Know your role.
The line between what is a Role-Playing Game, and what isn’t, is getting blurry these days. What makes an RPG an RPG can often be a very different list of criteria, based upon who you’re talking to, but we’ve compiled a list of what we feel are the best RPG’s this year. Whether you prefer swinging a sword, or firing a gun, I think you’ll find at least one of your favorite games among our list of nominees.
The winner of Best RPG of 2012 is…
Mass Effect 3
Developer / Publisher: Bioware / EA Games
Review Score: 9/10
You may remember there being a lot of controversy surrounding the ending of Mass Effect 3, and though we didn’t agree with the dissenters, that type of public debate just goes to show you how deeply the story of the Mass Effect series affects people. Mass Effect 3, brought the series to a close in grand style by literally bring the galaxy together to fight the biggest threat it’s ever faced. With stunning visuals, fantastic characters, touching moments, and improved gameplay, Mass Effect 3 was one of the most impressive packages of 2012.
Other Nominees
Dragon’s Dogma - “Dragon’s Dogma has some flaws but is absolutely worth playing. As far as open-world RPG’s go, this is some of the most fun you’ll have in actual combat. Be prepared to run your tail off when going from place to place, and having your Pawns repeat themselves constantly. This will all be far from your mind as you’re trying to climb up a dragon’s front leg to slash at its throat though.”
Borderlands 2 - “Borderlands 2 is how you do a sequel. It’s bigger, funnier, deeper, better looking and has more guns than the first game. Even though Borderlands 2 is a first person shooter, one of the most saturated genres around, it succeeds by never trying to be like any of the others. Borderlands 2 is pure fun and it’s the crazy guns, crazy enemies and crazier bosses that make it fun. Realistic military shooters are all well and good, but your life needs a little Borderlands 2. Trust me.”
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition - “While From Software didn’t really take any time to patch up the small issues that Dark Souls had before, the PC release is still the same fantastic game. Fans of the series will love the new areas and the addition of the PVP arena modes is great for those that are into that side of the game. PC gamers are in luck with this one, as the $39.99 price tag includes the full original game, as well as a substantial amount of additional content. I would be embarrassed to tell you just exactly how many hours I’ve spent on Dark Souls, across both editions.”
Torchlight 2 - “When it comes to Action-RPG’s, Torchlight 2 is as good as it gets, with its massive amount of content, online co-op, new skill system, new and easy to use interface, beautifully created areas to explore and four great character classes to mold. Runic were on to something special with the original Torchlight and have managed to update what was so great about it and create a truly complete experience with so few flaws that it’s as close to perfect as you can get in my opinion. The best part of all is that you only have to pay $20 to experience it.”
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is now one of my favorite RPGs of all time. It doesn’t necessarily do anything you haven’t seen before, but it does those things in a way that is fresh and fun. The world is pleasing to look at, the story is deep and the combat is the best part, rather than being an afterthought. I can actually see myself playing this one for 200 hours. Big Huge Games aren’t pretending anymore, they have the next big franchise on their hands here.”
Award Categories: Best PC Indie, Best Strategy Game, Best Puzzle Game, Best Sports Game, Best Racing Game, Best Co-op Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best Action Game, Best Story, Best DLC, Best RPG – Stay tuned for more awards all the way up to our Game of the Year.
Editor’s Note: The winning game is picked by the entire staff and not based solely on individual review scores.
