Is the Legend of Zelda a... JRPG?

[bjj hero]

RPG elements like acquiring better gear as you go, engaging in dialogue with several stroy-driving characters, etc.

Heck even some of the world's more famous JRPG characters, like Chrono, are mute, like Link, allowing players to imagine their own character dialogue.

And naming your character is one of the tenants of role-playing. As I said, "Link", as stated by Miyamoto, is your placeholder in this world and story. you are supposed to be playing as yourself, as Link (or whatever you name him.) Plus, if I name the character after myself, then do things as I myself would do them, am I not role-playing?

I mean, I see what you're saying, and I'm not trying to call it a straight up rpg. But it definitely has some of the trimmings.

If that makes LOZ an RPG then that also makes gears of war is an RPG. The only thing you don't do is name Phoenix. Having said that Commander Shepherd is always Commander Shepherd no matter what you do.

LoZ is an action adventure game. There is no real charecter customisation, no stats, no real npcs or party (even gears had a "party" in the form of your squad)

 

[brunothepig]

Certainly not. I wouldn't even call it an RPG. There's some very vague RPG elements that aren't even exclusive to RPG's. Collecting items? Like almost every FPS ever? Talking to people? Like almost every videogame ever? There's no leveling, no stats, all that stuff. JRPG is a different sub-genre, I haven't seen one without turn based combat, and they're usually quite linear anyway. It's more than just an RPG from Japan.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

It?s an action adventure game.
At the most it might be described as having a few RPG elements such as increasing your total health and sometimes magic bar but even then that isn?t done through leveling up but finding objects. The only Zelda game that is an RPG is The Adventure of Link.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

No, Legend of Zelda doesn't even qualify to be an RPG. (So definitely no JRPG)
It's an Action/Adventure game with puzzle elements.

 

[beniki]

No its not, its an adventure game.

With heavy RPG elements. Heck, you even get to name your character like in an RPG. Name me another adventure game that lets you do that off the top of your head.

What RPG elements? We are talking OoT right?

Naming your character is not an RPG element. A game doing so does not make it an rpg.

Using X to solve Y is puzzle solving, it is not an rpg element, it is an element of play.

Link is the main character, he does not change as a direct result of player choice but only as a result of plot advancement. You have a better chance arguing as a jrpg but definitely not an rpg.

If you define LoZ as an rpg then every game gets given that classification which means nothing does.

RPG elements like acquiring better gear as you go, engaging in dialogue with several stroy-driving characters, etc.

Heck even some of the world's more famous JRPG characters, like Chrono, are mute, like Link, allowing players to imagine their own character dialogue.

And naming your character is one of the tenants of role-playing. As I said, "Link", as stated by Miyamoto, is your placeholder in this world and story. you are supposed to be playing as yourself, as Link (or whatever you name him.) Plus, if I name the character after myself, then do things as I myself would do them, am I not role-playing?

I mean, I see what you're saying, and I'm not trying to call it a straight up rpg. But it definitely has some of the trimmings.

You acquire multiple items and tools, using them to solve puzzles and fight bosses. Action-Adventure.

Uhm... you DO know that everything you just described Are usually in RPG's too, right?

(I'm hoping I missed some really clever sarcasm there.)

Item-base puzzles are rarely the main mechanic in RPGs. When they show it, it's because the game is blending RPG and Adventure,

Which can also be said for Zelda.

BAZINGA.

It's not technically an rpg, since the focus is not on role-playing, but rather controlling preset characters within a story. In an RPG, at least one of the characters must be customizable in several aspects.

Having a customizable name doesn't count.

See above about names.

Also, I've not seen a truly customizable JRPG main character... well... ever.

Feel free to correct me.

RPGs use statistics and numbers to allow players to perform actions they may simply be unable to do themselves. The most often used example is combat, but perhaps a more classic example is a persuade check. Most people, and us nerdy types in particular, aren't very persuasive, so we're given a 'Charisma' number, dependant on our character. This allows the player to do things that is simply beyond the players ability.

This is not to be confused with the idea that all game mechanics are RPG elements. Yes, few people can jump like Mario, or run like Sonic, and the game allows us to do just that, but the aim of the game is to test player reaction time at pressing buttons. These days, with the advent of the action RPG, the lines are being blurred. The Elder Scrolls series and Kingdom Hearts come to mind. But these games call themselves Action RPGs, in recognition of their hybridisation.

If you'd like a more modern example of a pure RPG, then I think your best bet is Fallout 3, played entirely through VATS. Not much player skill, but a lot of player strategy involved, through positioning and character building.

LoZ is neither of these things. The item progression, whilst at first glance is reminiscent of RPG character building, is little more than the boundaries of a puzzle. Each item is intrinsically tied to player skill, and in working out how to use them.

In a pure RPG, the game would play as thus: Link acquires bow. Link sees a flaming switch. Use 'Ice Arrow'. Roll to check if 'Ice Arrow' is cast. Success! Roll to hit flaming switch. Critical miss! Link shoots himself in the foot and loses 1 heart. Roll again to see if 'Ice arrow' freezes leg.

The only aspect of an RPG that Zelda borrows from is the setting, and the act of playing a hero character. Whilst this makes it a role that you play, it does not make it a role playing game. It's game play is not focussed on strategy and character building, but on exploration, puzzle solving and sometimes reaction timing.

Happily games that have this focus have a name. Action Adventure

But of course, blurry lines and borrowing ideas from other genres makes it hazy. I wouldn't call it a JRPG though. For me, the classic JRPG will always be the 'line up and special effect each other until someone dies' formula!

 

[El_Chubba_Chubba]

Boys looking like fairy girls? - check

Girls dressing up like boys? - check

Made by Japanese guys and gals? - check

Yeh, its a JRPG.

But seriously, its not, its an adventure game. As for borrowing rpg elements, other adventure games also do this, its just improving your arsenal and finding new "toys" to play with. I guess it has a currency system which is kinda rpg, but still no.

 

[blackdwarf]

it is not a RPG, it is a adventure game.

if you are talking about JRPG's, you are talking about rpg with a random encounters where you get teleported to a "arena" where you can fight, in real-time or turn-based. there can exist JRPG's from the west, like lord of the rings, third age.

 

[Xaio30]

"Action/Adventure with RPG elements" sums the game up pretty much.

 

[Fledge]

Definitely not a JRPG.

 

[wooty]

Id have to disagree with that statement.

By contrast, if it was true, then tomb raider would also have to be classed as an rpg.

 

[Revolution -X-]

OP made my brain explode. I hope you're proud of yourself.

 

[DracoSuave]

It's an 'action/adventure with rpg elements' without rpg elements.

Ugh.

It was so much easier back in the day. We had a name for the genre that zelda belonged to.

ZELDA GAME

Like: Occarina of Time was a Zelda game. Neutopia 1 and 2 were Zelda games. Darksiders is a Zelda game.

JRPG?!? Seriously?!?

 

[Mad1Cow]

There isn't much role-playing in it and it's definately not a typical JRPG in terms of combat...then again it definately borrows heavily from that genre nowadays so I can see the confusion.

Nevertheless, it's like calling Tomb Raider a Western RPG...it's just not right...

 

[Monsterfurby]

It's an action adventure game, simply because you have no control over how your character develops. Character development is a core mechanic in RPGs, including JRPGs and every Zelda game will, no matter how often you play it, always develop Link the same way.

Also: the "Zelda Game" genre DracoSuave speaks of is the "Action Adventure" genre. It was considered a legitimate game genre back in the 90s but somehow got out of fashion. Not games are either Action or RPG/Adventure. Actually, it seems that Action has now been split up into FPS/TPS/Tactical Shooters/Scrollers/Combat Flight, while RPG/Adventure has been condensed severely. What happened there?

 

[PH3NOmenon]

RPG elements like acquiring better gear as you go, engaging in dialogue with several story-driving characters, etc.

So, the recent GTA games are RPGs now?



Here's a great way to spot an RPG: Choice.

It doesn't matter if you gain experience or levels, if you can't choose for yourself how you build up your character, it's not an RPG element. (Note that "character" in this can be interpreted as "party".)

It doesn't matter if you gain twelve hundred different types of weapon, if you can't choose which one you like best, it's not an RPG element.

Now, for RPGs "pur-sang", you also want to have a choice in the story-line. You want to decide for your character, as your character, how you'd react in a certain situation. The game is meant to alter itself based on your choices. Lacking that, then you just have a story-driven game, not necessarily an RPG. Now, inherently this is hard to bring across on the electronic medium. Hence why this idea sometimes gets discarded. The focus shifts from a story where you get to participate to a story that's compelling enough to take you along for the ride.


The Witcher 2 was a role playing game.
Baldur's Gate. Planescape: Torment. The Elder Scrolls games. These are RPGs.

The Legend of Zelda is not an RPG. It's an action/adventure game. Just because you can upgrade your gear, the game has a story and it's made in Japan, doesn't mean you're playing a JRPG.

 

[Moriarty]

RPG elements like acquiring better gear as you go, engaging in dialogue with several stroy-driving characters, etc.

Heck even some of the world's more famous JRPG characters, like Chrono, are mute, like Link, allowing players to imagine their own character dialogue.

And naming your character is one of the tenants of role-playing. As I said, "Link", as stated by Miyamoto, is your placeholder in this world and story. you are supposed to be playing as yourself, as Link (or whatever you name him.) Plus, if I name the character after myself, then do things as I myself would do them, am I not role-playing?

I mean, I see what you're saying, and I'm not trying to call it a straight up rpg. But it definitely has some of the trimmings.

Okay, so if we hold other games to these criteria, the original Doom, Counter Strike and let's say flight simulators are all RPGs. Heck even movies or books would fall under these criteria of RPGs.

See a flaw in your categories?

Character development isn't an rpg element, it's an important part of storytelling.

 

[Vibhor]

Its action adventure. You don't call it an RPG for the same reason you don't call god of war an RPG.

 

[TheBaron87]

In an RPG stats are the primary factor in the success of your character's actions. If the game is really an RPG then it should be near-impossible or at least very difficult for a character from the beginning of the game to defeat an enemy from the end (lack of unlocked/acquired tools or abilities aside). Additionally, combat in an RPG rarely demands the level of skill controlling a character that a more action-oriented game would. Typically you select commands from a list or the action regularly stops to allow you time to make decisions or select orders. Sometimes the game will be more action-oriented and still be an RPG, like Mass Effect. Imagine trying to clear the last scene in Mass Effect with the guns you start with and no skill points.

On the other hand, you have games where you acquire new abilities, a larger health pool, or other changes in your character's effectiveness, but these only increase your damage potential and make mistakes less punishing. You can still fail with a fully powered character if you're not skilled enough. Games like DMC and Bayonetta give you new weapons and moves and bigger health bars just like Zelda, but they're not RPGs. Besides, the increasing health can't be used as an argument that Zelda is an RPG or Duke Nukem Forever is also an RPG.

RPG in video games DOES NOT MEAN THE SAME THING as RPG in tabletop, that's just its origin.

Zelda is action/adventure.