RPG Franchises That Have Changed The Most

Some RPG franchises might be the perfect living witnesses of the passing of time, and throughout the last few decades, some of them have seen a lot of changes, not only in the way games are developed but also in how the stories are made.

From a game that saved an entire company from falling apart to an immemorial classic that went from 8-bits to an open-world game that looks absolutely different from what it used to be. These games are some of the most popular franchises of all time, but also some of the ones that underwent the most changes.

Monster Hunter

Its Core Essence Remains The Same, But Its Mechanics Are Constantly Evolving

• First game released: Monster Hunter - March 11, 2004
• Main Developer: CAPCOM
• Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG, Exploration

Monster Hunteris perhaps one of the franchises that has evolved more than any other (except Pokemon) from its humble origins back in 2004, debuting on the PlayStation 2 platform, and breaking records worldwide after its global release in late 2004/early 2005. Of course, at that time, games were still mostly physical, and people had to wait for their turn to buy a copy of a game. From that point, twenty years into the future, the Monster Hunter series has changed a lot, though remaining faithful to its essence. From its first iteration to the latest deliveries of the franchise, this series has changed a great deal.

One of the major aspects of gameplay that changed the most is prioritizing mobility in the characters, and making the experience run smoother. For example, in MH World, one of the biggest changes is related to the sharpening of the weapons and items used on the go, which always took longer animations and even made the characters stuck in one place like sitting ducks (aka drinking potions) and this has been replaced with a much better item usage sequence that seems to have come to stay.

With advanced graphics, new and improved combos, and the addition of new core mechanics with every edition, it has become Capcom's flagship product, outshining even Resident Evil, Mega Man,and Street Fighter. Interestingly enough, Monster Hunter Worldand Monster Hunter Rise, the latest iterations of the franchise, have been fighting for the number one position for the past years, and have received praise far and wide. Fans will have to wait and see how Monster Hunter Wilds will construct its legend, and put its mark on the franchise's history with its improved combo system and breathtaking graphics.

Fallout

A Western RPG Franchise That Has Gone Through A Lot

• First game released: Fallout - October 10, 1997
• Main Developer: Bethesda Softworks
• Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, RPG, Shooter

Another old franchise, from its first game hitting the stores back in 1997 to the latest live service Fallout 76, it has been a wild ride for Bethesda's flagship product. For instance, the first games were tactical/isometric RPGs, while the more modern Falloutgames are purely focused on the first-person perspective. Sure, there's also a third-person view, but the game as it is meant to be played is basically an RPG/FPS hybrid with some touches of looter shooter. Fallout 3 was the game that changed the franchise forever, and if players think this wasn't too long ago, then take a look at its release date. From then on, Fallouthas been constantly evolving, thanks mostly to its modding community, one of the greatest of them all.

Fallout 4introduced something that made fans love the franchise even more: Settlement Building. This particular mechanic was a total game changer and added quite a lot of immersion to the wasteland. Looting and scavenging for waste to recycle is now more meaningful than ever, and all things considered - fun. Falloutmight be the Western RPG franchise that has gone through the most comprehensive changes since its original release, and most of them have been for the better.

Tales Of

Essentially The Same, But Intrinsically Different In Each Iteration

• First game released: Tales of Phantasia - December 15, 1995
• Main Developer: Wolf Team/Namco Tales Studio/Bandai Namco
• Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG, High-Fantasy, Drama

The Tales Ofseries is one of the oldest and most prolific JRPG franchises of all time, with over forty-three titles under the brand (seventeen main titles and twenty-six spin-offs/remakes). Published since 1995, Taleshas seen plenty of changes and participated thoroughly in three game development revolutions. It not only evolved from an isometric exploration/turn-based RPG to a full-scale open-world exploration RPG with turn-based combat, but it also greatly changed the lore, art, and technology involved in its development, and most importantly, its storytelling.

Though the oldest Talesgames were mostly traditional fantasy focused, with heroes on a quest to save the world from "X factor," the later iterations have seen significant changes to how the audiences perceive the protagonists and their stories. The focus of the games (narrative-wise) is more affixed to an "anime-fan" based audience, and so is its style and worldbuilding. Of course, the fact that this also makes the development of promotional anime much easier for the developers has a lot to do with it. But the good thing is that among all its changes, Taleshas remained faithful to its core: turn-based combat, and that is something that the fans appreciate a lot.

Dragon Quest

Remains Faithful To Its Core Essence, But Has Developed Quite Well

• First game released: Dragon Quest - May 27, 1986
• Main Developers: Chunsoft/ Heartbeat/Square Enix
• Genres: Adventure, RPG, High-Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

Another great example of a franchise that has been getting better and better with time isDragon Quest, with its unique art style and a combination of traditional fantasy storytelling with the best of the best of the JRPG essence. Although it has changed a great deal since its first game popped up in the market for the '86 for NES systems, Dragon Questtruthfully remains loyal to its essence and has harvested a huge number of followers throughout almost four decades of existence.

The complexity of its worldbuilding and storytelling has sustained the most changes throughout its run. The worlds now look deeper and more meaningful, while their characters also have stronger backgrounds and their own "voices," although the "silent hero" trope is still firmly planted like a standing stone. The storylines are easy to follow, and that remains unchanged, though the gameplay has witnessed quite a lot of changes (static turn-based combat to utilizing more dynamic camera movement). Still, the hero's journey philosophy and Toriyama's embedded art style will forever remain Dragon Quest's identity, and that is a good thing.

Final Fantasy

Changed With The Audiences And Grew With Them

• First game released: Final Fantasy - February 18, 1987
• Main Developer: Squaresoft/Square Enix
• Genres: Adventure, RPG, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

When discussing franchises that have changed the most, then Final Fantasy has to be at the top of the list. From its isometric POV to third-camera open-world exploration, and classic turn-based combat to different dynamic combat systems in the later iterations. Lots of changes, but most importantly: the vision, message, storytelling, item, class system, and mostly their core essence have suffered a great deal of changes.

FromFinal Fantasy 1to6, fans see a naif-like fantasy style, with the classic hero's journey-based storytelling, and a simple but powerful message: union makes strength. Then from Final Fantasy 7 to Final Fantasy 10, we enter the more adult-like, dark fantasy stage with a more mature approach to storytelling. Villains are more dangerous and intertwined with the plot; they're no longer phantom threats that loom like a prophecy, but more tangible and scary. Then from Final Fantasy 11to 16, players entered a period of great changes. The combat system, class system, storytelling, world design, and character design diverted greatly from the essence of Final Fantasy. But was that such a bad thing? New audiences can also enjoy the goodness of this series, while older audiences might have another try with the remakes that are hitting the market non-stop. And of course, all the spin-offs of the series like Tactics, Dissidia, and the online MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 provide a refuge for all those who want to enjoy a more "classic RPG" experience.

Pokemon

From 150 To 1025, A Lot Of Changes Needed To Happen

• First game released: Pocket Monsters Red and Green - February 27, 1996
• Main Developer: Game Freak
• Genres: Adventure, RPG, Monster Collector

In terms of change, Pokemonhas experienced a lot. From its humble 8-bit origins to its full 3D open-world experience in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the journey to be the very best and catch 'em all wasn't always as immersive as it is nowadays. Though many people think that Pokemonhit peak art and design in the 5th Generation (Black & White), the game has received quite a lot of important updates that make the trainer's journey through the many regions of the Pokemonworld a complete experience.

First and foremost, the classic HM mechanic (which basically forced players to carry a weak Pokemon like Zigzagoon or Bidoff like a living toolkit) is no more, and that is one of the greatest changes. Then fans have the breeding that abandoned its daycare-paid model to a moving interactive gimmick, with the Picnic mechanic making it reach its peak in the 9th-gen games. The combat, though it is still turn-based, has also experienced a graphical overhaul. The animations, though they abandoned the 2D art style three generations ago, look neat and polished. Nevertheless, bugs and other issues have started to make the community worry about the overall quality of the later iterations. Just taking a look at Pokemon Legends: Arceusreveals how much potential lies hidden, waiting for GameFreak to make it shine. Fans will have to wait and see how Pokemon Legends: Z-Achanges the game once more.