> To me, an RPG, has always meant the latter (choose [attack, magic, item] from a menu). Wizardry, Bard's Tale (Apple II), FF7 are RPGs. A Link to the Past, Link's Adventure, Breath of the Wild, are not.
You're talking about several categories of CRPGs.
The likes of Bard's Tale, the old D&D RPGs (eg Pool of DArkness) and the Wizardry series are turn-based RPGs.
Zelda BotW and Skyrim OTOH are what I'd call real-time RPGs.
But both are clearly RPGs. The key aspect of the RPG is that you play a character in a virtual world. Other comments tried to claim that Flight Sim is an RPG by some definitions. It isn't. You're flying a plane. An RPG would be you as the pilot or co-pilot where there is gameplay outside of flying.
There are common tropes in RPGs like XP, levels, stats and better items but these aren't necessary. Nor is magic. Even in a fantasy world.
Compare this to, say, a pure fantasy arena game wher eall you do is combat. Even with progression it's not an RPG.
I generally prefer turn-based RPGs and strategy games. I particularly hate RTS games that require hummingbird level APS. I play games to chill out. But Breath of the Wild is an exception to that rule. BotW is truly one of the most amazing games ever made. The feeling you have as you wander Hyrule is so rarely achieved in any game.
It's also worth adding that BotW is what I would call "JRPG lite". It has many JRPG elements but it's more mainstream than that IMHO.
You're talking about several categories of CRPGs.
The likes of Bard's Tale, the old D&D RPGs (eg Pool of DArkness) and the Wizardry series are turn-based RPGs.
Zelda BotW and Skyrim OTOH are what I'd call real-time RPGs.
But both are clearly RPGs. The key aspect of the RPG is that you play a character in a virtual world. Other comments tried to claim that Flight Sim is an RPG by some definitions. It isn't. You're flying a plane. An RPG would be you as the pilot or co-pilot where there is gameplay outside of flying.
There are common tropes in RPGs like XP, levels, stats and better items but these aren't necessary. Nor is magic. Even in a fantasy world.
Compare this to, say, a pure fantasy arena game wher eall you do is combat. Even with progression it's not an RPG.
I generally prefer turn-based RPGs and strategy games. I particularly hate RTS games that require hummingbird level APS. I play games to chill out. But Breath of the Wild is an exception to that rule. BotW is truly one of the most amazing games ever made. The feeling you have as you wander Hyrule is so rarely achieved in any game.
It's also worth adding that BotW is what I would call "JRPG lite". It has many JRPG elements but it's more mainstream than that IMHO.