{"id":91490,"date":"2025-02-27T01:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T01:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/27\/elden-ring-is-definitely-not-an-rpg-a-kotaku-debate\/"},"modified":"2025-02-27T01:09:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T01:09:14","slug":"elden-ring-is-definitely-not-an-rpg-a-kotaku-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/27\/elden-ring-is-definitely-not-an-rpg-a-kotaku-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Elden Ring Is Definitely Not An RPG: A Kotaku Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"


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What is a role-playing game? You probably have your own definition and exceptions. And as you might expect, nearly everyone at Kotaku <\/em>has thoughts and opinions on what is and isn\u2019t an RPG. For example, some think Elden Ring is an RPG. Others disagree strongly. And then some think the idea of categorizing games via genre is a waste of time. <\/p>\n

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6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This is how the RPG\/genre debate went among Kotaku<\/em> staffers earlier this morning in Slack. This chat has been lightly edited and formatted. <\/p>\n

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Kenneth Shepard:<\/strong> Thinking about the five best RPGS from the last decade. My current picks are<\/p>\n

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  • Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em><\/li>\n
  • Persona 5 Royal<\/em><\/li>\n
  • Disco Elysium<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Those are my locks, I think. Does anyone have any suggestions for the other two?<\/p>\n

    Zachary Zwiezen: <\/strong>Witcher 3<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Carolyn Petit:<\/strong> Don\u2019t think Witcher 3 <\/em>makes the cutoff.<\/p>\n

    Ken: <\/strong>I think it would be by a hair. It\u2019s early 2015, right?<\/p>\n

    Zack<\/strong>: Yeah, May 2015<\/p>\n

    John Walker: <\/strong>Divinity: Original Sin 2.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong> Elden Ring <\/em>and Bloodborne<\/em> are both contenders as well.<\/p>\n

    John<\/strong>: Soulslikes aren\u2019t RPGs, and I will die on this hill.<\/p>\n

    Ken<\/strong>: Damn.<\/p>\n

    Zack<\/strong>: I say it\u2019s an RPG! Live your life.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> Then all games <\/em>are RPGs. They\u2019re action-adventures.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> I mean EVERYTHING is basically an RPG action-adventure game these days.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> If you include Elden Ring <\/em>then you have to include Horizon Zero Dawn,<\/em> and that way madness lies.<\/p>\n

    Caro: <\/strong>Soulslikes are definitely RPGs. Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em> is an action-adventure game. <\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> NOOOOOOOooooooooooo!<\/p>\n

    Caro:<\/strong> I\u2019m afraid so.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Welp, there you go. At least we figured this out.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> This is why every game has every tag on Steam now. [Sad face emoji]<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> What is an RPG is a blog, I think.<\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong> A VGchat is happening before our eyes…<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> We should do two blogs.<\/p>\n

    -Of Course, Elden Ring<\/em> Is An RPG<\/p>\n

    And then like an hour later:<\/p>\n

    -No, Elden Ring<\/em> Isn\u2019t An RPG<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> Yes!<\/p>\n

    Caro: <\/strong>Like, Dark Souls\/Elden Ring<\/em>, etc are not even subtle, they are RPG-ass RPGs, with all kinds of stat minutiae. <\/p>\n

    Ethan Gach: <\/strong>You have levels and stats. D&D has like five elements, anything with at least 2 of them qualifies. <\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> So Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em> counts!<\/p>\n

    Ethan Gach<\/strong>: Yes.<\/p>\n

    Caro:<\/strong> No.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> I mean, personally, I gave up on trying to actually define RPGs as every definition either cut out games that are def RPGs or included everything.<\/p>\n

    Ethan:<\/strong> Dialogue choices, Quests, and XP. <\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Because, yes, Horizon <\/em>would be an RPG by that definition. It has all of that.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> It\u2019s very simple. Everyone just asks me, and I decide.<\/p>\n

    Ethan: <\/strong>Call of Duty <\/em>only has XP.<\/p>\n

    Zack: <\/strong>New Call of Duty<\/em> games have dialogue options…<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> But given this, should Kenneth\u2019s list not include Tears of the Kingdom<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Carolyn Petit:<\/strong> No, that\u2019s definitely not an RPG, it\u2019s an action-adventure.<\/p>\n

    Ethan: <\/strong>All adventures have action. Not all action is an adventure.<\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>Haha, I think Carolyn has already implemented the \u201cYou just ask me\u201d rule, but is trying to hide it.<\/p>\n

    Zack: <\/strong>That\u2019s my rule with RPGs. I\u2019ll know it when I see it, etc.<\/p>\n

    Carolyn Petit: <\/strong>Well to me an \u201cadventure\u201d game is Monkey Island.<\/em><\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>Yes!<\/p>\n

    Caro: <\/strong>Hence why I call these action adventures.<\/p>\n

    Ethan Gach: <\/strong>Adventure game = ZzzZzz<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Damn.<\/p>\n

    Carolyn Petit:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    <\/p>\n

    Gif: Columbia Pictures \/ Kotaku<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/figure>\n

    John Walker: <\/strong>I was about to say that the death of \u201cadventure\u201d as a meaningful genre has devastated me. And now even \u201cpoint and click\u201d doesn\u2019t mean anything, because every cunt on Steam thinks this means \u201cgame with cursor.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Caro: <\/strong>I think adventure games are okay these days. We got the Crimson Diamond<\/em> last year, we\u2019re getting Kathy Rain 2<\/em> this year. <\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>Oh no, they\u2019re great. But everyone calls EVERYTHING \u201cadventure\u201d now. To the point where it doesn\u2019t mean anything.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> What would be an \u201caction\u201d game? Not action adventure, but just action.<\/p>\n

    Caro:<\/strong> Vanquish <\/em>is an action game.<\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong> Damn what if I threw a curveball and said Pokemon Legends: Arceus, like an absolute mark.<\/p>\n

    Ethan: <\/strong>Remember when you clicked on things governed by arbitrary logic in order to get story pellets dispensed like a rat being jerked around a maze?<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> Ethan, go to your room.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> I love pixel hunts and mashing every item I have onto something in the desperate hopes of moving forward.<\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>Zack, join him.<\/p>\n

    Caro:<\/strong> Every genre has bad games in it.<\/p>\n

    Zack: <\/strong>RPG has a lot of bad games in it as it has everything in it these days. As we\u2019ve established concretely in this discussion.<\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>(Also, Carolyn, don\u2019t forget Old Skies<\/em> comes out soon!)<\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong> Or what if I said Cyberpunk 2077 <\/em>is one of the best RPGS of the decade like an equally huge mark.<\/p>\n

    Zack: <\/strong>That\u2019s an RPG!<\/p>\n

    Carolyn: <\/strong>I mean you can make that argument! It\u2019s not one I\u2019d agree with but you can make it.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Oh I didn\u2019t realize there was any debate about it.<\/p>\n

    Caro: <\/strong>Oh I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s not an RPG, I\u2019m saying it\u2019s not a good one.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Ah, well, I agree with that. Lol. <\/p>\n

    Ethan: <\/strong>It\u2019s an immersive open-world shooter.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> Divinity Original Sin 2<\/em> and Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em> are definitely the two best RPGs of the last decade.<\/p>\n

    Ethan: <\/strong>Well until May the only answer is Witcher 3.<\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>Proper RPGs, not any of your bloody boss-fighting bullshit action games.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> CRPGS is the term you are looking for grumpy man.<\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> Oh, because these others aren\u2019t running on computers? <\/p>\n

    Ethan<\/strong>: Vampire Survivors<\/em> is an RPG.<\/p>\n

    Ken: <\/strong>Yeah, Divinity Original Sin 2<\/em> is one of the best of the decade. <\/p>\n

    Caro:<\/strong> Nah, Pillars of Eternity<\/em> is way better than Divinity Original Sin 2. <\/em><\/p>\n

    John:<\/strong> I forgot Pillars<\/em>! I don\u2019t think it\u2019s way better, but it\u2019s bloody wonderful.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> After all that lol I ask: What actually makes an RPG an RPG?<\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong> It\u2019s not an RPG if it doesn\u2019t let me kiss a man or manage an inventory. Sometimes both.<\/p>\n

    John: <\/strong>An RPG is a game in which I create a character by choosing class and skills (whether pre-named or otherwise) then explore a narrative by taking on quests, combating foes, and choosing my own path through the storyline. Also someone at some point says \u201cforsooth.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Ethan:<\/strong> An RPG must do at least two of the following: let me make narrative choices, go on quests, customize my character, include some sort of skill checks, or make the numbers go up. Elden Ring<\/em> nails all five. Also, it\u2019s got dragons. <\/p>\n

    Ken:<\/strong>\u00a0Bloodborne <\/em>is on my list next to Baldur\u2019s Gate 3, Persona 5 Royal, and Disco Elysium. <\/em>As contentious as that game\u2019s categorization sounds now lmao.<\/p>\n

    Zack:<\/strong> Live your truth. Genres are just another example of humanity trying to organize everything in its never-ending and futile struggle to control the universe.<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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