The Authentic RPG and its Tragic Demise
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The trouble is that the majority of RPGs are being attracted to a more action-focused design, one that emphasizes flashy combat and downplays role-playing. And Mass Effect's brand of gameplay, love it or loathe it, is leading the charge in the industry. Take all the hullabaloo concerning Dragon Age II for example (if you count a relatively minor fraction of perturbed Dragon Age fans to count as hullabaloo). The sequel to Bioware's award-winning fantasy RPG is adopting the dialogue wheel and voice acted character ideas, forcing the player into the role of a hero named Hawke and claiming to be more (surprise!) action-oriented this time around. Bioware's first venture into the MMORPG, The Old Republic, is on-board for similar changes as well.Thanks, RPGWatch.
It's not just Bioware, though: bunches of other RPGs lean heavily towards such tendencies these days, including Fallout, Fable, Gothic and even Dungeons and Dragons itself. The recently announced Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim seems to be the last beacon of hope for the deeper side of RPGs, but even that series is light on character interaction. It would appear that an already too-small gathering of games has dwindled to an amount just shy of zero.
I have nothing against linear plots, fast-paced combat, or voice acted characters, but I do believe that the imagination of players is underestimated. I don't care to play as Shepard, I'd rather not spend time with Hawke, and if I end up having to travel through Skyrim as a pre-designed hero, I might have to kill someone with a blunt object. Player freedom is more than just making critical choices during moments of truth; it should also include playing the role you want to play. Looking back at the olden pen and paper days paints a very different picture than the current state of RPGs, and I can't say that I'm entirely pleased with the changes. It's perfectly possible that I'll enjoy the quality games that are coming out, freedom or no freedom, but if I can't conquer the quest of Dragon Age II as Dorrdarrakk the Dwarf Lord, it just won't be the same.
