10.0
GotY Awards 2010 – Best RPG
Mass Effect 2 - You could argue that Mass Effect 2 had the majority of it’s RPG aspects taken out of it since the first game, and yes, that is sort of what has happened. But at the end of the day, Mass Effect 2 is still an RPG. A stellar one at that. The world that you’re immersed is brilliant alone, especially with all of the vast amounts of optional information found inside the in-game codex. Place a set of diverse, interesting, and sometimes amusing characters with some good voice over work, and you’ve got a top notch RPG. Though I still hold the story from the first game in higher regard, Mass Effect 2′s story telling is done well (aided by those ‘diverse characters’ I just mentioned). The game plays as a not perfect but still fun and engaging third person shooter, making combat a hell of a lot more fun than it was in the first game. Honestly, I could go on for sometime about what a good RPG, and what a good game, Mass Effect 2 is. Just play it. Regardless of what system you own, soon, you won’t have an excuse. Well, unless you only have a Wii or a fairly poor computer, in which case…sorry. Guess you do have an excuse.
And in Close Second…
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm – Yes, World of Warcraft is an MMORPG. Notice the RPG? MMORPG is a sub-genre of the RPG. So don’t even try and tell me this doesn’t belong here! Anyway…no, I have not played one hundred percent of what Cataclysm offers, because, come on, it’s pretty damn big. But being the leveling ‘whore’ that I am, I have played plenty of the new content that Cataclysm offers. A lot of the quest design from ‘vanilla WoW’ was pretty poor, but only noticeable by comparing to what was in the expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. As the majority of Cataclysm is the reworking of the original world, every quest has been re-tuned, if only slightly, to make leveling, and the game in general, a much more enjoyable and streamlined experience. Even the old dungeons have been recreated somewhat, some even being turned into ‘Heroic’ dungeons for max level players. Heroic Deadmines, anyone? Cataclysm is great, and I won’t hesitate in paying for a months game time in a few days from now. You did it again, Blizzard.
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale – I have said it over and over again, but I feel it is necessary to say that RPGs are my favorite genre. I have played every Final Fantasy I could get my hands on and almost every available turn-based, Japanese RPG on Sony’s consoles. The original Playstation gave us such classics as Final Fantasy VIII, Chrono Cross, and The Legend of Dragoon – and the PS2 continued this tradition of great JRPGs. This generation has been lacking in the department, and the rise of RPGS developed in the west is evident with the success of titles such as Fallout and Fable. While I appreciate these types of games I am still waiting for a quality, turn-based RPG to grace this console generation. This year, there were none. I also missed out on every Bioware and Bethesda release in 2010. So to mine and I would guess every reader’s surprise, my RPG of the year comes in the form of a Steam game that I purchased in a $5 Indie pack. Why did this game impress me so much? Recettear integrates an innovative bartering system where you must manage an item shop on the rise with a Dark Cloud like dungeon crawling structure. Relationships are built between you and the town folk, and there are multiple characters to control as you hack-and-slash your way to wealth. The story is cheesy in the best kind of way, and I’m happy to see there are still Japanese games like this making their way overseas. This obscure little gem deserves a look, and proves that some of the most charming experiences are hidden behind the huge blockbusters.
And in Close Second…
3D Dot Game Heroes – In no way is this a traditional RPG. 3D Dot Game Heroes is classic Zelda in almost every way, but there are enough character customization options and weapon enhancements to place it into this category. There are no shortages of weapons, each with upgradeable length, width, and power. You also have the choice of dozens of blocky heroes to choose from, from a knight to a tank (watching a tank swing a sword may be worth the price alone). If you don’t want to save the world as said tank, you can create a character from the ground up one block at a time. If none of this tickles your RPG fancy, let me reiterate that you can make a massive sword. Like, I don’t know, at least one character in every Japanese game usually wields. If that doesn’t excite you, you’re dead inside.
No Comments