What is an RPG?

[HoloDust]

Wman1996 said:

It's far more complicated to define now than it was 15 or especially 30 years ago.
Some in the past and present call most of the Zelda games RPGs. I don't think any of them, not even BOTW/TOTK are RPGs. The upgrading is really simplistic compared to most RPGs, there's not an XP system, etc.

Zelda II can be considered an action RPG...other than that, I don't think so.

I wouldn't say it's more complicated to define them now than it was in the old days...it's just that there are quite a few games these days, especially AAA, that flirt with some of RPG mechanics and are sometimes mislabelled as (action) RPGs, while actually still being action-adventures or shooters in their core.