I've been thinking about this for a while now.  A lot of games these days offer multiple elements that you used to only see in the genre called RPG.  Some titles offer up so many of these elements or go deep into depth with a some of these elements that they rival games that call themselves RPGs.  If Modern Warfare or most shooters nowadays carried over the classes, leveling and perks of the multiplayer mode into the single player mode, what would separate them from a JRPG outside of shooting and art style? 

For some games, the only difference for some games is that the devs and publishers don't call them RPGs but it feels like if they did, people would go along with it.

I'm interested in knowing at what point to do rpg elements = rpg for you guys.

question of the day here folks.

Really. Because I have NO idea how Mass Effect 2 or Valkyria Chronicles fall into the category of RPG. If those games do, I have no idea how Borderlands does not.

I guess it really depends on what you personally consider an rpg vs what an rpg actually is.  Honostly most games released these days could fall into the rpg genre..

There's more to RPGs than just leveling systems and stuff. They need to be somewhat lengthy, offer sidequests, dialog conversations and choices. Yeah you can upgrade your magic and abilities in a game like God of War, but calling it an RPG would be foolish.

But it does.

Just my personal feeling is that it's a FPS first and an RPG second. Quite the opposite of Fallout 3.

Leveling system
Compelling story
Characters
Good battle system
Music
Epic monsters

That about sums it up for me.

But by that standered what would you consider demons souls?  Theres pretty much no dialog in the game that really has any bearing on anything, you can honostly beat the game while only talking to 2 people.  The game only really has one side quest  and thats to get the northern regalia.  And the only choice you really have in the game is to kill everyone you come across or to  kill almost everyone you come across.  Yet I personally consider the game an rpg.

hmm when your playing a specific role but wait...in call of duty you play a role and its a FPS
hmm when you hit a monster and numbers come out and they have a health bar...wait DBZ has that..
you know what?Screw you for making a hard question!

Ok, this is what an RPG is for me, and what I look for in an RPG.

Levels - Usually 99+
Stats - This is very common in many games. Gotta love them.
Exploration - Explore the landscape, terrain, city..etc. Doesn't have to be vast or open, but enough to call exploring.
Abilities - Common attack and magic abilities.
Combat system - A combat system, usually much deeper and more strategic than those of action-based games.
Shops - Lots of upgrades after all the grindings and lootings.
Towns - This isn't exactly required, because some game doesn't necessarily have them, it just nice to have them for many type of RPGs though.
Secret Boss/Area - More things to do once the game is beaten.
Sidequestss - Time to take a break and do some side stuff before continuing the journey.
Items - Everything from looting the city of pots, to enemies, drops, treasures, and more.
Characters - Can't have a game without some character(s). Character developing is also important, but not crucial.
Story - It wouldn't be necessarily be an RPG without the storyline. Of course, some game lack a story.
Minigames - Not necessary, but it add alot of fun to the element of RPG. Who doesn't want to take a break after a long walk to play some blitzball or whatnot? It's good to take a breather every once and a while because saving the world isn't easy.
Complex game design - This isn't entirely necessary, but I find it very important to the type of RPGs I like to play. What I mean by complex game desgin is additional things that will add to the gameplay, such as taming, pet, fusion/breeding, overdrive, cards, alchemy, craft, smith, and anything that will add to the gameplay.

Those are what I like look for in an RPG. And RPG differ greatly from one type to another. Strategy, hack-n-slash type, action, shooting elements, action meter, cards, dialogue roleplay...and more