Five RPGs that changed your views about the genre.

[Lord Golbez]

Defining and changing are pretty different, but I guess changing is just redefining and defining is before there's something to change.

1. Dragon Quest/ Dragon Warrior - My first RPG. Defined the basic mechanics of turn-based, menu-based combat, experience, levels, stats - the bread and butter of RPGs.

2. FFIV - Redefined RPGs as a narrative experience. Beyond having more dialogue than most games of the time due to people in towns who you could talk to, Dragon Quest didn't really set itself apart from the rudimentary use of story present in most games of the day. Much like the little background story found in the instruction manuals of the day, the story of DQ simply gave a reason for the gameplay. Nothing more. In FFIV, there was enough depth put into the story and characters that you would want to play FOR the story, not just that the story gave you an excuse. Other genres remained light on story for the next couple console generations, RPGs were expected to have more story.

3. FFXII - Changed the genre, IMO, for the worse. While not many games use the same kind of combat system as FFXII, it heralded an era in which traditional turn-based combat has become the exception rather than the rule.

I don't know about the others. There's lot of directions I could go with this. Difficult for me to decide which ones are worthy of being considered genre defining/changing. Ones I'm considering: Persona 3, FFT, Suikoden, Tales of Destiny (would go with Phantasia, but since it's changed my view, this is the first Tales game I played), SoM, Undertale, probably some others floating around in me head. I'd probably consider Dragon Quarter if I had played it, but I didn't. Maybe Vagrant Story, but it seems too isolated for me to consider it defining/changing.

Okay, I've decided my last two.

4. Secret of Mana - Probably my first action RPG (unless you count Zelda, which I don't, because I don't believe Zelda has any more legitimate claim to the RPG genre, action or otherwise, than Mega Man games). Defines the action RPG subgenre for me. Also my first and best multiplayer RPG experience. That represented a pretty significant shift in the genre for me.

5. Suikoden - This game threw so many new ideas into the mix, I really have to give it credit for changing my view of what could be done in the genre. Let's see. Starting off with 6 person parties and rapid combat, largest battle parties I'd seen in RPGs at the time, but so far still pretty traditional. But then add 3 different types of combat with duels and army battles occurring at special points in the plot. 108 recruitable characters with (I think) over half available to put in your party. Tying the recruitment to the game's ending. Finally, introducing a series in which each new entry expands into new areas of the world while being directly connected in the same world history and shared characters with the other games in the series. Not only is this one of my favorite series of the time, it definitely threw a lot of original or at least rarely seen ideas into the mix.

Honorable Mentions

A. FFT - My first and favorite tactical RPG. I've since largely grown tired of the subgenre, but this game defines the genre for me and will always hold a fond place.

B. Tales of Destiny - What the heck is it? It plays like an action RPG, kind of, but then it has some traditional RPG elements you wouldn't typically see in action RPGs. Random encounters, battle transitions, a world map. SoM only sort of had a world map with Flammie, but not really. This is your standard traditional RPG world map. I think most would agree the battle system makes it an action RPG, but still Tales games are largely their own unique kind of thing.

(3?) Persona 3 - This changed my view of RPGs because before it I wouldn't have thought I could enjoy this kind of game. It replaced the epic globe trotting of more traditional RPGs, with a more provincial but equally (or even more) expansive calendar sytem that takes you through the events of the year in one location. Actually, this one changed my view enough it probably belongs on the proper list and maybe should replace FFXII there. I'll think about it.