This Year in RPGs: December

Okay, so the year isn't quite over with yet, and December is looking like pretty slim pickings as far as RPGs goes. In fact, Eve Online: Retribution is the only RPG release I'm seeing, and that's an expansion to an MMO. Anways, I guess it wins by default.

Eve Online: Retribution (released 12/04/2012)

Pew pew! Spaceships!

EVE Online is a MMORPG, but unlike most MMOs that are fantasy-themed, EVE Online is set in deep space. Another difference that sets EVE apart from its competitors (if it can truly be said to have any) is that all of EVE's players are connected to the same server (or rather, set of servers). In most MMOs, players are placed on distinct servers, but due to the size of areas in EVE, overcrowding isn't really an issue, and so the 60,000+ players all can potentially interact with each other. Neat.

EVE is said to have a steep learning curve, and is known to be a cutthroat game. Players can freely attack one another, leading to player frustration as everything they've worked to achieve is taken from them.
Several players throughout EVE's history have made headlines in the real world from actions taken in game to defraud players. In a world that is becoming increasingly more hand-holding every day, it's nice to see some games still employing a high risk vs reward ratio. It may be frustrating to lose everything you've acquired, but that makes acquiring new things (new ships, the currency of the game ISK, etc) all that more reward-able.

TBH, no idea what's going on here.

I don't know anything about Retribution, but if you're playing EVE, chances are you're picking it up no matter what I say.

This Year in RPGs: November

Persona 4 Golden (released 11/20/2012)

Although a port of a PS2 game, P4G provides a solid RPG experience on the Vita. For a system in dire need of software, Persona 4 Golden is a welcome sight.

One thing I failed to highlight in my last blog post about Persona 4 Golden is the humor present in the series. It's a dialogue heavy series, and some of that dialogue is quite funny. Again, because the game is centered around Japan, (or rather a fictitious Japanese countryside) some of that humor may be lost on us culturally, but most of the time localization efforts manage to convey the joke.

Graphically, Persona 4 Golden is rather pretty to behold. Persona 4 arrived on the PS2 at the end of the cosole's life, and the developer seemed to squeeze every last drop of processing power in making the game. Now on Vita, with a new shiny coat of paint, Persona 4 Golden wouldn't look out of place on the PS3 or Xbox 360.

It seems like just yesterday I was recommending picking up Persona 4 Golden to everyone that has a Vita, so I won't spend too much more time going on about it, but allow me to just reiterate: If you have a Vita and like RPGs, buy it.

This Year in RPGs: October

Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 (released 10/07/2012)

Another game played by millions that I opted to put on the backburner, Pokémon is a juggernaut of a franchise, with Nintendo steadily releasing a pair of handheld titles nearly every year. The naming convention has for years been new colors, first Red and Blue, then Gold and Silver, Ruby and Sapphire, Firered and Leafgreen, Diamond and Pearl, Heartgold and SoulSilver, and then finally last years' Black and White. Now, for the first time, Nintendo is releasing direct sequels to their last games.

Some may signify this as Nintendo running out of ideas, but the formula  for Pokémon has changed so little over the years, and they somehow manage to continue to add new features with every entry. Sure, there are new Pokémon to catch as there is with every release, but there are also new ways to interact with them, trade with other players, and so on.

As far as I understand the plot of Pokémon, B2 and W2 are much the same. You travel to different gyms in the region to defeat trainers in order to earn badges which let you travel to other areas to challenge more difficult Pokémon. At any point on the world map you can get into a random encounter with a wild Pokémon where you can try and trap it in order to add it to your roster.

Combat remains largely unchanged throughout the series, featuring a turn-based system where one player selects what attack they want their Pokémon to use, then the other Pokémon or trainer executes a command before it once again becomes the players' turn. With many other series moving into real-time combat and away from traditional turn-based combat systems, it's that some series have things you can always depend upon, like Pokémon to have turn-based battles.

If you're a fan of Pokémon you've already likely snatched up both these titles. If you're not, I'm not positive Black 2 and White 2 will convert you, but they're just as likely as any of the other entries in the franchise.

This Year in RPGs: September

Borderlands 2 (released 9/18/2012)

Bet you thought I was going to say Torchlight II, didn't you? While it is true that I love T2, Borderlands 2 sold heaps more copies, so I'm setting aside my personal taste to objectively recommend the title that the masses say is more good. Or is it gooderer? Anyways, Borderlands 2 is the successful follow-up to the co-op first person shooter packed full of RPG mechanics and pop culture references. Developer Gearbox calls it a role-playing shooter. I prefer to name the genre first-person looter, personally.

 I started the first one around five times, but always petered out a few hour in. It's not that I didn't like the game or didn't think that it was well done, but for whatever reason I would set it aside and find something else to play. So I haven't exactly gotten around to playing Borderlands 2, but here's what I know about it.

More Classes

In the original Borderlands you had 4 classes to choose from, in Borderlands 2, you have 5. Having not played the new classes I really can't comment on them, but since classes felt distinct and unique in the first title, I have no reason to suspect that they won't be well defined in the sequel.

More Guns

One of the thrills of RPGs is receiving a new item that is incrementally more powerful than the old version. Gearbox cranks this up to the max level (is it 11? I'm not sure) and adds so many weapons, some people have made the argument that Borderlands 2 is less of a game and more of a number comparison simulator. This is, of course, one of the many factors that make games like this addicting. "Sweet! I got a kick-ass new gun!" Followed five minutes later by "Holy shit! This gun blows that last gun out of the water!"

More Variety

One of the complaints about the first Borderlands was that most of the quests were just the standard "go here and kill x of this blank" fetch quest that dominates RPGs. Once again, I haven't played it yet, but from what I've read the quests have more variety to them than the previous title.

While you can play the game single player, Borderlands is one of those games where it is better played with other people. If you can, pick yourself up a copy. Better yet, pick yourself up two and give one to a friend. It is almost Christmas, after all.

This Year in RPGs: August

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (released 8/24/2012)

Although it was released on consoles last year, Dark Souls didn't find its way to PCs until August of this year. Fans had petititoned the publisher Namco-Bandai to release it on the PC, and after receiving over 40,000 signatures, the publisher relented.

But it wasn't all sunshine after the PC's release. Some fans criticized frame rate and sound issues which pointed to the port being a lazy job. Some of those issues have since been cleared up with patches.

The game itself is notoriously difficult, as is its predecessor, Demons's Souls, a PS3 exclusive. Dark Souls is a 3D hack 'n slash RPG with real-time graphics, nice visuals, an interesting story and unforgiving gameplay. You will die, and you will die a lot, hence the subtitle of the game. But that's okay because dying itself plays into the mechanics of the game. It's hard to explain, so get in there, die, and see for yourself!

From Software is the developer of Dark Souls, the same company that did 3D Dot Game Heroes, a delightful and nostalgic romp through an homage to the original Legend of Zelda. If a petition was successful to port Dark Souls to PC, maybe they'll listen to a petition about a sequel to 3D Dot Game Heroes? Anyone? Is this thing on?

This Year in RPGs: July

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (released 7/31/2012)

Without a doubt June belonged to the newest entry of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Dream Drop Distance, now available on 3DS. The Kingdom Hearts franchise started on the PS2 in 2002. At the time it was released people were wary of whether or not it would succeed. After all, the mashing together of Final Fantasy characters with Disney characters seemed too generous a helping of fan-service to have any lasting success. Well, here we are ten years later and Kingdom Hearts is now one of the most well-loved ARPGs, critically acclaimed by gamers and critics alike.

Kingdom Hearts (usually) tells the story of Sora, (the PSP entry Birth By Sleep was a prequel which featured different protagonists) a young boy from the Destiny Islands and his friends, Kairi and Riku. In the world of Kingdom Hearts, Mickey Mouse is king. Literally. The first entry had Sora pairing up with Donald and Goofy, who picked up the roles of wizard and knight, respectively. The player traverses to a number of Disney worlds (and some original works, too) where they can close the keyhole with the keyblade that only Sora can wield.

The plot gets a whole heck of a lot more convoluted there, but suffice it to say that at its heart it's still a moving story about friendship, capable of being emotionally engaging and completely nonsensical at the same time.

There have been several titles released on handhelds since the first title, including Chain of Memories, Birth By Sleep, and 358/2 Days, but the series hasn't seen a console follow-up since 2005's Kingdom Hearts II. Which means fans have been asking for a release this entire console generation. Series creator and director Tetsuya Nomura has said that his team is too busy with Final Fantasy vs XIII to work on a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts II, but he has confirmed that Dream Drop Distance would be the last handheld Kingdom Hearts before the next console release.

Dream Drop Distance is only available on the 3DS. If you have one of those you should probably pick this up. It is, by all accounts, every bit worthy of the Kingdom Hearts mantle.

New Releases 12/04/2012

We now interrupt our current "This Year in RPGs" feature to return to you to your weekly scheduled new release announcements.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Dragonborn (XBLA)

The third DLC for Skyrim is available today on Xbox 360 for 1600 Microsoft points, which equates to $20 American. This DLC is substantial, definitely more than the previous meager offering of Hearthfire, and even more substantial than the previous $20 DLC, Dawnguard.

One early review stated that the reviewer had played for 30 hours and still hadn't exhausted the new content provided by the DLC yet. At this point it may be more fair to call the DLC an expansion pack, but the line remains murky and ultimately arbitrary.

The important thing you need to know about Dragonborn is that you can now ride dragons. If that has been something you have longed for while you're playing Skyrim, you will probably want to pick this up without hesitation. In case you need more convincing, Dragonborn takes place in Solstheim, an island north of Skyrim. The change in terrain allows for more varied environments than we've seen so far, which also nets us a variety of new and different enemies to fight. This is music to an adventurer's ears that's been cutting down the same draugr for 100 hours. Besides new locations and new enemies, there are also new shouts, and new equipment (maybe, spears? Looks like it).

Dragonborn is out exclusively for Xbox 360 today PC and PS3 versions expected out in a month. I wish it was now so I could play it over winter break, but oh well. So many games, not enough time.

This Year in RPGs: June

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3 (released 6/25/2012)

The game that almost wasn't. Penny Arcade is a well-known web comic that satirizes gaming culture as much as it embraces it. Characters Tycho and Gabe are aliases for their creators' Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Their first two outings making a game based on their work went well, creating Penny Arcade: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness 1 and 2 with Hothead Games, but they ultimately decided not to move forward with the third and final planned game of the series. The art style was deemed prohibitively expensive and both found themselves stretched thin as they tried to manage a successful web comic, expos in Washington and on the east coast, and charity events on behalf of Child's Play all while working on a game.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 1

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 2

Enter Zeboyd Games (Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, Cthulu Saves the World). Despite insisting for some time that there would be no third game, Jerry and Mike relented once they were approached by Zeboyd. Unlike the highly polished cartoon-like graphics evocative of Gabe's work from the Penny Arcade comic strip that was featured in the previous two titles, the characters are rendered as 16 bit sprites. Something, some would say, is a welcome addition to a series that was already celebrating the turn-based RPGs of yesteryear.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3

But what we get here is more than a throwback to Final Fantasy. It's a well-executed 2D turn-based roleplaying game, something that has almost gone the way of the dinosaur. Its script also features humorous wit, which is a rarity in RPGs if not gaming in general. If nothing else, PA:OTRSPoD proves that old concepts can still be entertaining, all it takes is the right kind of writing.

This Year in RPGs: May

Diablo III (released 5/15/2012)

Diablo III is the follow-up to the extremely successful Diablo II. A decade after release and people are still playing the second entry in the Diablo franchise.

There was quite a bit of pressure on the team developing Diablo III; it had to be a follow-up worthy of the franchise but at the same time the team desired to innovate the ARPG genre. This led to them foregoing conventional skill trees. The real money Auction House also generated some controversy once it went live, a week or so after the servers first came up. In order to stop certain people from spamming actions such as clicking pots to receive items and gold, the stat Magic Find's impact was reduced. To myself and many of the people following Diablo III, this seemed like adjusting gameplay elements in order to obtain more money from the auction house.

But besides that, the actual game of Diablo III was met with some controversy. Critics called the villains cliché, and criticized some of the plot choices. So why am I still recommending that it be played?

Because at its heart Diablo III is an addictive, compulsive, fun game. It's still a worthy entry in the genre of ARPGs. Besides many other titles on this list whose devs have already packed up and moved on once their titles shipped, Blizzard continues to work on Diablo III. Supposedly since I played it last it has continued to improve, and because Blizzard is committed to quality (and making money *cough*) they will continue to develop the title, ironing out bugs and eventually adding more content.

Lots of people complained that Diablo III was not as complex as its predecessor. Well, a lot of those people forget that Diablo II didn't hit its stride until it received its first expansion, Lord of Destruction, which introduced the rune system, among other things like new classes. So, too, in time will Diablo III grow to be an even better game. It may have its kinks, but the future of D3 is looking pretty good.

This Year in RPGs: April

Xenoblade Chronicles (released 4/06/2012)

Xenoblade Chronicles is an exclusive JRPG made for the Wii by Monolith Soft. It almost wasn't released here. It wasn't until a mob of internet denizens started  petitioning Nintendo for its release (called Operation Rainfall) that Nintendo finally agreed. At that point it had already been released in Japan and Europe. Operation Rainfall was part of a three-pronged petition that sought for games that weren't being released here in America to be localized. To add insult to injury, the games were already translated into English and released in Europe, but Nintendo didn't think they would be profitable here. Along with Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower were the other titles RPG fans were clamoring for. Of the three, both Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story eventually found their way west.

Xenoblade Chronicles tells the story of Shulk, a young man who wields the titular Xenoblade, a blade comprised of energy. Along with his friends, he must defend his home of Colony 9 from the attacking Mechon, the robotic beings that serve as the games' antagonists. Xenoblade is in essence the spiritual successor to the Xenosaga, which was started on PS1 with Xenogears and carried over to the PS2 with the three Xenosaga games.

The environments are expansive and breathtaking. They are more open-ended than most games on the Wii, which allows for greater player freedom in exploring. One of the developers of the game compared it to an MMO, which gives you greater freedom than most games from the beginning.

Xenoblade Chronicles was released at a time when Wii sales were drying up and 1st party support had all but vanished. If it is to be the consoles swan song, it couldn't ask for a nicer title to go out on. At least for me, it made my Wii worth turning on one last time.

This Year in RPGs: March

Mass Effect 3 (released 3/06/2012)

Mass Effect 3 concluded Commander Shepard's tale of saving the universe from the Reapers, an ancient intergalactic species bent on destroying all of civilization. Many fans loved the first two games, but the ending of Mass Effect 3 was met with heavy criticism, which led to BioWare releasing Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut, which expanded on the three different versions of the original ending.

Despite criticisms levied at the title, Mass Effect 3 was a success and continues to be played today, thanks to a steady stream of DLC and the multiplayer mode. Multiplayer was a new addition to the Mass Effect series, and it was one that added longevity to the title.

Although it had its flaws I still enjoyed my time with Mass Effect 3 this year. It was interesting to see the conclusion of the Krogan's reproduction storyline, as well as the plot revolving around the synthetic Geth and the Quarians. To dive into the specifics of either plot points here would be to do them a disservice, but they both have interesting things to say about the role of genetics in reproduction and the question of when an artificial intelligence has sentience. Most game writing has a long way to go before any of it could be said to rival works in the literary canon, but Mass Effect has explored some very serious themes across its three titles.

Since I'm talking about ME3 again, I want to make a correction about something I have previously said that was incorrect. I wrote about Mass Effect 3 on the Wii U last month. I mistakenly said it was the Leviathan DLC that wouldn't be coming to the Wii U. I was mistaken. It's the Omega DLC that won't find its way to the console. At least for now.

This Year in RPGs: February

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (released February 7th, 2012)

One of the more sad stories from the year is Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Not sad because the title was bad by any means, but sad because developer 38 Studios went out of business after making it.

At its worst KoA was a bit derivative of an Elder Scrolls title, but at its best it succeeded where those titles failed. It had interesting lore going for it (penned by renowned fantasy author R. A. Salvatore), aesthetically pleasing art style and combat that was, dare I say it?, more fun than Skyrim.

So what happened?

Making games is an expensive business. Or rather, it can be for those titles at the top. Games dubbed AAA titles because they have the highest budgets and the largest developers behind them. 38 Studios wanted to swim with the big boys, and so they sunk a large amount of money into development so that they could be competitive against the current industry leaders. For a new developer with no established IPs or franchises to fall back on, everything was riding on the success of the first KoA. The title, while not a commercial flop per se, did fail to meet sales expectations. 38 Studios had taken out a number of loans to finance the game's development, including loans from the state of Rhode Island where they were based, and when they were unable to pay back those loans, had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.

Which is unfortunate because KoA was so promising. It had an interesting world and solid mechanics behind most of its concepts. It just didn't set the gaming world on fire. Maybe the gaming population (whom I pretentiously dubbed "interactive entertainment enthusiasts" yesterday) was still wrapped up Skyrim. Or they just weren't ready to tackle another massive open world with a slew of quests again quite yet. Also disappointing because the developer had expressed interest in creating a MMO as a follow-up to KoA. That project will probably now never see the light of day. Such is life in this industry. (True Fantasy Live Online ~ Never Forget).

Anyways, back to the game.

Worth playing because a bunch of people poured their hearts and souls into, then promptly lost their jobs. Worth playing because if you're a fan of RPGs, there aren't a whole lot of original series being created anymore, and who knows how long until we get another fresh IP? Worth playing if you're a fan of the idea of an Elder Scrolls game, but you can't stand Bethesda's buggy coding. And worth playing because you might as well help the state of Rhode Island earn back some of that $75 million.