I think where Assassin's Creed is concerned, and games like it, there's a interesting debate to be made on when a game stops merely having RPG elements (i.e. stats) and starts becoming an RPG,
I used to get irritated by people calling AssCrees a stealth game, with its shallow, and broken stealth systems. I am glad it move to RPGs now.
With modern ACs (which I didn't touch, so 🤷â€â™‚ï¸) I would question whenever RPGs system are actual gameplay systems (developing character, distinct playstyles with unique weapons, matching character choices) or if they serve openworld grind and game monatization. I have heard a lot about how grindy ACs are, but not how cool the loot system/choices are. But I suppose I could be just a bad RPG game.
And that always bring the elephant in the room. Witcher3, which is universally beloved and mostly accepted as an RPG, in spite of it being an open world action game with unnecessary and pretty weak RPG systems on top, which only break balance rather then enhance the game. Still, one can forgive many things with excellent writing and good quest design.
