Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Mars: War Logs brings the resistance back to RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/mars-war-logs-brings-the-resistance-back-to-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/mars-war-logs-brings-the-resistance-back-to-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/mars-war-logs-brings-the-resistance-back-to-rpgs/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Join the resistance, and make roleplaying games better!
I probably wouldn't have noticed Mars: War Logs except for the PR email I received which included a line about how it had been influenced by the French film "Army Of Shadows." This piqued my curiosity for two reasons: first, it seems utterly astonishing to me that a game would advertise itself as being based on a 45-year-old foreign film that was buried for decades due to its politics. Second, after I discovered it via a feature on cult films, I watched it and enjoyed it, and have come to cite it as an excellent example of one of my favorite types of narrative: the resistance story.

Role-playing games have a long and storied association with resistance stories. Many of the classic JRPGs of the 1990s began with the premise that an evil empire or corporation was taking over the world (and probably awakening an ancient evil), and only you and your ragtag band of spiky-haired misfits could stop it. Final Fantasy 6's Returners and Final Fantasy 7's Avalanche were two of the most famous resistance groups of their era, but they weren't alone. The Suikoden games, The Secret Of Mana, Wild Arms, and Grandia all had the equivalent of evil empires of their own. It's not limited to that era and type: there are also modern JRPGs like Radiant Historia, as well as classic PC RPGs like Ultima 5, Ultima 7 and The Magic Candle 2.

Continue reading Mars: War Logs brings the resistance back to RPGs

JoystiqMars: War Logs brings the resistance back to RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 May 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Focus-Home-Interactivemars-war-logsmicrosoftOpinionpcplaystationps3SpidersWestern-RPGsxboxFri, 03 May 2013 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Total War: Arena's ongoing quest to reshape competitive strategy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/total-war-arena-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/total-war-arena-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/25/total-war-arena-preview/#comments Creative Assembly has a good thing going with its Total War franchise. For seven games now, it's been remarkable successful at combining real-time tactics and turn-based strategy, making money and consistently expanding its studio. Their next game, Rome 2: Total War, a sequel to the most beloved game in the franchise, is as close to a sure thing as exists in the game industry. But the game after that? That's Total War: Arena, announced at the Game Developers Conference, and it's a major risk, one with even greater potential reward.

Create Assembly has enough confidence in its games and its audience that the reveal wasn't a movie or demo of the game. Instead, it used a set of abstract illustrations to demonstrate its ideas for Arena. A few of these examples used Rome 2 assets, and that game will provide the initial base for Arena, but it wasn't graphics that were announced.

Total War: Arena will be an online battle between teams of a maximum of ten players apiece, with the individual players controlling up to three units. It will be free-to-play, with in-game experience and currency used to upgrade your units or purchase new ones. The monetization scheme will be based on purchasing "accelerators" which will help you gain experience and/or currency quicker, as opposed to pay-to-win or gated content.

Continue reading Total War: Arena's ongoing quest to reshape competitive strategy

JoystiqTotal War: Arena's ongoing quest to reshape competitive strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcthe-creative-assemblytotal-wartotal-war-arenaThu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Two new indie RPGs tackle the genre's history, but only one succeeds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/two-new-indie-rpgs-tackle-the-genres-history-but-only-one-succ/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/two-new-indie-rpgs-tackle-the-genres-history-but-only-one-succ/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/two-new-indie-rpgs-tackle-the-genres-history-but-only-one-succ/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Two new indie RPGs are about the genre's history, but only one succeeds
If there's one thing that would improve the role-playing genre, it would be a stronger indie community. The biggest blockbuster RPGs are doing quite well these days, but indies are less common for a variety of reasons.

Two recent RPG releases, Evoland and Driftmoon (above), each demonstrate a common focus for indie games: playing with the genre and its history. We've seen this in the side-scrolling platformer. Super Meat Boy's love of the past is visible in its title, and the game itself reveled in the past by stripping the genre down to core tests of speed and difficulty. Braid was a subversion as much as a celebration - it took the division of mechanics and story, typical of so many platformers starting with Super Mario Bros., and found a way to marry the two with the theme of regret and the player's ability to turn back time.

Both Evoland and Driftmoon (the former available on GOG and Steam, the latter on GOG and in the Greenlight process) are likewise firmly engaged with the history of role-playing games, but they come at it from different directions. Evoland is overt about its relationship to genre history, making it a core part of the game's structure.

Continue reading Two new indie RPGs tackle the genre's history, but only one succeeds

JoystiqTwo new indie RPGs tackle the genre's history, but only one succeeds originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Grandia: How a forgotten JRPG solved the problem of repetitive combat]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/grandia-how-a-forgotten-jrpg-solved-the-problem-of-repetitive-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/grandia-how-a-forgotten-jrpg-solved-the-problem-of-repetitive-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/12/grandia-how-a-forgotten-jrpg-solved-the-problem-of-repetitive-c/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which primarily focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. This week, however, Rowan focuses on a forgotten JRPG: Grandia.

Grandia How a forgotten JRPG solved the problem of repetitive combat
One of the core issues facing most role-playing games is how they deal with repetitive combat. Since RPGs tend to be so much longer than normal games, with a wider scope, it's much more difficult for them to create unique battles like a shorter action game can. So RPGs tend to have constant, similar, repetitive fights. These are often derided by players and critics under umbrella terms like "random battles," "grinding," or in massively multiplayer games, "trash."

Yet RPGs need those regular battles to keep the games interesting. With rare exceptions, the player skills are unlikely to be tested in terms of skill outside of combat, and most RPG stories depend on violence and its consequences. This makes combat an integral component of the pacing of RPGs. Successful RPGs tend to strike a balance between combat, exploration, and storytelling. When one of those three part is left unchecked, the game can become boring - and it's usually excessive repetitive fighting that's the issue.

For decades now, RPGs have attempted to make their regular battles more interesting, and less likely to be described as trash or grinding. Japanese RPGs have historically tended to experiment with different combat forms more aggressively than their Western counterparts. Some games, like the Suikoden series, tries to avoid the combat issue by making combat smooth and unobtrusive, as I wrote about in a prior column. But not every RPG can, or should, de-emphasize combat. When combat works, even in common random battles, it can be the best part of an RPG. How can RPGs avoid having combat be too repetitive and meaningless?

Continue reading Grandia: How a forgotten JRPG solved the problem of repetitive combat

JoystiqGrandia: How a forgotten JRPG solved the problem of repetitive combat originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Game-ArtsgrandiaJRPGOpinionplaystationps3PSXSCEAUbisoftFri, 12 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Remembering the life and legend of LucasArts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/remembering-the-life-and-legend-of-lucasarts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/remembering-the-life-and-legend-of-lucasarts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/remembering-the-life-and-legend-of-lucasarts/#comments Life, death and legend of LucasArtsLucasArts has become one with the Force. The venerable studio and publisher was shuttered by owner Disney yesterday, halting production on its games, including Star Wars 1313. Though the amount of content coming from the studio had been drastically reduced over the last few years - well before Disney acquired Lucasfilm in October 2012 - LucasArts was a beloved studio finding success in multiple decades.

But what made LucasArts games so special?

Although LucasArts may be best known for its Star Wars games - starting as the gaming branch of Lucasfilm, George Lucas' production company - the developer's biggest successes in the 1980s were point-and-click adventure games. The classic Maniac Mansion, released in 1987, introduced the SCUMM engine, that would provide the model for most of their two-dimensional adventure games (including several Indiana Jones games, Loom, Day Of The Tentacle, and The Dig).

It has a very familiar look to a certain type of gamer: a collection of verbs like "Look at" or "Open" on the bottom of the screen, and bright inventory. It looks somewhat ungainly now, but at the time it was a revolutionary step toward mouse-based interfaces and away from text adventures that forced players to type in all actions.

Continue reading Remembering the life and legend of LucasArts

JoystiqRemembering the life and legend of LucasArts originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DisneyLucasArtsThu, 04 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rome 2 looks to continue building Total War's empire]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rome-2-looks-to-continue-building-total-wars-empire/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rome-2-looks-to-continue-building-total-wars-empire/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/rome-2-looks-to-continue-building-total-wars-empire/#comments Rome 2 looks to continue building Total War's empireShowing off a strategy game like Total War: Rome 2 at a convention can't be easy. With only so much time to show off to the awaiting journalists, games have to rely on spectacle. Yet the greatness of Total War derives from longer play sessions. There, the series' two halves - tactical battlefields and grand strategic decisions - work in harmony. Those moments are impossible to achieve in a single gameplay demonstration, but developer Creative Assembly still has to make that attempt, which it did, with the historical Battle of Teutoburg Forest.

The most notable part of the demonstration was that the game's graphics are fantastic, but that's also the least surprising aspect of a new Total War game. After all, the Total War series has taken major leaps forward in graphics ever since its inception over a decade ago. 2011's Shogun 2 may still look great, but Rome 2 appears to surpass it. The background geography, like the trees, cliffs, and marshes look particularly detailed, while the soldiers had a slightly grittier, less cartoonish look than their samurai counterparts.

It was left to a question and answer session after the demo with three of Rome 2's developers to understand what might make this installment particularly interesting. Much of what they said indicated that they understood the series' flaws and were actively working to fix them. Although not directly stated, many of their statements implied a move away from micromanagement, the bane of Total War and many other strategy games.

Gallery: Total War: Rome 2 (10/4/12)

Continue reading Rome 2 looks to continue building Total War's empire

JoystiqRome 2 looks to continue building Total War's empire originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Creative-AssemblyGDC-2013pcSegatotal-war-rome-2Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mass Effect 3's 'Citadel' DLC demonstrates the franchise's messy, wonderful soul]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/mass-effect-3s-citadel-dlc-demonstrates-the-franchises-messy/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/mass-effect-3s-citadel-dlc-demonstrates-the-franchises-messy/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/mass-effect-3s-citadel-dlc-demonstrates-the-franchises-messy/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Mass Effect 3's 'Citadel' DLC demonstrates the franchise's messy, wonderful soul
One of the reasons that the Mass Effect series has been one of the most-discussed franchises of the generation is because the games are many different things to many different people. They're science-fiction epics. They're cover-based shooters. They're dating sims. They're long-term serialized stories. They're slowly wandering through cities in space, engaging in long conversations. They're tough battles against overwhelming odds.

The core divide is between the self-serious saga of Shepard versus the Reapers that the franchise attempts to convey, and the entertaining - if slightly goofy - glorious mess that some perceive it to be. The final story-based expansion for the series, the recently-released 'Citadel' add-on, demonstrates how big that divide can be and then it bridges the gap.

Gallery: Mass Effect 3 - Citadel

Continue reading Mass Effect 3's 'Citadel' DLC demonstrates the franchise's messy, wonderful soul

JoystiqMass Effect 3's 'Citadel' DLC demonstrates the franchise's messy, wonderful soul originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWareDLCDownloadable-ContentEAElectronic-Artsmass-effect-3microsoftOpinionpcplaystationps3xboxWed, 20 Mar 2013 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Revisiting Reckoning: How Kingdoms of Amalur got the single-player MMORPG right]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/revisiting-reckoning-how-kingdoms-of-amalur-got-the-single-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/revisiting-reckoning-how-kingdoms-of-amalur-got-the-single-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/revisiting-reckoning-how-kingdoms-of-amalur-got-the-single-play/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Revisiting Reckoning How Kingdoms of Amalur gets the singleplayer MMORPG right
Recently, I decided to play Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in remembrance of its one-year anniversary this past February, knowing I'd have to contend with two things that dominated discussion about the game: the politics and failures behind the 38 Studios disaster and dealing with a game I had been warned was filled with fantasy nonsense names and detailed lore - a model of storytelling I find quite annoying. But when I finally played Reckoning, I was surprised to learn how much I enjoyed it. I had an instant gut reaction to the game's beauty. It reminded me of the best times I'd spent in massively multiplayer role-playing games, and that was totally unexpected.

My first character in World of Warcraft, the MMORPG that consumed most of my time with the genre, was a Night Elf starting on the island of Teldrassil. What I remember of that first character's journey wasn't tied to game mechanics, player interaction or even narrative, it was the feel of that starting zone. I remember the lush setting, trees with a slightly exotic, magical tinge, luxurious purples and greens, the seemingly perpetual twilight, the hints of corruption and danger, and the music hinting at all of those things and the history of the Night Elves. Indeed, most of my best experiences while playing WoW solo took place in those verdant, corrupted provinces, with Feralas probably my favorite of the old world.

I didn't expect to ever have the same feeling again, but Reckoning delivered.

Gallery: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (7/28/11)

Continue reading Revisiting Reckoning: How Kingdoms of Amalur got the single-player MMORPG right

JoystiqRevisiting Reckoning: How Kingdoms of Amalur got the single-player MMORPG right originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-StudiosBig-Huge-GamesEAElectronic-Artskingdoms-of-amalur-reckoningmicrosoftOpinionpcplaystationps3Western-RPGsxboxFri, 08 Mar 2013 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Fantasy strategy-RPGs and the limits of 'RPG elements']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/fantasy-strategy-rpgs-and-the-limits-of-rpg-elements/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/fantasy-strategy-rpgs-and-the-limits-of-rpg-elements/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/22/fantasy-strategy-rpgs-and-the-limits-of-rpg-elements/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Fantasy strategyRPGs and the limits of 'RPG elements'
In theory, fantasy strategy games should be my favorite kinds of games. I am certainly a fan of the fantasy genre generally, and role-playing games and strategy games are my favorite game genres. Fantasy strategy games combine all of those elements, so they should be a guaranteed success, right? And yet they're not my favorite games. I enjoy them, certainly, but if I were making a list of my all-time favorites, they wouldn't show up toward the top. Examining the subgenre as a whole makes me realize that combining RPGs and strategy games is part of the problem. Too many good things doesn't necessarily lead to great things.

Elemental: War Of Magic was supposed to be the ultimate fantasy strategy game. It was supposed to combine the best of RPGs with the best of strategy games with an impressive fantasy setting. Ultimately it was crushed under the weight of its own ideas and egos, went through a disastrous development cycle and launched as a broken disappointment.

Continue reading Fantasy strategy-RPGs and the limits of 'RPG elements'

JoystiqFantasy strategy-RPGs and the limits of 'RPG elements' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>elemental-fallen-enchantressOpinionStardockWestern-RPGsFri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Alpha Protocol is the new Deus Ex]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/alpha-protocol-is-the-new-deus-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/alpha-protocol-is-the-new-deus-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/08/alpha-protocol-is-the-new-deus-ex/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Alpha Protocol is the new Deus Ex
Alpha Protocol is the new Deus Ex. This may seem like a strong statement, given the original Deus Ex's regard as an all-time great, but that wasn't always the case. Time has been very kind to it, and Alpha Protocol seems perfectly positioned to undergo a similar process. Both games' weaknesses are transparent, and both games' strengths point toward the future of video games.

When Deus Ex was released a little over a decade ago, I remember reading a review in Computer Gaming World, which gave it 3.5 stars out of 5. CGW justified that score by pointing out glaring flaws with Deus Ex, primarily its ugly graphics and pathetic artificial intelligence. I remember that review specifically because, a month or two later, they printed a letter to the editor that said roughly "I was going to get angry because I obsessed about the game for two weeks, but as I started writing I realized your criticisms were entirely valid." This, to me, strikes at the very core of what makes a cult classic: a general, all-encompassing analysis may find obvious flaws that prevent full-throated praise, but for those who can forgive those flaws, the strengths aren't done better anywhere else.

Gallery: Alpha Protocol

Continue reading Alpha Protocol is the new Deus Ex

JoystiqAlpha Protocol is the new Deus Ex originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alpha-ProtocolmicrosoftObsidian-Entertainmentplaystationps3rowan-kaiserSegawrpgxboxFri, 08 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[When sports and role-playing games collide]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/when-sports-and-role-playing-games-collide/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/when-sports-and-role-playing-games-collide/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/when-sports-and-role-playing-games-collide/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

When sports and roleplaying games collide
I'm in a tense conflict. My party of five characters faces off against another. The battle is balanced on the edge. I see a slight opening and make my move, pressing the X button and hoping that my attack succeeds. My character charges at the enemy, with his attacking stats and the enemy's defensive stats seeming to be in rough balance, which tends to favor the defender. But wait! My character has the "Finisher" perk, which gives him a 30% bonus in situations like these! That's enough for a critical hit, which gives me a massive advantage in this tense confrontation. It's a layup and foul, allowing me to take the lead in my NBA 2K13 game. But it also feels like an RPG.

That nebulous feeling of similarity to RPGs isn't one I've had with basketball games before, going back 25 years to Omni-Play Basketball. But I get that feeling here, with NBA 2K13, because, in an odd way, it aims for a realistic presentation. It wants to look and feel like real basketball. But there's a lot of difference between the intensely physical real-world sport of basketball, and the abstract form of a video game. Compromises have to be made.

Continue reading When sports and role-playing games collide

JoystiqWhen sports and role-playing games collide originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionFri, 01 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Publish those numbers! Why RPGs must be transparent about their mechanics]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/publish-those-numbers-why-rpgs-must-be-transparent-about-their/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/publish-those-numbers-why-rpgs-must-be-transparent-about-their/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/25/publish-those-numbers-why-rpgs-must-be-transparent-about-their/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

The debate about what makes a "real" role-playing game flares up from time to time, with articles, comment threads, or message boards torn up about whether a Mass Effect or a Skyrim deserves to be treated as a true RPG. The arguments about these games tend to hinge on them being too action-oriented, or not offering enough customization. Turned on their side slightly, though, I think these arguments reveal a core value of the genre: RPGs are built on transparent, simplified abstractions of complex real-world concepts. How role-playing games have dealt with and continue to deal with transparent abstraction defines the genre in many ways.

Most all games abstract some manner of real-world behavior. Press the jump button in a game that allows it, and it'll make your character leap into the air in an animated approximation of how humans jump, but that's usually it - the rest of the jump has more to do with the needs of the game's level design than anything else. Even those aspects that aren't real, like casting magical spells, have consistent in-game rules, which often abstract other concepts, like a mage theoretically chanting magical words in a way irrelevant to the player.

What separates RPGs from most other genres in terms of abstraction is the style's origins in pencil-and-paper games. You want to punch an orc? You can punch that orc, but game rules simple enough to work with a couple of die need to exist in order to make that orc-punching workable for a group of people playing a game. Players need to know what the numbers are in order to make informed decisions. So you have things like 'strength statistics,' 'unarmed damage skills,' 'orc hit points,' 'dexterity rolls,' and so on. Shifting to the computer may have allowed these mechanics to be calculated faster as well as potentially more complex. But critically, even though those mechanics could have been masked, RPGs generally kept the numbers transparent and public.

Continue reading Publish those numbers! Why RPGs must be transparent about their mechanics

JoystiqPublish those numbers! Why RPGs must be transparent about their mechanics originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionWestern-RPGsFri, 25 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[For the love of leveling]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/for-the-love-of-leveling/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/for-the-love-of-leveling/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/for-the-love-of-leveling/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

For The Love Of Leveling
I gained one thousand seven hundred and twenty-one levels in the last year. Around the end of 2011, fellow game writer and RPG fan Phil Kollar asked his Twitter followers how many levels they thought they'd gained over the course of the year. The idea of calculating my progress seemed fascinating and throughout 2012 I decided to keep track of my earned levels.

The levels were earned from a variety of different sources. Some levels came easily: I played two BioWare games, for example, both games have a large casts of characters and 30 or 40 levels to gain. Allies in those games gain levels alongside the protagonist, so if those characters ever made it into my rotation, I counted each level. Some levels were more difficult to earn: the post-30 levels in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch, when repetition, lack of motivation, and some nasty bugs slowed my progress and eventually drove me away. Some games featured both: In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim my pyromaniac mage torched her way through 15 levels easily, but upgrading to fireballs in the game's odd skill system brought her leveling to a screeching halt.

Continue reading For the love of leveling

JoystiqFor the love of leveling originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionWestern-RPGsFri, 18 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[2012: the year in RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/2012-the-year-in-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/2012-the-year-in-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/21/2012-the-year-in-rpgs/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

2012 the year in RPGs
What a fun, odd year it's been for role-playing games. The genre in theory is looking as good as it has for over a decade. In practice? The year was light on pure RPGs, even as aspects of role-playing spread to many of the year's best. Still, (almost) every month saw something interesting happen in the world of western RPGs, so let's look back, shall we?

Continue reading 2012: the year in RPGs

Joystiq2012: the year in RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012-in-reviewpcrowan-kaiserrpgFri, 21 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Waiter, waiter! There's an RPG in my FPS!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/waiter-waiter-theres-an-rpg-in-my-fps/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/waiter-waiter-theres-an-rpg-in-my-fps/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/waiter-waiter-theres-an-rpg-in-my-fps/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

Waiter, waiter! There's an RPG in my FPS!
It would be easy to say that many of today's first-person shooters are more RPG-like than ever before. Between the Borderlands franchise, Dead Island and the recent Far Cry 3, several high-profile FPS games have included quests, experience points, and skill trees. The mix seems like a great match - first-person shooters are built around perspective and interface, whereas role-playing games rely more on mechanics and statistics. Nothing says they can't go together.

Indeed, they traditionally have gone together. Many RPGs during the 1980s and into the 1990s used the first-person perspective for dungeons or the entire game, although it was usually tile-based (you moved forward, sideways, or backward one large step at a time). In the early 1990s, there was a race between the shooter Wolfenstein 3D and the RPG Ultima Underworld to become the first free-movement first-person game. As the FPS genre became increasingly popular, deviations from simple shooting became more common, like Strife, a game that used the Doom engine but added non-player characters and branching quest lines involving player choice, or Jedi Knight, which included Force skills to develop.

At the end of the 1990s, the superb Deus Ex managed to fuse both role-playing games and first-person shooters into a coherent whole. This wasn't an RPG with shooter bits, nor was it a shooter with RPG elements; it was both genres, in their totality, together at once. This was a neat trick, and one that hasn't really been duplicated, not even by Deus Ex's sequels.

Continue reading Waiter, waiter! There's an RPG in my FPS!

JoystiqWaiter, waiter! There's an RPG in my FPS! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionWestern-RPGsFri, 14 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How Morrowind and KOTOR defined modern RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/how-morrowind-and-kotor-defined-modern-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/how-morrowind-and-kotor-defined-modern-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/07/how-morrowind-and-kotor-defined-modern-rpgs/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

How Morrowind and KOTOR defined modern RPGs
In the early 2000s, two Western role-playing games grabbed the genre and shoved it into new and surprisingly popular directions. Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) and BioWare's Knights Of The Old Republic (2003) modernized RPGs' technology, expanded the audience, and created the two most popular models for the genre moving forward.

Before these two games were released, the term Computer Role-Playing Game (CRPG) was commonly used to describe the games in this column. Ultima, Wizardry, Fallout, Baldur's Gate, these all came out on computers (at least initially), with DOS/Windows becoming the computer platform of choice as the decade progressed. But Morrowind and KOTOR were designed and released for the Xbox - and they succeeded there. The realm of console RPGs was opened to very different styles of game from the Final Fantasies which had dominated. This successful move opened entirely new modes of money-making, allowing BioWare and Bethesda to become some of the biggest developers in gaming overall.

Continue reading How Morrowind and KOTOR defined modern RPGs

JoystiqHow Morrowind and KOTOR defined modern RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>morrowindpcrowan-kaiserrpgstar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republicwrpgFri, 07 Dec 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Struggling with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim one year later]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/struggling-with-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-one-year-later/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/struggling-with-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-one-year-later/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/struggling-with-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-one-year-later/#comments This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. This week Rowan explores the one-year anniversary of Skyrim, a game that - despite critical and commercial success, including a 5-star review from Joystiq - he still can't get a good handle on.

Skyrim's birthday love is easy acceptance is hard
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hit the first anniversary of its 2011 release this month. Despite a year's worth of play, criticism, mods, and add-ons, I still don't have a good handle on Skyrim in its entirety. It's a game that I'm happy to have played, and recommend highly to anyone who might enjoy it and can afford it. But it's also a game that I give up on fairly quickly, every time I start a new character.

The reason I want Skyrim to hold my interest is because I have a strong, positive gut reaction to much of what Skyrim does. Some of my favorite occasions in games occur when you come to an overlook and catch a moment of sheer beauty. When you wander into a snow-covered town and the music gently plays in the background. When game systems combine and something new emerges from what had been previously predictable. In these moments the experience feels just right. Moments like this help to enhance the experience, unfolding into something grand.

And Skyrim is full of these occasions. Bethesda's latest title in the longstanding franchise has the relative beauty of Ultima VII, the magic of Daggerfall, and the emergent narrative of Far Cry 2. I get sequences in Skyrim where I'm faced with an impending dragon attack, introducing a beast much too powerful for my character. Worried about my survival, I duck into a tomb for safety only to be greeted by the most powerful undead adversary I've yet to meet. Stuck between both, and at the edge of a cliff, I fall and hope to catch tiny ledges on my way down. If I survive, the music calms and I can limp into town to lick my wounds and consider my next step.

Continue reading Struggling with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim one year later

JoystiqStruggling with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim one year later originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bethesda-Game-Studioselder-scrolls-5microsoftOpinionpcplaystationps3skyrimthe-elder-scrolls-v-skyrimxboxFri, 30 Nov 2012 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The future of the Western role-playing game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-future-of-the-western-role-playing-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-future-of-the-western-role-playing-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/the-future-of-the-western-role-playing-game/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
The future of the Western roleplaying game
Here in November, we're nearing the end of the current console generation, as the Wii U kicks off the next gen by replacing the Wii. That particular change may not affect western RPG fans - then again, with Mass Effect heading to the Wii U, it may - but it does mean that it may be worth thinking about what the future holds for role-playing games. Even for those of us who are PC gamers, console generations still work well as historical markers. The era of Diablo and Baldur's Gate evolved into The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, for example.

I am not anticipating immense changes, for two reasons. First, RPGs are more resistant to change than most other genres. Second, as a general historical rule, I tend to bet on "things staying roughly the same" over "things changing dramatically" unless there's reason to believe otherwise. And right now, I don't think there is. Video game tech seems to be getting shinier, faster, and smaller, but I don't see anything potentially disruptive in the way that CD storage was on the horizon. Moreover, I'd say that in general, the pace of change has slowed. Today's games are closer in looks and play than to KOTOR and Morrowind than those were to Ultima VII and Arena roughly a decade before.

This doesn't mean that there won't be changes - I'm much happier with RPGs today than I was during the early 2000s - but rather, that they won't necessarily be technological changes. Still, there are some trends that I expect to see continue, or falter.

Continue reading The future of the Western role-playing game

JoystiqThe future of the Western role-playing game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionWester-RPGsFri, 16 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Kickstarting (and not Greenlighting) traditional RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/29/kickstarting-and-not-greenlighting-traditional-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/29/kickstarting-and-not-greenlighting-traditional-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/29/kickstarting-and-not-greenlighting-traditional-rpgs/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Kickstarting and not Greenlighting traditional RPGs
The rise of indie gaming has been fantastic for platformers, good for adventures and strategy games, great for puzzlers, but not exactly a windfall for role-playing games. There are certainly some out there, but RPGs don't have the level of variety that the genres I listed above do.

We can see how this manifests thanks to the rise of crowdsourced, publicized successes and failures. Two of these have garnered a great deal of attention so far this year: Kickstarter (and other similar ventures, like Indiegogo) and Steam's Greenlight. The former has had plenty of press, and this writer is certainly excited to see the end results of Wasteland 2 and Project Eternity, as well as Shaker (when it comes back) and the currently-campaigning pseudo-sequel to the Quest For Glory games, Hero U: Rogue To Redemption. But these high-profile funding campaigns are notable because of their profile - they're RPGs made by people with expertise and previous success in the genre. It's rare (but certainly not unheard of) to see this kind of single-player, epic, story-driven quest outside of blockbuster games.

Continue reading Kickstarting (and not Greenlighting) traditional RPGs

JoystiqKickstarting (and not Greenlighting) traditional RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kickstartermacpcrowan-kaisersteam-greenlightMon, 29 Oct 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How RPGs colonized some of 2012's best games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/how-rpgs-colonized-some-of-2012s-best-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/how-rpgs-colonized-some-of-2012s-best-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/how-rpgs-colonized-some-of-2012s-best-games/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
2012 may not be remembered as a fantastic year for pure western role-playing games (especially without a Skyrim to sweep the end-of-year awards) but it's been a great year for me as a video game fan. Why? Because many of the "best games of the year" may not be RPGs, but they've adapted some of the best components of RPGs to become stronger games.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown, for example, is one of the best-received games of 2012, due in part to its use of RPG mechanics. Tactics games are often associated with RPGs (especially Japanese-style tactics games) but the connection isn't always so concrete with "western" games. For example, I don't really qualify the original X-COM: UFO Defense as an RPG, due to its too-large squads filled with personality-free squaddies, whereas Jagged Alliance 2 certainly fit the mold.

XCOM tweaks the initial game's form in ways that align with traditional role-playing games. The squad size is limited to 4-6 characters, traditional RPG numbers, and only having one base means you rarely need large numbers of squaddies - I never had more than 15 at once, and even that was high due to playing on "Classic" difficulty. It also slightly decreases the importance of the strategic decision-making level, putting the focus on the characters in the field.

Continue reading How RPGs colonized some of 2012's best games

JoystiqHow RPGs colonized some of 2012's best games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2K-GamesFiraxis-GamesmicrosoftOpinionpcplaystationps3Subset-GamesTelltale-GamesThe-Walking-DeadxboxXCOM-Enemy-UnknownFri, 19 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How Torchlight 2 gets character progression so right]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/how-torchlight-2-gets-character-progression-so-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/how-torchlight-2-gets-character-progression-so-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/how-torchlight-2-gets-character-progression-so-right/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
How Torchlight II gets character progression oh so right
Here's the moment I realized I loved Torchlight 2: It's the screenshot right above this. This is an Engineer. He's actually my second engineer, and probably the sixth or seventh character I made - although most of the others had only been played for a few minutes. In this case, I created him because my previous main character, around level 40, was running into extreme, frustrating difficulty in the third act. He was also intended to be used primarily in multiplayer, built upon the Engineer's more supportive skill tree (Construction) for which hand cannons are the ideal weapon.

Then I bought him a helmet that looked like a mask, and I realized: I'd just made a Big Daddy from BioShock. And playing my Big Daddy was some of the most fun I'd ever had in an action RPG.

Aesthetically, it's good to look at. It's not just the excellent paper doll effects, it's also the way the Engineer carries the cannon and the recoil when firing. I actually found the original Torchlight's aesthetics off-putting, but tweaks in setting, tone, and graphics did just enough that my distaste turned to enjoyment. While that's a necessary component of what made me enjoy my 'Construction' Engineer, it's not the most important aspect.

Gallery: Torchlight 2

Continue reading How Torchlight 2 gets character progression so right

JoystiqHow Torchlight 2 gets character progression so right originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macOpinionpcRunic-Gamestorchlight-2Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[What gives role-playing games their longevity?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/05/what-gives-role-playing-games-their-longevity/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/05/what-gives-role-playing-games-their-longevity/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/05/what-gives-role-playing-games-their-longevity/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Ask an RPG fan for a recommendation, and you are perhaps as likely to hear about a game that's a decade old as you would a recent release. That's because role-playing games can stand the test of time. Take a look at GOG.com's best-selling games, and the first eight are all RPGs, with many more filling out the top parts of the list. It would seem that with most other genres, there's an assumption that a newer game is a better game - unless there's some kind of terrible design choice. What makes role-playing games specifically have such long-term value?

The strong stories in role-playing games are one major reason for their longevity. Alongside adventure games, RPGs have long been at the forefront of storytelling innovations within the medium. And a story isn't going to become outdated. I may prefer Ultima VII's or Mass Effect 2's interfaces and graphics to Ultima VI and the first Mass Effect, but I find the storytelling more appealing in the chronologically earlier games. Improved technology can't make this obsolete.

Continue reading What gives role-playing games their longevity?

JoystiqWhat gives role-playing games their longevity? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionpcWestern-RPGsFri, 05 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[What makes a classic RPG? Everything!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/what-makes-a-classic-rpg-everything/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/what-makes-a-classic-rpg-everything/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/what-makes-a-classic-rpg-everything/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
What makes a classic RPG Everything!
In the past few weeks, I've noticed a few different sources that have used isometric perspective as an indicator of classic role-playing games. First, GOG.com advertised the new throwback RPG Inquisitor by saying it was "true to the isometric roots of classic PC gaming." Then Obsidian's Project Eternity Kickstarter heralded its isometric perspective regularly.

I found this focus on perspective to be a little confusing. Certainly I love Diablo and Fallout and other isometric RPGs, but the genre has such variety in it that focusing single components seems narrow. But what if I was wrong? What if classic RPGs actually are almost all isometric, or turn-based, or story-driven, or open-world? What if there isn't that much variety after all?

So I decided to test my theory that classic RPGs come in a variety of flavors. I made a list of the most important and famous western, non-massively multiplayer role-playing games - which spanned 50 titles. Then I looked at the components that usually distinguish RPGs from one another: perspective, combat style, complexity of character development, story importance, whether there are puzzles, geography, and how the game provides the character(s) you control. What I found is that the RPG genre is not easily categorized. What I found was a genre filled of diverse titles.

Continue reading What makes a classic RPG? Everything!

JoystiqWhat makes a classic RPG? Everything! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>opinionpcWestern-RPGsFri, 21 Sep 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Time, space and Guild Wars 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Time, space and Guild Wars 2
I suppose that people wouldn't complain about massively multiplayer RPGs all seeming the same if they didn't all have the same perspective, interface, combat system, and progression models, to name just a few things (there are many, many more). Yet I think the most important similarity is in how MMRPGs all use time and space - what you spend your time doing and where it happens. It seems that no matter the game in the genre, you spend roughly the same amount of time questing, walking, fighting, or crafting in similar places - this is part of why The Secret World's investigation quests felt so fresh.

Compare the lack of variety on these terms with first-person shooters, and it's easy to see that MMRPGs (with the exception of EVE Online) lack variety in their rhythm. It doesn't have to be this way. There's no conceptual reason why many persistent worlds have to be notable only for how much it deviates from models set by game such as EverQuest and World Of Warcraft.

Guild Wars 2 doesn't change the common perspective, interface, etc., making it look and play much like just about everything else in the genre. However, in terms of time and space, and how accessible (both in the literal and metaphorical sense of the word) it is. It's a dramatic shift for the genre. Guild Wars 2 makes traveling easy.

Gallery: Guild Wars 2 (2/20/12)

Continue reading Time, space and Guild Wars 2

JoystiqTime, space and Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetGuild-Wars-2NCSoftpcFri, 14 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[RPG combat: Tanks, threat and aggro, oh my]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/tanks-threat-and-aggro-oh-my/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/tanks-threat-and-aggro-oh-my/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/tanks-threat-and-aggro-oh-my/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
On the surface, the last 10 years of role-playing games have not been momentous. Skyrim looks much more like Morrowind than Morrowind did Arena; Diablo 3 fits comfortably in the mold established by Diablo 2; there's a direct line from Knights Of The Old Republic to Dragon Age; and massively multiplayer role-playing games are still judged by how much they deviate from Everquest and World Of Warcraft. This is not to say that there haven't been changes. Certain narrative techniques, like moral choices for example, have been well-documented.

But there's a major mechanical shift going in role-playing games that doesn't get much attention. One of the core components of RPG combat - how enemies choose to attack different characters - is being reshaped. There isn't necessarily a single term for it yet; it encompasses the concepts of "tanking," "aggro," and "threat." All of these combine for a shift in how players manage enemy attacks.

Continue reading RPG combat: Tanks, threat and aggro, oh my

JoystiqRPG combat: Tanks, threat and aggro, oh my originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aggropcrpgtankWed, 12 Sep 2012 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Dragon Age 2 is one of the most controversial role-playing games of recent years. Highly anticipated after the successes of BioWare's previous two games, Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, it was released to strong sales and initially positive reviews. Yet it didn't take long before there was both fan and critical backlash to the game. What seemed like an unambiguously promising release turned into a lightning rod, and Dragon Age 2 went missing from many Game Of The Year lists. On the other hand, I noticed a small but extremely devoted cadre of fans, including some people who loved it so much that they immediately replayed it, four or five times, touching no other games for months.

So it was with both trepidation and excitement that I finally approached Dragon Age 2, as I missed it on initial release and then was warned off of it afterward. Having finally played it, I can see what the fuss was about, both good and bad. Dragon Age 2 almost demanded to be controversial thanks to its structure. In a genre filled with narratively complete, balanced games, DA2 ambitions push it in less balanced and incomplete directions. That's risky.

Gallery: Dragon Age 2 (2/8/2011)

Continue reading The controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2

JoystiqThe controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecolumnDragon-Age-2microsoftOpinionpcplaystationps3rowan-kaiserrpgwrpgxboxFri, 31 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gold Boxes for a Golden Age of RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/24/gold-boxes-for-a-golden-age-of-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/24/gold-boxes-for-a-golden-age-of-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/24/gold-boxes-for-a-golden-age-of-rpgs/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Gold Boxes for a Golden Age of RPGs
Strategic Simulations Inc.'s "Gold Box" series of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games were one of the biggest franchises of the Western RPG's heyday, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. SSI broke into the top tier of computer role-playing game publishers by making effective use of their AD&D license with Pool of Radiance (1988) and its sequel, Curse of the Azure Bonds (1989). Their "Gold Box" game engine became one of the most prevalent within the genre, with around a dozen games in the series being released between 1988 and 1993.

All of the Gold Box games look and play in essentially the same fashion. You roll a party of six characters. Most of the games have overland maps, on which the party is merely a square traveling between cities and dungeons, but the bulk of the game's exploration takes place in dungeons in a first-person perspective. The bulk of a Gold Box game takes place in combat, on a tactical grid. More than most other RPGs of the era, the Gold Box games focus on the details of their tactical combat. A single battle can be quick, or larger battles can take up to an hour. Space and movement are important considerations in combat, unlike Wizardry or Might & Magic. For example, if your character is standing next to an enemy and then moves away, the enemy gets a free opportunity attack.

Continue reading Gold Boxes for a Golden Age of RPGs

JoystiqGold Boxes for a Golden Age of RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Gold-BoxOpinionpcStrategic-Simulations-IncFri, 24 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Remember Dragon Age: Origins or 'How to keep a good RPG going']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/remember-dragon-age-origins-or-how-to-keep-a-good-rpg-going/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/remember-dragon-age-origins-or-how-to-keep-a-good-rpg-going/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/10/remember-dragon-age-origins-or-how-to-keep-a-good-rpg-going/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Remembering Dragon Age Origins or how to keep an RPG going
With The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's first expansion being released on multiple platforms as well as Mass Effect 3's first single-player add-on announced, it's been a busy week for the biggest role-playing games in recent months. Yet, my reaction to each piece of news was quite different, despite my similar feelings about both games. Hearing that I could finally play "Dawnguard" on my PC got me excited that there'd be more Skyrim when I got to it, because that was a game about exploring and finding new things. Mass Effect 3's "Leviathan," on the other hand, held no appeal for me. The entire third game was an emotional ending (although not always inspiring good emotions). Maybe I'd get excited doing another quest built into the middle of the game if I ran a new Shepard through all three games, but there's no appeal for me now.

I spent last weekend playing the Dragon Age: Origins expansions, which I'd left on my hard drive for far too long following the completion of the initial game. As I worked on my "Awakening" and pressed through more of Dragon Age's add-ons, the difference in form crystallized in my head. Role-playing games have specific issues to deal with involving add-on content, and by trying a wide variety of different strategies, Dragon Age: Origins demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of those plans.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (Retail Expansion)

Continue reading Remember Dragon Age: Origins or 'How to keep a good RPG going'

JoystiqRemember Dragon Age: Origins or 'How to keep a good RPG going' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DLCDownloadable-Contentdragon-age-originsmicrosoftOpinionpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 10 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Grinding' and its relationship with the RPG genre]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/grinding-and-its-relationship-with-the-rpg-genre/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/grinding-and-its-relationship-with-the-rpg-genre/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/grinding-and-its-relationship-with-the-rpg-genre/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
In Praise Of Grinding
Let's talk grinding. No, not how college students awkwardly demonstrate affection for one another at parties. No, I mean that thing that role-playing games do that's bad. The one that makes people not like RPGs. That kind of grinding. Like the "daily grind" except for video games.

Except that I'm not sure which games have grinding.

This makes it difficult when I talk to people about what kinds of RPGs they like or dislike, especially when they want recommendations. The specter of "grinding," of playing an RPG but being forced to do something that's considered bad, hangs over the genre like a cursed dagger. People want to play RPGs, sure, but they don't want to play the ones that force them to do something over and over again. This of course begs the question: what is grinding?

Continue reading 'Grinding' and its relationship with the RPG genre

Joystiq'Grinding' and its relationship with the RPG genre originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>opinionSun, 05 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3's long-term planning failures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/diablo-3s-long-term-planning-failures/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/diablo-3s-long-term-planning-failures/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/diablo-3s-long-term-planning-failures/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
The more I read about, think about, and play Diablo 3 at high levels, the more baffled I am by some of developer Blizzard Entertainment's decisions. An examination of the design of Diablo 3, when combined with the company's public statements on the project, indicate confusion over the goals of Diablo 3, as if there was no conceptual development of Diablo 3 as an overall experience.

Not having been present when decisions were made, I can't speak to the reasons behind Blizzard's choices. But however they were made, those choices have manifested in distinct, negative ways - which should have been easily predicted, yet oddly weren't.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (10/21/11)

Continue reading Diablo 3's long-term planning failures

JoystiqDiablo 3's long-term planning failures originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Diablo-3macOpinionpcrowan-kaiserFri, 27 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[An RPG fan's guide to the Steam Sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/20/an-rpg-fans-guide-to-the-steam-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/20/an-rpg-fans-guide-to-the-steam-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/20/an-rpg-fans-guide-to-the-steam-sale/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
An RPG fan's guide to the Steam Sale
It's the most wonderful time of the year to be a PC gamer: the Steam Summer Sale! For those of us who are fans of Western/PC RPGs, this is a chance to get some of the best games available for prices that ought to make console fans jealous.

This column is going up toward the end of the sale, so some of the best prices for some may have come and gone, but between the voting, the flash sales, and the fact that Steam usually uses the last day or so to repeat some of the biggest sales, it's possible to get the best prices again even if you missed the first round.

Continue reading An RPG fan's guide to the Steam Sale

JoystiqAn RPG fan's guide to the Steam Sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcrowan-kaiserrpgsteamsteam-summer-salesteam-summer-sale-2012wrpgFri, 20 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Can Ultima Forever be a worthy entry in the legendary series?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/can-ultima-forever-be-a-worthy-entry-in-the-legendary-series/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/can-ultima-forever-be-a-worthy-entry-in-the-legendary-series/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/13/can-ultima-forever-be-a-worthy-entry-in-the-legendary-series/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
If there's any video game on the planet that demands a remake, it's Ultima IV: Quest Of The Avatar. As arguably the most important title in what I still believe is certainly the most historically important series in video game history, it's something that deserves to be played by as many people as possible.

Yet the years have not been kind to Ultima IV. Unlike certain other games commonly cited as "needing" remakes, Ultima IV comes from an era before in-game tutorials and before the mouse had achieved market saturation. It is, unfortunately, just out of the range of accessible for many, regardless of its reputation.

So when I first heard about Ultima Forever, I was cautiously optimistic. Perhaps a respectful remake could maintain the core of the story while appealing to a much wider audience. Of course what that "core" is may be different things to different people. For me, the core of Ultima IV is the combination of open-world mechanics, conversational freedom, and its rigid morality system. These aspects of the game work together to make Ultima IV an exploration of the world, its inhabitants, and one's self - which, at the time, also meant an examination of the player's relationship with computer games as a whole. Yes, it really was that special.

Continue reading Can Ultima Forever be a worthy entry in the legendary series?

JoystiqCan Ultima Forever be a worthy entry in the legendary series? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioware-mythicfree-to-playOpinionpcrowan-kaiserultima-4ultima-4-quest-of-the-avatarUltima-ForeverFri, 13 Jul 2012 21:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Voice acting in RPGs may be more trouble than it's worth]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/06/voice-acting-in-rpgs-may-be-more-trouble-than-its-worth/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/06/voice-acting-in-rpgs-may-be-more-trouble-than-its-worth/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/06/voice-acting-in-rpgs-may-be-more-trouble-than-its-worth/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Voice acting in RPGs may be more trouble than it's worth
Jennifer Hale, Nolan North and Troy Baker, among others, have become video game celebrities for their voice acting - deservedly so, given how entertaining they can be as characters like Commander Shepard or Nathan Drake. Recorded speech has become a significant component of most all games, notably RPGs, having grown steadily since the shift to CD-ROM games in the mid-1990s. Yet their importance isn't always apparent.

I, for one, didn't realize their impact on games until just a year or two ago, when I commented on game designer Brenda Brathwaite's blog about how an RPG could be done cheaper and faster without many modern components, which included recorded speech. Brathwaite responded specifically to the voice acting component, saying that once her company started making RPGs with voice acting, they discovered that their writing and editing process had to be completed well in advance of what they were used to, with the actor's recording of his or her lines "baking" the narrative section in place much earlier than normal.

"Great ideas were left sitting on the bench because the time to record them (or render graphics) wasn't available," she said in her reply.

Continue reading Voice acting in RPGs may be more trouble than it's worth

JoystiqVoice acting in RPGs may be more trouble than it's worth originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chris-avellonemicrosoftnintendoOpinionpcplaystationps3rowan-kaiserwii-uwrpgxboxFri, 06 Jul 2012 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA[It's all too much: Why Mass Effect 3's Extended Cut ending can't possibly fix everything]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/its-all-too-much-why-mass-effect-3s-extended-cut-ending-cant/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/its-all-too-much-why-mass-effect-3s-extended-cut-ending-cant/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/29/its-all-too-much-why-mass-effect-3s-extended-cut-ending-cant/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
BioWare's free response to the Mass Effect 3 ending hoopla, the "Extended Cut" add-on, was released this week. In many ways, it acts as a direct response to the most common criticisms of the ending. If your primary problems were that the ending choices weren't properly explained beforehand, or that it was unclear what happened to the universe and the specific characters after the climax, the "Extended Cut" will be a notable improvement. But it doesn't actually change the quality of the ending, it just adds more content.

(Obviously, spoilers for the Mass Effect series follow.)

Continue reading It's all too much: Why Mass Effect 3's Extended Cut ending can't possibly fix everything

JoystiqIt's all too much: Why Mass Effect 3's Extended Cut ending can't possibly fix everything originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>extended-cutmass-effect-3microsoftpcplaystationps3rowan-kaiserrpgxboxFri, 29 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Best class system in RPGs belongs to Wizardry VII]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/best-class-system-in-rpgs-belongs-to-wizardry-vii/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/best-class-system-in-rpgs-belongs-to-wizardry-vii/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/22/best-class-system-in-rpgs-belongs-to-wizardry-vii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Best class system in RPGs belongs to Wizardry VII
One of the defining characteristics of the role-playing genre is its class systems. Although not every RPG has classes - Fallout or The Witcher, for example - some tend to be notable for their lack of classes. In some games, class is a single, permanent decision at the beginning of your adventure, and in others it's something that can be manipulated throughout. In most cases, though, it is the single most important aspect in determining how your characters interact with the game world. Thieves sneak and back stab, fighters charge in and absorb damage, snipers shoot from a distance.

The most impressive class system I've seen in an RPG is in 1992's Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant (as well as its less well-known predecessor, Bane Of The Cosmic Forge). What initially appears to be a straightforward, rigid D&D-style system is given massive depth by two things: the importance of racial base stats in determining class, and a dynamic system that allows for both massive improvement and possible disaster. It's possibly the most in-depth system I've seen in any RPG, and one that I wish was more well-known.

Continue reading Best class system in RPGs belongs to Wizardry VII

JoystiqBest class system in RPGs belongs to Wizardry VII originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>OpinionpcWizardryFri, 22 Jun 2012 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Puzzle Quest: a role-playing gem]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/puzzle-quest-a-role-playing-gem/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/puzzle-quest-a-role-playing-gem/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/15/puzzle-quest-a-role-playing-gem/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Puzzle Quest a roleplaying gem
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords is one most inspiring role-playing games of recent years. It tends to fall out of the conversation compared to more traditional, big-budget fare like Skyrim, Dragon Age, The Witcher, or Fallout. But that's to be expected - big money means big marketing and more discussion. But while the blockbuster games can be great, but so can the surprising little games.

This is part of what made Puzzle Quest so exciting - there would have been no expectation that a small, (initially) handheld hybrid puzzle game would be something special. As an underdog story, it's compelling to see such a game have such success, spawning ports, sequels, and spinoffs. As a long-time PC gamer, I also enjoyed watching the world of Warlords III depicted in a surprising new fashion. And, of course, the game itself is excellent.

But those aren't the main reason that Puzzle Quest is worth examining for this column. That would be its combat system, a form of Bejeweled-style, "Match Three" puzzle gameplay. This use of puzzle-based, abstract combat created a new dimension of role-playing combat. Traditional models of tactical, or hybrid real-time/turn-based, or action-style systems didn't apply to Puzzle Quest. It was both something new, and, by following Bejeweled, something already respected and comfortable.

Gallery: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (XBLA)

Continue reading Puzzle Quest: a role-playing gem

JoystiqPuzzle Quest: a role-playing gem originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsiosipadiphonemicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationpspPuzzle-QuestsonyxboxFri, 15 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing with Diablo 3's paper dolls - and loving it]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/playing-with-diablo-3s-paper-dolls-and-loving-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/playing-with-diablo-3s-paper-dolls-and-loving-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/playing-with-diablo-3s-paper-dolls-and-loving-it/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Playing with Diablo III's paper dolls and loving it
It's the little things that push a game from good to great. Attention to detail is a big reason why Diablo 3 sold six million-plus copies in its first week. It's part of why Blizzard has one of the best reputations of any developer in gaming.

My favorite collection of "little things" in Diablo 3 are the "paper doll" effects. When your character equips new armor or weapons, they clearly show up on your avatar. New helm? Ooo, it's got a plume! New two-handed sword? Man, that sucker is big.

Continue reading Playing with Diablo 3's paper dolls - and loving it

JoystiqPlaying with Diablo 3's paper dolls - and loving it originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Diablo-3paper-dollpcrpgFri, 01 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/game-of-thrones-and-the-paradoxes-of-adaptation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/game-of-thrones-and-the-paradoxes-of-adaptation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/game-of-thrones-and-the-paradoxes-of-adaptation/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
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The role-playing game structure is, in many ways, built as an adaptation. What is Dungeons & Dragons if not an attempt to simulate Lord of the Rings? Many other role-playing systems, both tabletop and electronic, are built off of the D&D model, as well. And all you need to do is look at the elves, hobbits, orcs, and trolls of early and more modern RPGs to see the Lord of the Rings influence. It may not be a stretch to say that many early RPGs were attempts at playable novels.

Improvements in technology and more licensing meant that adaptations of different media, specifically film, have become more prominent over the course of game history. But adaptations can be difficult to execute successfully.

There are two major, though interconnected, issues for video game adaptations: authenticity and pacing. The Game of Thrones RPG from developer Cyanide struggles to deal with both, succeeding in some respects, while failing at others, as pointed out in the Joystiq review. It keeps pace with some older, competent adaptations like last generation's Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, but it falls well short of the very best adaptations, namely, Betrayal At Krondor.

Gallery: Game of Thrones (4/25/12)

Continue reading Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

JoystiqGame Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-game-of-thrones-rpggame-of-thrones-rpgmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 25 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The glory of Quest For Glory]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-glory-of-quest-for-glory/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-glory-of-quest-for-glory/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/the-glory-of-quest-for-glory/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Last week, when GOG.com announced that Quest For Glory was the newest addition to its collection, I was delighted. In fact, I'm not sure that there's a game series that could have induced as much joy. I think some others, like Wizardry or a collection of old SSI games, might have been better and more important, sure. But I have more love for Quest For Glory than those other games. I'm not the only one, either: The Quest For Glory games are great games, yes, but they're also special games.

Quest For Glory is a five-title series of adventure/role-playing hybrids, with the first release in 1989, and the last in 1998. They were published by Sierra - a company whose fate was recently detailed to Joystiq by Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe - and used similar interfaces and graphics as other adventures, such as King's Quest or Gabriel Knight, combined with combat systems that varied from game to game.

Being a genre hybrid is one of the surest ways to become a beloved game. Panzer General, Deus Ex, and Mass Effect are all crossover hits, thanks in part to combining role-playing with other genres. Quality hybrids manage to feel both fresh conceptually and comfortable to actually play, a winning combination.

Continue reading The glory of Quest For Glory

JoystiqThe glory of Quest For Glory originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcQuest-For-GlorySierrawestern-rpgsThu, 17 May 2012 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Freedom Force: Superhero role-playing done right]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/freedom-force-superhero-role-playing-done-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/freedom-force-superhero-role-playing-done-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/freedom-force-superhero-role-playing-done-right/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
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The Avengers' huge success in its first week of release may represent the pinnacle of the superhero takeover of mainstream culture. Superhero comics have long been comparable to video games' bigger brother, with many of the same criticisms and stereotypes and similar slow paths to respectability. There's always been a great deal of crossover between the two, especially in terms of games based on comics. Most of these were platformers or brawlers, and most, like licensed games generally, were mediocre at best - with a few exceptions.

Roleplaying games especially seemed to be a natural fit for superhero games. Both usually have origin stories, over-the-top villainy, straightforward morality and, most importantly, characters overcoming adversity by gaining more strength and greater power, with single characters or small party dynamics. There were a few attempts of varying success, like the simple RPG/adventure hybrid Superhero League Of Hoboken, but it still took until 2002 for a great superhero RPG to be released: Freedom Force.

Continue reading Freedom Force: Superhero role-playing done right

JoystiqFreedom Force: Superhero role-playing done right originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Freedom-ForceIrrational-Gamespcwestern-rpgsFri, 11 May 2012 19:30:00 EST