Role Playing Games have had a weird year to say the least. We’ve had rehashes, top quality releases, indie developers making their mark and some companies rethinking what the three letters represent. Here are our picks from 2009.
When it comes to making expansive RPG’s, Bioware should be on your hot list thanks to a history that includes Baldurs Gate, Mass Effect and Jade Empire, to name but a few. Dragon Age Origins takes the fundamentals of generic fantasy and builds upon them to create a rich world so full of history and depth.
When you start a character you get to play through your origin story, and with 6 different options, each taking up to two hours to compete, you have a lot of work to be doing. The actual campaign can take around 40 to 60 hours with numerous side quests to keep you busy. The main quest is a grand affair that boasts some of the biggest moral dilemmas in modern gaming, some of which legitimately required hours of thought. There is no denying how much dedication this game requires.
There are some issues with the clumsy combat and the intense difficulty spikes but the game’s merits shone through, notably the brilliant dialogue. I would love to know how many hours of dialogue Bioware recorded for the game as it does seem never-ending. Some people have complained about it being a little cliché, but this is classic fantasy, I for one want gruff dwarfs and growling warriors.
This is, this years must buy RPG, just be prepared for many unplanned 3am gaming marathons.
Dragon Age Origins
Borderlands
Let’s be honest this game is more RPG than shooter and although that does bring down the overall experience there was more than enough on offer to make this experiment worthwhile.
Torchlight
Everyone who played Diablo, loved Diablo and this is as close to Diablo as you’re going to get for a while. These guys need your money more than Blizzard anyway.
Pokemon Platinum
More of an iterational hop than a quantum leap over the original DS Pokemon releases. Then again when the predecessors were so finely tuned, who cares? More collect-a-thon style RPGing from your friends at Nintendo.
Demon’s Souls
Admittedly we haven’t played much of this grammatically confusing release, so we can’t say too much about it. I hear it’s Japanese…eh?
Stay tuned to Nidzumi all week for more Best of 2009 Awards as we celebrate the past 12 months in gaming
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