Given the fact that every genre of video game almost always tries to become a franchise, and those franchises generally crossover into different genres themselves; How is it possible we haven’t had more Survival Horror RPGs?
This should be a genre that is easier to find at your local games retailer. The closest thing in recent memory would be the Parasite Eve series. You could argue that Dead Space is a stripped down RPG, but I would disagree. Sure it’s got upgrades for your “rig” and your weapons, but it’s not the same. However, think about how rad it would be to mix two games like Mass Effect and Dead Space. All the story and interaction of Mass Effect mixed with the set pieces, mood, action, and intensity of Dead Space. I would be first in line for that BioWare game. I’m not talking about some MMO game here, this would just be a single player experience. Let’s not forget how bad Resident Evil: Outbreak was.
A turn-based RPG it wouldn’t have the same punch. It would have to be an action based RPG in the vein of Mass Effect. The hardest part would be fleshing out the story, the rest of it is easy, really. It could work by having a hub world of some sort that you would go to from time to time to get missions. After you accept some task, like saving a certain someone, or bringing back supplies for survivors, you would make your way out into the open areas and accomplish your task. Probably the main goal is to stomp out the invasion and/or save the last people on Earth.
The rest of the elements would just fall into place. Introducing characters that have ties to the main character to have them die in vicious ways. Probably a dog in there somewhere since that’s the thing to do in games now. A zombie-fied city, for example, is just as good as a creature filled dungeon. You know what? Just make an RPG version of “Zombieland” or “The Walking Dead” and I will be fine with that.
Also, think of the loot! Glorious, glorious loot.
Someone make this happen, please.
* Originally posted on January 21, 2011, on PlatformNation.com (no longer active)
** Keep in mind I wrote this two years PRIOR to State of Decay being released.
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