Yes, we do want Movie-like RPGs

by Mike Lindberg

Reading the editorial "Do we really want Movie-like RPGs?" made me think quite a bit. Do we want Movie-like RPGs, or do we dream of days of Final Fantasy?

Back when RPGs (or more specifically, Japanese RPGs) were first being made, developers did not have much choice in how they could present their story. It had to be short, concise, and to the point. Final Fantasy had an extremely shallow plot line compared with today's Xenogears. Was it because the developers were lazy? No, it was the limitation of the system.

When we are playing an RPG, as opposed to reading a book, we only hear what they are saying, and not able to tap into their thoughts. Books allow the nuances of conversation and thought to be expressed. The sprites of the past simply cannot give the detail that their counterparts today can. Seeing someone smile as opposed to guessing someone is smiling by what they are saying is much easier, and allows the creator to let the gamer experience what they envisioned.

Voice acting is another way to express this. Xenogears has awful voice acting. Downright awful. As do most games that are not originally in English. Yet some companies take the time to focus on voice acting as an integral part of the experience I'm getting a little off-course here, but Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example. The characters feelings are expressed quite vividly through not only their words, but their tone.

The tone of voice is very important. When I first got to Cosmo Canyon in Final Fantasy VII, I was a little confused about a comment Barett made. His words were "Cosmo Canyon! Oooooh! I've always wanted to come here!" I thought he was being sarcastic! This wasn't how Barett normally talks! However, if (good) voice acting were applied, I could have told it was a serious message.

All this put down, I think RPGs of the future will benefit from all the graphic enhancements, all the musical scores, and all the voice acting. Simply put, and RPG is not a book. It does not give you the text necessary to make an image of the character based on the words alone. That's why developers need to rely on other sources for character development, like the ones listed above.