I have been playing PC games since 1986.

Any game that makes me feel like I am actually the protagonist is a role playing game.

To date, these following games gave me an intensely personal role playing experience - In no particular order

Half Life as Gordon Freeman
Planescape Torment as The Nameless One
Fallout as the Vault Dweller
Everquest circa 1999 when race and class mattered.

Yes I played Baldurs Gate and it was not a role playing game for me because I did not know who I was portraying and the game frankly did not make me care.

So, cover what you like. Companies do not decide what defines an RPG. I do.