I thought so at first, but then I remembered a Western-developed computer RPG (CRPG) I'd toyed with back in 1992, called Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant. It was unlike anything I'd ever played on consoles; it had a first-person perspective, wonderfully written text, very dark atmosphere, and the ability to actually create my own characters. Most strikingly, there was a great sense of freedom; I could do anything I wanted to at any time, within limits. The world of Lost Guardia was more like a sandbox to play in than a stage on which to watch a scripted play. I would later find that some of these traits, like greater freedom and player-developed characters, were common to many CRPGs, just as long, linear plots were endemic to Japanese games.