What Every Next-Gen RPG Needs
97... 98... 99... damn it!
More Combat Gimmicks – Next-gen RPGs don’t necessarily need to abandon the turn-based combat goodness that, in the early days, seemed emblematic of the genre, but it also seems like the most universally accepted RPGs with turn-based combat combine some other element with the turn-based goodness to attract a wider player-base. This is nothing new, but it is still less frequent than I would like.
After all, who didn’t have a blast timing Mario’s super jump attack in Super Mario RPG (although the 100-jump combo might well have been my greatest life lesson in frustration), or similar attacks in the Paper Mario series? Also, the action-oriented combat of the Tales of… series of games has helped overcome the monotony of turn-based combat since the series debut in 1995. Even Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy VI got around this by giving you neat treats like Sabin’s blitz command, which forced you to input fighting-game style maneuvers for big attacks. Final Fantasy 8 and 10 brought their own variations. It’s high time that something like this was brought back with a next-gen spin.
Furthermore, with the popularity of Guitar Hero and Rock Band proving that even those of us couch potatoes that couldn’t hold a note or dance a two-step can develop rhythm, why not an RPG with combat gimmicks that take advantage of this fact? The only one I can think of off the bat is Mother 3 (A sequel to Earthbound that never made it to the Western world, for those not in the know), which rewards bonus damage to those players that can keep their button mashing to the beat of the game’s combat music. Face it, after watching the same drawn-out, thirty-second Square-Enix style cinematic as you cast Bahamut for the thousandth time, it’d be nice to have something to do other than grab another beverage. RPGs are known for having some of the best soundtracks of all video game series, so a music-related element could be a great new twist on an old thing.
Throw it. You know you want to.
The advance of motion-based controls portends oodles of other tasty possibilities. Imagine a game that features a screen shake with critical hits; prompting that familiar “Oh snap!” moment from the victimized player. Perhaps quick-reflexed players could waggle their controllers, rolling with the critical hit and taking less damage? Super Paper Mario for the Wii has a similar mechanic that rewards the player with damage, but it might be equally palatable in a more serious RPG. Or maybe you’d like to actually throw that fireball at the bad guy? With the popularity of the Wii, it’s likely that next-gen consoles will incorporate at least some motion-related controls in their designs, making it hard not to imagine future next-gen RPGs taking advantage of this.
More, more, more! – As in more voice acting, more beautiful FMVs, and the like. This may not be as big a development for next-gen consoles, but next-gen handhelds tell a decidedly different tale. Admit it, you either applauded or cringed when you popped the remake of Final Fantasy 4 into your Nintendo DS, and heard voice-acting. If you’re me you applauded the inclusion, but welcomed the ability to turn it off when you found out that you’d been mispronouncing “Cecil” for seventeen years. Better yet, imagine a game-engine powerful enough to remove the need for FMVs or cut scenes, capable of rendering those gut-wrenching emotional scenes in their full glory. That said, it’s important to remember that these window-dressings are supposed to enhance game play, not replace it. One of the consequences of this power, as we’ve already seen in this generation, is that a sub-par RPG can be masked by a variety of FMV frills and whistles when it comes to marketing the thing.
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