Why Are RPGs popular? There are multiple reasons for that. Maybe it’s the characters, the world, or the illusion of choice.
Well, this will be the first in a series of articles about why are RPGs popular.
Role-playing games (RPGs) have always been a popular genre in gaming. Lately, games have been adopting many RPG elements, such as loot with different rarities, skill trees, and the illusion of choice.
One franchise that comes to mind is Assassin’s Creed.
It has become an entirely different game than it used to be. Some will say it now is an RPG, while most will say it isn’t.
I agree with the latter. Why? Because just having elements sprinkled in here and there doesn’t make an RPG. Of course, what classifies as an RPG is a HIGHLY debatable topic on its own.
You all are probably wondering what I consider an RPG? Well, it consists of many systems woven together. These include world and world-building, characters, player advancements, and choices.
Let’s take Baldur’s Gate 2 as an example. When starting a new game you are taking to the character screen to play any ROLE that you want. Choose your attributes, alignment, starting spells, and appearance.
And as you play the game you progress from there, making choices to develop your character.
However, this article isn’t about character development yet, I have another article coming all about that. This writing is about losing yourself in the virtual world to escape from our reality.
Welcome To A Whole New World
If there is one world or setting that you would love to experience in real life, what would it be?
Well, that’s where RPGs come in because this is the closest we are going to get to escape to another world.
Let’s be honest, the world we live in is boring, compared to games anyway, so it is only fitting we would want to escape to a virtual world. The most successful and popular RPGs are the ones with fascinating worlds, lore, and backstory. Let’s take Diablo 2 for example.
Diablo 2 is my all-time favorite action role-playing game (ARPG). One of the most memorable things about Diablo 2 other than the gameplay is the world and tone. When a game gives its audience a striking world to explore and dive into, it gives you more immersion.
Immersion is the number one thing that should be focused on in an RPG. Making the world believable is hard to achieve, but it can keep gamers coming back when done right.
What about when games offer a large sandbox world? The Elder Scrolls Series offer just that, a huge land to explore at your leisure. There is a reason that Skyrim has been released a billion and one times.
I’m not even exaggerating… okay I am… only a little.
In short, an RPG with a seemingly living and breathing world will only make it more popular. This is an absolute fact. However, a game with a smaller world and an amazing atmosphere can achieve the same goal, e.g., Diablo 2.
Heartwarming Or Eerie Is The Atmosphere At Work
The atmosphere of an RPG can create an eerie presence or a heartwarming and welcoming world.
Remember when I was talking about Diablo 2 and how the world and tone were some of the most memorable things about it? This all plays into the atmosphere. Setting this up early in an RPG is crucial. Diablo 2 was dark, scary, and gruesome.
We all remember the controversy of Diablo 3 because it was much brighter and colorful. And you know what, I was a bit upset myself. However, Diablo 2 Resurrected seems to keep the atmospheric bloody tone just right, while also adding some fresh environments.
However, Dragon Quest would be a good example of a more vibrant and whimsical atmosphere. It’s not violent and the overall shape language is more circular, giving it a more soft look. I have been drawing recently and have been learning about shape language.
I will talk more about games that have kid-friendly worlds in a little bit.
Now, here’s the thing, every game of any genre can have an incredible atmosphere, tone, and a deep world.
RPGs stand out compared to action-adventure because you can fully explore the world. While some action-adventure games give you a lot to explore, it usually is in the same vein as an RPG.
Search And Explore
Speaking of exploration, this is another crucial ingredient for the RPG meal. Exploring the world is the fun part. Mainly because you never know what you are going to run into or what item you may find.
Who doesn’t like a challenge right?
Never be afraid to go into the unknown. There is always some loot to grab… and a huge boss guarding it.
Whether the game is an ARPG, JRPG(Japanese role-playing game), or more of a sandbox RPG, exploration is still there. Exploration of the world may be executed differently, but still has the same outcome.
Exploring a world is why RPGs are so popular. Every dungeon and cave you enter, you know they will be a variety of monsters to kill or puzzles to solve. But the true reward is the treasure at the end or the completion of a quest.
Do you know what else is great about exploring the vast land? Discovering new towns, characters, and companions on your journey
Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I can’t wait for the Elder Scroll Online: Blackwood expansion. Having another companion by your side will make questing feel a lot less lonely.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a great game to get into at the moment if you are looking for your fantasy RPG fix.
Back to exploring, sometimes going off the beaten bath can’t lead you to some beautiful scenery or travelers that need help with a quest.
That’s the beauty about roaming and exploring the land in an RPG, you never know what you will encounter. Just like real life. Sometimes you have to take chances.
A Grim and Visceral Fantasy Setting Has Something Beautiful About It
While there are plenty of different RPG worlds and settings, a lot of them have something in common.
Most developers decide to create a grim and dark fantasy world. The type of world that is filled with violence, gore, and death.
A few games from the top of my head are Diablo 2, The Witcher 3, The Elder Scrolls, and Baldur’s Gate.
There are a lot more, but I’m not going to name all of them. What exactly pulls people to these types of games?
People love excitement, these twisted worlds offer a level of excitement that other games don’t. Knowing characters you have spoken to can be murdered, abducted, or tortured is something that has a certain emotional attachment.
These twisted grim worlds aren’t afraid of nudity either. We all know that sex sells. When a game is rated M for mature and it is an RPG you can expect to see blood, guts, and sex.
RPGs are about creating worlds of their own. And like the world we live in, sex and violence are everywhere and they always will be.
But luckily other games take a much different approach if you aren’t into sex and violence.
A Whimsical and Vibrant Fantasy World Welcomes All
Alright, not every RPG has to be bloody and filled with despair. Some can be bright, colorful, and great for people of all ages.
I was talking about Dragon Quest earlier. This is one of those games. Dragon Quest has a welcoming world, while the world is full of “danger” it’s not going to have grotesque monsters.
It is quite the opposite. The game itself is a mix of anime characters and cartoon-type creatures. Being a JRPG is probably the reason for this, as most JRPGs have a different art style.
The same can be said for games like Ni No Kuni and the most well-known RPG series coming from Japan: Pokemon.
Most JRPGs are more bright compared to their American counterparts. But this is one reason why JRPGs are so popular: it is due to its big beautiful, vibrant world that attracts a larger crowd.
In most cases, compared to American RPGs, their world isn’t as “dense”. Meaning the exploration is there, but it is a bit shallow. Items appear in chests on a hill or just out in the opening. There’s isn’t a sense of “Oh look, I found something”, but more like, “Oh look, I see a chest over there”.
This is not always the case by any means, but a lot of JRPGs have the same trope.
However, what they lose in discovery satisfaction they gain in creating a large whimsical world that welcomes all who wish to explore it.
Cyberpunk Dystopia Has A Certain Familiarity
Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t gather hype just from marketing, but it garnered attention due to having a cyberpunk setting. Not many games are in a cyberpunk setting. Games that come to mind is Deus Ex, Shadowrun, and Cyberpunk 2077.
I’m sure there are others, but I feel there aren’t many RPGs with this futuristic technology-filled dystopia.
The cyberpunk setting is such an interesting world, do you know why? Because it has limitless possibilities, while somehow still being believable. You best believe this is one of the reasons CD Projekt Red is rumored to be working on a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.
This is a great combination to have when playing an RPG. Being in a cyberpunk world means dealing with humans, but humans enhanced by technology make the world so fascinating.
There is no magic to speak of, but there are a lot of technological advances that can replace magic and spells if you are used to the medieval fantasy setting.
The cyberpunk setting answers the question, “What will our world look like in the future?” I and every one of you reading this isn’t going to live long enough to find out the answer to the question.
So our best option is to lose ourselves in this futuristic virtual world.
Escapism is beneficial if you know that you can’t put reality behind you forever. But that deserves a topic for itself.
Conclusion
If anyone asks “why are RPGs popular?” You can answer with “They have incredible worlds that make you want to live in it.” The world and setting are one of the most pinnacle things about an RPG. This usually goes hand-and-hand with the story as well. Also, there is plenty of variety of worlds to dive into and escape from reality.
Whether you want to live in a dark medieval fantasy or a cyberpunk future, there is a world for you. And you best believe there is a lot to do and explore to make you not want to leave.
Stay tuned for the next article about why are RPGs popular. I’m sure you will find it to be an interesting read.
Until then, let me know in the comments, why do you think RPGs have been booming lately?
Originally published at https://gamingnitemare.com on May 13, 2021.
