RPGs used to be a niche genre only for the hardcore. The variety of what an RPG could be was limiting. In the 80s and 90s, most RPGs were turn-based or action-oriented. Then, as the years went on, more developers started to incorporate RPG elements into their games thus creating new sub-genres in the process.
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A good related example would beDestiny. Bungie created a shooter empire withHaloand their next idea was to take that shooter formula and turn it into an RPG. That’s almost an example of a series gradually turning from one genre to another, but the following entries are even better examples.
7Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creedredefined the stealth genre in 2007. Things were rough with the first game but the sequel seemingly figured things out. The world was bigger, the newshero Ezio Auditorewas more charismatic and likable, and the gameplay was tighter. It was a blast to go through centuries assassinating high-profile targets and rubbing elbows with key figures in history like George Washington.
That changed in 2017 withAssassin’s Creed Originswhich became a full RPG with experience points, leveling up, a skill tree, loot, and many more RPG elements. The series has not gone back since and probably never will although fans should never say never.Call of Dutywent back to World War 2 evetually, which is a close analogy.
6Call Of Duty
Call of Dutyjumped on the World War 2 shooter bandwagon in 2003.Medal of Honorwas the gold standard on consoles for nearly a decade butCall of Dutysoon ate its lunch. It was a straight first-person shooter series until the originalModern Warfarehit in 2007 and redefined multiplayer for all shooters.
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RPG elements were introduced such as gaining experience points and leveling up. Players could customize their weapon loadouts to a greater degree too and things have only ballooned from here.The campaigns stillaren’t RPGs, but maybe someday they will be. So,Call of Dutyis still only half of an RPG but the genre is still a big influence.
5Castlevania
Castlevaniawas an action platform series for a full decade starting in 1986 in Japan. There were some light RPG elements such as some minimal upgrades to health but the systems were more akin toThe Legend of Zeldathan something likeFinal Fantasy. The series went full RPG in 1997 withCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightas Alucard, the protagonist, could level up.
Players could also equip items and learn spells from monsters. This game helped create the Metroidvania genre alongside Super Metroid. Even though the series is all but dead, most entries pastthis were Metroidvaniasbut the 3D games are a small exception likeLords of Shadow.
4God Of War
God of Warbegan in 2005 as a Greek epicwith Kratos tryingto take revenge on gods like Zeus and Ares. Players could collect souls which allowed them to upgrade weapons. Certain items could grant Kratos more health or magic points too, so RPG-like elements were around from the start.
With the reboot series in 2018, the RPG elements became more prevalent. Leveling up Kratos would grant him ability points to spend on skill trees. Enemies dropped loot which could be upgraded too. It’s not the wildest transformation on here, butGod of Waris still a series worth noting.
3Ratchet And Clank
Ratchet and Clankis another series that started with some light RPG characteristics in 2002. Players couldupgrade Ratchet’s weaponrybut there wasn’t much to it in the first game.Going Commando, the first sequel in 2003, expanded the idea of the original exponentially beyond the RPG stuff. Clank had more of a role and the starship battles were mor refined.
Ratchet earned experience points to level up health and weapons. From here, the RPG elements only increased with the weapon systems getting complex skill trees. It’s amazing that things changed this quickly, making this series a big step up for platformers in the 2000s and beyond.
2Tom Clancy
Tom Clancybegan as a brand of tactical shooters in 1998.Rainbow SixandGhost Reconwere the two biggest sub-series within this franchise and then came alongSplinter Celland many other series and spinoffs. Ubisoft has been slowly transitioning many of its brands into more RPG-like territories besidesAssassin’s Creed.
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The Divisionwas their answer toDestinyin 2016 and this was a full-on RPG shooter with leveling up and loot.Tom Clancygames beyond this, likeGhost Recon Breakpoint, even introduced some RPG elements but they are light.The Divisionseries then will presumably be Ubisoft’s main RPG focus for theTom Clancybrand though.
1Yakuza
Yakuzahas been like an RPG from the start in 2005 in Japan. The firstsix mainYakuzagameswere brawlers, but Kazuma, and the other playable characters, could level up and there were skill trees too. It borrowed a lot fromRiver City Ransomwhich combined RPGs and brawlers on the NES way ahead of its time.
One couldn’t imagine Sega could theYakuzaseries and make it even more like an RPG but then along cameYakuza: Like a Dragonin 2020. It was a turn-based RPG with a class system with tons of variety. The series leveled up, as it were, into a more classic JRPG.
