What is an RPG?

[JWeinCom]

It's hard to say, because the meaning has kind of changed throughout the years.

The term comes from pen and paper roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons. So, the first roleplaying games were games that used a lot of those elements. I.e. a turn based battle system, equipment that alters stats, customizable characters, an element of chance (i.e. dice rolls or a random number generator to determine a hit or miss), classical fantasy setting, number based stat systems, an inventory system, skill trees, leveling up etc. etc.

In video games, the RPG term tended to be used to describe games with similar elements to games like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. For example, elemental based magic systems, fantasy setting, a focus on story, lots of text/cutscenes, and so on so forth. Especially in the 90s when lots of games didn't have extensive stories, this came to be associated with RPGs. Also, games that were more open, were often considered RPGs. So, for instance, Ocarina of Time is sometimes thought of as an RPG because it has some similarities with things like Final Fantasy. The setting, elemental based magic, and a focus on story, and a relatively open world. This is despite the fact that in terms of the way the game plays it doesn't have much in common with classic pen and paper roleplaying games.

As time went on, the lines between the two began to blur. RPGs began to be less turn based and more and more action oriented. So, something like Kingdom Hearts, which maintains some elements of an RPG (elemental magic, MP, leveling up, equippable items/skills, summoning spells), but really is far closer to an action game in many respects. That is considered an action RPG. On the other side, you have games like Spider-Man or Shadow of Mordor which incorporate RPG elements (skill trees, stats, leveling up) but are generally not considered RPGs.

A JRPG generally refers to games that specifically build on the foundation of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. So, more often party based, with a set path, magic system, summons, etc. Especially if they are turn based, but that's not really a requirement. And, of course, it helps if it was made in Japan. They also tend to be longer, with elaborate stories, a heavy focus on cut scenes, often with heavy influence from anime (i.e. Xenoblade). On the other hand WRPGs tend to take more inspiration from high fantasy (think Lord of the Rings), have a less linear story, usually focus on one customizable main character, and so on.

That's a roundabout way to say that there's really no great answer to the question. It's kind of like a game of telephone, or maybe like evolution. Originally, it denoted something that was kind of like a video game version of table top RPGs (and this is still true in some cases like Baldur's gate). But, then as time went on, the traits of early RPGs like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy became incorporated into the video game definition of RPGs. So, then games that have those elements that were added to the definition are considered RPGs, even though they don't have much in common with table top role playing games. Eventually you get to a point where something like Mass Effect 3 is often considered a roleplaying game, although what makes it a roleplaying game is questionable at best.