Summary
RPGs have solidified their place as titans of the game industry, evolving with each generation and drawing in more fans to the genre that at once was considered too niche for general audiences. The defining feature of RPGs is a form of progression. This can appear as character levels and XP points,skill treeswith new abilities, gear upgrades for tougher quests, and more.
With the growing popularity ofopen-world gamestaking the game industry by storm and the massive success ofSkyrimandThe Witcher 3bringing RPG to the forefront of the masses, many popular franchises would begin incorporating RPG mechanics into their games.
The original 2007Assassin’s Creedintroduced its iconic gameplay loop, which featured players free-running across urban rooftops orblending in with crowdsto get closer to targets, with different objectives from following and eavesdropping, to pickpocketing and assassination. These mechanics were refined and built upon with each new addition to the series.
Titles likeBlack FlagandSyndicatewould slowly add character progression to the franchise before 2017’sOriginsoverhauled the AC formula with a detailed skill tree and character leveling system. The overall mission structure still resembled its predecessors, but the RPG mechanics would remain in the series until 2023’sMiragereturned to its roots by removing XP-based progression.
God of Warbegan in 2005 as a hack-and-slash adventure series, where playersstep into the sandals of Kratosas he fights his way through a world of Ancient Greek legend, taking on the gods with his iconic Blades of Chaos. The titles were known for fast-paced gameplay with quick-time events and brutal animations, experimenting very little with this formula until 2018’s soft reboot.
Many years have passed and Kratos is a father now, having relocated to Midgard, where he must face the Norse Gods. The gameplay shares a lot with the original games, featuring action-packed sequences and fluid combat, but now there is XP-based progression and upgrades to weapons, armor, and abilities.
Far Cryis often the first series players think of when discussingsingle-player FPS games, with its position being solidified with the huge success ofFar Cry 3. The games have often included hunting in the open-world wilderness for upgrade materials and consumables to help in combat, but much more focus was placed on progression with 2019’sFar Cry New Dawn.
The game introduced XP progression and enemy level scaling, adding variety to the gameplay, and increasing the risk and reward of certain tasks and missions. The series would double down on these features inFar Cry 6, with more character and weapon progression, and a more detailed skill tree with distinct paths resembling RPG classes.
Mirror’s Edgewas released in 2008, introducing players to fluidparkour gameplayand the iconic lighting and visual style still celebrated today. It is a linear story following Faith, a courier who avoids surveillance, as she uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. The game was followed up by a reboot in 2016 withCatalyst, starring Faith in a similar but unconnected story.
Catalystincorporated RPG progression and a skill tree, with gear upgrades and unlockable traversal and combat abilities. It would no longer be linear, instead taking place on an open-world map for players to explore. Free running across the urban expanse of the now-named City of Glass would remain at the heart of its core gameplay.
Famous for its cinematic action gameplay with intense combat and thrilling platforming sequences,Unchartedremained a linearadventure titlefor most of its early entries, but would add light RPG mechanics in its fourth mainline entry,A Thief’s End, and solidify them in its follow-up,The Lost Legacy.
These titles would include a skill tree system with experience points unlocking new abilities, weapon attachments for different combat situations, and clothing with varying stat boosts thanks to a robust gear system. These changes were relatively well received, as the new features didn’t take away from the action-packed gameplay that fans were used to.
