|
|
videogames.com Presents
The Future of Console RPGs
The console RPG has finally come into its own as a genre. Once relegated to back shelves at gaming retailers around the nation, the RPG now proudly stands in the front window, enticing passersby with its box artwork and lofty promises.
But as the RPG genre becomes more mainstream (and as gaming technology evolves to new levels), the familiar genre is undergoing many changes - some cosmetic, some drastic. What does the future hold for RPGs and RPG enthusiasts?
RPGs are becoming more and more cinematic. The genre has always been heralded for its storytelling skills, but now plot is becoming fused with graphics and presentation in a way that make the two nigh inseparable. Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Parasite Eve, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Lunar: Silver Star Story, and Jade Cocoon all intersperse beautiful full motion video or anime sequences throughout the game. Far from being mere eye candy (although much of it is beautiful), the sequences are integral to the story and game. Many titles also offer full or partial voice acting. Importantly, all of the preceding titles except for Lunar: Silver Star Story (an upgrade of a Sega CD title) and Final Fantasy VII (nearly two years old) use consistently modeled characters in gameplay, battle sequences, and video. Most also use the in-game engine for many of the plot sequences. As the presentation of RPGs becomes more and more detailed, coherency and consistency of design - whether realistic, anime styled, or something else entirely - are important.
RPGs are incorporating more adventure-game elements, and adventure games are adopting features previously only found in RPGs. Much of a traditional RPG's "baggage" - invisible enemies, carefully graduated weapon lists, even turn-based battle systems - make far less sense today, given the increased power of gaming machines. As RPG designers remove the parts that "don't make sense," their titles end up becoming something akin to combat- and plot-heavy adventure games. Meanwhile, adventure games improve their storylines and ways to interact with NPCs and opponents. The poster child for this fusion movement would be Sega's Shen Mue. Described by creator Yu Suzuki as a "FREE" game (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment), the title is most similar to an RPG, with hundreds of NPCs, a fully realized world, and a detailed, twisting storyline. While the two genres may never completely merge, each can be expected to ape elements from the other for a while yet.
One look at Pokemon's sales data will tell you that monster-breeding functions are here to stay. Some games use it as a cheap gimmick and bullet on a sales sheet; other titles fully integrate it into the game. In either case, keep your PocketStations locked and loaded - the virtual-creature deluge has not yet begun to fight.
Of course, there's always room for a good old-fashioned RPG quest (bad old-fashioned RPG quests are welcome to stay undesigned and unpublished). GameArts has two obliging classics on the way: Lunar: Silver Star Story and Grandia. Other publishers will be happy to oblige gamers who just can't get enough of peppy 15-year-old protagonists.
But when all's said and done, console RPGs will continue doing what they've done since King Lorik XVI of Alefgard issued his first decree: telling stories and creating worlds. And RPGs will continue to define the limits and push the boundaries of interactive storytelling for years to come. I'd bet my Masamune on it.
Show me more
|
|
