Davy said:
I knew about Action RPGs, Turn based RPGs and tactical RPGs but first time i hear about CRPGS. what c means ? If it means computer then that doesn't mean anything for gameplay since Witcher 1 and Neverwinter Nights were CRPGS and they were action RPGs. Also Diablo 2 was isometric and it was action RPG , i think you use terms that have nothing to do with gameplay. |
C is exactly that, computer, as to distinguish them from Pen & Paper RPGs, which CRPGs were trying to emulate in video game form - though, if my memory serves me, we didn't call them that back in days, we just refereed to VG RPGs as FRP (fantasy role play) genre. Pen & Paper we just called by actual name (I've mostly played AD&D back then).
Isometric CRPGs are sort of a subgenre inside of it - Fallout 1 is often cited as progenitor, and although Fallout ('97) and Baldur's Gate ('98) are games that established feel and look of what second CRPG renaissance was (mostly) trying to recreate, you can go further in the past, to something like Darklands ('93) or Pool of Radiance ('88) and find isometric tactical combat in CRPGs.
For us that are much older, that were actually playing those games in 80s and 90s, there wasn't as clear cut distinction until first CRPG renaissance, which came with Interplay in late 90s - they developed and published (along with Bioware's titles) half a dozen titles that became sort of a blueprint for lot of things in second renaissance that started around 2013-14, and is still going fairly strong.
As I initially said, Larian made their current name mostly with D:OS 1/2, and then BG3, which are all Iso CRPGs.
