What Every Next-Gen RPG Needs
Teamwork – Outside of MMORPGs, which largely sacrifice story and conclusive endings for a never-ending, team-oriented gear hunt, (or as a buddy of mine puts it; “hitting a monster over and over with a sword, so that you can get a bigger sword, and then hitting a bigger mob with that sword over and over again to get an even BIGGER sword…”,) story-driven RPGs have remained a fairly single-player dominated lot. Even great story-driven create-your-own protagonist RPGs (oldie but goodie Baldur’s Gate II, I’m looking squarely at you) like Fable 2 that have multiplayer have had somewhat clunky interfaces because of the necessity that there be only one protagonist. I’d have to give major props to the designer that manages to create a game engaging enough to feature several players, the story depth of a Final Fantasy game, and manages to make none of those players feel like a third wheel. Unfortunately, I can’t even resolve how to fix this dilemma in my head, which is probably why I’m writing this article instead of making the next great RPG setup.
Sequels – The narrator to Fallout 3 got one thing right when he stated that war never changes. As the RPG market is by far the most sequel heavy out there, it should continue to allow gamers a quick survey of the titles to determine at least the flavor of game they’re getting, even if there are next-gen spins applied. And that may be comforting even in the next generation. Some may decry the lack of originality, but sometimes the sequel to an RPG franchise is like that friend who just won’t go away; they may get on your nerves sometimes, but it’s always nice to come back to them when you need support. A lot of these RPG franchises have stuck around because they have a proven track record, and this can be comforting.
Yup, 53.
What do I do when I want a lengthy RPG with action-based combat and cartoony characters? I play a Tales of… game. When I want turn-based goodness with a new magic system to learn, as well as a side of angst and effeminate characters? I play a Final Fantasy game. And even if I want something different, I still dream about the sequels that never were, lusting for a next-gen Lunar 3 (The first rule of Dragon Song is that we don’t talk about Dragon Song), a Phantasy Star V, or a Skies of Arcadia 2. Familiarity may breed contempt, but nothing can get the RPG world buzzing quicker than a long-awaited sequel to a quality franchise, as Fallout 3 clearly shows. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but do add more glitz, more depth, some technological tweaks, and a new word at the end of the title. If that doesn’t work, developers can always add the ability to plow a few NPCs. That’ll get someone’s attention every time.
