Top 5 Best Uses of RPG Elements

The games on this list are hardly what you'd consider textbook roleplaying games. Rather, they are games that run the gamut from shooter to platformer that have the most well implemented and realized RPG elements that make them a cut above the rest:

5. Dead Rising (Xbox 360)


Dead Rising was a game with many flaws, but had so much new and exciting gameplay to offer, that most were willing to forgive them. One of the game's most glaring flaws was the save system, which forced you to use one slot, and overwrite that slot for every save. Because the game was timed and forced you to be at certain places at specific times, it was totally possible to save yourself into a point where you can't reach the next mission on time, forcing you to restart the whole game.

The main thing that stopped me from tossing the disc out the window when this happened to me was the RPG system. Everything in the game, from killing zombies and rescuing survivors to using the stove in the food court awards the player with PP (Prestige Points). Once enough was accumulated, Frank (the main character) would level up, awarding him with a handy upgrade, like an extra slot to store items, more health, or a cool, new ability.

Since PP and character level are saved when the game needs to be restarted, it makes the game more tolerable, knowing that you'll be that much stronger next time.


4. Call of Duty 4- Online (Xbox 360/Ps3)





Granted, COD 4 wasn't the first online shooter to use a leveling system- Rainbow Six comes to mind. However, it made it far more rewarding than any other shooter had, with tons of weapons and modifications to unlock, as well as perks, powerful abilities that allow for a heightened level of customization that also mark one of the highlights of the multiplayer mode.

Gaining experience to level up to unlock that next shotgun or cool perk made the multiplayer so much more addicting, and even more importantly, it made losing games fun, or at least far less frustrating, as you'd still gain valuable experience to help level up.


3. Warcraft III- Heroes (PC)



Originally, WC III was touted as a hybrid that was supposed to be as much RPG as RTS. Clearly, the final product ended up being much more RTS than RPG, but the RPG elements associated with the hero characters still shone through.

Though still an RTS, WC III is smaller in scale than most. It involved a lot of micromanagement, especially with upgrading the hero characters. Each hero could level up, learn skills, and hold items in their inventories. Choosing how to upgrade the hero characters and what equipment to outfit them with added a whole new layer of strategy to the game that made the campaign far more dynamic than most other RTS games at the time.

Also, one of the best aspects of WC III's RPG mechanics was how the community used it in developing their own online games. Entire RPG sims were created, and it actually became entertaining to control just one character in an RTS (something that Dota highlights on an incredible level), something that would never have been possible without the RPG implementation.


2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox, PC)

To list the number of mechanics and systems that San Andreas added or improved over Vice City would take hours. However, one of the coolest new features was the ability to upgrade CJ. Nearly every facet of the game had a stat that could be improved through use. Use your uzi enough and you'll become more accurate, eventually being able to dual-wield. Drive a lot and car handling would improve. Work out in the gym and you'll be able to throw harder punches.

The sheer amount of stuff that CJ could improve at was staggering. It's still totally beyond my understanding why this was removed from GTA IV (though Rockstar stated that they removed having the player become skinny or fat because it caused too many graphical glitches on the new engine) simply because it was so unintrusive- you could spend as much as with it as you liked, or ignore the feature altogether and still get through the game just fine. Being able to upgrade essentially all aspects of CJ from his underwater lung capacity to his plane flying ability, made it way more fun to just mess around in the open world and increased the game's lifespan exponentially.


1. Ratchet and Clank series excluding the first game (PS2, Ps3, PSP)
The first Ratchet game for PS2 was a charming action/platformer with a bunch of cool and creative weapons. However, when Insomniac released the sequel, Going Commando, with the newfound abilities to level up both Ratchet and his arsenal of crazy weapons, it became hard to imagine that the series had ever existed without it.

Gaining experience for Ratchet's weapons, and watching them transform into new, more powerful weapons is an intensely addictive and gratifying experience reminiscent of leveling up and evolving pokemon. Sure, the first game is charming and fun in its own right, but the RPG systems later implemented brought the series to a whole new level.