I find that video game genres are in general pretty bad at explaining what they are. If you think about it, shooters or third person shooters or first person shooters only really tell you that the game contains a specific game mechanic/approach. The terms 'roguelike', 'soulslike' and 'metroidvania' all refer back to specific other games by name, and rpg is potentially the least useful term of all. Technically you play a role in the Mario and sonic games.
