LogFAQs > #962882171

adjl posted...

You can have customization and growth without levelling up.

he specifically ruled out Zelda which doesn't even have levelling up (aside from 2). he specifically says no growth apart from maybe a couple of key items. that describes something like DOOM or Sekiro, which are action games. (even Sekiro and the newer Dooms have growth comparable to Zelda and are clearly not RPGs.)

but I'm also open to counter examples. I haven't played the games mentioned so far.

you could maybe, for example, have no character progression, however the game is nevertheless a sort of "choose your own adventure" narrative, where you define your character through narrative choices, not building them up in some way.

but... that would seem more like an interactive story/movie than a game. something like The Walking Dead I guess. no one would call that an RPG. I think you would have to take the branching narrative to the extreme to make it one.

a game that comes to mind is Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. but still, not really an RPG. more like an interactive story.

"RPG" essentially means "game where the central mechanic is that I get to shape my own character" and if you can't improve your character while you play, I don't see how that can fit.