ARPG aka Action Role Playing Game.
tl;dr - Diablo or Dark Souls?
Both Diablo-likes and Souls-likes are called Action RPGs. In one, you create a "build" using gear and skills, and generally grind for hours on end looking for the perfect drop to make your build a teeny bit better. In the other, your success is based off of twitch reflexes and learning move-sets of the enemies. Gear and loot is pretty downplayed and the enjoyment comes from the elusive "git gud".
I'm not here to argue that one or the other isn't an ARPG. I'm just curious why a new designation hasn't sprouted up for one or the other to make things less confusing. It's getting even worse now that Diablo-like games aren't limited to isometric POV (they haven't been for a while but...) and now people are making souls-iike games in isometric POV. It's only natural that this would happen. But again, why is there still the confusing naming convention?
IMHO, worthless though it is, I don't get why Diablo-likes are called ARPG's. They have lots of A and no RP. (They are Gs tho.) Souls-like feel a lot more like what I would consider an ARPG. But again, my opinion is completely worthless so it's pointless to even attempt to argue about it.
My point is we should riot with pitchforks and torches at the headquarters of... the people who name genres of games... and demand they split ARPG from ARPG so we all know what we're getting into.
Like, someone went ahead and invented "bullet heaven" as a genre name since "bullet hell" didn't quite fit when you were the one with the bullets. I love that! Maybe we can do something similar like call Diablo-likes Action Grinding Games (AGG) or Loot and Build Games (LBG). I'm sure someone can think of something better while we are marching.
I too would like more on-point classifications.
Like, we got 3 big classifications ARPG, CRPG and JRPG. And I guess that's nice. But a bit of subclassification would go a long way, imo.
Now if only publishers would use these labels. But to them everything is just an RPG, because that's an umbella everything fits under.
Maybe because those terms are confusing. Is dark souls an arpg or a jrpg? Or both? I know that jrpg is a specific genre of Japanese games, but it's still confusing. Are final fantasy games jrpgs? Kingdom hearts? Xenoblade?
It's just easier to say RPG and not enter in a pedantic war with the community.
In that case, why bother to label them at all?
Let every purchase be a gamble.
I'm just saying thank the gods for Screenshots, 'Let's Players'. because labeling everything as just "RPG" is the same as just labeling every type of meat as just "Meat" and graphics cards as just "Graphics Card" in closed packaging with only the companies names to differentiate.
I like specifications on the products I might be buying.
I agree, honestly. I also like specifications, but I don't like the game to be inaccurately specified. I feel that it's better if an umbrella term is used in the title instead of a more specific fake one, and then a short description describes how the game is played or what kind of experience I should expect in several words, instead of a single term. That, alongside screenshots, let's plays, and all sort of resources are plenty help to decide if I should buy a game or not.
RPG is used for games where you take the role of a character, and it should somewhat tell the story of either the character or the world around it. That alone differentiates some games from others like rocket league or fifa, where there's no story, you don't take the role of nobody that matters, what matters is the gameplay.
Hack&slash was a term used for games where you killed tons of monsters with weapons, and then Diablo started using the ARPG term to say that besides killing tons of monsters, you also get to enjoy a story in a particular ambiance. Dark Souls games also fit the description where it's more about the action than reading, but feel like a completely different genre, right? no isometric, itemisation is vastly different, the gameplay loop is completely different... This is why just reading ARPG means nothing to me nowadays, I have to dig into the description anyway.
Another example, is "Ys origins" an ARPG or a JRPG? both? It has fast paced combat where you kill tons of mobs and a story, but it has a very japanese style, however, JRPGs are being known for having to manage a party and usually turn based combat, sooo? idk, a 3 line paragraph and 3 5 second clips would be much better than just a term for me.
Sorry for the late response btw, I just forgot lol.