The Dialogue with Fantasius

Charlie: Oh, Fantasius. What brings you to the dinner party this eve?

Socrates: Welcome, friend of Charles. It's so good that you could join us. We were just discussing the finer points of Hyrulean ideals. I'll say, I sure am glad I fell into that time portal and got to experience the Legend of Zelda. It sure is a great roleplaying game.

Charlie: Agreed.

Fantasius: But sirs! Ye are mistaken. For I can assure that this Zelda is not a roleplaying game. It is not as Final Fantasy is, that most beloved of titles.

Charlie: I would disagree, but certainly you do not err in saying that Final Fantasy is beloved.

Socrates: It is the mark of an educated man to entertain an idea and not accept it. Please, Fantasius, tell us why Zelda is not an RPG.

Fantasius: Very well, but as you often give Charlie at these dinners, allow me as much time as I require to make my case, Socrates.

Socrates: Take as much as you require, friend of the dinner party.

Charlie: I also agree. Please, deliver unto us your argument.

Fantasius: *breaths deeply* If we look at the definition of roleplaying game, we will see that it involves playing a character in a fictional setting. Final Fantasy is an example of this. Final Fantasy games take place in a fictional universe with fictional characters. You play as these characters as you progress through the game.

Fantasius: Indeed, but Final Fantasy also contains a leveling system, which was certainly influenced by the leveling systems of real life roleplaying games. You run around, listening to fantastic music and leveling up your party. This is the hallmark of roleplaying game gameplay. But Zelda, on the other hand, does not have this feature. Therefore, Zelda is not a roleplaying game.

Charlie: I am confounded by this brilliant logic.

Socrates: Confounding, certainly. Brilliant, definitely. But there is just one problem: Zelda, as I understand it, meets the criteria of your initial definition. In fact, many games do.

Charlie: Thanks, Socrates. It's good that you became such a hardcore gamer.

Socrates: It's even better that I didn't have to drink that hemlock!

Fantasius: Lies! Well no True RPG plays like Zelda!

Charlie: What about Zelda II?

Fantasius: No True RPG lacks battle cutscenes!

Charlie: Well, I'm stumped again.

Socrates: Likewise. His logic seems flawless. If only some fallacy from my time covered this matter.