Bethesda lead says in the "time between Fallout 4 and Starfield," the "one thing" the studio has learned is that "there is no one definition of an RPG"

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"Look at Cyberpunk 2077, one of my favorite games. There are some people who don't call that an RPG"

Starfield
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Oh no, the 'what makes an RPG' discourse has been reignited, thanks to Bethesda Game Studios veteran Emil Pagliarulo recently opening up that particular can of worms in an interview with GamesRadar+. It's the holidays, not Halloween, Emil, read the room.

Anyway, yes, people have been arguing for years about what parameters specifically define the RPG genre. Leveling systems, skills, customizable characters, those are all hallmarks of an RPG, but it's not uncommon for RPG developers to borrow all sorts of elements from other genres, making it trickier and trickier to nail down an exact definition. That's something, according to Pagliarulo, Bethesda learned at some point between releasing Fallout 4 and Starfield.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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