The Death of the Console RPG

17 Jan 2006 6:40 (Edited: 17 Jan 2006 6:40)

Has anybody played through a really good Console RPG lately? I mean like really good, so good that you are captivated by the plot, characters , and can't wait to see what happens next? The last time I can remember feeling like that was Xenogears. Xenogears is still my all time favorite game. The sheer complexity of that game, Fei's struggle against his destiny, gods and gears, what a story! I still remember the plot fairly well. Disc two had it's issues, but disc one was so captivating it didn't matter. It seems like that type of complex story telling is lost on this generation of PSP playing, reality show watching, supersize me Americans. With the advent of the PS2 and the X-Box, people look so realistic it's scary at times. Now with the X-Box 360 and the PS3 coming out late this year, what will happen to an already fleeting genre? Going back to FFVII for the PSX, the console RPG genre has been big on style, but lacking in substance. Now before you start sending me death threats, FFVII was a classic. It was and still is a great game. But before FFVII, the RPG market was a niche market. Sales were never going to rival EA games. After FFVII, the RPG market changed. With it's eye popping visuals and 5 minute long 3D polygon rendered summon monsters, it brought RPG's into the mainstream. Joe sixpack started to notice RPG's and game companies found that RPG's could reach blockbuster sales numbers rivaling the Madden series. Before the jaw dropping visuals of FFVII, RPG's were forced to immerse you in a surreal world of magic, monsters, and mysticism. Charatcers were interesting and surprising, plot twists were sudden and unexpected. Nowadays what do we get? Games that look great and characters that fall short. There are a lot of Bad RPG's for the PS2. Orpen: Scion of Sorcery, Unlimited Saga, FFX-2 (only on the list because FFX was so good), and Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, just to name a few. There are the rare exceptions like Dragon Quest VIII, FFX, Digital Devil Saga 1&2, and Shadow Hearts 1&2. They're the exception, not the rule. I think the developers of these games have forgotten that there are still some critical thinkers left in our culture. Not all of us like reality shows, PG-13 movies, and having the good guys win all the time. Life is raw, full of hardship, and heroes often die. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I like a dark tale. I like it when the protagonist has to choose between his loved ones and sacrifice. When the hero dies, sometimes the unwritten poetry makes his life that much more gratifying. Life is full of tough choices. I liked it when RPG's were to.

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User comments

by majindo @ 01 Feb 2006 16:45

i am not an rpg type of person one of my best friends always liked the final fantasy series. what i truly disliked is that developers know what the character will say so why do i have to read their dialogue. its annoying. i have 2 friends that flip flop between x box and the ps2 one prepurchased his x box 360 through gamestop and now has to wait for something. im only impressed with the 360's graphics ps2 still has alot to offer me and now that i have discovered the hda a tear almost comes to the eye***
i dont argue about which system is better i feel that both have good titles. sony and developers brought the pain to microsoft. i dont say its the system i feel the burden is on the developers to push the systems to the limits to show true gamers the extent of a systems power. only rpg that ive really played is final fantasy ten a good story line and twists galore finished by an ending that isnt obviously expected. in my book of games i give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars/ thumbs/ game controllers etc and this is for a genre that i dont get into.oh yeah the characters talk somewhat and in a brief cutscene i saw a glimpse of what i hope graphics on the ps3 to look like scene where yuna and titus talk while standing by some water moonlit sky and almost looking like true to life asian people..*** in a word awesome

by Felix1410 @ 08 Mar 2006 15:26

Nice, I agree. Though I'm not a big old school RPG player. But I do think video games has been infested with buisness as anything that makes that much money is. It's unfortunate.

by Timmy1970 @ 28 May 2006 1:34

Totally agree, although I still enjoy many of the RPG's that somewhat lack substance (guess it's just because it's my favorite genre). What did you think of Star Ocean : Till the end of Time?

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