Fans of role-playing games have plenty of options these days. RPGs come from most corners of the world and in many different styles. However, it's not always so easy for players to choose the right game for them. But take heart! This monthly column breaks down each month's new RPGs with gameplay descriptions and word on the street about each game's quality.
Happy New Year, RPG fans! Have you finished all of your 2010 releases? If not, you may have a chance to catch up this month since big releases are few and far between. Still, fans of MMOs and Square Enix may find something new to kick off the new year with. Let's take a look.
The Main Event:
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (DS)
Release Date: January 11
At its best, Kingdom Hearts is dumb fun in exciting Disney worlds. While Birth By Sleep successfully brought some of the magic of the console games to portables, these side releases just keep piling up at a mile a minute. Less than four months after the last game's release, we have Re:coded — a DS remake of a Japanese cell phone game.
Of course, this version is actually fairly different, as it combines a lot of different gameplay types together — even turn-based RPG sections. Though the systems themselves might still be as bloated and unnecessary as Birth By Sleep, at least they give the game a little more variety.
Unfortunately, the game's story may not have a point, as it seems to tread just as much familiar ground as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories — a game that recycled most of its plot from the first Kingdom Hearts.
Square Enix is pushing this game really hard for a remake of a cell phone game, but will it be worth your money? Bitmob's James DeRosa doesn't think so, as his EGM review reflects: “Snazzy visuals and a great leveling system fail to save Re:coded from mediocrity.” On the other hand, Nintendo Power's review was quite a bit more positive and praised the varied gameplay. At the end of the day, the deciding factor here may be how big of a fan of the franchise you are.
Most promising:
DC Universe Online (PC, PS3)
Release Date: January 11
Most years are rough years for MMORPGs that aren't World of Warcraft, but 2010 was especially brutal. Star Trek Online fell into the common trap of having only a meager amount of content on day one, while Final Fantasy 14 stumbled by being rushed to retail with a laundry list of gameplay issues and unfinished features. Cataclysm, on the other hand, was generally praised for how it reshaped the world and the mountains of new things to do. Competing with World of Warcraft shouldn't even be discussed until developers can deliver a satisfying experience in a timely manner.
Of course, MMOs based on popular licenses tend to stick around longer and even sometimes thrive. This is where DC Universe Online has a distinct advantage over the rest of the crowd, though it doesn't hurt that superhero MMOs have carved out a successful niche over the past few years. City of Heroes was one of the few non-Blizzard success stories, and Champions Online had a lot of early interest before the lack of content diminished its audience. It even has the distinction of being the first MMO on consoles since Final Fantasy 11 and the very first one to see a PS3 release.
Will it satisfy at release? Things look promising right now. The brawler-inspired combat, while seemingly more suited for a controller than a mouse and keyboard, is visceral and active, something you can't say about your garden variety MMO. With an encyclopedic amount of comics lore, single-player-friendly levels, and over 50 promised hours of story content, Sony Online Entertainment may have succeeded where few have. This is a good thing too, because the world does not need another Star Wars Galaxies.
Biggest risk:
Two Worlds 2 (360/PS3/PC/Mac)
Release Date: January 25
Two Worlds' premise was as enticing as it was unoriginal. The chance to run around another Oblivion-style world is enough to get any fan into a frenzy. Luckily, there was no shortage of games attempting to do just that, and Two Worlds was one of the more unremarkable ones. That still would have been enough to make it worth playing had it not been for the numerous glitches, substandard graphics, and terrible voice acting. Previews for the sequel have been fairly positive, but there's still no guarantee that the initial release won't be a glitchy mess. Your best bet is to wait for more reviews and community feedback to see how stable it is. Then feel free to jump in if they can keep the issues under control.
Also this month:
Lord of Arcana (PSP)
Release Date: January 25
Brace yourself for the following description. Lord of Arcana is a Square Enix published Monster Hunter clone developed by Access Games, the makers of cult hit Deadly Premonition. Blown away yet? Not so fast.
Deadly Premonition succeeded despite its clumsy gameplay and wowed people with its offbeat personality instead. How will this translate to a mechanics-intensive genre? And how will the soul of Deadly Premonition translate to a seemingly soulless cash-in on the Monster Hunter craze?
All hope is not lost, however. Since Square Enix is publishing this title, they might apply a guiding hand on Access' less than stellar design failings. You also cannot discount the mind of Swery65, the auteur behind Deadly Premonition, since you can be sure this game will at least partially have his strange fingerprints all over it.
The rest:
Mass Effect 2 returns on the PS3 this month with some impressive features. Since the original Mass Effect will not make the transition to the PS3, an interactive comic will detail the events of the first game and allow the player to make the same game-changing choices.
The game itself also gets a significant upgrade, as it runs on the Mass Effect 3 graphical engine. Add in much of the DLC that has been released over the past year, and you have yourself a real value. While it's not enough to warrant a second purchase, those who haven't yet jumped on the Mass Effect bandwagon will find that this is the definitive version.