@Montana
Yeah. "Losing argument'. Except I was trying to have an intelligent discussion that promoted mutual introspection and critical thought towards an eventual consensus. No need to get so waspish.
I do not see why you are bringing other genres into the argument. Obviously I am talking exclusively about RPG's; please do not misapply my points.
Since it has evaded you thus far, here is my stripped down point: RPG's, unique among games, can succeed and be beloved even with unremarkable gameplay. This is impossible (or nearly-so) for any other genre. Obviously, again, the better the gameplay, the better the game, that's really here nor there.
Final Fantasy 7 is a turn-based game with a Materia spin on things. Objectively, it is neither innovative nor brilliantly fun; it has the grinding/building appeal but then, so do ALL RPG's (including, yes, Pokemon.)
This is nitpicking, but to attempt to contradict my Ace Attorney arguments by assuming they must have gameplay elements.....OBJECTION! Apollo Justice has a few gimmicky touch-screen minigames that are irrelevant to the core experience; that's it. It's all logic and narrative and writing and characters.
RPG's can, counter-intuitively enough, be great without great gameplay. Not all the time, not even often, and great gameplay will, 99% of the time, make any RPG that is great with merely adequate gameplay far-and-away a better game.
Okay, barring a response that BEGS countering, I'm done. Enough expounding on the RPG genre for the day.
Crusty VGchartz old timer who sporadically returns & posts. Let's debate nebulous shit and expand our perpectives. Or whatever.
