Are RPGs today basically clones of eachother?

[A Genius]

Now, I don't actually own a PS2. A friend of mine does, which helps this topic imensely (spelling?). Anyway, this isn't STRICTLY RPGs of today, I'm also counting PS1 and N64 RPGs.

Anyway, after playing and beating Final Fantasy 7, playing (but not beating) FF9, and I'll just have to assume for FF8, I've noticed something about them. They're remarkably similar to the 8-bit Megaman games, because they're all the same.

Like I said, I'm only assuming for FF8, but FF9 suggests that this game is also a clone. I mean, there are some differences in the battle system, and the stories are pretty different, but at their heart, they're identical. Same ideas, same cliches, same gameplay.

Zelda is another great example of clonage. Now, I loved the Wind Waker. But I can't deny that it was a bit like I was playing the same game over at times. Not all the time, I mean, during combat and on the Overworld, it was pretty different, but everywhere else, it felt like OOT.

And even OOT was sort of a clone. It did offer a good combat system, and some cool new items, but it felt like a clone of Link to the Past. The story system felt a lot like LTTP, and if you can't see the resemblance between OOT's time traveling and LTTP Light/Dark world, you are missing a few grains of intelligence. The sequel, Majora's Mask, was innovative, but it had it's own set of flaws.

I know nothing of the recent Final Fantasies, so if someone filled me in on those, I'd love it. Feel free to flame me on this article, it makes sense why you would.

-A Genius (My friend doesn't agree with me either.)

[Mr. Chicken]

what he said

[A Genius]

Rattan, of course I pay attention to the storyline. I'm complaining that they're not really thinking much about the gameplay itself. Take the certified classic, Final Fantasy Tactics, for example. Innovative gameplay is present throughout. I don't see why they can't make innovations for the other FFs. Much as I hated the game, I can't deny that Chrono Cross was also original.

In my opinion, the important core bits for RPGs run like this: 1. Fun
2. Originality
3. Story

The stories are perfectly fine, but the gameplay is the same in all 3 of them (as has previously been stated, I'm assuming for FF 8) . They had every oppurtunity to be original in terms of gameplay.

CK, that made me laugh. That is all.

-A Genius (And I truly would appreciate it if someone would elaborate on Final Fantasy X.)

[ May 11, 2003, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: A Genius is stupid ]

[Microphone_Kirby]

Originally posted by Randal Graves:
All RPGs nowadays are derived from FF4, FF6, and CT.
-T2K

Of course all RPGs derived from FF4, FF6, and Chrono Trigger! All those games cover every base in RPG creating.

[A Genius]

In America, I believe Phantasy Star came before all of them (defintely in America, possibly in Europe, not in Japan.) for the Sega Master System. It didn't sell very well in Ameica because most people had never even heard of the Sega Master System (and those who actually owned it probably know why it was overlooked. Most of the games had superior counter parts on the NES, save for Phantasy Star. And there was a large lack of 3rd party work. The only 3rd party Sega got was EA).

-A Genius (And we all know what EA is like.)