achus93again wrote:http://www.gamesradar.com/rpg-dead-long-live-rpg/
tl;dr
it talks about how 'true' RPG games are a dying genre, but how almost every game now has RPG 'elements'
kinda scary,
and i brought it here, since (almost)everyone's been saying that we need an RPG rep in the roster,
and we're at least getting one right? (Kat)
I have no problem with RPG hybrids. There are good ideas and bad ideas that are seen often in all genres, for all mediums of entertainment. Obnoxious things such as "raunchy" R-rated comedies and too many anime tropes/cliches in every JRPG after FF8 took the whole teen romance direction.
CalDW19940 wrote:
RPG hybrids have been around for years really, some good, some bad. It's not a bad thing if it mans mixing up another genre.
I doubt true RPG's like Pokemon or Elder Scrolls are ever going to die out but there way too many RPG makers that are just not sticking to what they know and keep making new RPG's that fans hate (Final Fantasy is becoming more like this)
Final Fantasy didn't necessarily lose because Square wasn't "sticking to what they know". Hell, that's what the series is all about, creating complete worlds and complete stories, each with their own rules and styles.
FFVI took a previously unseen steampunk approach, VII was modern industrial, and IX was a more Miyazaki/Disney steampunk ordeal.
VIII was the sign of strange choices to come. (Although, not necessarily bad.) Square took a step into the angsty, anime teen-drama direction. The setting change (Modern to post-modern) was fine but the story-telling cues and writing took a dip.
("You BIG Meanie!" "Shut-up, chicken-wuss!")
I think the real nail in the coffin was X-2. Say what you might about Final Fantasy X's voice acting, or poor primary protagonist. But a direct sequel to a FF game? Really, and now it's okay for XIII to do that? You spend 30 to 40 hours plowing to the end of a story to find it all come to a halt to take another grab at your wallet. That's downright offensive.
The thing is... due to the series self-contained nature, it can come back to glory once more with one substantial release. Maybe we'll see Versus reclaim the namesake. 
