Greetings readers! Today’s blog post is a bit of a time
warp, as it discusses games that span decades—and when you’re talking about
decades and gaming, especially video gaming, you’re talking about a long
time. (As a side note, isn’t it interesting how time dilation occurs when you’re
talking about different cultural things? Decades is a long time in television
years, not so much in terms of radio, even less for newspapers. When you talk
about the internet, you’re describing time in singular years, and when it comes
to things like social media, twitter, and facebook, sometimes trends can last a
matter of months or weeks.)
I’ve been a gamer for over 25 years, and some of my best
memories involve playing a number of computer roleplaying games (hereafter
referred to as CRPGs). It’s fair to say that I’ve been playing CRPGs since the
very earliest incarnations, and I have actively studied the genre from a design,
experience, critiquing, and writing perspective. Mainly my purpose with this
blog entry is just to go over and highlight the history of CRPGs as I experienced
them and hopefully bring across not only my love for the genre, but also how it
has affected me as a game designer and writer.
This is the map for Baldur's Gate -- there's a lot of adventure in this game.
Special Note: I’m purposefully excluding MMORPG’s from this
discussion, as I’m not really an MMO player and I don’t really have a lot to
say about them from an experiential standpoint. I’ll concede the point that
technically, MMO’s are CRPGs, but I don’t count them when I think about the
genre.
The Text Adventure Era
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Back in the early 80’s,
CRPGs were primarily in textual form. Primarily the ones I remember playing
from this era are the Zork series and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
There were other text adventures out there (Leather Goddesses of Phobos and
Leisure Suit Larry come to mind), but Zork and Hitchhiker’s Guide made the
biggest impact on me. I’ll skip explaining in detail what these games were like
(the Wikipedia links should suffice for the curious) and simply say that they
were fairly primitive and exercises in frustration… if you didn’t have a game
guide or type things in a very precise and systematic manner, the game would
only be fun for so long.
Behold, the cover to Zork. And below, a screenshot of the game itself.
So what did I learn from this era? Oddly enough, precision
and a systematic approach. Seriously, the uncompromising gameplay of Zork and
Hitchhiker’s Guide kept me at it until I mastered the basics of these ideas,
and that’s not a bad thing for a young mind. Additionally, these games were
purely text, so I learned a lot about effective description—there’s an art to
creating an image with words, especially a lasting image with meaningful
details.
The Boxed Game Era
Moving on to the late 80’s, CRPGs took a slightly more
advanced form in what I like to call “the boxed game” beginning with the SSI “goldbox” games of this period (technically Heroes of the Lance and a few other
games were “silver box” predecessors, but that’s splitting hairs).
Specifically, I’m thinking of Heroes of the Lance, the Bard’s Tale series, and
the Ultima series. King’s Quest and Buck Rogers also had some notable entries
in this period. These games were only really superficially a roleplaying game—although
the player could make choices, those choices were really only meaningful in
terms of what characters they could create and control in the tactical
interface. It was a step up from the limited action/response options in the
previous text adventure era, but still far short of any narrative experience.
On the other hand, the tactical gameplay was really, really fun, and there were
plenty of stories I could tell you about how my characters managed to beat some
pretty hefty odds… which was not that dissimilar to many of the actual Dungeons
and Dragons adventures of that time either.
Here's the cover and an in-game screenshot from Countdown to Doomsday, a Gold Box adventure game.
So what did I learn from this era? Tactical expertise,
resource management, and the importance of having the right mix of characters
in a party. In the Gold Box games, you could make a party of all fighters if
you really wanted, but doing so meant you would struggle against many of the
encounters in the game. Likewise, not having a theif to pick locks on doors or
a cleric to heal your party in between encounters would change the experience
greatly as well. The best way to progress through the game (for myself and
players like myself) was to create a party like you would in an actual D&D
game—meaning that you have a varied mix of classes and roles in your group.
This approach allowed me to conquer many of the game’s challenges without
having to reload the game too many times.
Special Mention: The Pool of Radiance series and the Buck
Rogers games were some of my favorites—I’d love to go back and play these again
someday. Pool of Radiance had a fun story with some memorable villains, and the
Buck Rogers games actually had a fun ship battle interface! Alas, I never
really got to play any serious games of Ultima or the Bard’s Tale, but I did
muck about with them briefly.
The JRPG Era
Concurrently with some of the other entries on this list is
a phenomenon called the JRPG, or Japanese-style Roleplaying Game for short.
JRPGs are similar to the Gold Box games in that they generally emphasize
tactical gameplay over narrative, but there are some very notable entries in
their genre that should be discussed whenever one talks about CRPGs in general.
The Japanese approach to the CRPG generally took a much more detailed approach
to many aspects of gameplay, from the various items of gear to the types of
magic the wizards can cast (Red Mage, Black Mage, White Mage, anyone?). JRPGs
spanned the timeline from the late 80’s through most of the 90’s with the
entries I discuss here.
I like to split up my experience with JRPGs into two
sub-categories, Tactical and Storytelling.
Tactical JRPGs
The tactical side of JRPGs focuses on the combat, leveling,
and character growth elements in a CRPG. In many of these games, developing your
character over time is critically important—choose the right set of careers
along the way and your character can end up quite powerful. Make foolish or
dead-end choices, however, and it’s back to the start screen for you!
Ack! This screen is from Dragon Warrior.
Probably the most well-known of these games is the Final Fantasy series, but I actually began my journey into the realm of JRPGs with
the NES game Dragon Warrior. I remember that I was so fascinated with the game
that I stayed up all night killing slimes and raising levels. I did eventually
get into the Final Fantasy games after that point, of course, and my personal
favorites include FF6 (3 in the US), FF7, FFX (or Ten), and Final Fantasy Tactics.
FF6, FF7, and FFX all deserve special mention in that they also possessed a
very stirring and compelling narrative that draws you into the game far above
and beyond the simple factors of fun and engrossing gameplay. The Disgaea games also fall under this category.
Square is
definitely a fantastic company for this kind of approach, and I’d like to
single out another similar tactical game for special praise: Front Mission 4.
If you love Final Fantasy and giant robots fighting each other, this is the
game for you. In recent years, a new notable entry into the same field is
Record of Agarest War, which blends the typical JRPG with dating sim elements
and introduces an interesting new mechanic in dynastic gameplay, where your
character’s choices determine the effects to the next generation of characters—up
to five times in the first game!
Storytelling JRPGs
As previously mentioned, FF6, FF7, and FFX all shared a
truly dynamic and engaging narrative. Alongside these giants in the industry
are some slightly less well-known games that are definitely RPGs but stress the
story elements over the actual gameplay. For this section the games that come
to my mind are the truly excellent Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger for the
SNES. A later entry into the same general type of game is the amazingly
immersive Shenmue.
A memorable moment in Chrono Trigger. Behold the time portal!
So what did I learn from JRPGs? From the tactical side, I
learned that you can create compelling gameplay elements for tactical thinkers –
combinations of abilities, little mini-games to power up abilities (remember
Vincent’s games from FF6?), interesting opportunities for traversal of the
overland map (airships!) and how you can combine effects and/or special events
(i.e., “limit breaks”) to build some impressive cinematic combats. From the
storytelling side, there’s a great deal of narrative value to be found in
things like FF7 and Chrono Trigger, from making characters the player can
identify with and care about to building a villain with a tragic past that the
player nevertheless is determined to stop at any cost.
The True CRPG Era
During the late 90’s into the mid-2000’s came a wave of
computer roleplaying games that truly took the genre to the next level. I
consider this timeframe to be the era of the “True CRPG,” since these are the
most iconic games that I think of when describing the term. CRPGs really came
into their own about this time, with fascinating storytelling, engaging gameplay,
and the ability to build your own character and interact with some of the most
memorable NPCs of all time. CRPGs of this era also included branching
storylines and incorporated meaningful choice into the gameplay experience for
the first time, meaning that multiple playthroughs could have very different
outcomes.
The originator of this era and probably the most well-known
is the Baldur’s Gate series (which also includes the Icewind Dale games).
Created by Black Isle/Bioware, these CRPGs pioneered many effective gameplaying
techniques that are still in use today. Fantastic music, voice work, art and
interface design combined with a great story made for an unforgettable
experience. The characters of Baldur’s Gate resonate through the entire industry—up
to and including references in modern games like Mass Effect.
Note: For me, personally, Misc is the greatest NPC and
companion of all time.
This is the man.
Of special note is the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition that
is nearly out now—a great way to experience this game-changer of a CRPG.
The True CRPG Era started out strong but it would hit an
amazingly high peak by the unparalleled Planescape: Torment in 1999. Torment
redefined what an RPG was capable of and how people perceived the genre. A tour de force of storytelling and
characters, Torment set a standard for CRPGs that has yet to be equaled.
Other CRPGs of this era include the very influential Fallout series. Fallout’s contributions are many, amongst them a unique vision of a
post-apocalyptic setting and cementing the isometric 3rd-person
interface as the preferred method for many RPGs to come.
Torment was followed up by two worthy successors: Arcanum
and Neverwinter Nights 2. Neither of these games were quite as good as Torment,
but that isn’t to say they aren’t both great games—they certainly have earned
that title.
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura was a flawed but
exceptional game that had a ton of potential. It combined magic and technology
and cashed in on the (then-brand-new) Steampunk aesthetic. I encourage anyone
who loves CRPGs to give Arcanum a shot, because it also possesses a fascinating
story and some great characters.
This game is a must play!
Neverwinter Nights 2 was developed by Obsidian Studios,
featuring a lot of the same creators as Torment. Whilst Neverwinter Nights 2 is
fairly pedestrian from a storytelling standpoint, it does present everything you’d
expect to find in a CRPG with some unique twists. The companions in the game
are well-designed and the major selling point is that you eventually are given
a keep to supervise, upgrade, and defend in an extremely memorable climax.
Alas, the otherwise unremarkable story and the perplexing ending keep this game
from succeeding wildly.
What did I learn from True CRPGs? The right voice can turn a
good character into an unforgettable character. Exploration gameplay and
storytelling does not have to be linear. RPGs can turn your world upside-down
and change your perception (Torment!). The nature of a man can change through
belief (more Torment!). Classic fantasy RPG tropes can form the foundation for
truly epic stories and intense game experiences. Music and sound are vital to
the experience of a CRPG. Challenge beliefs, change expectations, and you can
create something beautiful.
The Console Era
Starting in the mid-to-late 2000’s, CRPGs moved primarily
into handhelds and consoles. With this move came an increase in technology and
the ability of the game to convey information, primarily through visual means.
This stripped away some of the verbosity from CRPGs – where before, a crucial
conversation could involve multiple pages of text, it was now resolved with
just a few sentences. Storytelling remains strong in console CRPGs, but the
focus has shifted again, lifting visuals and gameplay experience more into
focus.
The Sith Triumvirate of KOTOR II are some of my favorite villains ever.
The Knights of the Old Republic series is probably the first
and most heralded of the console CRPGs. In my personal opinion, I credit KOTOR
1 and 2 for saving Star Wars after the truly atrocious prequels nearly
destroyed any interest I had in the IP. KOTOR (once again created by many of
the same minds behind Baldur’s Gate and Torment) paved the way for even more
advanced CRPGs to come from Bioware. The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series
(with the unfortunate exception of Mass Effect 3) were both excellent game
franchises that capitalized on all the strengths of the genre. Mass Effect and
Dragon Age returned some of the depth in the form of in-universe journal
entries and informational packets, helping to build some very strong worlds,
organizations, and characters that have made an undeniable mark on the genre.
A very underrated CRPG is Alpha Protocol, a CRPG that goes
into a rarely-entered subgenre of espionage action. If you’ve ever been a fan
of James Bond or Jack Bauer, make sure to give this game a try.
A scene from Alpha Protocol. The game features about a
half-dozen ways to get around those guards, from direct combat to
smooth talking to stealth.
Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas helped to cement this era
with open-world gameplay and a very “sandboxed” approach that contrasted nicely
with Bioware’s much more linear designs. Both games are very good, but New
Vegas really pushes the envelope with its amazingly innovative DLC designs.
In addition, no mention of console CRPGs would be complete
without discussing the surprise smash hit of 2011, Skyrim. This entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise made a huge splash into the gaming market and
introduced a whole new generation to fantastic, open-world gameplay linked with
stunning environments and excellent level design. So far, the only thing I can
critique about Skyrim is that its DLC is very lacking, especially compared to
Fallout: New Vegas.
One special note here is the Shadowrun SNES game from 1993 is one of the earliest console CRPGs that I remember... and it was very, very good.
What did I learn from the Console Era? Meaningful choice as the centerpiece of a game
is a powerful tool. Concise textual design can get the main ideas across
without requiring a player to read multiple pages. Memorable climactic moments
can turn a good game into a great one. The importance of creating a good, solid
ending to a CRPG cannot be overstated. Building a character’s story over
multiple games in the same line can launch a legend.
Death is a badass. In Darksiders II, you get to play Death. Seems like it would sell itself, right?
A special mention I’d like to make here is for Darksiders
II. Whilst Darksiders II is an “action RPG” and is definitely further towards
the action side of that scale, it is a fine RPG and features design and writing
work from yours truly.
Into the Future
For diehard CRPG fans like myself, the future is actually
looking very good. Wasteland 2, Project Eternity, and Baldur’s Gate
Enhanced Edition are on their way to completion from some very good teams in
the industry, and they promise to bring back much of the “True CRPG era”
strengths to new technology like the ipad whilst leveraging more modern design
principles. The success of Skyrim, Mass Effect, and Fallout 3 have bolstered
the role of CRPGs in the marketplace, and the upcoming Dragon Age III promises
to build on that legacy of quality. I, for one, am very optimistic about what’s
coming soon for CRPGs and I hope that the genre continues to build momentum
long after today.
In Conclusion
This blog post has been all about my experiences and
memories of CRPGs – what are some of yours? No doubt there are a lot of folks
who will point out some games I missed along the way, so don’t hesitate to make
a comment below!
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