Are RPGs Dead?

[endtherapture]

Rpgs have a central problem. The core audience is so blinded by their own nostalgia that they cry havoc whenever a game introduces game-play or story elements from this decade. But "let's make a game that looks and plays like it's 1995" is hard to pitch, outside of kickstarter.

I personally would like modern accessibility and production values with old school elements and gameplay.

For me, Dragon Age Origins was the perfect example of this. It had everything I loved from Baldur's Gate, with a more accessible style of gameplay, better graphics and high production values.

Pillars of Eternity also looks to be cut from a similar mould but with less emphasis on graphics.

 

[Shocksplicer]

I feel that a major part of why straight RPGs aren't that common is because it's very easy to work RPG mechanics into other genres. Why make a game like Dragon Age Origins or Shadowrun Returns and just get the RPG crowd when you could make Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and get the mainstream hack 'n' slash, licensed game crowd plus RPG fans willing to branch out to get their RPG fix.

I do feel that OP is exaggerating the problem a bit though, there are still enough RPGs to keep me sated partially because I feel that they're a sometimes food. I love RPGs, but I like to mix things up, and there are enough RPGs on the market to keep me satisfied.

 

[Tatsuki]

I'm not entirely sure why RPGs would be dead just because people criticized final fantasy 13 for being a terrible game.

They wouldn't, that would be absurd.
I just pointed that out as an example of a company trying something new and getting their hand bitten, I see it happen all the time with new features, mechanics and games.

As to the above post, yea there is a bit of exaggeration in my OP, but as it says at the end it was just a bit of a rant. It is borne out of fear that this up and coming slew of AAA RPGs is going to be make or break, if they don't sell well companies will give up on the AAA side of RPGs which would be a crying shame. I love my indies and unheard of studios but would hate to miss out on the likes of our big titles.

I knew there was a reason I lurked on this website though, had I posted an incoherent mess like my OP on most other websites I would have been torn apart and mocked as a fool.

Thanks guys.

 

[Jiggle Counter]

Dead? No, but think about this;

Back in the days of 1990's PC gaming, SNES, MegaDrive, Playstation 1 & 2, etc. RPG's were a dime a dozen, they were everywhere.

But now, well there's not as many new RPG's as there used to be.

I have 2 theories about it, however.

1. RPG's were way easier to produce, back in the day. Everything looked the same (You only needed to make oh-so many sprites) Everyone didn't require voice actors, and you didn't have to integrate some kind of online server multiplayer connectivity crap.

2. There are too many gamers with little-to-no attention spans. How many people do you know pick up an really amazing RPG, and then proceed to skip cutscenes/stories/dialog and then cry, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, THIS IS STUPID AND BORING"

 

[GloatingSwine]

The things that used to define "RPGs" are now common to almost every type of game.

Back in Ye Olde Dayes, RPGs were the only games which put significant effort into storytelling, but now every game does that.

And also character progression, levelling up and earning gameplay changing effects are common to all types of games.


So, the core gameplay aesthetics of RPGs have been expropriated by every other type of game, and people feel less compelled to get their fix of those things by playing a game which focuses on them, unless they have a particularly compelling version of them (Fallout/Skyrim/Souls) or they change up the delivery method (JRPGs particularly found their new niche in the handheld market starting with the GBA, see also: Bravely Default).

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

loving this thread. coming back to it when i get home from work to add titles to my Steam wishlist. so much has passed me by.

 

[Saltyk]

Now that news is hitting of a potential FFVII remake, I'm just wondering if anyone else has found any hidden gems amongst the detrius.

Where have you heard of this? I just googled it and came up with no reliable information. Merely a rumor with a picture that obviously wasn't from anything Square did from about four months ago. Nothing concrete that would make me think it was evenly remotely true. Not even sure I would want that and I play FFVII once a year.

 

[Tatsuki]

Now that news is hitting of a potential FFVII remake, I'm just wondering if anyone else has found any hidden gems amongst the detrius.

Where have you heard of this? I just googled it and came up with no reliable information. Merely a rumor with a picture that obviously wasn't from anything Square did from about four months ago. Nothing concrete that would make me think it was evenly remotely true. Not even sure I would want that and I play FFVII once a year.

Every rumour is a potential truth hence why I said potential.
The timing seems about right though, they have put off this fan demand for so long for good reason but SQUEEEEEEENIX have recently stated that they were moving to a more classic style with some of their RPGs because of the whole Bravely Default fiasco (gamers dont wont stories, they want high visual fidelity on hair) when such a small simple title rocketed in popularity.

FFVII is still a great game to play, but the aesthetic and nostalgia is a big part of that, and if there is a remake I'm sure I will spend part of my soul on a special edition containing things I don't need but I doubt it will come close to the classic.

Also if your talking about the article http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/30149/20140724/final-fantasy-vii-remake.htm
Yea its not a trustworthy site but if you read it they do mention that screen cap is a load of bull.

 

[briankoontz]

The *term* "RPG" has never been more watered-down, downtrodded, and tortured - it's applied to just about every game released, as levelling systems, loot systems, and whatnot are ubiquitous.

RPGs themselves are fine. The Witcher series and Dark Souls are the best modern ones, and many are made based on classic design (Wasteland 2, Pillars of Eternity, Shroud of the Avatar), so gamers have the best of both worlds.

I do believe that there's too much emphasis on combat and action in RPGs. There's a lot to be said for a slower, more detailed thoughtful approach, as in Planescape: Torment or Fallout 1 or 2. So if I had one wish for developers to consider, it's for more realism in games and less murder.

 

[Saelune]

RPGs are far from dead. Rather most games of most genres are becoming RPGs themselves, or very close to. Im fine with that, though some people are not. I like leveling up, having stats and exploring more.

 

[Zannah]

So if I had one wish for developers to consider, it's for more realism in games and less murder.

And I'm guessing based on what games you recommend that your Idea of reaching more realism is to do so through the older, bird-eye isometric style of RPGs?

(Not trying to derail the thread, just asking)

 

[Mister K]

I may not be old enough to back up the following statement, but wasn't RPG genre mostly niche genre for, well, all of it's existence? I mean, most people prefer to simply jump around and punch bad guys or shoot bad guys, not follow the complex story and/or tweak and tinker with your character(s) to make them better.

And even if we were to look at the golden or silver examples of RPG's (you know, Fallout 2, Final Fantasy VI, etc.) we'd still see that compared to overall number of RPG's released during the whole period of videogames existence their numbers are comparatively small. What I mean to say is that during past years many RPG's were made and most of them were bad and forgotten.

You don't see many good RPG's today because you compare their quantity to their quantity in the Past, as in a single period. And even so, there are many small, non-AAA developers today who make nifty RPG's, that don't focus on pew-pews, booms and T&A. You just have to look and ask people to find them.

 

[And Man]

Persona 5 and Xenoblade Chronicles X are still in underway? Yep, I think we'll be fine. Also, there was the success of Bravely Default, which led to Square Enix creating a new "RPG-centric" studio

 

[Maximum Bert]

Now that news is hitting of a potential FFVII remake, I'm just wondering if anyone else has found any hidden gems amongst the detrius.

Where have you heard of this? I just googled it and came up with no reliable information. Merely a rumor with a picture that obviously wasn't from anything Square did from about four months ago. Nothing concrete that would make me think it was evenly remotely true. Not even sure I would want that and I play FFVII once a year.

Every rumour is a potential truth hence why I said potential.
The timing seems about right though, they have put off this fan demand for so long for good reason but SQUEEEEEEENIX have recently stated that they were moving to a more classic style with some of their RPGs because of the whole Bravely Default fiasco (gamers dont wont stories, they want high visual fidelity on hair) when such a small simple title rocketed in popularity.

FFVII is still a great game to play, but the aesthetic and nostalgia is a big part of that, and if there is a remake I'm sure I will spend part of my soul on a special edition containing things I don't need but I doubt it will come close to the classic.

Also if your talking about the article http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/30149/20140724/final-fantasy-vii-remake.htm
Yea its not a trustworthy site but if you read it they do mention that screen cap is a load of bull.

Damn it why do you have to dangle that carrot again I so want to believe that they are remaking it (although I am also worried they will somehow cock it up big time, please please dont change the script or anything stupid just tidy the translation up) but I am not believing anything until its announced.

I dont think RPGs are dying at all we certainly get less JRPGS out over here than we used to during the PSX and PS2 era but I think thats mainly down to rising costs there are still plenty of JRPGs on handhelds and just last gen we got 3 pretty great ones in Dark Souls, Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story. As for whether you consider these JRPGS is up for debate same as in what exactly is an RPG anyway (or game come to think of it).

XIII tried new stuff and failed same with XII imo but gotta give em credit for experimenting looks like XV will be different again I just hope they dont try and make Lightning a recurring character in the series I think that will annoy more than it will please.

RPGs are always changing for better or worse atm we are just starting to see the clones of the Souls series coming out but there will always be ones pushing in a new direction usually JRPGS mechanically and even CRPGS are seeing a slight resurgence niche for sure but bigger than it has been for ages.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Honestly, I find RPGs to be one of the more alive genres. Yes, there are more big-name shooters and possibly stealth-action games, but RPGs seem to be getting plenty of attention from both mainstream and indie developers. Yeah, I guess if you're looking for more old-school experiences, then the RPG genre would seem to receive comparatively little attention (though there seems to be a growing interest in the style right now), but I personally find a lot of modern RPGs to be just as good as, if not better than, most of the older ones.

 

[Bruce]

I know we do actually get a fair few RPGs released at a constant rate but anything new and interesting is getting few and far between. Maybe it's just having the mentality of a tired
old gamer lusting after the halcyon days of youth but I'm struggling to find anything unique.

My problem now is I'm reaching the point where I want to blame the gaming community as a whole, anything special or unique often gets relegated to a cult title or cast into the fiery pits of internet flame wars, and nothing escapes that bile. Taking FFXIII as an example, there was so much wrong with that game, and the sad part was that in my opinion it was the basics that were missing but I loved the game still because it tried something new and different.

Disclaimer, I am a fan boy of sorts, favourite game being tied between persona 3 and FFVII. I am a big fan of FFXIII for trying something new but even I cannot find it in myself to defend XIII-2+3.

Now that news is hitting of a potential FFVII remake, I'm just wondering if anyone else has found any hidden gems amongst the detrius.

tl:dr - I'm sad RPGs are becoming generic and the post was just a bit of a vent. But if you have found any nice niche titles I would love to hear.


(I would like to note that Wasteland 3 is proving to be a little bundle of heaven for any Fallout / Original wasteland fans)

No, but I sort of get what you mean. Too many RPGs feel like scaled down strategy titles, where instead of an army you have a single character, or small group of characters fighting through a campaign.

The plots thus suffer from having to give you an excuse to get to all that combat, without enough of the actual role playing to be satisfying. There needs to be more emphasis on allowing pacifist runs.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

People were already claiming that "RPGs were dead" and then claiming that Baldur's Gate "saved" the genre years ago.

And if anything, how are they dead? People are STILL talking about Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim, despite those games being over 3 years old now. Dragon Age: Inquisition and the Witcher 3 are looking to be enormous releases, as well as Fallout 4 when it comes out.

I'd say RPGs are more alive than ever.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

A game genre only ever "dies" for whomsoever decides to stop playing it. That's my take on things. Trying to determine what is and what isn't an RPG feels a little fallacious to me, since the core of the genre involves playing a role - as the name states. Any game with a strong player-driven character creation mechanic (and I consider that levelling systems are part of character creation) technically has strong shades of the RPG genre. Trying to differentiate between turn-based and real-time, between isometric, third-person or FPS perspectives? It all just feels moot to me.

So... Are you still playing RPGs, OP? If the answer is yes, then the genre isn't dead for you. I'm still playing Skyrim fairly often, and I'll religiously ignore anyone who tells me Bethesda games don't qualify because of reasons. I'm playing a role and I most definitely am not an Argonian in real life, so I think it fits.