Role-playing games are a ton of fun. The progression systems of this genre are so satisfying that most modern titles have RPG-lite mechanics to simulate them. It speaks to the ubiquitous nature of this genre thatthe bulk of games on the market nowadays have RPG systems in some form or the other, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Many first-time developers have tackled this genre for their first game, with varying degrees of success. There’s no denying that this genre can be complex, so it’s always nice to see these devs put everything on the line and release a great RPG. It’s an achievement that should be highlighted and commended, especially when it’s their first foray into the medium.
The rise of indie gaming is a net positive for the video game industry. Smaller development teams can use a limited budget to craft games that have a ton of heart put into them. Toby Fox is one such developer, who loved theEarthboundseries. He worked on a ROM hack for the title before deciding to use his game knowledge to craft one of the best RPGs of all time. Fans can’t stop raving about it to this day.
Undertalewasa smash hit that fans fell in love with, courtesy of its charming narrative. The game flips the RPG script to make players think about their actions, instead of just killing everything in sight. With three routes and some incredible lore surrounding the nature ofUndertale’s world, it’s easy to see why fans loved this anti-RPG. Players fell in love with the fleshed-out and engaging characters in this one-of-a-kind game, which propelled its novice developer to superstardom.
This game sowed the seed for the anti-JRPG foundation, and would inspire many developers in the following yeats.Motheris a game thatfans ofEarthboundare quite familiar with, given that the latter title is a sequel to Itoi’s first game. During a time when most games in the genre were about epic empires and quests to save the world,Mothertook a step back. Instead, it decided to focus on an unremarkable modern setting revolving around a bunch of kids on rudimentary adventure, with enemies that are ripped out of real life.
The man at the helm of this project, Shigesato Itoi, is a fascinating person whose philosophical ideals can be seen in these unique JRPGs. Themes of family and friendship are rife in this title, and both this game andEarthboundare ahead of their time. While these games may not have sold well, the cultural impact of these titles makes it clear how important Itoi was to the gaming industry. He inspired many indie devs to form their own games based on these ideas, including the aforementioned Toby Fox.
Nowadays, CD Projekt Red is hailed as one of the biggest AAA companies of all time. It has developeda suite of genre-defining RPGsthat fans can’t get enough of. However, there was a time when this studio was in its relative infancy, banking all their hopes on a game based on an IP they’d acquired from a prominent Polish author. This dark fantasy series wasThe Witcher, and the fledgling studio had no idea what they were in for after developing their first-ever video game.
The narrative chops ofThe Witcherwere clear for everyone to see. The game featured a choice-based narrative that felt meaningful, coupled with a rich world and tactical combat to keep things interesting. CD Projekt Red’s small E3 booth that showcased this title is quite inspiring to see now. The fledgling studio struck gold with this game, eventually turning it into one of the biggest video game series of all time.
Omocat’s first video game revolved around a character she’d shown on her blog time and time again. However,it wasn’t until the release ofOmorithat the developer decided to flesh out everything, from this character’s existence to their implications. After a long and arduous development process, Omocat released a video game that captured many hearts with its emotional storytelling and psychological horror influences, dealing with ideas of guilt and loss.
Omoriis not a game for the faint of heart and features some disturbing imagery, but players who give this game a shot won’t regret it in the slightest. There aren’t many video games around with such impactful storytelling.Omori’s cheerful veneer hides a sinister secret that players must fight to uncover.
While the departures of key personnel at ZA/UM can be saddening to witness, this shouldn’t take away from what the studio achieved with its first video game. This title shirked the idea that RPGs needed to feature combat to keep players interested. Instead,Disco Elysiumplaced all its eggs in the baskets of storytelling, world building, character writing, and a murder mystery that’s genuinely engaging.
The game makes failure ridiculously entertaining, something that fans couldn’t believe would be the case. Such is the beauty ofDisco Elysium.The Final Cutedition adds voice to every dialogue in the game and enhances the title with more content, to let both old and new players fall in love with the city of Revachol all over again.
