Just what the heck is an 'Action RPG' anyways?

**Salazaar** · 10-09-2007, 01:10 PM

I've been seeing the term 'Action RPG' or similar used more and more these days describing just about any shooter which is more complex than Doom.

To me an RPG must be a game which give real choice when it comes to your character's development and choice about how to tackle the game itself (and for preference, repercussions based on those choices). Calling games like Bioshock an Action RPG seems like a total misnomer, rather than a FPS/RPG hybrid it seems more like a FPS with a case of the RPG man-flu, its RPGish but it'll get over it in a day or two.

The likes of the original Deus Ex were as close as anything ever got to a proper action RPG, choices you made severely affected how you played the game, there was enough scope in most situations for you to approach a solution in a few ways but it still managed to keep you on track for a pretty fast paced, story oriented game.

**TooNice** · 10-09-2007, 01:26 PM

Eh, when I hear 'Action RPG' I think Diablo and the likes, i.e. Hack & Slash.

Edit: The Wiki has a slightly wider definition, but I am quite happy with it. But I wouldn't consider FPS+RPG hybrids part of this category.

**directhex** · 10-09-2007, 01:32 PM

i've always seen "action rpg" as meaning "zelda clone"

**MadduckUK** · 10-09-2007, 03:10 PM

erm.. an rpg that you do the fighting yourself rather than

well thats what it drums up for me. 1st person, 3rd person, isometric bla bla... doesnt matter

**0iD** · 10-09-2007, 03:24 PM

What about Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? action + rpg elements. Buggy but I loved it

and i'm not a goth either......freaky.......

**Salazaar** · 10-09-2007, 03:42 PM

I'd tend to agree with most of those definitions (except Zelda, adventure yes, rpg no). I'm just pissed off with reviewers/marketing scum using it as some kind of lazy catch all.

**Ferral** · 10-09-2007, 04:01 PM

I see action RPG's as games like Zelda (origional series that were on the Gameboy, not so much the newer adventure type 3rd person games), Diablo and Titan Quest. Using real time combat rather than turn based play like the older Black Isle games.

Loved the games like Baldurs Gate and still love Planescape Torment to this day, but these are more like classic traditional RPG's where you had to think on tactics etc turn by turn. With an action RPG you hammer away at the buttons until the enemy is dead!

**IBM** · 10-09-2007, 04:05 PM

A role playing game....and game in which you assume a role....

Could be anything. Does that make Lemmings an RPG? How about Populous?

**Steven W** · 10-09-2007, 04:18 PM

The Witcher is an upcoming action RPG - Real-time fighting with the normal RPG stuff, like character development.

**dangel** · 10-09-2007, 04:27 PM

Isn't it natural for language to evolve, and for genres to expand to encompass every more variant games? It would seem so to me - so i'm not so hung up on the acronyms used

**schmunk** · 10-09-2007, 05:24 PM

Would we call the GTA games 'Action RPGs'?

**dangel** · 10-09-2007, 05:42 PM

Or more recently, porno RPGs?

Thread: Just what the heck is an 'Action RPG' anyways?

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