Game Informer 2012 RPG of the Year Awards

GI: What defines a role-playing game has become ambiguous over the years. Today, RPGs can involve turn-based fantasy elements, sprawling sci-fi worlds, and third-person gunplay. The lines separating the genre from the rest of gaming may be fuzzier than ever, but that doesn’t mean that the role-playing landscape is of any lesser quality. Catch the highlights with our picks for the standout characters, moments, and mechanics in the RPGs of 2012.

[BadboyCivic]

It was my mostly disappointing ending of the year

[dedicatedtogamers]

Game Informer fails because they almost completely ignored what came out on PC. I'd consider DotA2 more "rpg" than ME3, yet it wasn't even mentioned. Not a mere mention of Diablo III either (despite how it disappointed some people)? No Witcher 2 (360 release)? Where's Borderlands 2? It was more of an RPG than ME3. Ooooh, they mentioned Guild Wars 2 as best MMO (what other noteworthy MMO came out anyway)? Well, Guild Wars 2 IS a good game.

And yet they actually nominated FF13-2 in a category. Hahaha! People still wonder why the RPG genre is being butchered?

[WarThunder]

RPG of the Year: Mass Effect 3?/? what?

Sorry but ppl who call Mass Effect 3 "RPG game" know nothing about games. Another proof that Game Informer are bunch of journalist who don't know what they playing....

[BanBrother]

It is there opinion. They counted Journey as an Action game. Lol.

I would consider it adventure, so I don't know where this 'action' came from. At least it got more awards lol.

http://www.gameinformer.com...

[Xof]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

But that doesn't mean people can't have opinions that are ass-backwards wrong.

[BanBrother]

@Xof

Agreed. An opinion can still be stupid, but while I myself don't care for Mass Effect, I respect that some people think of it as an RPG.

I think that each game should be 'entered' into one category, or maybe 2. Some games state that they are 'action/adventure/horror FPS racing simulator+ RPG over 9000!", and it gets really confusing.

[Pekolie]

Actually I would consider Commander Shepard as one of the best ROLE'S I have ever PLAYED in a GAME... See what I did there champ? I am 100% serious in what I said though. Shep beats my skyrim character any day :3

[Julie]

Pekolie i assume the role of a pro car driver on racing games or a soldier on FPS games, that means they are rpgs too? i also can upgrade my cars and guns and get new skills too.

Wow Call of Duty and GTA are rpgs!

Not.

The term RPG is now days very confusing for me too tho, it was once used for games that had stats and stuff from D&D, but now developers throw RPG at anything D:

And i do like ME i am actually replaying ME2 cause i dunno why ME3 wont take my old ME2 save file D:

[Pekolie]

@Julie

"Pekolie i assume the role of a pro car driver on racing games or a soldier on FPS games, that means they are rpgs too? i also can upgrade my cars and guns and get new skills too."

No because you do not take full control of the "character". RPG's allow you to take full control of the character for example: where that character goes, how he/she fights and their personality (to an extent). COD allows you to control a characters action... But nothing else.... Gran turismo let's you race/drive cars.... And nothing else....

In Me3 you sculpt the appearance of your character, you choose a limited background story, you pick a class which will determine his fighting style, you choose his first name and you control his descisions when applicable.... A game needs most of these (the main ones should be obvious) to come under the RPG category.

[rainslacker]

It's not so much that it couldn't be considered an RPG. I can very easily see why it can be called that. You have character, weapon and armor customization, role selection, party selection, a non-direct course for completion, and some influence on how the story plays out...things which are commonplace in the RPG genre.

However the main aspect of game play for the game is a third person shooter, not unlike Uncharted, only much more customizable.

I think that's a problem only in such that it blurs the meaning of the genre. Not all RPG's offer as much customization as ME did, but could still be considered RPG's, mostly because they operate on more of a random die roll principal, generally extensive stat principals, heavy use of strategy for defeating various types of enemies, and a focus on exploration. Those particulars are mostly missing from the ME series, except for some rudimentary implementation of those principals.

I really like the ME games, and I agree that Sheppard was an excellent character no matter how you played the game. But being a long time RPG fan(my favorite genre), never once had I thought it was a great RPG. I saw it squarely as a third person shooter. It never even occurred to me until I read stuff about it on the internet that it could be considered an RPG.

[rainslacker]

It's kind of annoying since it should be put into the 3rd person shooter category instead. It has some RPG elements, but not that many really, especially compared to the first one. I really like the ME series, but would prefer to see some real RPG's get the limelight as it is my favorite genre.

[medman]

Yeah, and I'm sure you're the expert to decide what an rpg is or isn't. Genius.

[rainslacker]

A reasoned argument can be made for why it is an RPG. However a bulk of it's game play is what I and many others would consider a 3rd person shooter. It breaks from what traditionally RPG's are, which is fine, but since it's first and foremost a 3rd person shooter, with the RPG elements added in, it makes it a 3rd person shooter.

[vikingland1]

I don't know about you but I played the role of comander Shepherd. And I leveled up my character. So yes ME is an RPG.

[belac09]

i would say ME 3 is scarcely an rpg, but technically it is. its a good game either way so who gives a shit.

[Zodiac]

I thought Calling ME an RPG was a little joke in the gaming community. I never expected it to last this long.

[Blank]

Hmm needs more persona 4 golden sweeps most of these games and *props* to banbrother catching the journey as an action game hahaha! Shows how little credibility and are just doing the mainstream BS this a new level of low even for them

[xursz]

I thought the exact same thing. Kissing a*s to the 'mainstream' is pretty apparent, and even to a degree, pathetic.

Edit: not that these are bad picks but the trend is... unsettling.

[Hicken]

Game Informer has been doing that more as their parent company- GameStop- has done the same: catered more and more to the casual individual rather than the core gamer.

Shouldn't be surprised, but it IS sad to see anyway...

[cleft5]

Glad to see all the ME3 love, despite the ending that game really was amazing. I still play the mp.

[Hassassin]

I'm loving Xenoblade Chronicles much more than I expected... My RPG of the year. I've played all others in that list (except for persona) and its definitively the best.

[Tzunoy]

JRPG is king. RPG is a wanna be.

[ALLWRONG]

ME3 isn't an RPG bad GI bad

[Lvl_up_gamer]

what genre would you put ME3 in then?

[cgoodno]

I find it sad that the least RPG of the series still wins RPG of the year. The first, much like Dragon Age: Origins, was a great RPG. The second and the third continued to move further away from that.

I hope this doesn't continue to progress in this manner as the years go on. I know a lot of FPS games are integrating RPG elements (Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, etc.) but it's not the same as having a true RPG, IMHO.

[rainslacker]

If you read the comments on that site about it, a lot of people were saying it was a great choice. A lot of other people were saying why wasn't borderlands considered if ME was.

Honestly I don't know why ME wouldn't be put into 3rd person shooter or action categories...as there wasn't a lot of competition this year from what I remember.

Honestly quite a few games integrate RPG elements now, most of the time in a very shallow attempt to seem deeper and more complex than they are, but that doesn't make them RPG's.

[Phil32]

I'd without a doubt give it to Xenoblade Chronicles. Just so excellent in nearly every regard. I'm still marching through it!

[Rendermonk]

ME3 is a FPS with Role-Playing attributes. It's not an RPG!! I really hate how the genre has gotten so mixed up, that a FPS can not only be called and RPG, BUT FREAKING WIN THE RPG Category!!!!!!!!!

It's a FPS with RPG elements. It should be removed from the RPG of the year category, along with all other FPS's with RPG elements. A shooter is a shooter is a shooter. Regardless of it's in-game elements and mechanics.

[zpooks]

Then it is obvious that the RPG category is changing. I don't know whether you live under a rock, but real-time games have all but trumped turn-based games in the new generation, and a rigid stats and die system can no longer quite cut it. In fact, I would say proper RPG stats and turn-based games saw their last apex with KotOR. If ME3 winning best of RPG means more story-focused, cinematic, choice diverse games in which you can drown in universes so intricate and with such spectacular lore , then it should win - regardless of whether you think anything without D20 should be an RPG or not. Besides, that was the point behind D&D's conception - immersion. The stats and the turn-based system were merely facilitating that purpose. They are no longer necessary. Bite the dust. RPGs are moving on.