With the launch of PlayStation 2 and the first wave of first generation games, there is competition to be the first to release the first game in each genre.
A strange rivalry, but one that quickens the production of video games.
Beating the pack in the role-playing field is Activision with the PlayStation 2 launch day release of Orphen.
The story revolves around the lazy sorcerer Orphen and his troublesome adventures, although the manga-style introduction maybe a little off putting to the average European gamer.
In the beginning, Orphen feels like more of a cinematic experience than a playing experience, since there are more "sit back and watch" scenes than active areas of play.
Once you push past this, you will come across a whole bestiary of monsters, all of which must be slew using both combat skills and magic.
There are in excess of 30 graphically impressive spells in all.
Fortunately, the animations have been kept short, avoiding some of the complaints with the Final Fantasy series.
As one of the first DVD ROM games on PlayStation 2, there are five playable characters to get to grips with in this multi-gigabyte monstrosity.
Orphen isn't a ground breaking title by any means, but this is a plentiful game for any RPG fan.