My Top 20 Role Playing Games

A RPG allows the video game player to choose his/her character and play them at their own speed. Unlike most action games where you have to keep pace with the game speed, in a RPG you can take your time and develop your characters as you see fit. If you would like to stick around and fight enemies in a particular area for 5 hours, the game will not stop you or force you to go through a different scenario.

There are a couple main differences between role playing games and other action or adventure games. RPGs typically involve parties or groups of characters fighting together to achieve a commonly goal or to defeat an enemy. Most other games are a single player that you control throughout the entire game. Typically your party will consist of 2-6 characters with one main character. It's rare that the game is played without a main character or general storyline because role playing games are all about the story. Many of the characters have an unique trait or ability that helps them aid the main character in achieving their goal. Your main character may be a wizard and though he is great with magic and can cast fireballs and ice spells he may not be able to revive himself very easily. Adding another player who can revive your main character would help you along on your quest. Same goes if your character is a warrior and is strong but can not preform magic to cast devastating spells against your opposition.

Some RPGs go through the whole game with only one character but that character is able to acquire a lot of different abilities, spells, and can be customized in a variety of ways. You are usually asked to pick a class of character such as an Amazon, Barbarian, Wizard, Elf, Ogre, etc before you start the video game. Each class has it's own unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Having different classes makes some of these games replay value increase because playing with a wizard is far different than playing as an ogre. There's no perfect character and there is limitless ways to play the game because the storyline may be non linear. There is typically a lot of party customization that will allow you to play the video game in a variety of different ways.

This is another large difference between role playing games and action or adventure games. The storyline is very complex and well thought out. There can be multiple different story lines depending on how many characters you have in your party or the different scenarios you choose throughout the game.

Role playing games can have a variety of different story lines. Some deal with family issues, war, politics, romance, and failure. Whatever the endless storyline is, an RPG is sure to deliver a complex character and backstory.

You can make your character whatever you want him/her to be. Whether you want an agile elf or a big bulky warrior you can go through the video game storyline however you please. There are typically limitless variations of stats points, utilities, or upgrades that can be done to your character through various missions, fighting, and interactions with people.

Role playing video games typically have a large map of all of the towns you have visited or can visit. There are usually several towns, caves, towers, woods, dungeons, and other places of interest that you can go to. You are able to move about freely from one place to the next and you can buy/sell weapons, armor, potions, spells, artifacts, books, etc. for gold/money.

Unlike other adventure games, in a role playing game when you kill the monsters they will regenerate unless it's a main boss character. This provides the player limitless monsters to kill for experience points or XP. Experience points are what help your character level up. I'll explain it in detail a little later.

Most other games are limited in weapon selections and don't offer armor or other protection. In RPGs you have character statistics such as hit points (life/health), magic points (spells/abilities), strength, vitality, dexterity, charisma, constitution, wisdom, intelligence, money (gil/gold), experience points, levels. All of these stats affect the way your character handles in battle. Some RPGs allow you to completely design your character. Choosing job, race, facial features, abilities/traits all can go a long way towards making your character you.

Definition Terms:

Life/Hit Points (HP): The amount of life your character has before he or she is dead. Usually the warrior classes have higher HP than those of wizard type classes.

Mana/Magic Points (MP): This is the overall amount of points you can use towards casting spells either on your characters or against an enemy in battle.

Experience points (XP): This is the amount of experience you gain from fighting battles that allows your character to level higher. The more fights you win the more experience fighting you have. The harder or more advanced the enemy, usually the more experience you receive after battle.

Stat Points: The points your receive after leveling your character up. These can usually be distributed among many different categories (i.e. strength, agility, magic power, dexterity, vitality, wisdom, etc.)

JRPG: These are all of the role playing games made in Japan. Until recently, most JRPGs were turn based battle systems and involved random encounters. (i.e. battles you could not avoid because you could not see the enemy as it approached.) JRPG story lines are generally fairly linear in style. Go here. Do this. Go there. Do that. JRPGs also give you character backgrounds. Why your party members are joining you in your struggle to save the world. Examples are: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona, Shin Megami Tensi, Suikoden.

WRPG: This is the label applied to nearly every other RPG style out there. Western Role Playing Games are usually action based combat or real time. In most WRPGs you have non-linear stories. There is usually no character history/development as you create your own hero from scratch. Determining not only what your hero looks like, but his abilities and job class (Warrior, Mage, Thief are the common jobs). WRPGs are also quest heavy which lends a lighter feeling to the story line. Examples are: Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath.

ARPG: Action Role Playing Games. These are generally referred to as hack'n slash games or button mashers. Like WRPGs the battles take place in a real time format. ARPGs are combinations of JRPGs and WRPGs. Most have more in depth stories including character development and linear gameplay. Examples are: Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, FFVII: Crisis Core, Ys: Ark of Napishtim.

SRPG: Strategy Role Playing Games. Also referred to as Tactical RPGs. The combat in these are grid based. You are usually able to recruit/hire an 'army' of characters with various skills. The grids usually contain a number of elements which will affect gameplay. Lakes, ponds, hills, lava, rocks all have an impact on how far your character can move in a turn. These are turn based like the JRPGs. Examples are: Jeanne D'Arc, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, Dungeons & Dragons Tactics, Disgaea.

MMORPG: Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game. Usually referred to as MMOs. These RPGs are played online only and usually require a monthly fee. The combat is live action. Some have heavy story lines that can be followed by the player while others are quest heavy. All MMOs are quest heavy. Basically you talk to a Non Player Character who will ask you to do something for them. In return you can earn money, fame, items, weapons, armor or spells. A hard drive is required for installation. MMOs are very social games. Meaning you can meet many players from all across the country or world. Playstation 3 examples would be: FFXI & Everquest Online Adventures. Xbox 360 also has many Multi-Player Online Games.