I started 2024 as a regular RPG enthusiast. I enter December as a hooded-eyed obsessive, forgoing sleep to explore a few more dungeons in this remake of the 1988 NES game. How did it happen?
The obvious answer would be that the sheer abundance of unique RPGs released in a compact period of time has certainly turned some non-believers into frothing-at-the-mouth fanatics. That I was a sandcastle standing in front of a tsunami. I’m tempted to agree. But what developers specializing in this genre have achieved collectively this year is more intriguing and complicated than the scale.
My metamorphosis started in January from Like a dragon: infinite wealth.
The latest installment in the Like a Dragon née Yakuza series is based on my (previously) least favorite video game genre: the turn-based RPG. Why would I take turns managing the menu, I once thought, when I could hit a guy with a street sign? I’m not alone. Many beloved turn-based RPG developers have moved to real-time action, hoping to appeal to impatient skeptics like me.
But Infinite wealth does not match my assumptions about turn-based RPG games. Combat is kinetic, giving me the freedom to move around during combat and positioning my brawlers for the most action-movie sequence possible. Plus, I can give each team member a different job (Assassin! Gunslinger! Surfer!) and unleash a cornucopia of comic violence. Add in some lovely open-world settings, a ridiculously deep parody of Animal Crossing, and some beautifully written and performed dialogue, and you’ve got 85 hours and counting on Steam.
To be clear: Infinite wealthThe creators’ love for the turn-based RPG games of the past is enormous. The adventure is full of references to everything from Dragon Quest to Pokémon. However, the game is not rigidly based on respect. The creators combine newfangled ideas with the genre at the DNA level, creating something attractive to long-time RPG geeks, but also to people like me who have neither the experience nor patience to endure the genre’s oldest quirks.
Infinite wealth it helped me rethink turn-based RPGs and, in turn, open my heart to other aspects of the genre that intimidated me.
Photo: Square Enix via Polygon
Photo: Vanillaware/Atlus
Photo: Capcom via Polygon
Image: Nintendo
This is where the density of great RPGs matters. It’s not the whole puzzle, but it’s a huge piece. In Q1 we got a stunningly illustrated tactical RPG Lord of Unicornsrecent image of the icon in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirthand the revival of a cult classic in Dragon Dogma 2.
Want an straightforward and understandable open world that’s reminiscent of Ubisoft’s role-playing style? To try The rise of Ronin. Want an indie game that’s unlike anything you’ve played in years? I’ll give you a ride! Did you miss the classics from the past? Great HD hit the console and The Story of the Lunar Silver Star appeared on Google Play. Everything before April!
Some of these games are better than others, and only a few held my attention for more than a few days. But collectively, the stream of releases overwhelmed my free time. I was constantly trying recent things, honing my taste, without even taking a moment to notice that I had been playing almost exclusively RPGs for months.
By the end of the summer, I was tinkering with everything from hardcore tactical RPGs to kid-friendly turn-based Mario RPGs. My hidden RPG fandom has become a powder keg in search of a spark.
Photo: Studio Zero/Atlus
Metaphor: ReFantasia is a fantasy RPG from the creators of the Persona and Shin Megami series, RPGs known for being absurdly long, shamelessly complex, and (what I fear most) turn-based. The studio produces some of the best music, graphics, and stories in gaming, and in the past, I’ve found myself plowing through immense chunks of their RPGs without ever making it to the end credits.
However, this did not discourage my enthusiasm, which reached its zenith a few months before the premiere.
The first thing you will notice Metaphor: ReFantasia whether it’s an RPG of the RPG genre. It’s the kind of game that inspires its biggest fans to say things like, “It gets good after the first 15 hours.” Turn-based combat takes place in elaborate and dense menus. You can waste entire game sessions traversing dungeons and tinkering with skills and classes. I hope you enjoy reading the dialogues and watching the cutscenes.
What I’m saying is that this is exactly the type of game that I would have spent several hours playing in the past before mentally giving it an award under “Category: Something Others Like” and “Subcategory: Not for Me.”
But a comical thing happened on the way to Fantazio. Each RPG has contributed to teaching me what makes the genre unique. Infinite wealth it taught me to see imaginative possibilities in turn-based combat. Dragon Dogma 2 I opened my heart to fantasy. Lord of Unicorns he demanded that I finally learn how the different classes worked instead of impatiently looking through the menu. Game Metaphor: ReFantasia it felt like I was learning a recent language and I was finally able to read an entire book written in that language for the first time.
Image: Square Enix
Needless to say, I’m hooked. I just wrapped up Metaphorand now I’m caught up in a game my aged self would never have thought of: Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake. This polished update of the NES classic has almost no story and requires hours of repetitive turn-based combat against randomly spawning enemies. But remember how much I enjoyed giving work to my team members in Like a dragon: infinite wealth? Dragon’s Quest 3 he did it in the 80’s! And now, in 2024, I can truly appreciate this vital moment in video game history.
I have long been a video game omnivore, happily munching on everything that falls on my plate. However, over the decades, my insatiable appetite was dissipated when the turn-based RPG appeared on the table. I’m very cheerful that my taste has matured. I’m like an adult who finally realized that vegetables aren’t gross. They just need to be prepared properly and served with a pinch of spices.
