[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge].

Gaming is my hobby, so I enjoy all kinds of genres.
Today, I want to look at the difference in appeal between sports games, where a single match draws a clear line between victory and defeat, and RPGs, where you create a character to represent yourself and keep growing alongside them over time.

Sports Games

The thrill of a single match
Forget the last game; every match begins anew

Sports games are, in most cases, about one match at a time. Even when you play several rounds, those individual games simply add up to the final result. In a best-of-five, for instance, where the first player to win three games takes the set, each round is still a new contest in its own right. In that sense, sports games let you approach every match with a fresh strategy and produce a different outcome each time.

I once played a game based on the old manga Slam Dunk as its IP. It was a 3 on 3 game where the goal was simply to see who could score more baskets. Even in a first-to-2-out-of-3 or first-to-3-out-of-5 format, each round was still a new match, so although the earlier games could affect my state of mind, the rules did not change, and a player who had scored heavily in the previous round did not receive some kind of buff in the next one. Because of that, I could enjoy every match as a fresh contest, regardless of what had happened before.

Sports games are especially appealing because they are fair contests, and there is something clean about them because the result is immediately clear. You do your best within a fixed span of time, and once the game ends, you can move on to whatever else you need to do, which also makes time management easier. That clear beginning and end is a major strength.

RPG Games

The pleasure of growing step by step
The joy of reaching long-term goals

RPGs are fundamentally different from sports games. In a sports game, each new match starts fresh, but in an RPG, the experience gains continuity from the moment I create a character and begin the adventure. If yesterday’s version of me earned money, then today’s me is a little wealthier than before, and if yesterday’s me leveled up, then today’s me can move through the next stage more easily.

People say life is continuous, and RPGs are continuous in much the same way. Each day accumulates. Failing yesterday does not mean everything is over, and succeeding today does not mean the story has ended. Time keeps moving for us, and because of that, things build up as memories and leave room for us to grow into something better.

My character, who is also another version of myself, grows day by day. The result changes depending on how much I invest. In that process, a single story takes shape. It becomes the life story of another self in this world. Because it does not end within a fixed period of time, I can set goals, pursue them at my own pace, and put my own enjoyment first while doing so. And while those goals can certainly involve success and failure, the greatest appeal is that they can also be fulfilled through my own growth and experience.

Right now, I am enjoying 마비노기 모바일. Each character has a different direction and a different goal to pursue. Because there is no single correct answer for how things must be done, it feels more free. As each day builds on the last, my affection for my character deepens as well. Gradually developing my character and investing that affection into them, along with the satisfaction and sense of achievement that follow, is one of the great strengths of RPGs.

Sports Games vs RPG Games

So which do I actually like more?

To be honest, do I really need to choose? I like both. Sports games appeal to me because every match gives me a fresh start, so whenever I feel the urge to reset my life, even briefly, I can make a new resolution. RPGs appeal to me because I can pour affection into my character and build up their life story piece by piece. Why shouldn’t I enjoy both?

When I play sports games, winning is exciting and genuinely thrilling, but if I keep losing, they quickly stop being fun. RPGs, by contrast, are built around long-term goals, so there are times when the time spent pursuing those goals can feel tedious or even daunting. Since they offer such different kinds of appeal, I need both as someone whose hobby is gaming. If I get tired of repeated losses in a sports game, I can move over to an RPG, and if I become worn down in an RPG because my pace of growth is not matching what I had in mind, then I can refresh myself with a sports game, where the results are immediate and visible.

What am I really saying? Games are good. I like games. I hope even more varied games continue to come out in the future. Game forever!