Summary
- RPGs empower players through traditional leveling and equipment acquisition, providing a sense of accomplishment.
- Level scaling in some RPGs prevents players from becoming overpowered, ensuring a challenging experience.
- Some RPGs, like Fire Emblem, require strict progression, limiting player freedom and making it hard to feel powerful.
One great reason to play an RPG is to feel empowered. With traditional leveling-up systems, players can increase their stats. Once they get above an enemy’s level, they can crush them easily, giving players a sense of accomplishment through perseverance. Getting equipment can be another way players can get stronger in an RPG.
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Some RPGs don’t allow players to get ahead of anyone else though for various reasons. One of them is called level-scaling which makes sure players are always near an enemy’s level in a given area. That’s one example of why players can’t get overpowered in an RPG but there are other examples too as shown below.
5
Dragon Quest Builders
Restarting From Scratch
- Released
-
October 11, 2016
- Developer(s)
-
Square Enix
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
This Dragon Quest spinoff was an action game with mechanics that Minecraft fans would love and even though Dragon Quest Builders copied the gimmick, it executed it well with one caveat. When players got to a zone, they could level up by defeating enemies, getting materials, crafting things, and so on.
When that chapter is complete, levels will reset and the first time that happens to a newcomer they will probably drop their jaw to the floor. This problem was fixed in the sequel making it a smoother experience but this original is still fun despite the lack of power.
4
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Dungeon-based Progression
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
- Released
-
February 9, 2004
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
There are a few challenging Final Fantasy games thanks to level scaling like Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy Tactics. Among all of the spinoffs and mainline games though, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is the hardest to feel powerful in but not the most difficult overall.
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Players could create a character and Job and then set out alone or with a party of three other players locally on the GameCube. In dungeons, players could equip weapons and magic but when that dungeon was complete, things would reset. It was hard to feel like an epic adventurer when the progression system was flawed in this way.
3
Fire Emblem
Die, Reload, And Try Again
Fire Emblem
Any entry before Fire Emblem Awakening would work for this entry because it is incredibly hard to become powerful throughout most of Fire Emblem’s history. Fire Emblem was the seventh main game but the first in North America. What set it apart from other grid-based tactical RPGs was the difficulty and linearity. Also, there was permadeath meaning that important characters could die in battle.
The only way to level up was through a strict series of battles, so anyone who didn’t get EXP was out of luck. There was no way to grind and get stronger and losing an ally was almost like losing a finger in real life. That’s why save scumming became so popular in the series up until the aforementioned Fire Emblem Awakening which gave players an option to turn off permadeath and other quality-of-life improvements as a way to enjoy side content.
2
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Draining On Plumbers
- Released
-
November 7, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Acquire
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the latest entry in the Mario & Luigi RPG series. Gameplay remains mostly the same from the previous entries as players can control Mario and Luigi in turn-based battles with active engagement. Hitting the jump button during an attack will do more damage and players can counter enemies on their turn too.
As great as it was to get the series back again, some setbacks sent some fans reeling back. This game requires heavy grinding for EXP unlike any entry in the series prior and enemies typically scale to the plumbers too. It can be exhausting in more ways than one.
1
Monster Hunter: World
The World Is Not Your Oyster
Monster Hunter: World Game
Fighting
Action RPG
Action-Adventure
- Released
-
January 26, 2018
All of the Monster Hunter games are wildly challenging but Monster Hunter: World stands out just because it helped change the series for the better. The menu system was tweaked, it was easier to get into multiplayer, the areas were more open, weapons felt better to use, and so on.
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Despite that, the one thing Capcom didn’t change was the progression system. Players “level up” by getting better gear through skinning monsters. However, even after getting some of the best loot in the game, some beginner monsters can still lay players to waste like they were nothing and the limitations on deaths during a mission don’t help players feel any better either.
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