The Big Role-Playing Games of 2012

"Highlighting our most anticipated RPGs set to launch by the end of this year."

[Dark-vash]

Except for Paper Mario 3D none of the others seem to cater my interest...

[Hicken]

P4: The Golden, Ragnarok Odyssey, New Little King's Story... and people complain about no RPGs on the Vita. Hopefully Unchained Blades will be added to the list as well. If I had a Wii, The Last Story would be on my must-have list, as well.

[slayorofgods]

I just wish they would make some good jrpg's that aren't portable games.. Where did all the good PS3 jrpg's go? All the PS2 era games went straight to portable devices, I much rather play them on a bigger screen.

I don't have a wii either, the motion controls just don't seem right for more hardcore games or good jrpg's.

[Hicken]

The most likely theory- the one that makes the most sense to me, anyway- is that the JRPGs went to the most popular systems: handhelds. The DS and PSP have sold more than everything but the PS2; if I wanted my game to get into the most hands, that's probably where I'd put it.

Of course, that's irrelevant to people who want to say the JRPG is dead or dying.

[Kur0]

there are plenty on PS3 but it seems to take quite some time to localize them unfortunately.

[humbleopinion]

The biggest Role Playing games of 2012!?
Too bad they forgot 2012 is already half over: The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition, Diablo 3, Mass Effect 3, Dragons Dogma, Legend of Grimrock, Final Fantasy 13-2, Kingdom of Amalur, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Risen 2 are already out... Can't see how the second half a year can even come close to this half.

[Lord_Sloth]

By being better? I'm sorry but nothing on your list is a straight up RPG. Most of them are Action/RPGs and 1's just plain a shooter.

[humbleopinion]

I think you have some deep misunderstanding on what an ARPG is... Complaining about that one game in my list is a plain shooter where the IGN list includes games like Little King's Story which is in fact a simulation-adventure hybrid, (not to mention The Last Story which I now see they put in their list but is already out in the west - just grab a European copy) sounds like someone who got a very narrow understanding on what the core of role playing games is (A clue: it's role playing).

The list I put up includes everything from classic 90's dungeon-crawlers like Grimrock, to mouse click driven ARPGs like Diablo, but also to proper RPGs - you know: the ones with real dialog trees, character customization and choices you can make throughout the game. The games we got so far are a mixture of east and west, retro and new.

The only thing I'm missing on is an RPG with good tactical party management where you actually control the entire party movement and don't just issue commands, but I guess the last really good franchise in that regard was Dragon Age, and not much progress was made since.

I also don't see how the second half can be better, especially after looking at the list IGN and comparing them to what we already have: Unless you're into MMOs which offers a few interesting choices (which will still have to compete on people's attetion with WOW, The Old Republic and Tera), the list comprises mostly of new editions of old games, and smaller scale games focused on the mobile platforms and I guess will not offer you any actual role playing (as with most JRPGs).

Unless we get a proper 50 hours expansion to Skyrim this year (a-la shivering isles for Oblivion), or unless Wastleand 2 magically appears in 2012 schedule (no way), I don't see how the second half can improve on what we already have in this half.

[Lord_Sloth]

Yeah...I'm not reading all that.