Too Much of a Good Thing?

by jaraph 

Submitted by:	jaraph@yahoo.com (jaraph)
Spelling	2
Grammar	2
Coherency	3
Strength of Arguments	3.5
Presentation	2
Originality	1.5
Penalties	0
Total	14
Grade

We live in a day that is every rpgamer's dream. The sheer number of games available is staggering. They aren't all just average titles, either. There is an abundance of truly inspired games on a plethora of platforms. It is my opinion that this blessing hasn't come without a price, however. With so many excellent games waiting to be played, the pressure is always there to complete what you're working on and get to the next. I fear we have begun to lose hold of the intimacy and awe a great role-playing experience used to provide.

The first rpg I ever played seriously and to completion was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I didn't know it was an rpg at the time; I didn't even know what the term rpg meant. I just remember beating Gannon and thinking, "That was one of the best games I've ever played." The thought of quitting simply because I had seen the ending didn't even enter my head. I found every item, heart piece, and fairy fountain in the game. To this day, I've played ALTTP to completion at least 6 times. When I beat LoZ: Ocarina of Time in the early months of 1999, the same thought about its greatness ran threw my mind. How many times did I play OoT to completion? Just that once. My stack of 20+ unfinished games growls threateningly every time I even think of starting a new OoT campaign or searching for those last few heart pieces.

Like many of my fellow gamers, my favorite rpg of all time is Final Fantasy VI. It took me a full 52 hours to topple Kefka for the first time; I started a fresh game the very next day. I played through FFVI so many times that even now I can still hum many of the melodies and tell you where all the Espers are. While certainly not on the same level as its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me as well. Did I play through it again? I started to, until Breath of Fire III came beckoning. How many passes have I made through Final Fantasy VIII? Not even one. There are just too many first-rate games these days to spend time on something that isn't one of the best.

I would never have dreamt of being as picky about my games then as I am now. I've played through stacks of titles that make me cringe. Trust me, no self-respecting role-player wants to spend time on Big Sky Trooper. But I didn't mind then. There weren't many rpg's to begin with, and many of them were much too rare to actually get my hands on. It's no wonder that Square came to dominate the gaming landscape. Masterpieces didn't line the shelves of your local games dealer like they do today.

Another mixed blessing I've beheld is the sharp decrease in the price of a good game. In 1995, I bought Chrono Trigger hot off the presses. $70 was a huge hole in my pocket book in those days, so CT was the only new rpg I had for over year. Later, when I found Breath of Fire in the Toys 'R Us bargain bin for $20, my heart leapt for joy. Last fall I picked up Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Cross for a combined total of $80. Oddly enough, I don't even feel lucky about that deal. I could've waited a year and picked them up for $20 apiece, brand new.

My argument isn't that today's games are inferior in any way to those of yesteryear. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I'm simply afraid the abundance of quality titles has at least partially robbed our gaming community of the ability to appreciate greatness. That said, I wouldn't change the way things are. I like having stacks of unfinished games and not having to be constantly broke to be a gamer. Losing a bit of that magic feeling is not too large a price to pay. But it is worthwhile to stop and remember a time when the world wasn't as friendly to rpgamers as it is now. Well, enough nostalgia. Maybe I'll go play Final Fantasy VIII. Maybe not.

Notes:
A thought-provoking editorial, and a nice reply to anyone who says we don't have enough RPGs and that we should have more, more, more. That said, this topic has come up before - the prevalence of RPGs causing a general decrease in the overall quality.

As far as the editorial goes, it's nicely written - no mistakes in sight, I felt it flowed quite well, and seemed nice and accurate, although I doubt that old games drop in price quite as quickly as he insists there, particularly the popular games.