Search

[AlastorSX]

TGL is just a couple years younger than myself, and upon playing it, it is the very first Action Role Playing Game that ever existed in my world. Can anyone prove or disprove me? We could actually use the knowledge to help the cause, because if it actually is the first Action RPG, that is something that could be brought up when others bring up popular Action RPG's "Secret of Mana series e.g." What do the rest of you know about the history of Action RPG's?

[arseniy]

I don't know the history of gaming. Anyone has idea?

[7Soul]

Well first of all I don't think TGL is an Action RPG. There's very little RPG in it, you don't have an story to follow, which is the most important in an RPG. TGL is much more of a shooter, with a mix of adventure, but certainly not an RPG

As far as I know, TGL is the first and only Shooter/Adventure game

[UserK]

I also have difficulty in calling it an RPG.
Is Doom3 an RPG? No way. It's pure FPS and the backstory is told pretty much like TGL. Terminals scattered around, albeit it rarely holds gameplay-critical elements.

Levels and skills are often the key point of RPG games. Not there in TGL.
Some RPGs however ditch skill trees and even leveling to focus on equip. Regarding that, could we consider the upgrade process in TGL complex enough?
I'm afraid not, as those games typically expand on damage type to deliver.

And there's no dialogue. No explicit questing, as there's no explicit quest in Doom 1 for "find the red key".

No. I'd say it's too much of a stretch.

[EinhanderZwei]

TGL can be fit into Action-RPG genre, as it does have gradual powerups for the character - health increase, chips increase, new weapons, etc. But as far as I know, the genre was started by Nihon Falcom with Dragon Slayer and T&E Soft with Hydlide. Later they have created a ton of other great games, like Ys, (Fa)Xanadu, Brandish, etc.
The genre has gained mainstream popularity with The Legend Of Zelda and Metroid, and I think that TGL was created to compete with Zelda. As far as the production value goes, IMHO it won! 

[arseniy]

TGL also fits into adventure game with all the weapons and level them up. The score upgrade you health only. In RPG games it's standrard that EXP would upgrade your strentgth, defense, mana and such. So I think even TGL slightly fits into RPG but it fits much more into adventure.

[7Soul]

I hate when people say "character evolution" = RPG. That's actually what they call "RPG elements"

"The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests. The major similarities with pen-and-paper games involve developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replayability and immersion. "

[EinhanderZwei]

I hate when people say "character evolution" = RPG. That's actually what they call "RPG elements"

"The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests. The major similarities with pen-and-paper games involve developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replayability and immersion. "

That's right. In this regard, TGL is an action-RPG, as its narrative alone is way more complex than any other pew-pew-shmups of the time (no offense to the pew-pew shmups, which I'm a fan of)

[AlastorSX]

It may not have all the bells and whistles of most RPG's, including the all important leveling system, but I would still consider it to be an RPG due to the fact there are elements of leveling such as health increases, better armor, more powerful gun, and weapon upgrades. Besides a visible number, you pretty much do level up as you venture further into the game. If I remember correctly, I believe your score increases your health when you reach a certain score, so in a sense it doubles for an XP counter. I agree it is definitely more of an action shooter than an RPG but the element of a basic RPG is still there.