Poll of the Day > Is Castlevania: SOTN an RPG?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I always thought it was an action rpg.
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Blighboy posted...

Mass Effect and the newest Assassin's Creed definitely seem like RPGs.

Yeah it is. It's ridiculous how much they changed the series. Even fucking animals and civilians level with you.
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Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

You have stats and get new equipment.

If that's the criteria, no.

Forgive me if any of this has already been said, because I didn't read through the rest of whatever responses came after the first page.

God of War has stats and new equipment... and anyone calling that game a RPG would be called a loon. This debate has gone on for ages... because there is no clear cut definition of what makes a game an RPG. You can find turn-based combat in non-RPG titles, heavy emphasis on growth and statistics, armor and the like in very decisively non-RPG titles... practically every game element we associate with RPGs can be found in a game that's definitely not an RPG.

We can go back and forth seemingly forever (as we have... I know I've personally been participating in these on GameFAQs for over a decade).. but there's one thing that never changes: The most logical point made always seems to revolve around intent... if the director, dev team or whatever intends for their game to be an RPG, it's an RPG.
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TLR_ posted...

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

You have stats and get new equipment.

If that's the criteria, no.

Forgive me if any of this has already been said, because I didn't read through the rest of whatever responses came after the first page.

God of War has stats and new equipment... and anyone calling that game a RPG would be called a loon. This debate has gone on for ages... because there is no clear cut definition of what makes a game an RPG. You can find turn-based combat in non-RPG titles, heavy emphasis on growth and statistics, armor and the like in very decisively non-RPG titles... practically every game element we associate with RPGs can be found in a game that's definitely not an RPG.

We can go back and forth seemingly forever (as we have... I know I've personally been participating in these on GameFAQs for over a decade).. but there's one thing that never changes: The most logical point made always seems to revolve around intent... if the director, dev team or whatever intends for their game to be an RPG, it's an RPG.

Turn based combat would never be a non RPG.
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TLR_ posted...

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

You have stats and get new equipment.

If that's the criteria, no.

Forgive me if any of this has already been said, because I didn't read through the rest of whatever responses came after the first page.

God of War has stats and new equipment... and anyone calling that game a RPG would be called a loon. This debate has gone on for ages... because there is no clear cut definition of what makes a game an RPG. You can find turn-based combat in non-RPG titles, heavy emphasis on growth and statistics, armor and the like in very decisively non-RPG titles... practically every game element we associate with RPGs can be found in a game that's definitely not an RPG.

We can go back and forth seemingly forever (as we have... I know I've personally been participating in these on GameFAQs for over a decade).. but there's one thing that never changes: The most logical point made always seems to revolve around intent... if the director, dev team or whatever intends for their game to be an RPG, it's an RPG.

For me it requires multiple things associated with rpgs. Just one thing nah. Ultimately this debate has lead me to feel "rpg" is just something you'd tack on that it's not it's own thing inherently. Like you can have a action game or an action rpg. You can have a shooter or a shooter rpg. And so on but there is no game that is simply an RPG and nothing more.

Just like with music genres as it's gone it's become far more complex.
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mooreandrew58 posted...

And so on but there is no game that is simply an RPG and nothing more.

There are a shitload.
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Revelation34 posted...

mooreandrew58 posted...

And so on but there is no game that is simply an RPG and nothing more.

There are a shitload.

And they can't have something else like action turn based text etc etc tacked on? Somehow I doubt that.
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mooreandrew58 posted...

And they can't have something else like action turn based text etc etc tacked on? Somehow I doubt that.

Classic turn based RPGs like the original Final Fantasy.
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Revelation34 posted...

mooreandrew58 posted...

And they can't have something else like action turn based text etc etc tacked on? Somehow I doubt that.

Classic turn based RPGs like the original Final Fantasy.

And turn based is tacked on. I'll give you turn based and RPG seem to go hand in hand though but someone else I'm this thread made the claim that there are non rpg turn based games. And if that's true my point stands. And if not they could be made easily enough.

Seems to me RPG just describes certain elements to a game but not the major aspect of gameplay or rather the combat itself. Those elements could be a major aspect to the game but there is no combat system that is "RPG" and couldn't be done in non rpg games.
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mooreandrew58 posted...

And turn based is tacked on. I'll give you turn based and RPG seem to go hand in hand though but someone else I'm this thread made the claim that there are non rpg turn based games. And if that's true my point stands

No you're thinking of subgenres.
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Revelation34 posted...

mooreandrew58 posted...

And turn based is tacked on. I'll give you turn based and RPG seem to go hand in hand though but someone else I'm this thread made the claim that there are non rpg turn based games. And if that's true my point stands

No you're thinking of subgenres.

Didn't I already say that or you just don't read? I already said rpgs are all subgenres basically. There is always something tacked on like action turn based or shooter. Difference is the latter can be genres by themselves with nothing tacked on.
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mooreandrew58 posted...

Didn't I already say that or you just don't read? I already said rpgs are all subgenres basically. There is always something tacked on like action turn based or shooter. Difference is the latter can be genres by themselves with nothing tacked on.

Then your by your logic there's no such thing as any genre. An action game can't just be an action game using that logic.
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Revelation34 posted...

mooreandrew58 posted...

Didn't I already say that or you just don't read? I already said rpgs are all subgenres basically. There is always something tacked on like action turn based or shooter. Difference is the latter can be genres by themselves with nothing tacked on.

Then your by your logic there's no such thing as any genre. An action game can't just be an action game using that logic.

I've already said its become very complex. Almost all games I will admit could have at least two things put on them. One to describe combat if any and the other to describe the rest.

I'll be honest I'm conflicted though. RPG is a fairly hard genre to define what makes it one. Only opinion I highly dislike are those that act like any game with a playable character with a story is a RPG. Literally had someone tell me the original super Mario Bros is a RPG by definition
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Revelation34 posted...

Turn based combat would never be a non RPG.

Except the many that are. There's loads of turn based strategy games that are most definitely not RPGs.
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Revelation34 posted...

Turn based combat would never be a non RPG.

Well, chess.

mooreandrew58 posted...

I've already said its become very complex. Almost all games I will admit could have at least two things put on them. One to describe combat if any and the other to describe the rest.

I'll be honest I'm conflicted though. RPG is a fairly hard genre to define what makes it one. Only opinion I highly dislike are those that act like any game with a playable character with a story is a RPG. Literally had someone tell me the original super Mario Bros is a RPG by definition

If you want to go to the most literal definition then every game is an RPG simply because you play the role of the character.

TallTamryu posted...

Except the many that are. There's loads of turn based strategy games that are most definitely not RPGs.

Doesn't exist.
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Revelation34 posted...

Doesn't exist.

Here's one that came out fairly recently: https://store.steampowered.com/app/590380/Into_the_Breach/

I'm pretty sure it exists and there's tons more.
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TallTamryu posted...

Here's one that came out fairly recently: https://store.steampowered.com/app/590380/Into_the_Breach/

I'm pretty sure it exists and there's tons more.

That's a tactical RPG.
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