Question of the Day, Feb. 21, 2010

[Tonimata]

First vote, how special. To note, I believe they're adventure games myself. In my head it cannot be an rpg without some small measure of stat crunching.

But this is perhaps the DnD nerd in me speaking.

Or perhaps it is the official definition of RPG since the Final Fantasy series started, or perhaps even before that. Zelda is a very elaborate adventure game, and this elaboration is exactly what makes them so absolutely grand. Strip them of this elaboration and they're hardly any better than any run-of-the-mill point-and-click adventure games. In fact, the DS ones WERE essentially point and click!

So, yeah, Adventure games. And damn good ones.

 

[TOGSolid]

Wait, who said they were RPGs in the first place?

The only people who insist they're RPGs are the idiot fans that don't even know what a RPG is. They've been billed as action-adventure games by Nintendo since they were released and any time you look Zelda up on a review site, or wiki, etc. it's listed as an action-adventure game.

 

[JoGribbs]

No. They're Action/ Adventure games.

I guess now that RPG elements have seeped into every other genre imaginable it's becoming hard to tell, but no, Zelda is not an RPG.

 

[Klepa]

Any game could in that sense then be an RPG. You're Mario in Mario games, set in Mario land(whatever it's called) trying to rescue the princess from Bowser.

I don't consider Zelda games to be RPG. There's no consistent leveling or skilling system.. You can't effect the storyline, you can't create your own character. You can, for some reason, rename Link, but I've got no idea why. It's clearly Link, it's the same character, you can't change him in any way.

 

[RanD00M]

They're more in the Adventure/Action genre.More so then the RPG section.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

Zelda is an action adventure game, and as so many people have already mentioned the reasons, I think it would be superfluous...

 

[stonethered]

Action adventure game. RPG would require some form of leveling; Zelda's closest equivalent is getting a new sword.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

It's pretty simple. If you don't level up it's not an rpg. You can have levelling and not be an rpg but you cannot be an rpg and not have levelling. Zelda does not have levelling (except Zelda 2, as many have said), therefore it is not an rpg.

 

[Ghonzor]

I feel they are more Adventure games.
You can't roleplay as the character. You will always be Link.
And you have no controllable attributes as per normal in an RPG.

 

[Guttural Engagement]

The Zelda games are often referred to as RPG's; as the players have some choice in storyline and choice in armor/weapons - but ultimately the Zelda games are NOT RPG's. They are, in plain hard fact; Adventure Games.

But they're PWNAGE adventure games, so they deserve a better title than 'Adventure Game'; thus making them RPG classifiable.

 

[mattttherman3]

I prefer to think of them as action adventure games.

 

[duchaked]

umm definitely not an outright RPG
besides, I got into LoZ way more than most RPGs as of late
the only RPG I've really really gotten into has been FF7 (working on Mass Effect, tho Oblivion never appealed to me)

 

[aakibar]

no its not an rpg there are no choices, you HAVE to save the princess you can't just walk off and do something else. So no its not an rpg

 

[Lukeje]

Yes, but only because `RPG' actually has no meaning, and most games can be classified as RPGs. However, if anyone tried to claim it as a `JRPG' or a `WRPG', then that would obviously be incorrect (with the exception of Zelda II of course).

 

[Lord Krunk]

It's more action-adventure than anything else, even considering how broad the genre is.

 

[gigastrike]

Action, adventure, puzzle-solving, and some shooter in newer entries, but no stats or any real choice of what role you play.

 

[Spirultima]

Anyone who said "Its not an RPG" is curling themselves into a ball, rocking themselves slowly while constantly but quietly chanting "Its not an RPG, its not an RPG, its not an RPG" then tries to get away from the question by playing Modern Warfare 2.

So, I guess games like Beyond Good and Evil are roleplaying games, because you collect items and roleplay Jade, and Rayman games are roleplaying games too since you collect powers, shiny balls of light and you roleplay Rayman himself.

...Are you insane?

Ok i may like your DP, BUT doesn't mean to say im not going to prove your wrong. So as you stated above, you are roleplaying as Jade and Rayman, techniqually MW2 is also an RPG, hell even Alien Vs. Predator is RPG. Why you ask? Because your playing as someone your not.

 

[knhirt]

If the Zelda series count as RPGs, then the Metroid series also do. Both games have upgrade-able weaponry, used to access new zones. Both series have expandable life-bars. Both games have bosses Both games have you play a clearly defined character, who is mute. In the newer installations of Metroid, you even converse with NPCs.

I don't see anyone arguing that Metroid is an RPG-series.

 

[chronolos]

I never considered it any Zelda game an RPG. I would describe it as more of an adventure, or action adventure game.