What makes a great RPG according to CD Projekt RED

CD Projekt RED has revealed their personal view on what makes a great RPG during a session based around introducing their new REDengine mod tools for The Witcher 2 to RPG Site at Gamescom 2012.

To kick off the presentation of the impressive mod tools - a full preview of which you can expect later this week - representatives from the company outlined what they felt made a great RPG - something which the mod tools will allow users to replicate.

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The Witcher 2, CDP's last impressive RPG effort.

A slide of the presentation highlighted the following as vital ingredients to the perfect modern RPG:

  • Game-changing choices & consequences
  • Non-linear quests
  • A complex, engrossing story
  • Mature and vivid world
  • Believable characters 
  • A spectacular, dynamic and tactical combat system

"For us at CD Projekt RED RPGs are about telling an amazing story," a fact sheet echoing the presentation reads.

"Games give us an opportunity to narrate an engrossing plot with lots of non-linear branching quests. We concentrate on creating plausible characters in rich and wonderful looking environments. The game world has to remain interactive and change accordingly to the players choices."

The REDengine toolkit is designed to "allow the gaming community to create and experience such adventures" outside of what the team at CD Projekt create themselves. 

CD Projekt RED has something of a right to talk on this subject - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was one of the highest scoring games of 2011 on RPG Site, and its Xbox 360 version scored equally impressive earlier this year.

Do you agree with their synopsis? Let us know in the comments.