The early days of computer games are dark at best, but the first RPG video game is generally accepted as being somewhere in the realm of Richard Garriott’s Akalabeth, Rogue and Tower Of Apshai. All three were based on the simple but compelling premise of going down to a dungeon to fight skeletons, vampires and all kinds of other monsters while searching for treasure. The limited technology of the time meant that none of them could replicate the narrative magic of Dungeons & Dragons – their closest inspiration – but their unique blend of statistics, loot and class-based gameplay helped capture the hearts of the first generation of PC games.
Today, RPGs are more focused on the impact of narrative choice, with games like Mass Effect praised for their spider web-like branching points. It is a trend pushed to the limit by Disco Elysium, which exchanges traditional combat for violent exchanges and insults. Still, the classic dungeon crawler lives through Dark Souls, Diablo and now a curious little battler named Loop Hero.
