading their armour, you search for hours for that one elusive weapon or item that will aid you in your quest, all the while completely blocking out the external world around you.
The RPG genre is pure escapism, but you'll also find that it has a huge following for each of its games. There are communities built up around Final Fantasy, and not just gamers, you have the die-hard role players who actually believe that they are characters from the games (and you can indulge in conversations with them to your heart's content).
Opting into a community based around a game is pure choice, you can take it or leave it, you can get as deeply involved in RPG games as you wish to become. Even with other genres there are communities building up now, like strategy games, where alliances are forming (Planetarion/Unreal Tournament as examples), or most of the games with internet access for that matter.
One of the most famous of these would have to be the Half Life community, where that itself is divided into factions depending on which version of Half Life you are playing.
So for me, any game that has a lead character that you can manipulate, that you can develop, that you can empathise with and adventure with, that has a driven plot and exciting gameplay, which can totally take you away from it all into a fantastic mythical or futuristic world, that's my kind of game, and that's why I like Role Playing Games so much over any other type.
Elves, goblins, witches, trolls, warriors, mages, magic, weapons, armour, hit points, defence classes, spell powers, statistics by the hundred, all these combine in a game to take me away from reality and immerse me inside my own mind with the gameplay, so that I'm literally in a world of my own when I play these types of games.
You effectively 'become' the lead character of the RPG game you are playing, you empathise with them when they get hurt, you wince at the cost of upgrading their armour, you search for hours for that one elusive weapon or item that will aid you in your quest, all the while completely blocking out the external world around you.
The RPG genre is pure escapism, but you'll also find that it has a huge following for each of its games. There are communities built up around Final Fantasy, and not just gamers, you have the die-hard role players who actually believe that they are characters from the games (and you can indulge in conversations with them to your heart's content).
Opting into a community based around a game is pure choice, you can take it or leave it, you can get as deeply involved in RPG games as you wish to become. Even with other genres there are communities building up now, like strategy games, where alliances are forming (Planetarion/Unreal Tournament as examples), or most of the games with internet access for that matter.
One of the most famous of these would have to be the Half Life community, where that itself is divided into factions depending on which version of Half Life you are playing.
So for me, any game that has a lead character that you can manipulate, that you can develop, that you can empathise with and adventure with, that has a driven plot and exciting gameplay, which can totally take you away from it all into a fantastic mythical or futuristic world, that's my kind of game, and that's why I like Role Playing Games so much over any other type.
Page:
I hate FF! Its just got worse and worse since number 3 which was the best!
Zelda is an RPG/Adventure game, not really a 'true' RPG as the battling was different!
Zelda is an RPG/Adventure game, not really a 'true' RPG as the battling was different!
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Zelda wasn't an RPG, and Shadows of Memories was just an interactive
> movie anyway.
Or so I've read.
If you want an RPG, play Skies
> of Arcadia, or one of those Final Fantasy jobbies.
Zelda wasn't an RPG?? What was it then??
Final Fantasy is okay. Not my fav by far-although I haven't really played enough to judge.
> Zelda wasn't an RPG, and Shadows of Memories was just an interactive
> movie anyway.
Or so I've read.
If you want an RPG, play Skies
> of Arcadia, or one of those Final Fantasy jobbies.
Zelda wasn't an RPG?? What was it then??
Final Fantasy is okay. Not my fav by far-although I haven't really played enough to judge.
Zelda wasn't an RPG, and Shadows of Memories was just an interactive movie anyway.
Or so I've read.
If you want an RPG, play Skies of Arcadia, or one of those Final Fantasy jobbies.
Or so I've read.
If you want an RPG, play Skies of Arcadia, or one of those Final Fantasy jobbies.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to break the chain.
I dislike RPG's myself. I found Zelda very dull after a while, and the same goes for Shadow Of Memories. All the elves and goblins stuff just doesn't appeal to me.
Although, as many of you know, my favourite game ever is Metal Gear Solid. FM has said that MGS could be part-RPG, so I guess they might kind of appeal to me.
I dislike RPG's myself. I found Zelda very dull after a while, and the same goes for Shadow Of Memories. All the elves and goblins stuff just doesn't appeal to me.
Although, as many of you know, my favourite game ever is Metal Gear Solid. FM has said that MGS could be part-RPG, so I guess they might kind of appeal to me.
HMC is the only 'true' RPG to be released in the last few years! It used the original RPG battling system of hexagonal boxes... it was a good game, yes, because of this fact.
er-no wrote:
> Holy Magic Century was the only true RPG that has been released in
> the last five years!!
HMC was panned a bit though, and, quote: "Younger gamers looking for their first role-playing adventure will find this enjoyable, however hardened RPG freaks will ultimately be disappointed by it's lack of depth. A good introduction for RPG's to the N64 in the build up to the Zelda juggernaut !!"
However, I dispute the fact that only one 'true' RPG has been brought out in the last 5 years.
RPGers are picky people and all have different views on what a good RPG should contain, but the main elements for me is that you can take a character and develop it, unlike say Tomb Raider where you can only add weapons to a character and can't change any particular physical skills.
So for me, the FF series is RPG, Grandia is RPG, Suikoden is RPG, Hexen is RPG (but a bad one graphically), PlaneScape Torment is an RPG and so on...
Metal Gear Solid is an interesting case. As Snake progresses through the storyline, he actually gains more health bar, making him harder to kill, so in a way Metal Gear Solid can be classed as an RPG. It must be close, because I enjoyed playing the game so much, and 3rd person shooters aren't generally my cup of tea.
> Holy Magic Century was the only true RPG that has been released in
> the last five years!!
HMC was panned a bit though, and, quote: "Younger gamers looking for their first role-playing adventure will find this enjoyable, however hardened RPG freaks will ultimately be disappointed by it's lack of depth. A good introduction for RPG's to the N64 in the build up to the Zelda juggernaut !!"
However, I dispute the fact that only one 'true' RPG has been brought out in the last 5 years.
RPGers are picky people and all have different views on what a good RPG should contain, but the main elements for me is that you can take a character and develop it, unlike say Tomb Raider where you can only add weapons to a character and can't change any particular physical skills.
So for me, the FF series is RPG, Grandia is RPG, Suikoden is RPG, Hexen is RPG (but a bad one graphically), PlaneScape Torment is an RPG and so on...
Metal Gear Solid is an interesting case. As Snake progresses through the storyline, he actually gains more health bar, making him harder to kill, so in a way Metal Gear Solid can be classed as an RPG. It must be close, because I enjoyed playing the game so much, and 3rd person shooters aren't generally my cup of tea.
I can't agree with you more, RPGs are the fruit of life. RPGs are the only games out in the market which make you feel that you have paid for something which should have costed more.
However it really depends on what kind of platform you are talking about. RPGs on the PC I think personally are the best. On a console I can't really class what they bring out can be classed as a RPG but more a action adventure. After thinking about this and searching for a reason to back what I say, this is what I came up with:
RPGs have a simalar design that tells you that it is a RPG from other games such as action adventures or 1st person shooters. This is the fact that even before the game has started you can... wait for it... create your own character like name, age, sex, and race. If a game says its a RPG and does not support this it is not really an RPG under my book.
If you own a PC the next great RPG to be released will be Arcanum in about 3 weeks time. From the designers of Fallout and Fallout2
However it really depends on what kind of platform you are talking about. RPGs on the PC I think personally are the best. On a console I can't really class what they bring out can be classed as a RPG but more a action adventure. After thinking about this and searching for a reason to back what I say, this is what I came up with:
RPGs have a simalar design that tells you that it is a RPG from other games such as action adventures or 1st person shooters. This is the fact that even before the game has started you can... wait for it... create your own character like name, age, sex, and race. If a game says its a RPG and does not support this it is not really an RPG under my book.
If you own a PC the next great RPG to be released will be Arcanum in about 3 weeks time. From the designers of Fallout and Fallout2
No!!!! FF series Zelda, Ayden Chronicles?
Holy Magic Century was the only true RPG that has been released in the last five years!!
That is very sad!
That is very sad!
I would agree with you totally but for one aspect: "random battles". Most RPG's are, in my opinion, ruined by them. I mean, almost every five minutes, no matter what you're doing, they rear their ugly heads. God it bugs me bad!
Page: