So nothing I was planning finished this week, and I’ve been feeling kind of lazy. I’ve also been thinking of my play 1 game of each genre thing and wanted to throw out my thoughts onto this weird quirk of gaming genres. Basically, unlike every other entertainment source gaming can split into several different genres based really on 4 different things. Aesthetic, gameplay, monetization style, and progression system. Ignoring aesthetic (horror, Victorian) I want to talk about progression genres.
The biggest one is RPG, which is also the biggest mess of a genre when discussing games. Almost any serious discussion will either bring up “role playing game” means an RPG is just a game where you play a role, a completely useless definition that includes 80% of all games that is in fact not how we use the term at all. The other silly thing that crops up is JRPG vs WRPG, with people being obsessed over country of origin of an RPG for some weird reason.
So think to “RPG mechanics.” A phrase that was used a lot when games like Call of Duty added xp bars and account levels. RPG’s have mechanics. If it was just a genre where you played a role then it can’t have mechanics. Also notice that there is no game that is just an RPG. We always append something like turn based or strategy or a J or a W or a C. Basically, RPG means avatars leveling up, it is a progression genre. That’s it. The entire phrase just indicates that in that game, the player avatar can grow in power through leveling or spending currency. Yes, this means Devil May Cry is an RPG. On the other hand, metroidvania is not an RPG, because it is also different style of progression genre.
This is more of a personal way to think of it, but when all player power comes through collectibles and not through fighting, I don’t like thinking of it as an RPG. Also, metroidvania also doesn’t actually describe direct gameplay elements. You can have a top down metroidvania, like most 2D Zelda games. Or platformers, like actual Metroid. So metroidvania is a genre where you grow in power by finding stuff, and this stuff is usually how you progress the world. Igavania is just RPG layered on top of metroidvania.
Rogue is the other big progression genre, and the easiest to show my point. Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, and Rogue Legacy play nothing alike but are all considered rogue games. So rogue can’t be a gameplay genre, it’s a progression genre. Lite or like are just modifiers on how hardcore the mechanics are.
Note that card games are kind of the same idea. Mon raising as well. Games where you collect power via preset items or monsters are not a gameplay genre in of themselves. Pokemon is still a turn based RPG, with elements of a raising sim with affection and IV/EV stuff. Cards can be used in a bunch of gameplay styles(tower defense like Monster Monpiece or turn based like Baiten Kaitos), though actual TCG I would accept as its own gameplay genre. Having the actual mat with its own rules is unique enough from a turn based game.
As for an actual definition for progression genres as a term, let’s go with where you describe a game by how the avatar or player grows through the game or the lack of said growth. Fighting games would often fall into skill based, or no actual progression of avatar. On another note, you have Monster Hunter where the avatar doesn’t grow stronger, the players skill and their gathered gear does. That actually makes Monster Hunter sound like a survivor style game… but let’s call it gear-based progression.
Gameplay genres should be self-explanatory, you describe the game by its primary method of play.
All that for me to that Paper Mario Sticker Star is a turn based metroidvania. Turn based can’t be denied. As for metroidvania-
- No xp, enemies only give money and stickers(aka ammo), just like Metroid.
- There is avatar power, but it only comes from collectables hearts you have to find. Aka all avatar power is via findable items.
- World progress is not story blocked, its item blocked. Once you have the right items you can turn around and go to new places right then and there.
- It’s not a card game because you do have avatar power that affects the ammo you use. If the hearts weren’t a thing it would be a turn based card game.
Okay. That’s all I wanted to say.
