Its an interesting concept, but in the end, RPGM 3 only allows players to create a fairly generic RPG.
One major issue I had with this game was its accessibility. A younger child might pick up this game and say, "Awesome, I can make my own games now!" In reality, this is not a game for younger children. The menus for creating classes, maps, and other aspects are confusing even for older people. I tried starting the game without using the instruction booklet, which I found to be a large mistake. I read through the whole thing eventually, but was disappointed to find that I had wasted my time.
Just making a simple landscape is confusing in this game. Players are forced to draw their landscapes out in 2D to start. Then when finished, a player can preview it in 3D. I make a simple circle in the middle of water to serve as an island. Then I previewed it in 3D, and there were jagged edges all over the map, and it looked horrible. I attempted to smooth out the edges, but it is kind of hard when drawing in 2D.
Another major issue I had dealt with the sample game that is provided in the menu. So let's say I load the pre-made game. It starts up, and I get a whole bunch of text. I read it, walk around a bit more, and I get some more text. There are no voices, no unique landscapes, and no memorable characters. How can I be convinced to create my own game when the developers made a stupid game on the same engine? Seriously, I would rather play Pong than have to endure the lackluster gameplay of the pre-made sample.
Ok, this is for all of you who will say: "I made a really cool game with RPG Maker 3" or "You can do some pretty neat stuff with this game." Yes, I do acknowledge that if a player is determined enough, he/she could make a decent game. But its probably not going to be a game that I would play during my free time. Sure, it could be very gratifying to create a game of your own, but other than showing it to your friends, I don't see the purpose. Some might argue that this game is a good step toward becoming a game designer, but real game design requires much more coding. I think the game might have been a lot better if it utilized a map editing system similar to Far Cry's. Maybe it just wasn't feasible at the time, but even a simpler version of it would be better than drawing in 2D. It also would have been nice to see some more organized menu screens, and possibly a detailed, in-game tutorial of how to play.
In short, RPG Maker 3 is a tool that requires patience, as well as determination. If you want to make a decent game, you will have to spend months working on it. The game just has a very generic feel to it, and to tell you the truth, that was really what turned me away from the game. If you are very creative and have always dreamed of making your own games, then this game might provide you with some fun. Personally, I have always dreamed of being a game designer, but this game just didn't fulfill my needs as well as I had hoped. With a more advanced map editing system, as well as a means to make your own game unique, I think I would enjoy the game. I am sure this game has grown on people, but even though I have a lot of free time, I honestly don't think I would spend it trying to make a generic game.