GAMING 101
What the heck is an RPG?
There’s more to role-playing games (or RPGs, for short) than wizards shooting fireballs at goblins. They’re vivid fantasy worlds filled with big personalities and even bigger monsters. They take more time to play than arcade games but reward that time invested with amazing stories and adventures set in fascinating, and often dangerous, locations.
Here, we break the genre down to its defining elements – and what makes the games so awesome.
Storytelling
Many RPGs tell a story using all the traditional elements: smart dialogue, engaging character development, and complex plots. Like a book or movie, an RPG encourages you to connect emotionally with the characters. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself cheering their victories like a proud parent – and lamenting their setbacks too.
The RPG to try: Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is a great example of how deep RPG storytelling can go. As Prince Noctis and his protectors take on quests and topple fierce adversaries along the way, you’ll watch relationships grow and bonds strengthen.
Combat
What do you do when characters aren’t chatting it up? In many RPGs, you fight. Some battles are turn-based and require you to use sophisticated strategies to prevail. Others call for precise timing.
A subgenre known as action RPGs places an especially heavy emphasis on fighting. Your goal in these is to chain together combos and pulverise foes. In most cases, you’ll stomp into dangerous territory to crush enemies, then return to a safe area to recover. There’s a satisfying cycle to it that feels like sinking into a couch after a hard day at work.
The RPG to try: Darkness Rises is for those mainly interested in smashing foes with giant weapons. This game focuses squarely on the battlefield and looks utterly gorgeous as bursts of magical energies fill the screen.
Ultimate Upgrades
Just as you can become attached to the RPG characters themselves, you’ll probably obsess over their fancy clothes and abilities too. Leveling up and increasing in power is the core of many RPGs. You’ll snag gold, exotic equipment and rare items from defeated monsters and treasure chests, and use those to boost your characters’ strength. Upgrade gloves, boots and daggers to slowly transform from a bumbling nobody to a world-conquering wizard.
The RPG to try: Check out Battleheart 2 to get a sense of how powering up each character class changes the experience. For example, the Rogue isn’t quite complete until you’ve unlocked his poison blades, and the Samurai gains a whole new dimension of damage-dealing and mobility with her dash skill. Experiment with each class and ability to find your ideal combination.
Exploration
The world of an RPG is full of secrets. If you’re willing to peer into every dungeon crevice and behind every tree in a foreboding forest, you’ll be rewarded with gold, gems and artifacts.
The RPG to try: Games like Crashlands are almost entirely about exploration, letting you charge into the unknown to clash with strange creatures and gather resources to craft tools and weapons. You’ll make mistakes in this wide-open world, but if you don’t take risks, you’ll never unearth the game’s most valuable treasures.
Haven’t yet embarked on your grand adventure? Check out more of our favourite RPGs.