Ricardo Torres Senior Associate Editor	Now Playing: FFXI, Downhill Domination, Viewtiful Joe, F-Zero GX, KOTOR (dark side this time), Crimson Skies, WarioWare

RPGs Level Up

So I've been pondering the changing face of the console RPG genre lately. Whereas RPGs used to be synonymous with "Square"-style gameplay, the genre has quietly evolved into a nicely eclectic landscape. If you've been curious about what the fuss about RPGs is, there's never been a better time to get into the genre.

KOTOR is a cool new step in the evolution of RPGs.

I've always found the role-playing genre to be the one genre people won't even try. Part of it is obviously the time commitment--most folks expect something more tangible than a clear save after devoting 40-plus hours of their life to anything. The other part of the genre's intimidation is probably equally divided between gameplay and story. An RPG's gameplay requires a mental commitment to learn the gameplay and track your party's development that can be a bit much for some. Finally, the stories in an RPG require you to have some interest in the game's events. The big bump in the road here is that the most popular RPGs have tended to focus on anime-style characters, which tends to send anyone who was on the fence about the games packing. While cute characters with big eyes and impossibly large footwear will always have a place in RPGs, there have been some changes over the years that have opened things up quite a bit. Morrowind and Knights of the Old Republic have made use of much more realistic characters and offered really strong stories. As good as those games were, I have to think that at least some players would have steered clear if there was a sassy magical cat that talked in Morrowind (OK, Morrowind fans, there was that crab, but still, he didn't look like he belonged on a Sailor Moon episode). By the same token, if Bastila and your companions in KOTOR were a zany bunch of excitable schoolchildren, I can bet some folks would have passed. The fact that the character designs have matured takes away part of the stigma that kept people away from RPGs, which is nice. The funny thing is, for the most part, the basic stories being told in them haven't changed much. What people who aren't into RPGs don't realize sometimes is that many of the themes in RPGs aren't too far from those seen in movie epics.

Things may change, but 2D is eternal!

The best thing about all the variety is that the genre now has gradients and choices for newcomers. If you're curious, maybe you want to check out different kinds of RPGs to see which appeals to you. More often than not you'll find quite a few different subgenres in RPGs. Theoretically you should find something to engage you. Once that happens you can start to focus on those kinds of games and maybe expand out. There's a lot to choose from in the RPG genre. At this point there should be something for just about anyone. So, if you've been curious, you should give the genre a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.