Growing Older and Hopefully Wiser

When I was a little kid, I disliked many foods.  I hated cheese until I was 10 years old.  I didn't understand how people could possibly think it tasted good.  The thought of putting a slice of American on my sandwich sent me into tantrums.  I also used to hate mushrooms, but I now order them on everything I possibly can.  I don't know how it happened.  From burgers to omelets, cheese and mushrooms have become my new favorites.  Like this inexplicable change in physical taste, I have completely evolved in my gaming.

I am not a person who plays for the sake of nostalgia.  Just because I loved a game when I was a little kid, doesn't mean I have unrelenting loyalty to the franchise for the decades that followed.  While some series have taken dramatic nose dives in terms of quality, the ones that remain consistent seem to bore me. 

As a small child, I played the few games that were available like Zelda, Mario, and Sonic.  Through the years, I began leaving those behind and playing more sports games.  NBA Street, SSX, and even a little hockey filled my college years.  As the latest generation of consoles came out, I was inundated with new games.  While my preferences before may have come from lack of choices due to the young age of the industry, my adult gaming experiences were saturated in shooters.  I have spent years pouring myself in Call of Duty.  I joined a clan, played competitively, and obsessed over my statistics.

Now, even after spending the last four years dedicated to one genre, I find myself moving on again.  I can't get enough RPGs in my life.  I have always played RPGs here and there.  Growing up, Final Fantasy was a staple in my household.  But now more than ever, I want to set off on a great adventure.  I get the urge to explore caves and save the world.  My days of finding release from blasting people with an AK have morphed in my desire to loot treasure chests.  I would much rather do a dungeon run in search of a secret amulet than play Search and Destroy.

Everyone has changes in likes and dislikes as they grow older.  I like to think of my change as a sign of maturity.  Not necessarily that an adventure game or an RPG is more mature than a shooter, but that I'm mature enough to try something different.  I'm glad that I have been able to break away from the self-created pigeon hole and find something new within my hobby.  I encourage everyone else to try something new too.

A Little Education

Zelda is not an RPG.  Take a deep breath; sit down if you need to.  I have heard people make statements in the past about the Zelda games being their favorite RPG.  Sometimes I bite my tongue; sometimes I don't.  Twice this week I have heard someone refer to Zelda as an RPG, so it's time to put this piece of knowledge out on the table.

An RPG is a game in which the player takes on the role of a character.  The choices that the player makes effect what will happen to the character.  That second sentence is the important one.  Almost every game has the player assuming the role of character.  If we let the first sentence alone define the game type, games like Call of Duty would be an RPG.  Basically everything except RTS and puzzle games would be crammed into the category.

Zelda lacks the ability to make choices outside of a predetermined story line.  You can't have Link make moral decisions about situations that will make the game go in one direction or another; the story is completely set forth without variation.  You will go to temples, you will fight bad guys, you save the princess.  Zelda is an action game.

A solid example of an RPG is Mass Effect.  Players take over the role of Commander Shepard and determine whether or not they should be a good or bad guy, what type of fighter they should be, where specialties, both combat and personality, will lie, and even who will live and die in the story.  Other games that follow suit would be Final Fantasy, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls.

Its just a friendly reminder of game categorization.  Now, next time you hear someone refer to Zelda as an RPG, you have a solid response.  A little knowledge to start the new year off on the right foot.