Action role-playing game

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Live action role-playing game.

Part of a series on

Role-playing video games

Subgenres

Action RPG
MUD
MMORPG
Roguelike
Tactical RPG

Topics
Social interaction in MMORPGs
Character creation
Dialog tree
GNS Theory
History of Eastern RPGs
History of MMORPGs
History of Western RPGs
Player character
Non-player character
Role-playing game terms
Statistics
Threefold Model

Lists
List of RP video games
Chronology of MUDs
Chronology of roguelikes
Comparison of MMORPGs
List of free MMOGs
List of MMORPGs
List of Japanese role-playing games on PC
List of Super Famicom and Super Nintendo role-playing games
List of text-based MMORPGs

Action role-playing games (abbreviated action RPG, action/RPG, or ARPG) form a loosely defined subgenre ofrole-playing video games that incorporate
elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turnbased or menu-based combat. These games often use combat systems similar to hack and slash or shooter games.[1]
Contents
[hide]

1 Early real-time elements

2 Classic action RPGs / hack & slash

2.1 Early 1980s

2.2 Late 1980s

2.3 Earlymid-1990s

2.4 Late 1990spresent

3 Other subgenres

3.1 First-person dungeon crawl

3.2 Point and click

3.3 Role-playing shooter

4 Choices and consequences

5 Criticism

6 See also

7 References

Early real-time elements[edit]

Early dungeon-crawl video games used turn-based movement: if the party didn't move, neither did the enemies.[2]Dungeons of Daggorath, released for
the TRS-80 Color Computer in 1982, combined a typical first-person dungeon crawl with real-time elements, requiring timed keyboard commands and where
enemies move independently of the player.[3] The game lacked numerical statistics such as hit points or vitality, but instead used an arcade-like fatigue system
where the heart pulsates to indicate the player's health,[4] a concept inspired by the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders where a heartbeat-like sound gradually
increases pace as enemies advance towards the player.[5]
In 1983, ASCII released the Sharp X1 computer game Bokosuka Wars,[6] considered an early example of an action RPG,[7][8] though it is also considered an
earlystrategy RPG.[9] In Bokosuka Wars, each soldier was able to gain experience and level up through battle,[10] while the action occurred entirely in real-time.
[11]

Also in 1983, Nihon Falcom released Panorama Toh (Panorama Island) for the PC-88. It was developed by Yoshio Kiya, who would go on to create
the Dragon Slayer and Brandish series of action RPGs. While its RPG elements were limited, lacking traditional statistical or leveling systems, the game
featured real-timecombat with a gun, bringing it close to the action RPG formula that Falcom would later be known for. The game's desert
island overworld also featured a day-night cycle, non-player characters the player could attack or converse with, and the need to survive by finding and
consuming rations to restore hit points lost with each normal action.[12]

Classic action RPGs / hack & slash[edit]

See also: History of Eastern role-playing video games and Hack and slash

Early 1980s

[edit]

While Western computer developers continued to explore the possibilities of real-time RPG gameplay to a limited extent, [13] Japanese developers, with their
recently aroused interest in the RPG genre, created a new brand of action/RPG, combining the RPG genre with arcade-style action and actionadventure elements.[14][15]This trend of combining RPG elements with arcade-style action mechanics was popularized by The Tower of Druaga,[15] an arcade
game released by Namco in June 1984.[16] However, the company often considered the pioneer of the new action RPG genre is Nihon Falcom,[1] which
produced the Dragon Slayer series and won its reputation as the progenitor of the action RPG genre. [17] Dragon Slayer was created by Yoshio Kiya,[18] who built
on the action RPG elements of his previous game Panorama Toh,[12] as well as The Tower of Druaga.[15] Falcom's Dragon Slayer series abandoned the
command-based battles of previous RPGs in favour of real-time hack-and-slash combat that requires direct input from the player, alongside puzzlesolving elements.[1] The original Dragon Slayer,[18] originally released for the PC-8801 computer in September 1984,[19] is often considered to be the first true
action-RPG.[17][20] In contrast to earlier turn-based roguelikes, Dragon Slayer was a dungeon crawl RPG that was entirely real-time with action-oriented combat,
[20]
combined with RPG mechanics found in traditional RPGs like Wizardryand Ultima.[15] Dragon Slayer also featured an in-game map to help with the
dungeon-crawling, required item management due to the inventory being limited to one item at a time,[18] and introduced the use of item-based puzzles which
later influenced The Legend of Zelda.[17] Dragon Slayer's overhead action-RPG formula was used in many later games.[21] Both The Tower of
Druaga and Dragon Slayer laid the foundations for future action role-playing games such as Hydlide and Ys as well as The Legend of Zelda.[18]

Screenshot of the original NEC PC-8801 version of Hydlide (1984), an early action RPG

T&E Soft's Hydlide, released in December 1984,[22] influenced by The Tower of Druaga and possibly Dragon Slayer,[18]introduced its own innovations. For
example, Hydlide introduced the ability to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick save and load options which can be done at any moment of
the game through the use of passwords, and the introduction of a health regeneration mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing
still.[23][24] Another influential early action RPG was Namco's 1984 arcade release Dragon Buster,[25] the first game to feature a life meter, called "Vitality" ingame.[26] It also introduced side-scrolling platform elements and a "world view" map similar to Super Mario Bros.released the following year.[27]
Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu, released in 1985 (billed as a "new type real time role-playing game"), was a fully-fledged action RPG with many character stats and
a large quest,[20][28] with action-based combat setting it apart from other RPGs.[1] It also incorporated a side-scrolling view during exploration and an overhead
view during battle,[21] though some rooms were also explored using an overhead view. The game also allowed the player to visit towns, which had training
facilities that can improve statistics, and shops that sell items, equipment that change the player character's visible appearance, and food that is consumed
slowly over time and is essential for keeping the player alive. It also introduced gameplay mechanics such as platform jumping, magic that can be used to

attack enemies from a distance,[20] an early Karma morality system where the character's Karma meter will rise if he commits sin which in turn affects the
temple's reaction to him,[20][28]and individual experience for equipped items.[28] It is also considered a "proto-Metroidvania" game,[29] due to being an "RPG turned
on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore.[30] The game gained immense popularity in Japan, setting records for PC game sales by
selling more than 400,000 copies.[28]Xanadu Scenario II, released the following year, was also an early example of an expansion pack.[21] The way the Dragon
Slayer series reworked the entire game system of each installment is considered an influence on Final Fantasy, which would do the same for each of its
installments.[31]
Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness, released in 1985,[32] introduced an early morality meter, where the player can be aligned with Justice, Normal, or Evil, which is
affected by whether the player kills humans, good monsters, or evil monsters, leading to townsfolk ignoring players with an evil alignment, denying access to
certain clues, dialogues, equipment, and training. The game also introduced a time option, allowing the player to speed up or slow down the gameplay.
[23]
Magical Zoo'sThe Screamer, a 1985 post-apocalyptic cyberpunk horror RPG released for the PC-8801,[33][34][35] featured gameplay that switched between
first-person dungeon crawl exploration and side-scrolling shooter combat, where the player could jump, duck and shoot at enemies in real-time.[35]

Late 1980s

[edit]

The Legend of Zelda (1986), while no longer considered a role-playing game, was an important influence on the action RPG genre

The next two years, 1986 and 1987, would see the release of games that would further define the action/RPG genre in Japan. An important influence on the
genre was the 1986 action-adventure, The Legend of Zelda had many features in common with RPGs and served as the template for future action RPGs.[36] In
contrast to previous action RPGs such asDragon Slayer and Hydlide which required the player to bump into enemies in order to attack them, The Legend of
Zeldafeatured an attack button that animates a sword swing or projectile attack on the screen. [18][23] It was also an early example of open world, nonlinear
gameplay, and introduced innovations like battery backup saving. These elements have been used in many action RPGs since.[37] The game was largely
responsible for the surge of action-oriented RPGs released since the late 1980s, in Japan as well as in America, where it was often cited as an influence on
action-oriented computer RPGs.[38]When it was released in North America, Zelda was seen as a new kind of RPG with action-adventure elements, with Roe R.
Adams (who worked on the Wizardry series) stating in 1990 that, although "it still had many action-adventure features, it was definitely a CRPG." [39] The
Legend of Zelda series would continue to exert an influence on the transition of both console and computer RPGs from stat-heavy turn-based combat
towards real-time action combat in the following decades.[40] Due to its similarities to action RPGs and its impact on the genre,[41] there continues to be much
debate regarding whether or not The Legend of Zelda should be considered an action RPG.[42] The Legend of Zelda series was for a long time synonymous
with action RPGs, but as the genre expanded to include more RPG mechanics, The Legend of Zelda games were eventually recategorized as actionadventure games.[15]
1986 also saw the arcade release of the sequel to The Tower of Druaga, The Return of Ishtar,[43] an early action RPG[44] to feature two-player cooperative
gameplay,[43] dual-stick control in single player, a female protagonist, the first heroic couple in gaming, and the first password save system in an arcade game.
[45]
Other 1986 titles were Rygar and Deadly Towers, which were notable as some of the first Japanese console action RPGs to be released in North America,
where they were well received for being a new kind of RPG that differed from both the console action-adventures (such as Castlevania, Trojan, and Wizards
& Warriors) and American computer RPGs (such as Wizardry, Ultima, and Might & Magic) that American gamers were previously more familiar with at the
time. Deadly Towersand Rygar were particularly notable for their permanent power-up mechanic, which at the time blurred the line between the powerups used in action-adventures and the experience points used in RPGs.[14]
In 1987, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link implemented an RPG-esque system, including experience points and levels, with action game elements,[46] making it
closer to an action RPG than other Zelda games.[47] Zelda II was also one of the first video games where non-player characters (NPCs) walked around and
seemingly had their own agendas, giving the world a life of its own rather than being a simple stage for the story to unfold.[48] Castlevania II: Simon's
Quest was an action RPG that combined the platform-action mechanics of the original Castlevania with the open world of an action-adventure and RPG
mechanics such as experience points.[49] It also introduced a persistent world with its own day-night cycle that affects when certain NPCs appear in certain
locations and offered three possible multiple endingsdepending on the time it took to complete the game.[50]
The Faery Tale Adventure offered the largest world to that date with over 17.000 computer screens without loading times and introduced many unique game
mechanics. Another "Metroidvania" style open-world action RPG released that year was System Sacom's Sharp X1 computer game Euphory, which was
possibly the only Metroidvania-style multiplayer action RPG produced, allowing two-player cooperative gameplay.[51] That same year also saw the release of
several Dragon Slayer titles, including Faxanadu, a spin-off of Xanadu and a fully side-scrolling action RPG,[21] and Dragon Slayer IV: Legacy of the Wizard,
another early example of a non-linear open-world action RPG.[52] The fifth Dragon Slayer title, Sorcerian, was also released that year. It was a party-based
action RPG, with the player controlling a party of four characters at the same time in a side-scrolling view. The game also featured character creation, highly
customizable characters, class-based puzzles, and a new scenario system, allowing players to choose which of 15 scenarios, or quests, to play through in
the order of their choice. It was also anepisodic video game, with expansion disks released soon after offering more scenarios.[18][53] Falcom also released
the first installment of its Ys series in 1987. While not very popular in the West, the long-running Ys series has performed strongly in the Japanese market,
with many sequels, remakes and ports in the decades that followed its release. Besides Falcom's own Dragon Slayer series, Ys was also influenced
by Hydlide, from which it borrowed certain mechanics such as health-regeneration when standing still, a mechanic that has become common in video games
today.[23][24] Ys was also a precursor to RPGs that emphasize storytelling,[54] and is known for its 'bump attack' system, where the protagonist Adol automatically
attacks when running into enemies off-center, making the game more accessible and the usually tedious level-grinding task more swift and enjoyable for
audiences at the time.[55] The game also had what is considered to be one of the best and most influential video game music soundtracks of all time,
composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Mieko Ishikawa.[55][56][57] In terms of the number of game releases, Ys is second only to Final Fantasy as the largest Eastern
role-playing game franchise.[55]
Hydlide 3: The Space Memories, released for the MSX in 1987 and for the Mega Drive as Super Hydlide in 1989, adopted the morality meter of its
predecessor, expanded on its time option with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat, and made other
improvements such ascut scenes for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to The Legend of Zelda, the choice between four distinct character
classes, a wider variety of equipment and spells, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the overall weight of the equipment
carried.[23] Another 1987 action RPG,The Magic of Scheherazade, was notable for several innovations, including a unique setting based on the Arabian Nights,
time travel between five different time periods, a unique combat system featuring both real-time solo action and turn-based team battles, and the introduction
of team attacks where two party members could join forces to perform an extra-powerful attack.[58] That same year, Kogado Studio's sci-fi RPG Cosmic
Soldier: Psychic War featured a unique "tug of war" style real-time combat system, where battles are a clash of energy between the party and the enemy, with
the player needing to push the energy towards the enemy to strike them, while being able to use a shield to block or a suction ability to absorb the opponent's
power. It also featured a unique conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and

engage enemies in conversation, similar to Megami Tensei.[59]Wonder Boy in Monster Land combined the platform gameplay of the original Wonder Boy with
many RPG elements,[60] which would inspire later action RPGs such as Popful Mail (1991).[61]
1988 saw the debut of Telenet Japan's Exile, a series of action-platform RPGs,[62] beginning with XZR: Idols of Apostate. The series was controversial for its
plot, which revolves around a time-traveling Crusades-era Syrian Islamic Assassin who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day
political leaders,[63] with similarities to the present-day Assassin's Creed action game series.[64] The gameplay of Exile included both overhead exploration and
side-scrolling combat, featured a heart monitor to represent the player's Attack Power and Armour Class statistics, and another controversial aspect of the
game involved taking drugs (instead of potions) that increase/decrease attributes but with side-effects such as affecting the heart-rate or causing death. [63] The
developer of the Ultimaseries, Origin Systems, released an action RPG that year, Times of Lore, which was inspired by NES titles, particularly The Legend of
Zelda.[38] In turn, Times of Lore inspired several later titles by Origin Systems, such as the 1990 games Bad Blood, another action RPG based on the same
engine,[65] and Ultima VI: The False Prophet, based on the same interface.[66] That same year, World Court Tennis for the TurboGrafx-16 introduced a new form
of gameplay: a unique tennis-themed sports RPG mode.[67]
In 1989, Sega released a Metroidvania-style open-world action RPG for the Master System console, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.[51] Dungeon Explorer,
developed by Atlus and published by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989, is considered a pioneer title in the action RPG genre with its cooperative
multiplayer gameplay,[68] which allowed up to five players to play simultaneously.[69] That same year, River City Ransom featured elements of both the beat 'em
upand action RPG genres, combining brawler combat with many RPG elements, including an inventory, buying and selling items, learning new abilities and
skills, needing to listen for clues, searching to find all the bosses, shopping in the malls, buying items to heal, and increasing stats.[70] It was also an
early sandbox brawler reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto.[71] Also in 1989, the early enhanced remake Ys I & II was one of the first video games to use CD-ROM,
which was utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated cut scenes,[72] a Red Book CD soundtrack,[73] and voice acting.[72][73] Its English localization was also
one of the first to usevoice dubbing. The game received the Game of the Year award from OMNI Magazine in 1990, as well as many other prizes.[72] Another
1989 release, Activision'sProphecy: The Fall of Trinadon, attempted to introduce "Nintendo-style" action combat to North American computer role-playing
games.[74]

Earlymid-1990s

[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (March 2011)

1990 would see the release of Crystalis for the NES as well as Golden Axe Warrior for the Sega Master System. These games featured Zelda-like gameplay
blended with genuine RPG elements, such as experience points, statistics-based equipment, and a magic-casting system. Crystalis also featured a postapocalypticsetting inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Crystalis in turn influenced Secret of Mana.[75] Data East's Gate of
Doom was anarcade action RPG that combined beat 'em up fighting gameplay with fantasy role-playing and introduced an isometric perspective.[76] That same
year, Enixreleased a unique biological simulation action RPG by Almanic that revolved around the theme of evolution, 46 Okunen Monogatari, a revised
version of which was released in 1992 as E.V.O.: Search for Eden.[77]
In 1991, Square released Seiken Densetsu, also known as Final Fantasy Adventure or Sword of Mana in the West, for the Game Boy. Like Crystallis, the
action inSeiken Densetsu bore a strong resemblance to that of Zelda, but added more RPG elements. It was one of the first action RPGs to allow players to
kill townspeople, though later Mana games lack this feature.[78] That same year, the erotic adult RPG Dragon Knight III, released for the PC-8801 and
as Knights of Xentar for MS-DOS, introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,[79][80] where characters automatically attack based on a list of
different AI scripts,[80] though this meant the player had no control over the characters during battle other than to give commands for spells, item use, and AI
routines.[79] Arcus Odyssey by Wolf Team (nowNamco Tales Studio) was an action RPG that featured an isometric perspective and co-operative multiplayer
gameplay.[81] In 1992, Sega released the Climax Entertainment game Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole, an early isometric RPG that combined the
gameplay of an open-world action RPG with an isometric platformer, alongside an emphasis on varied puzzle-solving as well as strong characterization and
humorous conversations.[82]

Secret of Mana (1993), an action RPG that was acclaimed for several innovations, including its combat system, cooperative multiplayer, and customizable AI settings

In 1993, the second Seiken Densetsu game, Secret of Mana, received considerable acclaim,[83] for its innovative pausable real-time action battle system,[84]
[85]
modified Active Time Battle meter adapted for real-time action,[86] the "Ring Command" menu system where a variety of actions can be performed without
needing to switch screens,[84] its innovative cooperativemultiplayer gameplay,[83] where the second or third players could drop in and out of the game at any
time rather than players having to join the game at the same time,[87] and the customizable AI settings for computer-controlled allies.[88] Edgemagazine in 1993
praised it as "a class of its own as far as action RPGs or adventures go."[89] The game has remained influential through to the present day, with its ring menu
system still used in modern games (such as The Temple of Elemental Evil)[90] and its cooperative multiplayer mentioned as an influence on games as recent
as Dungeon Siege III.[87]Other action RPGs at the time combined the puzzle-oriented action-adventure gameplay style of the Zelda series with RPG elements.
Examples include Illusion of Gaia (1993) and its successor Terranigma (1995), as well as Alundra (1997), a spiritual successor to LandStalker.
Unique among video games are arcade hack and slash RPGs that blend together beat 'em up and RPG characteristics. An early example was Alpha Denshi's
1990 game Crossed Swords, which combined the first-person brawler gameplay of The Super Spy (released the same year) with RPG elements, while
replacing the shooting with hack & slash combat.[91] Most other such games, however, used a side-scrolling perspective typical of beat 'em ups, such
as Capcom's Knights of the Round (1991), King of Dragons (1991), Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (1993) and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over
Mystara (1996); these games were released for the arcades and later released for the Sega Saturn together as the Dungeons & Dragons Collection (1999).
Several other beat 'em ups followed a similar hack & slash brawler-RPG formula, including Guardian Heroes, Castle Crashers, Dungeon & Fighter, and
the Princess Crown series (including Odin Sphereand Muramasa: The Demon Blade).
Around this time, some within the American computer RPG community argued that cartridge-based Japanese console action RPGs "are not role-playing at
all" due to many of the popular examples back then, such as Secret of Mana and especially The Legend of Zelda, using "direct" arcade-style action combat
systems instead of the more "abstract" turn-based battle systems associated with table-top RPGs and American computer RPGs of that era. In response,
game designer Sandy Petersen noted that not all console RPGs are action-based, pointing to Final Fantasy and Lufia, and that some computer RPGs such
as Ultima VIII have also begun following the console trend of adopting arcade action elements.[92]

Late 1990spresent

[edit]

The Super Famicom (Englishfan-translated) version of Tales of Phantasia (1995), which featured afighting game influenced combat system that influenced later Tales andStar
Ocean games.

On the Super Famicom, Tales of Phantasia was released in Japan in 1995, featuring a real-time side-scrolling fighting gameinfluenced combat mode and an
exploration mode similar to classic console RPGs. In 1996, Star Ocean was released with similar real-time combat and classic exploration, but featured a
more isometric view during battle. Star Ocean also introduced a "private actions" system, where the player can affect the relationships between characters,
which in turn affects the storyline and leads to multiple endings, a feature that the Star Ocean series has become known for.[93] Namco and Enixdid not publish
these two titles in America, though many of their sequels were later released in the U.S., beginning with Tales of Destiny and Star Ocean: The Second Story,
respectively. LandStalker's 1997 spiritual successor Alundra[94] is considered "one of the finest examples of action/RPG gaming," combining platforming
elements and challenging puzzles with an innovative storyline revolving around entering people's dreams and dealing with mature themes.[95]
The fifth generation era of consoles saw a number of other popular action RPGs, such as King's Field, Brave Fencer Musashi, The Legend of Oasis, Tail of
the Sun, Dragon Valor, and Tales of Eternia. All consoles of the sixth generation erahad a number of action RPGs, such as Phantasy Star Online, Dark
Cloud & Dark Chronicle ((Dark Cloud 2)), Sudeki, King's Field IV & Shadow Tower Abyss, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath, Kingdom
Hearts, Chaos Legion, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, .hack, Monster Hunter, World of Mana, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles & Crisis Core: Final
Fantasy VII, Rogue Galaxy, Odin Sphere, and several Tales games such as Symphonia.

Other subgenres[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (March 2011)

First-person dungeon crawl

[edit]

See also: History of Western role-playing video games and Dungeon crawl
The great majority of first-person computer games up until the late 1980s were turn-based, though a few had attempted to incorporated real-time elements,
such asDungeons of Daggorath and the 1985 game Alternate Reality: The City. Most first-person computer RPGs at the time, used turn-based movement,
where if the party didn't move, neither did the enemies, though The Bard's Tale in 1985 attempted to generate random encounters when the player is away
from the keyboard to give the impression that monsters weren't just waiting for players to stumble across them. In late 1987, FTL Games released Dungeon
Master, a critically acclaimed dungeon crawler where the game world and combat was in real-time, requiring players to quickly issue orders to the characters,
setting the standard for real-time first-person computer RPGs for the next several years.[2] Dungeon Master achieved the number-one sales rank in both the
U.S. and Japan, where it was released in 1990.[citation needed] Other real-time first-person RPGs in the style of Dungeon Master include SSI's Eye of the
Beholder (1990) and Raven Software'sBlack Crypt (1992).

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992), which utilized ray castinggraphics, laid the foundations for futurereal-time, first-person dungeon crawlers.

Arsys Software released Star Cruiser for the NEC PC-8801 computer in early 1988. This innovative game is notable for being a very early example of an
action RPG with fully 3D polygonal graphics,[96] combined with first-person shootergameplay.[97] It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1990.[97] That
same year, Alpha Denshi's Crossed Swords for thearcades combined the first-person beat 'em up gameplay of SNK's The Super Spy (released the same
year) with RPG elements, while replacing the first-person shooting with hack & slash combat.[91] In 1992, Blue Sky Productions releasedUltima Underworld:
The Stygian Abyss, which was considered a technological marvel for its 3D first-person ray castinggraphics combined with real-time action and a surprisingly
deep role-playing experience. One of the game's developers,Warren Spector, would go on to help develop more games combining first-person action and
RPG gameplay, such asSystem Shock and Deus Ex.
Other first-person RPGs in the style of Ultima Underworld include Shadowcaster by Raven Software and id Software in 1993 created with an early version of
the Doom engine, The Elder Scrolls series and Fallout 3 by Bethesda, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines by Troika Games, Baroque by Sting
Entertainment and Hellgate: London by Flagship Studioswhich was formed from Blizzard North executives and developers responsible for
the Diablo franchise (also supports third-person view). From Software's King's Field series of dungeon-crawler action RPGs for consoles had been using a
fully 3D polygonal first-person perspective from 1994 to 2001, though the series' 2009 spiritual successor Demon's Souls had adopted a third-person view
instead.

Lately there has been a slight revitalization of the genre. In 2012, game developer Almost Human created a franchise called Legend of Grimrock and then in
2014 the sequel Legend of Grimrock II was released. Both games in the franchise are throwbacks to the older dungeon crawler days, but in a modern 3D
setting and with real-time combat. A sequel to the long-running franchise Might & Magic was also released in 2014, Might & Magic X: Legacy. This maintains
the older tradition of turn-based combat.

Point and click

[edit]

See also: History of Western role-playing video games and Tactical role-playing game
Action RPGs were far more common on consoles rather than computers, due to gamepads being better suited to real-time action than the keyboard and
mouse.[98]Though there have been attempts at creating action-oriented computer RPGs during the late 1980s and early 1990s, often in the vein of Zelda, very
few saw any success,[98] with Times of Lore (1988)[38] and Ultima VII (1992) being some of the more successful attempts in the American computer market,
[98]
where there was a generally negative attitude towards combining genres in this way and more of an emphasis on preserving the purity of the RPG genre.
[15]
For example, a 1991 issue of Computer Gaming World criticized several computer role-playing games for using "arcade" or "Nintendo-style" action combat,
including Ys, Sorcerian.Times of Lore and Prophecy.[74]
An early attempt at incorporating a point-and-click interface in a real-time overhead action RPG was Silver Ghost,[99] a 1988 NEC PC-8801 game by Kure
Software Koubou.[100] It was a tactical action RPG where characters could be controlled using a cursor.[99] A similar game released by Kure Software Koubou
that same year was First Queen, a unique hybrid between a real-time strategy, action RPG, and strategy RPG. Like an RPG, the player can explore the
world, purchase items, and level up, and like a strategy video game, it focuses on recruiting soldiers and fighting against large armies rather than small
parties. The game's "Gochyakyara" ("Multiple Characters") system let the player control one character at a time while the others are controlled by
computer AI that follow the leader, and where battles are large-scale with characters sometimes filling an entire screen. [101][102] Another early overhead action
RPG to use mouse controls was Nihon Falcom's 1991 game Brandish, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on
boxes surrounding the player character.[103]

Diablo (1996) laid the foundations for point & click action RPGs.

The 1994 game Ultima VIII also used mouse controls as well as attempting to add precision jumping sequences reminiscent of a Mario platform game,
though reactions to the game's mouse-based combat were mixed. It was not until 1996 that a stagnant PC RPG market was revitalized by Blizzard's Diablo,
an action RPG that used a point-and-click interface and offered gamers a free online service to play with others that maintained the same rules and
gameplay.[98]
Diablo's effect on the market was significant, inspiring many imitators. Its impact was such that the term "action RPG" has come to be more commonly used
for Diablo style games rather than Zelda style games, with The Legend of Zelda itself recategorized as an action-adventure.[15] Diablo's style of combat
eventually went on to be used by many MMORPGs that came after. For many years afterwards, games that closely mimicked the Diablo formula were
referred to as "Diablo clones." The definition of a Diablo clone is even vaguer than that of an action RPG, but typically such games have each player
controlling a single character and have a strong focus on combat with plot and character interaction kept to a minimum. Non-player characters are often
limited in scope. For example, an NPC could be either a merchant who buys and sells items or a service provider who upgrades the player's skills, resources,
or abilities. Diablo clones are also considered to have few or no puzzles to solve because many problems instead have an action-based solution (such as
breaking a wooden door open with an axe rather than having to find its key).
Blizzard later released a sequel, Diablo II in 2000, and it became an international sensation in America, Europe, and Asia. Diablo II's effect on the gaming
industry led to an even larger number of "clones" than its predecessor, inspiring games for almost a decade. Diablo III was released on May 15th, 2012.
Some of the aforementioned Diablo "clones" are: the Sacred series, Titan Quest, Dungeon Siege series, Loki: Heroes of Mythology, Legend: Hand of
God, Fate, Torchlight, Path of Exile, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, Marvel Heroes, and Grim Dawn.

Role-playing shooter

[edit]

Role-playing shooters (often abbreviated RPS) are sometimes considered a subgenre, featuring elements of both shooter games and action RPGs.[104] An
early example was Magical Zoo's The Screamer,[35] a 1985 post-apocalyptic sci-fi RPG released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 computer, set after World War
III and revolving around cyberpunk and biological horror themes.[33][34] The gameplay switched between first-person dungeon crawl exploration and sidescrolling shootercombat, where the player could jump, duck and shoot at enemies in real-time.[35] That same year, Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu allowed the player
to shoot projectile magic attacks at enemies.[21] The earliest to feature 3D polygonal graphics was the 1986 game WiBArm, released by Arsys Software for
the NEC PC-88 computer in Japan and ported to MS-DOS for Western release by Brderbund. In WiBArm, the player controls a transformable mecha robot,
switching between a 2D side-scrolling view during outdoor exploration to a fully 3D polygonal third-person perspective inside buildings, while bosses are
fought in an arena-style 2D shoot 'em upbattle. The game featured a variety of weapons and equipment as well as an automap, and the player could upgrade
equipment and earn experience to raise stats.[51][105] In contrast to first-person RPGs at the time that were restricted to 90-degree movements, WiBArm's use of
3D polygons allowed full 360-degree movement.[105]
In 1987, Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead, an MSX2 title developed by Fun Factory and published by Victor Music Industries, was the first true survival
horrorRPG.[106][107] Designed by Katsuya Iwamoto, the game revolved around a female SWAT member Lila rescuing survivors in an isolated monster-infested
town and bringing them to safety in a church. It was open-ended like Dragon Quest and had real-time side-view battles like Zelda II. Unlike other RPGs at the
time, however, the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere expressed through the story, graphics, and music,[106] while the gameplay used shooter-based
combat and gave limited ammunition for each weapon, forcing the player to search for ammo and often run away from monsters in order to conserve ammo.
[107]

Star Cruiser (1988), an early role-playing shooter, combined first-person shooter and role-playing game elements along with 3D polygongraphics.

In 1988, The Scheme, released by Bothtec for the PC-8801, was an action RPG with a similar side-scrolling open-worldgameplay to Metroid.[51] Compile's The
Guardian Legend that year was a successful fusion of the action-adventure, shoot 'em up and role-playing game genres, later inspiring acclaimed titles such
as Sigma Star Saga in 2005.[108] That same year, Arsys Software released Star Cruiser for the PC-88. This innovative game is notable for being a very early
example of an RPG with fully 3D polygonal graphics,[96] combined with first-person shooter gameplay,[97] which would occasionally switch tospace flight
simulator gameplay when exploring outer space with six degrees of freedom. All the backgrounds, objects and opponents in the game were rendered in 3D
polygons, many years before they were widely adopted by the gaming industry. The game also emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive
character dialogues.[96] It was later ported to the Sega Mega Drive in 1990.[97] The game's sequel, Star Cruiser 2, was released in 1992,[109] for the PC9821 and FM Townscomputers.[110]
In 1990, Hideo Kojima's SD Snatcher, while turn-based, introduced an innovative first-person shooter-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with
different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition and the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the
enemy in different ways. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,[111] though similar battle systems based on targeting individual body parts can later
be found in Square'sVagrant Story (2000), a pausable real-time RPG[112] that uses both melee and bow & arrow weapons,[113] as well asBethesda's Fallout
3 (2008) and Nippon Ichi's Last Rebellion (2010).[114] In 1996, Night Slave was a shooter RPG released for the PC-98 that combined the side-scrolling
shooter gameplay of Assault Suits Valken and Gradius, including an armaments system that employs recoil physics, with many RPG elements such as
permanently levelling up the mecha and various weapons using power-orbs obtained from defeating enemies as well as storyline cut scenes, which
occasionally contain erotic lesbian adult content.[51]
Other early shooter-based action RPGs include the Parasite Eve series of survival horror RPGs (1998 onwards) by Square (now Square Enix),[115][116] the Deus
Exseries (2000 onwards) by Ion Storm, Ancient's vehicular combat RPG Car Battler Joe (2002),[117] Konami's solar-powered stealth-based Boktai series (2003
onwards),[118] Irem's Steambot Chronicles (2005),[119] Square Enix's third-person shooter RPG Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (2006)[120] which introduced
an over-the-shoulder perspective similar to Resident Evil 4,[121] and the MMO vehicular combat game Auto Assault (2006) by NetDevil and NCsoft.[117] Other
action RPGs featured both hack & slash and shooting elements, with the use of both guns (or in some cases, bow & arrow or aerial combat)
and melee weapons, including the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner series (1995 onwards) by Atlus,[122] tri-Ace's Star Ocean series (1996 onwards),[123]
[124]
Cavia's flight-based Drakengardseries (2003 to 2005),[125][126] and Level-5's Rogue Galaxy (2005).[127]
Recent RPS games include the Mass Effect series (2007 onwards), Fallout 3 (2008), White Gold: War in Paradise (2008), and Borderlands (2009).
[104]
Borderlandsdeveloper Gearbox software has dubbed it as a "role-playing shooter" due to the heavy RPG elements within the game, such as quest-based
gameplay and also its character traits and leveling system.[128] Sega's Valkyria Chronicles series (2008 onwards) features a unique blend of tactical roleplaying game, real-time strategyand third-person tactical shooter elements (including a cover system), for which it has been described as "the missing link"
between Final Fantasy Tactics and Full Spectrum Warrior.[129] Half-Minute Hero (2009) is an RPG shooter featuring self-referential humour and a 30-second
time limit for each level and boss encounter.[130] Other recent action role-playing games with shooter elements include the 2010 titles Resonance of Fate by triAce,[131] Alpha Protocol by Obsidian Entertainment, and The Last Story by Mistwalker which uses crossbows (instead of guns) in a manner similar to coverbased third-person shooters.[132] Square Enix's 2010 release, The 3rd Birthday, the third game in the Parasite Eve series, features a unique blend of action
RPG, real-time tactical RPG, survival horror and third-person tactical shooter elements.[133][134] 2010 cult hit NIER is a multi-genre action-RPG with a heavy
emphasis on 2D and 3D Bullet hell game mechanics.Knights in the Nightmare is an RPG with Real Time Strategy/Bullet hell gameplay.
Upcoming shooter-based RPGs include Imageepoch's post-apocapytic Black Rock Shooter which employs first-person shooter elements,[135] as well as thirdperson shooter elements,[136] Square Enix's Final Fantasy XV which will feature both hack & slash and third-person shooter elements,[137] and Final Fantasy
Type-0 which plays similarly to the The 3rd Birthday but is not limited to shooting.[138]

Choices and consequences[edit]

While most action RPGs focus on hack and slash while exploring a world (often an open world) and building character stats, some non-linear titles contain
events ordialogue choices with consequences in the game world or storyline. The concept of moral consequences and alignments can be seen in action
RPGs as early as the 1985 releases Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu, with its Karma system where the character's Karma meter will change depending on whom he
kills which in turn affects the way other NPCs react to him,[28] and Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness, where the player can be aligned with Justice, Normal, or Evil,
depending on whether the player kills good or evil monsters or humans, leading to townsfolk ignoring players with an evil alignment. [23] Cosmic Soldier:
Psychic War in 1987 featured a non-linear conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an
enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to Megami Tensei.[59] One of the first action RPGs to feature multiple endings was Konami's 1987
release Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which introduced a day-night cycle that affects when certain NPCs appear in certain locations and offers three possible
endings depending on the time it takes to complete the game.[50] In 1988, Ys II introduced the unique ability to transform into a monster, which allows the
player to both scare human non-player characters for unique dialogues as well as interact with all the monsters. This is a recurring highlight in the series,
offering the player insight into the enemies, to an extent that very few other games allow to this day.[55]
Some of Quintet's action RPGs allowed players to shape the game world through town-building simulation elements, such as Soul Blazer in 1992
and Terranigma in 1995.[139] That same year, Square's Seiken Densetsu 3 allowed a number of different possible storyline paths and endings depending on
which combination of characters the player selected. The game also introduced a class-change system that incorporated light-dark alignments. [140][141] The
following year, Treasure'sGuardian Heroes in 1996 allowed players to alter the storyline through their actions, such as choosing between a number of
branching paths leading to multiple different endings and through the Karma meter which changes depending on whether the player kills civilians or shows
mercy to enemies.[142][143]
Some of the earliest action RPGs to allow players to alter the storyline's outcome through dialogue choices were tri-Ace's Star Ocean series of sci-fi RPGs.
The original Star Ocean, published by Enix in 1996, introduced a "private actions" social system, where the protagonist's relationship points with the other
characters are affected by the player's choices, which in turn affects the storyline, leading to branching paths and multiple different endings. [93][144] This was
expanded in its 1999 sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story, which boasted as many as 86 different endings,[145] with each of the possible permutations to
these endings numbering in the thousands, setting a benchmark for the amount of outcomes possible for a video game. Using a relationship system inspired
by dating sims, each of the characters had friendship points and relationship points with each of the other characters, allowing the player to pair together,
or ship, any couples (both romanticheterosexual relationships as well as friendships) of their choice, allowing a form of fan fiction to exist within the game

itself. This type of social system was later extended to allow romantic relationships in BioWare's 2007 sci-fi RPG Mass Effect. However, the relationship
system in Star Ocean not only affected the storyline, but also the gameplay, affecting the way the characters behave towards each other in battle.[146]
In 1997, Quintet's The Granstream Saga, while having a mostly linear plot, offered a difficult moral choice towards the end of the game regarding which of two
characters to save, each leading to a different ending.[147] In 1999, Square's Legend of Mana,[148] the most open-ended in the Mana series,[149] allowed the player
to build the game world however they choose, complete any quests and subplots they choose in any order of their choice, and choose which storyline paths
to follow,[148][150] departing from most other action RPGs in its time.[151] That same year, Square's survival horror RPG Parasite Eve II featured branching
storylines and up to three different possible endings.[152]
Other games allow the player to make many game-altering choices in dialogues and events, while still maintaining their respective action elements, whether
they be in the first person or the third person. Such games include Chrono Trigger (1995), Orphen: Scion of Sorcery (2000), Gothic (2001), Gothic
II (2002), Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003), Tales of Symphonia (2003), Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines (2004), Radiata Stories (2005), Steambot
Chronicles (2005), Gothic 3(2006), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006), Odin Sphere (2007), Fallout 3 (2008), White Gold: War in Paradise (2008), Alpha
Protocol (2010), Dragon's Dogma(2012), and the Way of the Samurai, Drakengard, Fable, Yakuza, Devil Summoner, Mass Effect and The Witcher video
games,

Criticism[edit]
Jordane Thiboust of Beenox criticized the term "action RPG", saying that it does not represent what core experience the game offers to the player. He
claimed that "action RPG is not a real subgenre" but "the current marketing slang for [...] 'RPGs that are cool to play with a pad'", so as more and more RPGs
are marketed as "action RPGs", the label becomes increasingly useless. He also pointed out the danger of creating false consumer expectations, as "action
RPG" describes mainly what type of combat to expect in a game but says nothing about the overall player experience (narrative, sandbox, or dungeon crawl)
it has to offer.[153]

See also[edit]

Action-adventure game

Adventure game

Hack and slash

History of role-playing video games

History of Eastern role-playing video games

History of Western role-playing video games

Role-playing video game

Tactical role-playing game

Shooter game

References[edit]
1.

^ Jump up to:a b c d "Hack and Slash: What Makes a Good Action RPG?". 1UP.com. May 18, 2010. Archived
from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-03-02.

2.

^ Jump up to:a b Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing
Games. A K Peters, Ltd. pp. 2345. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

3.

Jump up^ Dungeons of Daggorath at MobyGames

4.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. pp. 801. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

5.

Jump up^ Bill Loguidice & Matt Barton (2009), Vintage games: an insider look at the history of Grand
Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the most influential games of all time,Focal Press, p. 232, ISBN 0-24081146-1, retrieved 2011-05-01

6.

Jump up^ Bokosuka Wars, GameSpot

7.

Jump up^ Bokosuka Wars at Allgame

8.

Jump up^ Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today, Gamasutra

9.

Jump up^ Bokosuka Wars (translation), Nintendo

10.

Jump up^ Bokosuka Wars (translation), Nintendo

11.

Jump up^ Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga, 1UP

12.

^ Jump up to:a b Sam Derboo (June 2, 2013), Dark Age of JRPGs (7): Panorama Toh - PC-88
(1983), Hardcore Gaming 101

13.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. p. 234. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

14.

^ Jump up to:a b Adams, Roe R. (November 1990), "Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of
the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines", Computer Gaming World (76): 8384, While
America has been concentrating on yet anotherWizardry, Ultima, or Might & Magic, each bigger and more
complex than the one before it, the Japanese have slowly carved out a completely new niche in the realm
of CRPG. The first CRPG entries were Rygar and Deadly Towers on the NES. These differed considerably
from the "action adventure" games that had drawn quite a following on the machines beforehand. Action
adventures were basically arcade games done in a fantasy setting such as Castlevania, Trojan,
and Wizards & Warriors. The new CRPGs had some of the trappings of regular CRPGs. The character
could get stronger over time and gain extras which were not merely a result of a short-term "Power-Up."
There were specific items that could be acquired which boosted fighting or defense on a permanent basis.
Primitive stores were introduced with the concept that a player could buy something to aid him on his
journey.

15.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Jeremy Parish (2012). "What Happened to the Action RPG?". 1UP. Retrieved 201501-14.

16.

Jump up^ The Tower of Druaga at the Arcade History database

17.

^ Jump up to:a b c Shigeaki, Kamada (2007). "

(Retro)". 4Gamer.net. Retrieved 2011-05-19. (Translation)

18.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Kurt Kalata, Dragon Slayer, Hardcore Gaming 101

19.

Jump up^ Falcom Chronicle, Nihon Falcom

20.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Falcom Classics". GameSetWatch. July 12, 2006. Retrieved2011-05-18.

21.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e Kurt Kalata, Xanadu, Hardcore Gaming 101

22.

Jump up^ "Hydlide (PC88)". Famitsu. Retrieved 2015-01-14.

23.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Kalata, Kurt; Greene, Robert. "Hydlide". Hardcore Gaming 101.

24.

^ Jump up to:a b Szczepaniak, John (7 July 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM (111): 152159 [153].
Retrieved 2011-09-07. (cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011)."History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 6 September 2011.)

25.

Jump up^ Dragon Buster at the Killer List of Videogames

26.

Jump up^ Gaming's most important evolutions, GamesRadar

27.

Jump up^ Buster Action role-playing game at Allgame

28.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Xanadu Next home page". Archived from the original on 18 September 2008.
Retrieved 2008-09-08. (Translation)

29.

Jump up^ Jeremy Parish. "Metroidvania". GameSpite.net. Retrieved 2011-03-25.

30.

Jump up^ Jeremy Parish (August 18, 2009). "8-Bit Cafe: The Shadow Complex Origin Story". 1UP.com.
Retrieved 2011-03-25.

31.

Jump up^ Game Design Essentials: Dragon Slayer, Gamasutra

32.

Jump up^ Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness at MobyGames

33.

^ Jump up to:a b "The Screamer". 4Gamer.net. 2006-12-26. Retrieved 2011-03-29.(Translation)

34.

^ Jump up to:a b The Screamer, Legendra

35.

^ Jump up to:a b c d The Screamer at MobyGames

36.

Jump up^ "GameSpy's 30 Most Influential People in Gaming". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2
March 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-01.

37.

Jump up^ "15 Most Influential Games of All Time: The Legend of Zelda". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-0124.

38.

^ Jump up to:a b c Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing
Games. A K Peters, Ltd. pp. 182 & 212. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

39.

Jump up^ Adams, Roe R. (November 1990), "Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the
Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines", Computer Gaming World (76): 8384 [83], When The
Legend of Zelda burst upon the scene in fall of 1988, it hit like a nova. Although it still had many actionadventure features, it was definitely a CRPG.

40.

Jump up^ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (2009), Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand
Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time, Focal Press, p. 317, ISBN 0-24081146-1

41.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. pp. 216 & 385. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

42.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. pp. 20910. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

43.

^ Jump up to:a b The Return of Ishtar at the Killer List of Videogames

44.

Jump up^ The Return of Ishtar - Release Information, GameFAQs

45.

Jump up^ Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga, 1UP

46.

Jump up^ Zelda II: The 20-Year-Late ReviewWired News

47.

Jump up^ Classic NES Series: Zelda II (Game Boy Advance), CNET.com

48.

Jump up^ "The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling (Page 3)". Gamasutra. November 3,
2006. Retrieved 2015-01-11.

49.

Jump up^ Top 100 NES Games - 25. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, IGN

50.

^ Jump up to:a b Mike Whalen, Giancarlo Varanini. "The History of Castlevania - Castlevania II: Simon's
Quest". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-01.

51.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e John Szczepaniak. "Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier". Hardcore
Gaming 101. p. 4. Retrieved 2011-03-18. (Reprinted fromRetro Gamer, Issue 67, 2009)

52.

Jump up^ Harris, John (September 26, 2007). "Game Design Essentials: 20 Open World
Games". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved2008-07-25.

53.

Jump up^ Sorcerian (PC), GameCola.net, October 30, 2010

54.

Jump up^ "Ys Series". Nihon Falcom. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

55.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Szczepaniak, John (7 July 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM(111): 152159 [154].
Retrieved 2011-09-08. (cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011)."History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 8 September 2011.)

56.

Jump up^ Kalata, Kurt (27 November 2010). "Ys". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 23
July 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.

57.

Jump up^ Chris Greening & Don Kotowski (February 2011). "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Square Enix
Music Online. Retrieved 2011-06-20.

58.

Jump up^ Vestal, Andrew (1998-11-02). "The History of Console RPGs". GameSpot. p. "Other NES
RPGs". Retrieved 2009-09-10.

59.

^ Jump up to:a b Yamaarashi, Cosmic Soldier, Hardcore Gaming 101

60.

Jump up^ Kurt Kalata, Wonder Boy, Hardcore Gaming 101

61.

Jump up^ The Legend of Wonder Boy, IGN, November 14, 2008

62.

Jump up^ 'Might Have Been' - Telenet Japan, GameSetWatch, December 17, 2007

63.

^ Jump up to:a b Szczepaniak, John (2009-04-11). "Hardcore Gaming 101: Exile / XZR". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 2009-08-10.

64.

Jump up^ Leo Chan, Sunsoft scores Telenet Japan franchises, Neoseeker, December 10, 2009

65.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. p. 183. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

66.

Jump up^ Chris Roberts, MobyGames

67.

Jump up^ Patterson, Eric L. (December 27, 2011). "5 WAYS JAPANESE GAMING STILL RULES:
ATELIER TOTORI". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 31 December2011.

68.

Jump up^ Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts Interview, RPG Vault, IGN

69.

Jump up^ Dungeon Explorer Manual, Museo del Videojuego

70.

Jump up^ Game of The Week: River City Ransom, GameSpy

71.

Jump up^ Parish, Jeremy (2008-04-29). "Retronauts Carjacks Grand Theft Auto".1UP.com. Retrieved 23
January 2012.

72.

^ Jump up to:a b c Szczepaniak, John (7 July 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM (111): 152159 [156].
Retrieved 2011-09-08. (cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011)."History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 8 September 2011.)

73.

^ Jump up to:a b Szczepaniak, John (7 July 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM (111): 152159 [155].
Retrieved 2011-09-08. (cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011)."History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 8 September 2011.)

74.

^ Jump up to:a b Scorpia (October 1991). "C*R*P*G*S / Computer Role-Playing Game Survey". Computer
Gaming World. p. 16. Retrieved 18 November 2013.

75.

Jump up^ "Console vs Handheld : Crystalis". 1up.com. Retrieved 2007-10-23.

76.

Jump up^ Gate of Doom at the Killer List of Videogames

77.

Jump up^ John Szczepaniak. "Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier". Hardcore Gaming
101. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-03-18. (Reprinted from Retro Gamer, Issue 67, 2009)

78.

Jump up^ Andrew Vestal (1998-11-02). "Other Game Boy RPGs". GameSpot. Retrieved2009-11-18.

79.

^ Jump up to:a b Knights of Xentar at MobyGames

80.

^ Jump up to:a b Dragon Knight III: Staff Review, Honest Gamers

81.

Jump up^ Buchanan, Levi (2008-06-17). "Top 10 Renovation Games". IGN.com. Retrieved 2009-11-06.

82.

Jump up^ 20 Open World Games: Landstalker, Gamasutra

83.

^ Jump up to:a b Secret of Mana hits App Store this month, EuroGamer

84.

^ Jump up to:a b Secret of Mana, Apple iPhone Apps

85.

Jump up^ Grand Rabite, Secret of Mana, RPG Fan

86.

Jump up^ Twin Islands, Secret of Mana, RPG Fan

87.

^ Jump up to:a b Dungeon Siege III Developer Interview, NowGamer.com

88.

Jump up^ Secret of Mana, Thunderbolt

89.

Jump up^ "Secret of Mana Review". Edge (4). November 25, 1993. Retrieved 10 August2012.

90.

Jump up^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K
Peters, Ltd. p. 220. ISBN 1-56881-411-9. Retrieved2010-09-08.

91.

^ Jump up to:a b Crossed Swords at Allgame

92.

Jump up^ Petersen, Sandy (August 1994). "Eye of the Monitor". Dragon (208): 61. Not long ago, I
received a letter from a DRAGON Magazine reader. This particular woman attacked the whole concept of
cartridge-based role-playing games very vigorously, claiming that games such as Zelda are not roleplaying at all. Presumably, she thinks they are arcade games. Zelda has some features of the classic
arcade game: combat is direct. Each push of the button results in one swing of the sword, which if it
connects, harms or kills an enemy. In standard computer roleplaying games, at least until recently, combat
is more abstract. [...] But all that is changing. [...] Ultima VIII requires you not only to control your
character's every move in combat, but also his dodging of enemy blows, whether he kicks or stabs, etc.
[...] The two forms of play: "arcade" and "role-playing" seem to be mixing more and more in computer and

cartridge games. We'll see how far this trend goes, but I suspect there will always be a place for a game
which is totally cerebral in combat, instead of relying on reflexes. For every Zelda, or Secret of Mana,
there'll be aFinal Fantasy II or Lufia.
93.

^ Jump up to:a b Lada, Jenni (February 1, 2008). "Important Importables: Best SNES role-playing games".
Gamer Tell. Retrieved 2009-09-11.

94.

Jump up^ Webber (2 March 1998). "Alundra". RPGFan. Retrieved 20 January 2015.

95.

Jump up^ Zimmerman, Conrad (2009-03-20). "An RPG Draws Near! Alundra".Destructoid. Retrieved 30
January 2012.

96.

^ Jump up to:a b c (translation), 4Gamer.net

97.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Star Cruiser at Allgame

98.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (2009), Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of
Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time, Focal Press, p. 43, ISBN 0240-81146-1

99.

^ Jump up to:a b Kurt Kalata (February 4, 2010). "So What the Heck is Silver Ghost". Hardcore Gaming
101. Retrieved 2011-04-02.

100.

Jump up^ Silver Ghost (Translation), Kure Software Koubou

101.

Jump up^ "Official Site". Kure Software Koubou. Retrieved 2011-05-19. (Translation)

102.

Jump up^ First Queen at MobyGames

103.

Jump up^ Kurt Kalata. "Brandish". Hardcore Gaming 1010. Retrieved 2011-04-02.

104.

^ Jump up to:a b "A Visual Guide To The Role-Playing Game". Kotaku.com. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2010-1025.

105.

^ Jump up to:a b " EGG 3 25 ". 4Gamer.net.

Retrieved 2011-03-05. (Translation)

106.

^ Jump up to:a b Kevin Gifford, Shiry Sensen: War of the Dead, Magweasel.com, November 10, 2009

107.

^ Jump up to:a b John Szczepaniak, War of the Dead, Hardcore Gaming 101, 15 January 2011

108.

Jump up^ Thomas, Lucas M. (2005-08-18). "'Sigma Star' Combines RPG, Shoot-Em'-Up
Action". Evansville Courier & Press. p. D11. Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2008-0625.

109.

Jump up^ (Translation), Dengeki

110.

Jump up^ () (Translation), Dengeki

111.

Jump up^ Kurt Kalata, Snatcher, Hardcore Gaming 101

112.

Jump up^ Jeremy Parish (2006-03-18). "Retronauts: Volume 4 - Yasumi Matsuno".1UP.com.

Retrieved 2011-04-09.

113.

Jump up^ "Vagrant Story - Retroview". RPGamer. Retrieved 2011-04-09.

114.

Jump up^ European date fixed for the action / RPG Last Rebellion (Translation), Jeuxvideo.com

115.

Jump up^ Parasite Eve, GamePro

116.

Jump up^ Sean Ridgeley (March 15, 2011). "Parasite Eve released on PlayStation Network". Neoseeker.
Retrieved 2011-04-09.

117.

^ Jump up to:a b Kaiser, Joe (July 8, 2005). "Unsung Inventors". Next-Gen.biz. Archived fromthe original on
2005-10-28. Retrieved 2010-04-02.

118.

Jump up^ Retroactive: Kojima's Productions (Page 2), 1UP

119.

Jump up^ Steambot Chronicles, Siliconera

120.

Jump up^ JAPAN: Final Fantasy VII PSP and Potions, Edge

121.

Jump up^ "Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII". Siliconera. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

122.

Jump up^ Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, Siliconera

123.

Jump up^ Star Ocean: Second Evolution, GamePro

124.

Jump up^ Preview: 'Resonance of Fate' (360, PS3), Digital Spy

125.

Jump up^ Drakengard (PS2), 1UP.com, accessed 2011-02-27

126.

Jump up^ Drakengard 2 Review, GameSpot, February 15, 2006

127.

Jump up^ Rogue Galaxy: charming and cel shaded, Siliconera

128.

Jump up^ Borderlands: Game Of The Year Edition, Inside Mac Games

129.

Jump up^ "IGN: Valkyria Chronicles Review". IGN. October 29, 2008. Archived from the original on 2
November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-05.

130.

Jump up^ Keith Stuart (4 March 2011). "2D Forever: the fall and rise of hardcore Japanese game
design". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-03-23.

131.

Jump up^ Resonance of Fate out March 26, VideoGamer.com

132.

Jump up^ Tom Goldman, Sakaguchi's Last Story a Wii RPG To Anticipate, The Escapist

133.

Jump up^ Patrick Kolan (March 25, 2011). "The 3rd Birthday Review: Manhattan just can't catch a break
these days". IGN. Retrieved 2011-04-01.

134.

Jump up^ David Wolinsky (April 7, 2011). "The 3rd Birthday review: New year's Eve".
Joystiq. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-09.

135.

Jump up^ Tom Goldman (24 Nov 2010), Imageepoch Unveils New Wave of JRPGs, The Escapist

136.

Jump up^ Black Rock Shooter: The Game In Development For PSP, Siliconera

137.

Jump up^ Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer leaks out, Gamertell

138.

Jump up^ Parish, Jeremy (2011-09-14). "TGS: Final Fantasy Type-0 is Dark, Ambitious, Promising (PSP):
The game formerly known as Agito demos well on the show floor". 1UP.com. Retrieved 17
September 2011.

139.

Jump up^ David DeRienzo, Quintet, Hardcore Gaming 101

140.

Jump up^ Seiken Densetsu 3, RPG Fan

141.

Jump up^ "Reviews: Seiken Densetsu 3". 1UP.com. 2004-05-09. Retrieved 2007-06-15.

142.

Jump up^ Kurt Kalata, Guardian Heroes, Hardcore Gaming 101

143.

Jump up^ Top 20 Scrollers (Part 5), Game Observer

144.

Jump up^ Star Ocean, RPG Fan

145.

Jump up^ Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, Gameplanet

146.

Jump up^ Brendan Main, Hooking Up in Hyperspace, The Escapist

147.

Jump up^ Granstream Saga - Review, RPGamer

148.

^ Jump up to:a b Sensei Phoenix, Legend of Mana, RPG Fan

149.

Jump up^ Sword of Mana, RPG Fan

150.

Jump up^ Ryan Mattich, Legend of Mana, RPG Fan

151.

Jump up^ Andrew Vestal (June 7, 2000). "Legend of Mana (review)". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2008-0614.

152.

Jump up^ Parasite Eve II review, GamePro

153.

Jump up^ Thiboust, Jordane (24 January 2013). "Focusing Creativity: RPG Genres".Gamasutra. p. 3.
Retrieved 29 December 2013.

[hide]

Video game genre

Beat 'em up
Hack and slash
Fighting
Maze
Pac-Man clone
Action

Action-adventure

Platform
Shooter
First-person
Third-person
Light gun
Shoot 'em up
Tactical
Grand Theft Auto clone
Metroidvania
Stealth
Survival horror
Dating sim

Adventure

Role-playing game

Simulation

Strategy

Bishjo
Eroge
Otome
Graphic adventure
Escape the room
Interactive fiction
Interactive movie
Visual novel
Action role-playing
Roguelike
Dungeon crawl
MUD
MMORPG
Tactical role-playing
Construction and management
Business
City
Government
Life simulation
Dating sim
Digital pet
God
Social simulation
Sports
4X
Real-time strategy
MOBA
Tower defense
MMORTS
Time Management
Real-time tactics
Turn-based strategy
Turn-based tactics
Artillery
Wargame
Flight simulator
Amateur
Combat
Space

Vehicle simulation

Other genres

Racing
Kart racing
Sim racing
Submarine simulator
Train simulator
Breakout clone
Exergame
Music
Rhythm
Non-game

list

Party
Programming
Puzzle
Sokoban
Tile-matching

Related concepts

Arcade game
Art game
Audio game
Casual game
Console game
Christian game
Clone game
Crossover game
Cult game
FMV
Indie game
Minigame
Nonlinear gameplay
Open world
Online game
Browser game
MMOG
Social network game
PC game
Serious game
Advergame
Edugame

Categories:

Video game genres

Action role-playing video games

Article

Talk

Navigation menu

Create account

Log in

Read

Edit

View history

Go

Main page

Contents

Featured content

Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikimedia Shop
Interaction

Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Tools

Contact page

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Print/export

Cite this page

Create a book

Download as PDF

Languages

Printable version

Deutsch

Espaol

Franais

Italiano

Lietuvi

Nederlands

Norsk bokml

Polski

Portugus

Sardu

Suomi

Svenska

Edit links

This page was last modified on 4 March 2015, at 11:17.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you
agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.

Privacy policy

About Wikipedia

Disclaimers

Contact Wikipedia

Developers

Mobile view