What is an RPG/action RPG video game?

The RPG allows the player to embody a character that he will evolve throughout a great quest. The RPG, which is a historical genre in the world of gaming, is still as successful today as it has been able to reinvent itself.

Where does RPG come from?

RPG stands for “role-playing game” in English, or “role-playing game” in VF. This genre derives directly from tabletop role-playing games born in the 1970s, such as Dungeons and Dragons. The player embodies a character, which he/she creates and personalizes himself/herself, or who is a unique hero, depending on the game. The player leads his/her character through a quest and puts himself/herself in his/her shoes. An RPG includes several other characteristics, such as a large world, but also the evolution of the embodied character, often through points and experience trees.

The character also has an inventory. The goal of the player is to evolve his/her avatar as well as possible to make it more powerful and lead him/her to succeed in quests.

There are several types of RPGs, Western-style RPGs such as Skyrim or Fallout, and J-RPGs (Japanese role-playing games) such as Final Fantasy. Generally, RPGs tend to take place in fantasy, fantasy or sci-fi universes. The action RPG (Dark Souls, The Witcher, etc.) differs mainly in its gameplay: it is more dynamic and the fights will be in real-time.

Final Fantasy VII Remake - ©Square Enix

An RPG, how does it work?

The RPG and action RPG genres cover a wide selection of very varied games, both on consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) and on PC. If in the 1990s, turn-based combat was all the rage, recently real-time combat is used more. Some RPGs allow the player to embody a single character, as in Zelda or Skyrim, while others allow you to have a team or follow several characters.

Playing an RPG means immersing yourself in a long, fascinating story with many ramifications (the "side" quests), and where it is sometimes possible to decide the choices of your character and therefore the end of the game (as in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt or Cyberpunk 2077).

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild... — Image: Nintendo

The most iconic RPG/Action-RPG video games

RPGs have been very successful since the early 1990s. The genre was born in Japan: The Legend of Zelda series was one of the most popular, not to mention Final Fantasy, which popularized turn-based combat, or Secret of Mana. The RPG is a genre in which Nintendo excels: the Japanese firm is at the origin of many famous RPG franchises, like Pokémon, Xenoblade Chronicles, Chrono Trigger and Fire Emblem.

These series of video games are in perpetual evolution over the opuses. Enix has been renowned for decades for its RPGs that have left their mark on generations, from Final Fantasy to Dragon Quest to Kingdom Hearts. On the Western side, some RPG action games have had worldwide success: Fable, but above all two huge representatives that marked the 2010s, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The most cult RPGs

• Final Fantasy Games
• Fire Emblem games
• The Witcher games
• Dragon Quest games
• Pokemon games
• Zelda games
• Baldur's Gate games
• Fallout games
• persona games
• Elder Scrolls games
• Tales of games
• Dark Souls games
• Fable games
• Kingdom Hearts games

Final Fantasy VII Remake - Official Extended Release Date Gameplay Trailer | E3 2019