Is Warframe an RPG?

[Madame_Werewolf]

Warframe surely have some rpg elements, the mod system is similar to the gears of choice from typical rpg games, but it's mostly an action shooter. 

[Carnage2K4]

Almost anything can be called an RPG, it merely needs satisfy the acronym...

Ask yourself:

Do you play a "role"?

Is it in a game?

If you answered yes to both these questions then technically you're playing an RPG.

In warframe you can easily take on a role within the squad, CC, DPS, Buffs etc...

 

Edited February 19, 2017 by Carnage2K4

[Lakais]

As so many have said. The definition of an RPG is so incredibly vague and outdated that by extension you could say ANY game is an RPG or has clear RPG elements. Even a basic shooter like CS could be considered an RPG in that you customize a character, and you establish yourself a role or even an identity in said game. In those regards, WF is clearly an RPG. 

These days, calling any game strictly one genre or another is very misleading. WF has clear RPG elements, and can be considered a purely RPG game if you play it that way. 

However, if the definition of an RPG is something purely related to tabletop games like DnD or ShadowRun, then it's not quite as simple. In those games, you play a character is a story or scenario. The action is there to compliment said story. While as a game like WF would more rightly be the opposite. The action and combat are the main focus, while as the lore and story of your character come as a relatively distant second. In those regards, it'd be difficult to consider most MMORPGs as RPGs. As there too, the main focus is in the combat and the story of why you do something is very often brushed aside. 

So my final answer is: "Warframe is an RPG if you play it as one." Simply because the definitions of those categories are not only vague and in many cases outdated, but the games themselves are far more varied and complex as to make clear distinctions impossible. 

[Ivan_Rid]

It is an action-rpg, your performance is reliant on paper stats just as much as your own shooting, positioning and resource management skills.

[aligatorno]

It's an ARPG, just like Mass Effect, Witcher or Deus Ex. We have leveling, costumization that affects the performance, quests, choices, classes [warframes] . It has most of the core elements of an RPG, but since it is not entirely reliant on roll-dice, it's an ARPG. 

[SeaUrchins]

I'd say not a classic one, you don't get to pick up your role or make your choices that influence the development of your character or how the NPCs treat you. Don't expect you can be some diplomat or rogue or something except a

Spoiler

mass murdering serial killer kiddo forever serving a sentient who claims to be their mom.

 

[Ghogiel]

It really wasn't an RPG to begin with, as the only notable character progression was an XP mechanic.

It has become somewhat moreso RPGish and filled in many of the other requirements to be considered an RPG during it's evolement.

 RPG entry in wikipedia for table top games and apply that to games  is weird when crpgs has it's own entry in wikipedia and there are multiple criteria which are usually involved.

[Hypernaut1]

I consider it an ARPG. You have leveling, skills, HP/MP, equipment, random dungeons, mobs, special mobs, loot drops, elemental damage, DPS, .... It feels like pretty standard arpg stuff. I really don't feel like there is much of an argument. It's practically Diablo with a twist.

[Helljack84]

Just a chinese cookie clicker clone with P2W elements.

[Ailissa]

It certainly has RPG elements. 

[AM-Bunny]

I think games are certainly reaching a point where the line between genres starts to blur. Nearly every game has 'RPG Elements' and Warframe is no different. Level based progression and equippable gear which were originally the hallmarks of an RPG is now found in fighting games, for crying out loud.

Unless it's a turn based RPG which makes the classification pretty obvious, I have a hard time deciding what I'd stick into that genre.

[ThePododo]

You could argue it is an RPG as you are playing the role of your operator. There is little choice for who you work for, you can't just convert to the Grineer one day - you're always with the Tenno.

On the other hand, you DO choose which Syndicate you support, and can switch between them freely (If you're willing to put in the work to get rid of any negative relations from supporting the other syndicates) - so you could argue it's not an RPG.

I think it's really up to personal perception here.

[kaliazane]

No dude, warframe is not RPG.

Warframe is a game.

 

[kyori]

So every game is a RPG since we play as someone in the games lol

[Judgebanks]

It's a game.

That you play.

You can roll by tapping sprint.

 

Roll play game, ezpz.

[Andaius]

It's an Action/ rpg light pretty much. The only rpg elements in it are, focus, and the mod system to diversify our characters.

[Vox_Preliator]

RPG is an incredibly broad term.  It is a game, in which you play a role, that being the Tenno.  I hate that that term is so widely used, it means basically nothing, considering it refers more to the story than the gameplay.

I'd say it's something along the lines of a soft sci-fi third-person medium- to fast-paced shooting / action game with long-term progression and levels randomly generated from premade tiles, with a focus on diversity of gear and repeated gameplay.  If that's an RPG to you, more power to you.

[Hypernaut1]

6 hours ago, AM-Bunny said:

I think games are certainly reaching a point where the line between genres starts to blur. Nearly every game has 'RPG Elements' and Warframe is no different. Level based progression and equippable gear which were originally the hallmarks of an RPG is now found in fighting games, for crying out loud.

Unless it's a turn based RPG which makes the classification pretty obvious, I have a hard time deciding what I'd stick into that genre.

You have to admit it shares more than just a few elements with Diablo.  Adventure games with RPG elements usually don't go as far as having random dungeons and tons of loot.

WF is a third person shooter skin on top of an ARPG.

[FINNSTAR7]

If Warframe wasn't an RPG before, it's gonna become one soon now that War Within is out. Besides being an RPG I've heard Warframe put under all sorts of categories. Just recently it won best MMO on MMO Games (I guess it's an MMO too?). It's hard to really say because Warframe has so many elements it kinda blurs a lot of lines.

[Blood_Poppy]

MMO with RPG and FPS 

i guess..?

[ComCray]

4 minutes ago, Blood_Poppy said:

MMO with RPG and FPS 

i guess..?

Most defenitely not a First Person Shooter (as it's third person).. Plenty Frames Per Second though, but that's not really a category methinks.. 😄

[Ciers]

I guess it's a shooter game with MMORPG concepts added in?

[JalakBali]

No, Warframe is not an RPG. RPGs are defined by making the role playing front and center of the core game play. There's a story happening and you play the game due to your character's role in it. That makes a game an RPG. If an RPG has first person shooting in it, it doesn't mean it's suddenly a First Person Shooter (FPS) game. It would be an RPG with FPS element. For example, giving Counterstrike a background story and some stats you could level up and weapons to acquire and modify wouldn't make it an RPG game. It would be an FPS with RPG elements. Starcraft is a strategy game. Giving it a campaign storyline and items to acquire and level up your heroes wouldn't make it an RPG, it would be a strategy game with RPG elements.

 

Now, Warframe's central gameplay is action. So it's a Third Person Shooter Action game because everything else in the game is developed around this concept. It has RPG elements like a storyline and characters. But those are built around the game of shooting and action. So those are only elements. If Warframe were an RPG, then the shooting and slashing would be developed and designed around the storylines and character developments and progressions. And it would look very similar to how Mass Effect plays, which is an RPG with Third Person Shooter elements.

[SunsetChaos]

I'd like to question the same thing about Dragon Nest and other similar games like Vindictus (probably, but not sure since I never played Vindictus).

Dragon Nest is instanced based dungeon, no open world or anything. Limited to 4 players in a party, but can have more in a raid. People gather in towns, with different channels.

All these and more are similar to Warframe. Except no one ever questions whether Dragon Nest or Vindictus or whatever games are RPG or not. In fact, everyone already accepted they're MMORPG a long time ago.

[(PSN)Magician_NG]

Warframe is an action/rpg.

It doesn't have a hardcore rpg experience like say tabletop D&D, but you are playing the role of operator.

Hence the genre definition...role playing game.