Sometimes the first sequel to a game can be weird. For example, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link had a top-down world map like the first game, but battles and dungeons were in 2D, plus Link could level up. While The Legend of Zelda series could be called RPG-adjacent games, Link has never leveled up as traditionally as Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link again.
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The only exceptions are spinoffs like Hyrule Warriors. Nintendo course-corrected that ship for better or worse on the NES. These other major franchises did change things up for the better, though, and kept at it. Some in small ways, others with drastic shifts, so let’s get into it.
5 Dragon Age: Origins
From Autobattles To Action Battles
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
Dragon Age: Origins was the first game in the series, and even though it was released on consoles, it was designed with old-school PC RPG fans in mind. Players created their character, including their class, race, and the location where they wanted to start. They could talk to NPCs, get quests, and shape their world as they saw fit. Combat was similar to MMOs, as characters used autobattle to attack enemies.
Players could use a menu system to issue various commands for the party, which added to the strategy of battle. It was a good first entry, but starting in the second game, simply titled Dragon Age 2, combat was switched to action. It was more comfortable for console players this way while still keeping the character creator, class system, and dynamic choices. Two sequels later, Dragon Age is still an action RPG series.
4 Dynasty Warriors
The Fighting Game Transitioned Into Action RPG
Dynasty Warriors
- Released
- February 28, 1997
- ESRB
- T // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
- Koei
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original)
Many may not know this, but Dynasty Warriors did not start as a series of action RPGs. The first entry was on the PS1 only, and it was a fighting game with characters familiar to the franchise now, like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Dynasty Warriors 2, for the PS2, is where things changed, and it was probably a smart decision.
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After all, the PS1 and the market overall were already flooded with fighting games in the 90s, so it didn’t make sense to add another franchise to the mix even if it did have a unique setting. Beyond their games, Omega Force also branched out to create Musou games for other franchises like Persona 5, The Legend of Zelda, and Fire Emblem, so the decision to pivot was a wise one.
3 Jak And Daxter
Add Guns And Cars
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
- Released
- December 4, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PS Vita
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was the first game in the series, which was released as a PS2 exclusive. It was Naughty Dog’s follow-up to their Crash Bandicoot series, which expanded their platforming skills. Instead of levels, players could explore open-world areas segmented off into different zones. It was a solid early platformer, and fans could never have predicted where the sequel went.
Jak 2 was the follow-up on PS2, which turned the game into Grand Theft Auto meets Ratchet & Clank. Jak was no longer a silent protagonist and instead sported an edgier tone. He could equip and upgrade guns and steal flying cars in a futuristic city. The gunplay and drivable vehicles are what the sequels stuck with, from dune buggies to planes, but platforming was still present, too.
2 Ratchet & Clank
Leveling Up Into A Hybrid Of Two Genres
Ratchet & Clank
- Released
- November 6, 2002
- ESRB
- Teen // Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Platformer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
The first Ratchet & Clank on the PS2 stood out because Ratchet could fire an alarming amount of wacky guns like the Morph-o-Ray, which turned enemies into chickens. It was fine, the way it was, but its PS2 sequel, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, took things to a new level.
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Defeating enemies would gain Ratchet EXP, which would eventually level up his health and evolve his weapons. This small inclusion of RPG elements changed the series forever into an unforgettable RPG platformer hybrid. The series has not gone back since, save for a few spinoffs. Ratchet & Clank was even remade in 2016 to tie into the film adaptation, which did include the RPG elements.
1 Yakuza
From Brawler To Turn-Based Beatdowns
Yakuza
- Released
- September 5, 2006
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U
The Yakuza series is interesting because the changes came more gradually. The first game was a PS2 title that featured brawling action with the protagonist, Kazuma. The first six main games, and the prequel Yakuza 0, were all brawlers that got more RPG elements as the series went along. After a decade of the same concept, including spinoffs, a dramatic shift happened for the seventh mainline entry called Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Kazuma was replaced with a new protagonist, Ichiban, and the battles shifted to turn-based combat. Not only that, Ichiban and his fellow party members could change classes like classic Dragon Quest games, which Ichiban professed his love for in the game. Thanks to Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s success, Sega announced that spinoffs would retain the action gameplay while the mainline Yakuza games would now only focus on turn-based combat. So far, there has only been one turn-based sequel, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but it’s a good start to something fresh.
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