Zelda Is Not An RPG

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Who said it's an RPG? It's clearly an adventure game. No RPG elements in it, really.

 

[MBergman]

OI!
Who told you you could revieve this so called thread but rather a place where people have been flingin poo at each other with their ears plugged?

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

http://ign64.ign.com/objects/000/000437.html

It says action-adventure. ACTION ADVENTURE!

Now you can stop arguing.

I ignored genre tags ever since FPS games were popularized and still called "Action" games.

No.

I refuse, refuse, REFUSE to be believe that humans have ever characterized FPS's in the "Action" genre. Until you provide a link, I refuse to believe.

Yes, humans are absolutely bat-shit dumb. But I don't think we're dumb enough to categorize an FPS as "Action".

Lemme find a link...Well, I can't link to a page of Game Informer, but it said, in last months review that MW2 was an "Action" game.

 

[Ace of Spades]

So what else is new? It's an adventure/puzzle game.

 

[Augg]

You take the role of Link....and you play a game about him....that makes it a role playing game lol

Half-Life is an RPG, Metal Gear Solid is an RPG, etc.

Just because you take the role of somebody doesn't make it an RPG.

Sorry to double quote, would that make it a role taking game then?
lol you play the role of a character, so your role playing..... and its a game.....

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

RPG: Role-playing game. It's a game where you play a role. The Legend of Zelda games put you in the role of Link. You're playing a role, it's a role-playing game.

But by that logic, every game is an RPG. That point's only really valid based on a technicality.

Tetris isn't an RPG by that definition.

 

[MorsePacific]

Tetris isn't an RPG by that definition.

You know, I didn't even think of that when I was typing that up. Time to revise my definition.

 

[funguy2121]

For some reason whenever I hear that people say that Zelda games are RPGs I getting REALLY ticked off by it. I want to hear other people's thoughts on this... I plan to make a video or write an article about htis because I'm really passionate about it and it just annoys me to no end. But in order to plan it out I need a good collection of general feedback (though I have some general and some incredibly idiotic feedback already) though first of all this is my take on it:

Zelda games are not RPGs because there is no significant grindable mechanics whereby the player can perform repeated tasks to decrease the difficulty of certain tasks. All improvements and upgrades that the player can accumulate are based on several one-time events, many of which are simply alterations to the gameplay features rather than optional increases. The only grindability that comes from Zelda games is the way the player can collect items from enemies and grass although this mechanic is incredibly minor. This is not saying that RPGs require an exessive amount of grinding in order to succeed, but rather the game has options for the player to grind. In actual fact many RPGs do require grinding even if it is to such small extent that the only grinding requirement would be to fight the battles you find on your way, as long as there's an element of grind involves

Is "grind" here your term? It seems a bit unwieldy for how you're trying to use it. Also, it sounds as if you're trying to categorize Zelda as "not strategy" instead of "not RPG."

I don't think many people have ever tried to label Zelda as an RPG. It's an action RPG, which to me appears understood to be a colloquialism or a video game jargon term, and not a dictionary definition, so you may relax. The fact that the game is nonlinear and that interacting with NPCs who never engage in combat, buying and selling goods, upgrading your "stats" (ok, fine, not stats but shields, swords, suits, etc), exploring and unlocking puzzles are just as important as the combat sequences, is how the game is defined as such. At the very least, it is a hybrid. Hence, Action RPG. And I know this, because I won't go near an RPG. I'll try any other sort of game, esp. a Zelda game (I love 'em), but I never have and never will have any interest in RPGs.

I hope that helped.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Tetris isn't an RPG by that definition.

You know, I didn't even think of that when I was typing that up. Time to revise my definition.

There are plenty of puzzle games with literally no plot or characters to assume to role of, but pretty much any game with even a sliver of story/plot can be considered a RPG by the broad definition.

 

[DrDeath3191]

You can 'level up' your charcter via items and finding Pieces of Heart. While it may not be a conventional RPG, you can argue that it is one. I personally side on Action Adventure, personally, but I can understand why people would think RPG.

 

[Aesir23]

Zelda seems more like an adventure game. And while an RPG doesn't HAVE to have grinding in it. Leveling up and whatnot seems to be a big part of most RPGs.

 

[MasterMongoose0]

Genres suck.

When will we stop labeling games? What is Bioshock? Borderlands? Brutal Legend?

There's so many mixes and whatnot nowadays that genres need to die.

 

[feather240]

I suppose slapping an rpg tag on it aswell as its action-adventure (even puzzle) tags helps is become more visable to a wider market? Generally speaking, most people into the RPG side of things are likely to enjoy a good Zelda, I know I sure do.

Technically: RPG by definition
In Reality: No, not really - I suppose loosely it is seeing as adventure games are now generally lackluster stories while zelda actually feels like an adventure, if you put any effort into story telling in your games now that instantly makes it an RPG for who knows what reason.

amidoinitrite?

the website got it wrong, either that or they purposefully put it in the wrong section in order to target the general misinformed audience

I got Fallout 3 GOTY and it said "Action Game", but all the expansion packs and base game were "Fantasy Adventure Game". I doubt they label them weirdly on purpose. They're just stupid. ^_^

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Personally I would put any Zelda title into "Fantasy Action Adventure". And Final Fantasy into "Turn Based Fanasy Action Adventure". Most JRPGs don't deserve their "Role Plaing Game" genres, where is the role playing in Final Fantasy VII?

 

[Beartrucci]

I always thought of the Zelda series as Action-Adventure games.

 

[Gigaguy64]

It is an ARPG or an action adventure game, and an RPG doesn't need to have grinding in it. and yes you can get upgrades (magic meter, arrows, bombs and heart containers) Just because it doesn't fit perfectly into your mold of an RPG does not mean it is not an RPG.

This.
A RPG is a ROLE PLAYING GAME where, in my opinion, you upgrade you character some way weather its a LV up or a increase in something like a Health Bar.
And during all of the games you take the role of one guy who is upgraded throughout his adventure.
So like Leon said i define it as an ARPG, just like, Devil May Cry, and Kingdom Hearts.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

It is an ARPG or an action adventure game, and an RPG doesn't need to have grinding in it. and yes you can get upgrades (magic meter, arrows, bombs and heart containers) Just because it doesn't fit perfectly into your mold of an RPG does not mean it is not an RPG.

Yes. Besides recalling the original NES Zelda pretty much create the ARPG style spawning games like StarTropics which no one debates is an RPG.
It actually ticks me off when people don't consider it an RPG just cause we can't see numbers or kids with androgenous hair.

 

[Knight Templar]

It seems to me you don't know what an RPG is, and how broad a the lable is.