Have you tried the Dragon age games? Or Elderscrolls?
In my mind, when someone says RPG, my mind goes directly to playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Basically, before video games, you rolled dice to attack your enemy and you go on quests.
There are many interpretations of what's an RPG, but you start with a low level character, collect items, build up your character to make you stronger. Lots of games do this,
Best way to determine an RPG, is when your character "levels up"