Why I’m Excited For: RPG Maker MV

RPG Maker MV was announced for the Switch just a few weeks ago, and feelings are a bit mixed on it. As a lover of traditional JRPGs though, the thought of Mario Maker: RPG edition on the Switch is an exciting prospect.

I do understand the hesitation of others, however, as RPG Maker games in general are often labeled as shovelware. This is definitely thanks to the undeniably large selection of questionable games for sale on Steam. But a few bad apples doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire orchard is crap, and the ever-growing library of RPG Maker titles is no different. You may have to wade through a river of questionable games, but there are gems out there, somewhere.

I feel that games to be made with RPG Maker MV on Switch will be the same. Again, look at Mario Maker and you’ll know that it wasn’t uncommon to come across terrible and/or unplayable creations. Then, you have those that were clearly designed with love and passion behind it. The idea of that but with RPGs on the Switch is just so interesting to me. And if it turns out to be anything like RPG Maker Fes on the 3DS, you will be able to play other user’s games without buying RPG Maker MV yourself. The only reason you will need the actual game is if you want to make your own project.

Look, I get that RPG Maker MV on Switch will be severely neutered in comparison to its PC counterpart due to the nature of the console itself. But who cares? Sure, it will be a bummer if custom assets are not possible, but I can do that from a computer right now if I get that itch. There’s potential for great stuff to be made regardless of the limited resource pool. Even if there’s an overwhelming amount of turds made with the software, they may go on to inspire someone to get into traditional RPG development on a larger scale in the future (which, in turn, is great for all of us).

As a fan of older style RPGs, I have to face the fact that the style is not necessarily the most popular medium for RPGs these days. While I don’t think it’s going to die out or anything, the rise of more action-oriented offerings have certainly affected the amount of quality traditional JRPGs that are made today. Inspiration is all it takes for someone to make the next great retro RPG, and who says that process can’t start from tinkering with this version of RPG Maker?

At the end of the day, I do not expect a steady stream of quality content to flow from RPG Maker MV for the Switch, and maybe that’s why I can look forward to it so much. I have a soft spot for any retro RPG, and I feel like this piece of software will be a fantastic way to get a potentially infinite amount of content that should span over the lifetime of the Switch.

How do you feel about the impending release of RPG Maker MV for Switch?