In some of my posts, I have used the term "Pure RPG" to differentiate between the crud that is being monikkered as "RPG" or some hyphenated term plus "RPG" (i.e. Action-RPG, Strategy-RPG, etc.) usually as a shameless way to delude RPG players into buying something they usually wouldn't, and a "real" RPG; which is a game based on some very specific criteria that earmarks it as an RPG in the most unsullied sense.

Although some of it is instinct, I will attempt to explain here what those criteria are - or at least as much as I can think of. These listings are in no particular order of importance, but rather, they should ALL be present in any RPG.

1. Interactivity. You should be able to interact with NPC's (non player characters) and objects. You should be able to get clues and information from these sources. Ideally, all NPC's should have something to say, relevent or not; and the more contextual information you get from objects, the better. You are playing a role, and part of this means the world should react like the real world inasmuch as possible. in the real world, you talk to people, you read documents, you play with things, you observe and extract information. The more informed you are in an RPG, the more immersive the game becomes. it also helps to fill up the empty spaces in the game, and the game feels more "alive".

1. Exploration. You should be able to explore AT WILL, as long as your not in the middle of a mission. The more exploration, the better. Of course, there's no guarantee that you won't wander into the wrong area and... game reset... but that's part of the intrigue of an RPG. Because RPG's are not "Fast Action", but rather "Secret Based", you should be able to spend massive amounts of time exploring, and hopefully stumbling upon secrets, or previewing areas that you may be going to in the future.

1. Alliances. RPG's aren't about this one person running around doing it all by himself, and never have been. Those are usually the "Action-RPG's", which is a cheap way of saying "We didn't want to put the effort into developing a cast, but we still want to use the RPG label...". No, in an RPG, you should be making connections with others that will help you in your journeys.

1. Branching Story. The story in an RPG should change according to your actions and / or choices. It is supposed to react to your cumulative input, and evolve accordingly. Even in the most linear of RPG's, there are things which can alter facets of the game which you can make the effort to acheive. Without a branching story, your just a button pusher, and that's not what an RPG is all about.

1. Vista. APure RPG will show you worlds and wonders beyond fantasy. You will explore new and varied places, cultures, technologies. You should not be locked in a dungeon viewing regurgitated patterns in a Pure RPG. How does that clue you in on the next facet in the story? that's appropriate for Hack 'n Slashers - not RPG's!

1. Relationships. In an RPG, it isn't sufficient just to TALK to other characters - or merely interact with them. You are supposed to be immersed in such a way that you get to know them. You get to know their motivations, their story, sometimes you feel for the villain at the same time you are working to destroy them. Relationships help to further the emotion in the game. Although this comes in differing degrees - there is a "bottom" point where it is not an RPG defining element - that is those games which say they have "RPG elements", based on the fact that every once in a while you stop and get info from somebody (like Kingdom Hearts). You cannot insert your game into the genre just because of one element. It is a totality of the pieces - not merely the parts themself that difine the whole. It's like my toe calling my whole body a foot! I'm not defined by my toe - I have one,,, but other creatures do too! you have to look at my whole body to determine what I am. The same is true for an RPG, or any other game for that matter - having conversation between characters alone does not an RPG make - but it is expected to have meaningful interaction, as well as tactile interaction between characters / NPC and even animals and other beings who appear to have life in the game.

1. PACE. No matter how active the action is in an RPG, except for special scenarios, the player should have some control of the pace of the game. Without this control, it merely becomes a ride-on-rails semi-action / detective game. From the days of Dungeons and Dragons - which is where RPGs originated, there has always been a methodical, usually slow, strategical pacing. This slow pace allows you to "stop and smell the Mythril". You can think, plan, strategize at your leisure. You cannot take that away and still call it an RPG; it isn't traditional, and it isn't serving the purpose of games in this genre. What if you turned on your new Need For Speed and instead of cars everyone rode a trolley - and you had to keep jumping from one trolley to the next to win the "race"? You wouldn't call that a racing game anymore - would you? Hey, trolleys have axles, cars do too - so shouldn't you call this a racing game??? OF COURSE NOT! In the same vien, you don't throw in a couple of "RPG ELEMENTS" and call an action game an RPG - it just as ludicrous as the Need FOr Speed: Trolley example.