R P G A M E R . C O M   -   E D I T O R I A L S

Change for the Better

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Edward Wittlif
FAN EDITORIALIST

There is a simple statement that I believe to be true:

Video games are evolving.

Games continue to evolve. They grow and change. RPGs in particular are subject to change. They have come a long way since the NES, and will continue to grow. They now have the potential to be more complex, in terms of gameplay, story, music, and graphics.

Some people would view this evolution as a terrifying factor in RPGs that will ruin the genre. They think that variety in music is the same as destruction of quality soundtracks. They see improved graphics as profane. They aren't engaged enough by the stories in recent games.

But what this change offers is variety. It offers a wider selection of games for a wider selection of people. Maybe RPGs will someday have Reggae or Country soundtracks. Some find that humorous or frightening, but some people enjoy those genres of music, and if those genres fit the overall feel of the game, what harm could be done? One game with a certain soundtrack won't force all games to have similar soundtracks. Earthbound had a soundtrack that was profoundly different from the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI, and yet not all games had that type of music in the future.

And the idea of improved graphics making a game worse is absurd. Had Final Fantasy VII been released with graphics on par with Xenosaga, would it have been a worse game? Graphics don't eliminate quality. And is it not possible that the improved graphics also offer variety? We may see RPGs with very stylized graphics—maybe grainy black and white, or 20's styled curves and architecture.

Story value in games is another changing factor. A trend in recent games cannot define a genre. If some games you've played have stories that you don't think can compare to older games, maybe it's an issue of personal taste. I've read books that I don't think can compare to others I have read before, but I don't fall to my knees and weep to lament the downfall of writing.

Some would see the evolution in games as a bad thing, but I see it as a change for the better. I see possibilities for incredible games to come, games that we would not think possible now. RPGs, and games in general, are growing, and I think what we are given is not a change in all games, but a change in the variety of games and the possibilities of games.