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- Jan 30, 2007
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Let me put it this way. Play Baldur's gate. Play Morrowind. Play Gears of War. Which of these three plays most like Mass Effect 2?I do agree that 'RPG' has been thrown onto titles that barely deserved the moniker. Hell I think they even called 'Splinter Cell' that. I'm still not seeing what makes the Mass Effect stuff NOT an RPG. What games would you call legitimate RPGs and how do they differ from other BioWare titles?
I'd say that's pretty clearly Gears of War. (Seriously, even the default button configuration is the same)
What have traditionally been the RPGs on computers (with slight differences on consoles) are games which allow highly customizable charaters, including character attributes as well as equipment. Also always included has been some kind of combat reward/loot system. While all RPGs might also have a storyline, that's irrelevant, because all games have story (yes, even Doom 2) some are just better than others.
Now, Mass Effect 1, i'd call a good hybrid between shooter and RPG, something that deserves to be called an RPG, or maybe RPG light. Mass Effect 2 on the other hand has the RPG elements dialled all the way down. It's less RPG-like than Deus Ex was. Anyway, games like that were usually called action adventures. (No, not all action adventures have puzzles)
Or to give a different example, would call God of War an RPG? It has RPG elements which are about as prominent as those in ME2, and yet, it sold perfectly fine being (honestly) called an action game.
Technically correct use of vocabulary is something that's just not going to happen in common use. Technically, even so called non-linear games are linear (The only really non-linear games i know are Wizardry 8 and Morrowind), the plot still railroads you along. Technically, open-world games aren't open at all, more like sandboxed. Etc. But if a term has been established to mean something for more than decade, imo one should stick with it.RPG means role playing game. Technically, all games are roleplaying games.
Don't forget: from ego perspective. ME is a third person shooter, not a FPS.An FPS has you playing the role of the titular character.