|
I love games with unique plots and settings. I love finding a game that makes me wonder if the creators were on drugs when the concept itself was conceived.
While I've always been a fan of fantasy settings in RPGs, I'm finding that while unique and strange settings are slowly rising in popularity, many companies often end up reverting back to the standard fantasy and science fiction concept – it's the end of the world, my friends and family might be destroyed, and I must win the heart of a busty yet very sweet lady. I'm not saying that fantasy plots and settings are bad - far from it! Some of the best RPGs ever produced have used cliché elements of fantasy and science fiction in both plot, structure and setting. However, while the standard fantasy or science fiction plot can be a good thing, I feel as though this is the constant fall back for companies, thus making less room for the more bizarre and innovative game concepts.
When Earthbound came out for the SNES in 1995 in North America, the game created a huge cult following. While the Mother series is well-known for its wacky settings yet severely dark plot, the series was unable to gain any other sort of North American exposure. When Earthbound made its North American debut, it was praised for being unique not only in terms of plot, but in terms of its originality. While I personally would love to see a release of the other Mother games, I know that it is merely wishful thinking on my part.
RPGs in more recent years have tended to stray away from creating a unique plot and setting all together, choosing to create something that they know that already “works”. Of course, to create a game that comes across as extremely unique is quite the gamble. Ultimately, companies want to have games that have widespread appeal while still providing stellar gameplay with a strong story. Sadly, many of the newer RPGs that have come out in the last five years have either fallen short in gameplay or in story. Operation Darkness, for example, has a lot of attitude and spunk with its use of an alternative WWII setting, yet, according to most reviewers, it does not hold up in terms of gameplay or design. While I have only played a bit of the game myself, I continuously find myself praising its concept, while being mildly frustrated with the gameplay. A game like Operation Darkness just goes to show that even having a unique concept can be daunting if the gameplay does not live up to the setting. Still, despite Operation Darkness's flaws, I’m actually enjoying the game because of its fun twist on the usual WWII setting.
While I am excited to see games with new settings and fantastic plot concepts, I cannot help but wonder how long it is going to take until companies find themselves reverting back to the generic fantasy or science fiction plot. Even then there seems to be a severe lack of science fiction based games in the JRPG market (Phantasy Star and Star Ocean series being the two main contenders), meanwhile, the West has created some of the most magnificent looking science fiction based games to date. However, even a pretty setting has its problems: if the setting looks amazing, the plot must be able to match the setting accordingly. If it does not, then this provides a weak story, making the game only pretty on the surface and less engaging. Regardless, it all depends what you as the player likes, and what you personally define as a strong or weak plot and setting. Balance in RPGs is something that is very difficult to achieve, regardless of what era of gaming you refer to.
Still, while many major companies are not taking the risk on strange or unique concepts, many freeware RPGs are. A few weeks ago I recently encountered a game called Barkley Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, an RPG in which pro-basketball star, Charles Barkley, summons the apocalypse by performing the “Chaos Dunk”, murdering nearly every single person on the planet. As a result, basketball is banned and Charles Barkley sets out to discover the new world in which he has created. The game is presented as an unofficial sequel to Barkley: Shut Up and Jam! It features traditional turn based combat. Not only do I applaud the crew of people who managed to create such a concept, but the game is just so bizarre that it couldn't possibly be bad! Right? Right!
Even though I often wish more companies would take a risk and release games with more bizarre concepts, I completely understand the giant risk involved in banking on a game with “limited appeal”. Often these games have been far more miss than hit. Still, there has to be a way to create new games with strange or cracked out concepts, while creating some kind of appeal, without having to constantly revert back to already milked franchises and stereotypical plots and settings. I'm bored of milked franchises! Give me a concept that I can drop my jaw at! This is why The World Ends With You was so fantastic. Not only did it offer innovative gameplay (if a tad complicated at first), but the setting was something rarely seen, making it one of the more unique titles to have come out in the last year.
Maybe I'm just difficult to please, or maybe I haven't found a game that has tickled my fancy, but I hope in the next few years that we see new and creative RPG concepts. That way we never feel the need to have to revert back to the generic, old, overdone, fantasy and science fiction plot.
|
RSS feed
iTunes