Z Space Blog - RPG

RPGs are for story? Since when?

2016-08-06T00:00:00-07:00

Across the Internet and even in person, I find a lot of people claiming that RPGs are meant to be story-heavy and that's the main draw. Part of me wonders where that idea came from.

The original RPG could be considered Dungeons & Dragons or any similar paper-and-pencil games where you adopt a persona and go on an adventure, with a DM at the reins to guide you and your friends along. The core of those games is not story, however; it's about interacting with your friends in a made-up world. The story, while being in the lime-light, is nothing compared to the feeling of cooperating with your friends and vanquishing foes or telling ridiculous stories because your bard is drunk as shit.

D&D and other paper-and-pencil RPGs have a huge focus on the battle system. Each race has strengths and weaknesses. Ditto for classes. Each class has skills, which have use inside and outside of battle. There are feats. If the game was not meant to have a deep level of combat or world interaction, none of that would be there! You'd just toss a few dice to decide damage and trade blows with no-name mooks.

Even the original RPGs had battle systems, with depth and intrigue.

So let's spin this and put it into the intended medium (video games).

Some of the first RPGs, while possessing plenty of story, had a lot of combat to fill up the game with things to do. Fetch quests and puzzles also added to the longevity. The story helped compel you to go further, but most of the games that became renowned (The Elder Scrolls, Ultima, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, etc) did so because their combat was fun and the world was interesting. In a traditional turn-based RPG, you're going to be spending a good portion of your time in combat. In series such as Golden Sun, there's plenty of story -- some even complain at the amount of dialogue -- but mostly you're exploring, solving puzzles, customizing your party, diving into dungeons, and fighting monsters.

This misconception of "RPG == story-heavy" is flat-out wrong. Some games such as Crystalis are rather light on story. Castlevania 2 is another example. Zelda 2 as well. Others, like The Elder Scrolls, can go either way because there is tons of story, but most of it's optional. The few games that are mostly story-based have super-easy gameplay, or they're reclassified as another genre, ranging from interactive fiction to point-and-click adventure to puzzle.

I think people need to really sit down and ask themselves how important the story is to RPGs as a genre. A quality RPG won't need a story to be fun.

If one wants story, they should play a visual novel, point-and-click adventure, or text adventure. MUSHs are a good place to do role-playing that is expected to be in-universe, while MUDs are for the battle- or adventure-oriented. Some even have PvP aspects, which is a nice touch.

Radiant Historia Review

2012-08-27T23:13:45-07:00

Every now and then, a game comes out that looks unassuming, but has a hidden, interesting side that takes you by surprise. This aspect is true of Radiant Historia, a turn-based JRPG for the Nintendo DS developed by Atlus and Headlock Studio. One of the aspects of Radiant Historia that comes out of left field is the time traveling mechanic, which allows you to explore two different paths of history. If you enjoyed Chrono Trigger and enjoy revisiting the same place in different points in recent history, you'll warm up to Radiant Historia. Gamers who don't care for backtracking or subtle time puzzles will want to skip this one.

Graphics

Radiant Historia sports a neat art style. Environments are rendered in 3-D while characters and obstacles are 2-D sprites. This makes different elements clear to the player without any obnoxious "helper" graphics like black outlines or incessant glowing, etc.

The graphic style is sort of low-key for the environments; they seem to mostly get out of the way. It's a refreshing turn from what's usually present in JRPGs, and is more inviting than the usual "Check ALL the bushes" mentality that's encouraged in some JRPGs. Sprites are animated very well. Aht's swaying in battle, "brandishing" animations when it's the character's turn to receive a command, and the design of the characters themselves are all great. The graphics may become a bit dull over time out of battle, but they remain interesting in-battle. Atlus has some pixel know-how. :)

The concept art is top notch. It shows a strong understanding of character design and use of color. Stocke's red outfit is both stylish and reminiscent of European armor designs. Aht looks like an elegant dancer, and Marco's get-up looks like he really is carrying a bunch of potions and healing items. There are other characters that sport equally solid designs, but I don't spoil games that aren't classics already.

Music

I'm listening to the OST right now. Does that tell you anything? If not, maybe a name drop will: Yoko Shimomura. She's partly responsible for Kingdom Hearts' music, and composed all the music for Radiant Historia. My favorite tracks are Alistel's main theme and the ending credits theme, -HISTORIA-.

The soundtrack as a whole takes on a somber, pretty feel when you're out and about. Seeing as how world is slowly eroding to dust, this theme is fitting. The standard battle theme is unobtrusive and seems to encourage focus and intensity instead of raw power. The boss themes on the other hand, are in-your-face epic and carry a sense of urgency. "The Edge of Green" (mid-chapter bosses) in particular does a very good job of sparking the player's spirit.

Long story short, this game's soundtrack is easily its best aspect.

Difficulty

Once you get the hang of the battle system, I'd say the difficulty in Radiant Historia is decidedly average. A few battles will push you to really think about how to bunch the enemy up to capitalize on combo bonuses, some will use turn order to mess with your tactics, and others will test your knowledge of your abilities and how many turns they last. Veteran gamers will meet this difficulty with only minor issue, while average and casual gamers will have a little bit of trouble. The difficulty's not too harsh, however, and you can always grind to lessen it.

Gameplay

There are two primary phases of gameplay: in-battle and out-of-battle. The former is where you'll be spending a lot of your time, believe it or not. The fights are not overwhelmingly common like they are in traditional JRPGs. You seem enemies on the overworld as you travel, and can choose to avoid the vast majority of them. This makes Radiant Historia a good candidate for low-level runs. However, this also means that if you avoid fighting too much, you'll end up too weak to progress at an acceptable pace.

In-battle, it's closer to a tactical SRPG than a standard turn-based JRPG. Your enemies are laid out in a 3×3 grid and are allowed to move around during the course of the battle. Your characters aren't afforded this mobility, but some of them have skills that will move the enemy around. Put together the right skills and the right turn order (through the "Change" command), and you can wipe out regular enemies pretty handily. It's important to practice this, because it becomes more important as you progress and the enemies get tougher. When it's all said and done, though, the gameplay is still standard JRPG fare with a little spin on things.

It's a welcome spin, but it comes with some nitpicks:

Skills that move the enemy around are rather pricey (5-15 MP)
MP cannot easily be regenerated (the skill costs 12 MP and the item is rare)
Some bosses have far too much HP and needlessly drag out the battle (this may be intentional...)

Overall, battles are fairly enjoyable, but will start to annoy you a bit toward the end, when they introduce more enemies that can't be moved on the grid.

Story

Radiant Historia begins with a man named Stocke, who's been assigned to the Special Intelligence unit of Alistel's army. It seems that Granorg, the country to the west, is the cause of a "sand sickness" which is eroding the world and turning people into sand. What starts out as a clear goal to our friend Stocke turns into a much broader adventure through the continent of Vainqueur and time itself. As it progresses, the story plays around with the player's expectations, questions the rationale of characters, and exposes what most would consider "evil" as merely a different perspective on the same circumstances. It's not necessarily something that I'd sit down with for nights on end, like a book, but the story does a better job than many other JRPGs out there, and stayed interesting enough for me to want to know what happens next. So I'd say it's pretty good.

Final Verdict

Radiant Historia is what most would call a "sleeper hit", which came out of nowhere, introduced a new take on the time-traveling formula, and brought some memorable characters and gorgeous music. It has some tedious points, which delayed me finishing the game for a while¹, but they weren't bad or long enough to kill the enjoyment for me.

If you enjoy JRPGs -- especially ones that question existing formulae -- I think you'll like Radiant Historia. If you want a fast-paced, action-style game that's light on the dialogue, Radiant Historia is not what you're looking for.

Metadata

Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release Date: 2011-02-22
Genres: JRPG, Turn-based
Developer: Atlus, Headlock, Inc
ESRB Rating: E10+

Real life also got in the way... ↩

Pokémon SoulSilver Review

2010-05-19T20:24:04-07:00

The 2nd generation of Pokémon games (Gold, Silver, and Crystal) is widely regarded as the best; it brought gamers two new types, a brand new set of varied moves, breeding, and is the only Pokémon generation to date to sport two regions, totalling 16 badges to earn. In many ways, the 2nd generation brought innovations well before its time, and Game Freak hadn't trumped or matched that success... until HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Make no mistake; HeartGold and SoulSilver are the pinnacle of Pokémon games. Even with the 5th generation Black and White versions on the horizon, I am convinced that Game Freak will not surpass what they have achieved with HeartGold and SoulSilver. If you played the original Gold, Silver, or Crystal, then you owe it to yourself to get HeartGold or SoulSilver. If you preferred the 3rd or 4th generation... you may not enjoy the heavy Japanese influence and classic-but-new feel. Above all, this game will devour your gaming time like a Snorlax goes through food.

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead, for those who haven't played the originals.

Graphics

The first thing veterans of the 2nd generation will notice is that the graphics are greatly enhanced. No longer is the game system limited to 2 layers of 8-bit graphics. Instead, we're treated to a half-3D, half-2D game that brings out the charm that Gold and Silver were known for. As someone who prefers 2-D over 3-D, I still enjoy the graphics of HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The biggest graphical improvement compared to the originals is in-battle. Pokémon look much better than they did back in 2nd generation, sporting sprites with upwards of 16 colors instead of a paltry four (though to be specific, one color is always used for transparency). Backgrounds in-battle reflect the lighting conditions and time of day, and moves are flashier than ever. Every 2-D graphic is well made and smooth looking, from the item and battle menus to the overworld sprites and touch screen buttons.

Needless to say, the graphics are a large leap above what we had back in the GameBoy Color days.

Music

The original Gold and Silver sported many memorable tunes and fun remixes for Kanto. HeartGold and SoulSilver are no different, bringing us a wide variety of remixed music. The Japanese influence is evident in Professor Elm's Lab, Ecruteak City, and the Bell Tower, while most other tracks are the same peppy, light-hearted music we've come to expect from the Pokémon series. Other tracks that stand out are the gym leader battle themes, the wild Pokémon battle themes, and the music that accompanies Lugia and Ho-oh in-battle.

Moreso than any other Pokémon game, the music is pleasant and doesn't annoy at any point. As an added bonus, you can unlock the original sounds after you get all 16 badges. While not being 100% identical to the original music, it's close enough to feel classic, and that's the point.

I put the music up there with the graphics in terms of quality. I've never once wanted to turn my DS's volume down because of the music.

Difficulty

I have one word for you: Gyarados. I don't know what they did to him, but he became MEAN. Hyperbole aside, many monsters have been improved as a result of being in the 4th generation battle system. Monsters such as Yanma, Beedrill, and Sneasel who used to be limited by their lack of good moves or bad typing are now formidable monsters that can hold their own. My Beedrill was able to take down Sabrina's Alakazam after eating a Psychic attack and downed him with Twineedle, for instance. There's no way Beedrill could've eaten a Psychic back in 2nd generation.

That said, the difficulty is slightly increased. Thanks to being in the 4th generation battle system, the game has taken on a more offensive approach, with status inflictions being used before sweeping and a stronger focus on specializing. Also, the levels for gym leaders, the Elite 4, and Red have risen, offering veteran trainers more challenge. As if that wasn't enough, the Elite 4 have a round two, where levels max at 75 or so. Now you'll think twice before challenging the Elite 4 a second time.

Overall, the difficulty is on par with that of Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Perhaps a little higher. Due to the nature of being an RPG, however, even newbie gamers can overcome the difficulty just by grinding.

Gameplay

Wow... where do I begin? Many, many changes have been made compared to the original games. For starters, the 4th gen battle system means that every type of move has physical and special moves, which adds much more variety to the battle system and makes certain Pokémon more effective.

Gone are the cell phone and item limitations; you can store every trainer's cell number in your PokéGear and can hold as many items as you need to. Also gone are the swarm-specific phone calls; you can listen in on Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk to learn about swarming Pokémon now. The Goldenrod City Department Store now has a daily lottery for special items, and the Goldenrod Radio Tower changes its lottery number every day as well.

Adding to this, there is a complete Battle Frontier just north of Route 40, where the Battle Tower used to be in Crystal. Also present is the Safari Zone, located west of Cianwood City, past two brand new routes. As if that wasn't enough, there's a brand new Pokéathlon Dome just west of the Johto National Park, where you can enter your Pokémon in Pokémon Stadium-like mini-games and earn points to purchase prizes.

You may also get the phone numbers of gym leaders and challenge them again under the right conditions. When you rebattle them, their lineups change and their levels are higher, so they are truly challenging even after you've earned every badge. Another great improvement is the Berry Pots item, which allows you to grow berries on the go without ever needing to revisit a bunch of soil spots.

The sheer number of improvements in HeartGold and SoulSilver is incredible, and veterans of the originals will no-doubt be pleased by all the new content.

I have one complaint, however; as a result of some sort of censorship, the Game Corners no longer sport slot machines. You cannot buy coins anymore, either. Instead, you must play a game called "Voltorb Flip" — a strange mix of minesweeper and picross — to earn coins. That, combined with the insanely priced Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt TMs (10,000 coins) means that the Game Corner is no longer a reliable means to get those moves. You're better off breeding.

Considering all of the great additions in spite of this gripe, however, I cannot say in good-faith that this game has nothing short of awesome gameplay. The variety of things you can do in the game is mind-boggling; if you're bored, it's your own fault.

Story

It's Pokémon.

...Okay, fine. You play as a young person aiming to explore the world with Pokémon and complete a computerized encyclopedia known as a Pokédex. Along the way, you will face up to bullies, bring down a terrorist syndicate, help a sick Pokémon, and learn about the legends surrounding Lugia, Ho-oh, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. After you prove your worth to the Champion, you are granted access to Kanto, where you can prove that Johto produces awesome trainers as well. At the climax of your journey, you will face off against Red -- the kid who brought down Team Rocket the first time -- in an epic battle set atop a large mountain in the middle of a snowstorm. Only there can you prove if you have what it takes to be a Pokémon Master.

Final Verdict

Just in case you couldn't tell, I like this game. I think it's worth every cent I paid for it and worthy of being called a remake. Game Freak outdid themselves for the second time; so much so that I doubt they will produce another game quite this good. If you played through the original Gold and Silver and hate what they did to the franchise in 3rd and 4th generation, buy HeartGold or SoulSilver; they are a prime example of what modern Pokémon should be like, and should be the standard in which all future generations are compared to.

Metadata

Platform: Nintendo DS
Release date (US): 2010-03-14
Genre: RPG
Developer: Game Freak, Inc.
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Review

2009-11-16T02:26:49-08:00

Mario and Luigi are iconic Nintendo mascots who have been through many adventures, both together and separately. Thankfully, the adventures they go on together end up being a lot funnier. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is the third game in the Mario & Luigi series, which started on the GameBoy Advance with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Like the two games before it, Bowser's Inside Story has a self-contained plot, a ridiculous and hilarious story, and an engaging battle system that tests your observation skills.

Graphics

Bowser's Inside Story features some of the smoothest animation I've seen in sprites. Everything in the game is colorful and light-hearted, even when you're in the depths of caves, the ocean, even Bowser's Castle itself. Those who "stop to smell the flowers", so to speak, are in for a lot of fun little details. The graphics are largely simplistic, but you can't help but smile when watching Luigi's silly animations or recoil at the gross things that go on in Bowser's belly. Overall, the game practically oozes polish and attitude, just how we like our Mario games!

Music

Most of the music in the game is quite nice, and suits each area well. The music in Bowser's Castle can get a little annoying if you've been stuck for a while (like I was), but aside from that the music is great. The battle music in particular is good, and that's a plus because you're going to be fighting a lot; a given in RPGs. My favorite track would probably be Blubble Lake or Cavi Cape. At any rate, the music won't let you down.

The sound is simply awesome! Mario and Luigi still have their Italian-sounding gibberish, and Peach retains her typical high-pitched, damsel-in-distress voice. New to the scene is Bowser, who sounds a little more "fearsome" than you'd expect. It's still awesome, though. The sound effect for dizziness is very amusing; probably my favorite.

Difficulty

Veterans to Mario & Luigi will find that the timing for actions is a little tighter than in Superstar Saga and Partners in Time. That's good news for us. Those who lack good hand-eye coordination will find it a little difficult to get used to at first, but hopefully will be pulling off Excellent hits like second nature before the end. One of the features I enjoyed, even as a veteran, is the "Demo" arena where you can practice using Special Moves at no expense. Completionists take heed: You will need to master every special move!

Newcomers to gaming in general will be met with a rather large challenge. Enemies start out rather easy to kill, but later on you're going to need the precise timing and complex coordination if you hope to make it against the game's toughest enemies and bosses. Everyone's got to start somewhere though, and this game is a great one to start with. My sister (a newbie to gaming) was able to get through most of the game without help. If she can make it, I'm sure many others can as well.

A handy feature in the game is an item called the Retry Clock, which allows you to restart a battle if you get defeated. This saves players the trouble of having to reload from their last save. Thankfully these items are expensive and rare, so you will still have to earn your keep. :) Ultimately, the difficulty is just right for veterans and, though challenging to newcomers, the developers threw in plenty of helpful features to make the game less frustrating.

Gameplay

The main event! If I had to put it in one word, it would be "satisfying". As a veteran gamer who was pining for something really solid and fun, I greatly enjoyed this game for the 20 hours or so it took me to beat it. Playing as Bowser for the first time since 1995 or so is very fun, and makes you think differently about how you would fight a foe. It was a refreshing take on the same system. The game's also full of little minigames that you use to help Bowser out from the inside, or solve puzzles and complete quests. At the very least, they offer a change of pace. In addition to the established overhead view, Mario and Luigi can travel through the side-scrolling areas inside Bowser, and Bowser has a handful of giant boss battles that are handled exclusively with the stylus and microphone. Those fights were truly awesome and are a great example of what the DS was designed for. The game is truly innovative, and a blast to play. I would play through it again in a heartbeat.

Final Verdict

In an industry that continues to be pumped full of shallow, cheaply made games, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story stands out as an example of what other developers should aspire to create: enjoyable and challenging games that leave a lasting impression. If you own a DS or DSi, what are you waiting for? Buy this!

Metadata

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Release date (US): 2009-09-14
Genre: Action, Platformer, Turn-based RPG
Developer(s): AlphaDream
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Why Zelda is not an RPG

2009-10-28T08:41:21-07:00

Over the past 15 years or so, the gaming industry has seen the decline of platforming games and the rise of RPGs and FPS games. Some gamers who grew up during this rise of the RPG genre began to identify themselves as "role playing gamers" as a quick way of summing up their taste in video games. This has sadly led to many people tacking the RPG genre onto any game that vaguely resembles an RPG. Such victims include Metroid, Castlevania, and -- you guessed it -- the Legend of Zelda series.

I've been the audience and a performer in many arguments regarding the attribution of role-playing to non-RPGs. Specifically with the Zelda games. Before anyone fires away at me and mentions Zelda II: The Adventure of Link: yes, I am aware that Zelda 2 is indeed an RPG. It's a pretty good one if you like challenge and action, too. With that out of the way, let's begin with a logical starting point: the definition of RPG...

You call that an RPG? Where are the pencils and paper?

Ah, yes. Anyone who grew up in the 70s probably recalls Dungeons and Dragons, one of the first true RPGs; and it took the definition literally. You created a character and fleshed out their backstory, personality, class, and statistics. Then you proceeded to go on quests with your fellow tabletop gamers with one goal in mind: play the role of your character as well as you could and avoid death. Purists will tell you that every video game that's dubbed an RPG is a misnomer. To a degree, they're right! Tabletop style RPGs were the first, so logically they created the definition.

However, language has a way of evolving. As the popularity of tabletop RPGs waned in favor of video games, so too did the definition of RPG. In video game form, RPGs lost the connection between player and character. The statistics systems translated very well, however, and hundreds of different systems, now dubbed "battle systems", came into the picture. They became the "hook" that got you into an RPG and kept you there. The storylines, while not very dynamic, also served as a means to keep the player interested.

Today, the RPG genre has branched out into many different styles. Strategy RPG, Japanese-styled RPG, Western RPG, MMORPG, and Action RPG are the primary styles. All of them offer wildly different types of gameplay, but have some core traits in common that set them apart from other genres.

A quick note before I begin: if we take "role playing" too literally, we find ourselves labeling everything an RPG. I've heard people argue the case "In Halo, you're playing the role of Master Chief so it has to be an RPG!" Let's not stoop to such ignorance.

Enough of the history lesson, pops...

Genres, as a general rule, exist to categorize things. In movies we see drama, comedy, action, chick-flick, "indie"-style, etc. In music we see rap, hip-hop, country, metal, classical, chiptune, and myriad other labels. So naturally, we will see a natural division of video game types: a few of the big-players include Action, Adventure, Shooter, Fighting, RPG, Simulation, Puzzle, and Sports. Just like with genres in other media, there is further categorization, as witnessed a few paragraphs ago with RPGs. Among all of this separation, however, is the intrinsic knowledge that everything is similar and grouped together (how Taoist of me :P). What this means with our definition of RPG is that we need to make a set of criteria that sets RPGs apart from other genres while still including a wide variety of games that are considered RPGs such as Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, Kingdom Hearts, World of Warcraft, etc.

Okay, what makes an RPG?

I managed to sum it up in one sentence: RPGs are games that have a (very) strong focus on visible, buildable statistics, and use battle as the primary means of stat building. Think about it for a moment and you'll agree. Take your favorite RPG and analyze the way it plays. Are there levels? Skills? Are there ratings on your skill mastery? How do you become stronger? Can you see the stats? Which has more influence over beating the enemy; stats or player skill? Do you control more than one character? The list of questions could go on for quite a while... The more you end up answering "yes" or "stats", the closer the game is to an RPG.

So what about Zelda?

I'll sum this up with a list of answers to typical questions you might ask yourself about Zelda's status as an RPG:

There are no (visible) stats; everything is represented as ammo, hearts, and a magic meter.
There are no experience points; fighting more monsters does not make you stronger.
There are skills (in some of them), but they do not improve with use.
The games can be beaten without upgrading anything; player skill trumps raw numbers (hearts, ammo, etc)
You only control one character at a time.
Status improvements (such as the Blue and Red Rings, Iron Boots, etc) are acquired through storyline, puzzles, or quests instead of battle.
There are no random equipment drops (only hearts, rupees, ammo, and in later installments, bottle-ables).

Given these 7 answers to common questions, we can safely say that while the Zelda games do have a few features commonly attributed to RPGs (NPC interaction, quests, a fantasy setting), it does not fit into the definition because its gameplay is too different. Zelda is an Action/Adventure game series, while Zelda 2 is Action/RPG.