The first article in my new RPG Analysis series sparked some great conversation about community members' thoughts of the pricing of Role Playing games. We discussed some of our favourite titles and touched upon the timelessness of the genre. One comment, however, stood out from the lot. Addicted cited The Legend of Zelda as the first RPG he had played to completion.

There is no doubt that Zelda series boasts many great games in its catalogue. The debates lies here: can the Zelda games, which commonly accepted as Action Adventure games, be considered RPGs?






First, we must consider the characteristics of a Role Playing game. The most obvious distinction of an RPG is the character development both via the narrative and stat building.The characters of these games are dynamic in that they grow as the story progresses. Consider Mistwalker's The Last Story in which we are presented with Zael who believes in all that is good in the world despite faltering as a leader. As Zael moves through the world and witnesses the corruption and greed of rulers who have abused their powers as nobility, he learns that being a hero involves much more than simply defending the weak. By the conclusion of the game the protagonist evolves into a true leader, one who command his friends, inspire bravery in the weak hearted, and most importantly, honours the responsibilities of his newfound heroism. All the while, Zael becomes a proficient knight as he gains experience in battle.

Conversely, a character can lose his sense of self identity. In Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft depicts Cloud, a battle hardened soldier, who cannot make clear his memories of the past. As a new recruit Cloud idolizes a fellow soldier named Zack so much so that after they parted ways Cloud begins to associate himself with Zack's traits. This game is known for its convoluted story, but it only adds to Cloud's dilemma; it forces the player into his disjointed psyche.


An Adventure game, on the other hand, does not portray the same kind of depth. The principle character of an Adventure game tends to be a hero from birth. Link seems quite comfortable wielding a sword immediately after receiving it from the old man in the cave. Another notable example would be Naughty Dog's Uncharted protagonist, Nathan Drake. He knows what he must to do, he knows how to go about it, and can always rescue his companions. This type of game does something very different from an RPG: it makes the player the hero, whereas a Role Playing game tells the tale of the yet-to-be hero. The player does not witness Link or Drake become a brave leader, much less someone who learns about the hardships of the world. It can be considered that the character development occurs the backstory of an Adventure game, while this development is most often the focal point of an RPG.


This is not to say that RPGs are superior. Both are highly successful and popular gaming genres. Even though Role Playing and Adventure games differ in their protagonists are presented they share one resounding similarity. The player takes on the role of the hero. It is here that the debate begins and it is at this point that I chose to avoid categorizing my games by genre. As games continue to become more complex and heavily driven by story the line between the Adventure and Role Playing genres will become increasingly blurred. 

The floor is open to discussion. Do you agree with me? Is the genre debate important? Discuss anything you feel relevant, I just ask that you reserve your solutions to this conundrum for Part 2.

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