Best Role-Playing Games of 2007

MSNBC writes, "As consoles advance, so do RPGs – and 2007's best role-playing games are proof. The Xbox 360 hosted two of the year's highlights (and they couldn't be more different from each other), the PlayStation 3 delivered a gorgeous adventure and there was even reason to boot up that aging PS2. Of course, there's "World of Warcraft." There's just no stopping that game."

[MK_Red]

For me, It's a TIE between Mass Effect and The Witcher.
But if I was forced to choose between them, I'd go with Mass Effect.

[Skerj]

How is the Witcher? I've only clocked about 2 hours on it so I can't judge it yet, so far I like it. That's saying a lot considering I don't usually like western or euro fantasy RPGs. The combat system is what drew me in, if it had the standard "right click and watch fight" of most every other PC RPG I probably would have given up on it.

[MK_Red]

I personally really love the atmosphere and it's moral choice system and as a western RPG fan, this is a near perfect game IMO but in the end, I use games like Witcher and Mass Effect to be able to survive until "Return of the King" which would be Fallout 3. The game that will end all games.

[Skerj]

Persona 3 for me hands down. Mass Effect is second though.

[MK_Red]

I sadly missed that :(
Odin Sphere is another RPG that I wish I had played along with PSP's FF Tactics.

[Skerj]

P3 had one of the most engrossing storylines I've gone through in years. Pretty much every character in the game was well developed and they all had a backstory that was fleshed out in the game. I had about 120 hours on the clock when I finally completed the first play through. Only gripe was with the odd loading times, seeing as past games on the PS2 from the SMT universe have no trouble with that. Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2, Nocturne, and Devil Summoner were fairly good on loading times and also awesome games as well. Square needs to learn a thing or two from Atlus on storytelling.

I need to complete Odin Sphere as well, I love that game. It's a shame that it came so late in the PS2 lifespan that everyone is mostly focused on the new stuff that it was somewhat overlooked commercially. I also suppose I'm the only one who doesn't count Folklore as an RPG, I keep putting it in the Action/Adventure category but it was one of my most prized PS3 purchases yet.

[Danja]

I agree Persona 3..

[Zhuk]

Persona 3 was fun, except I would have to take a jab at the dungeon crawling aspects of it.

I think Mass Effect takes the crown, though I enjoyed Persona 3 immensely

[cellypower]

I really like there work.

[N4G Admins are Gay]

Mass Effect

[ShiftyLookingCow]

MK_Rod?

[Rice]

mass effect deserves this title

[Darkiewonder]

Odin Sphere it is.

[Covenant]

Mass Effect has made me its b*tch. I'm completely hooked.

[Xbox is the BEST]

The story is unmatched
Mass Effect FTW

[Big Jim]

What are you people smoking? Mass Effect is literally THE worst video game I have ever played. Ever. What the......how.......who......wh a? I can't even.......no.....words.....

[iceman2929]

mass effect was amazing
eternal sonata, i got bored of

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

Brave Story......Jennane DArc...

[bootsielon]

Puh-leaz-ah. I love it how Xbots classify Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fable 2and Too Human as "RPGs". If that is so, and Final Fantasy is an RPG... then FF is in a league way beyond these games.

Anyway, these games are either 3rd person shooters, 1st person shooters or 3rd person action games that happen to possess some RPG elements. Don't compare them to Zelda or FF please, Japanese games >>>>>> American games by a huge margin.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

I wanted to say the same thing but didnt want to seem like a fanboy but i agree...

[killer_trap]

i kinda agree. the games you mentioned are really good. but i still prefer the Japanese method of making an RPG game. and i think FFIII on ds was a blast.

but if i were only to choose one of the ones mentioned earlier, I'd take mass effect.

[ktchong]

RPG was originally invented BY Americans IN America, in the form of Dungeons & Dragons - probably even earlier. But it's AMERICANS who invented pen-and-paper, tabletop RPG, NOT Japanese.

Even Americans invented the original Computer/Video RPGs - in the form of dungeon crawlers like Akalabeth (i.e., the predecessor to Ultima) and Wizardry - based on pen-and-paper, tabletop RPG. That was even before Japanese knew or had played a single RPG.

TRUE RPG is about making choices and freedom of play. That's RPG. The so-called Japanese "RPG" has a pre-defined characters, pre-scripted storyline that cannot be changed. There is LIMITED or NO real choices in Japanese RPG. You just move along the story that's already pre-determined by the game.

Western RPGs are TRUE RPG - they let you choose, and stay as closely to the pen-and-paper, tabletop RPGs as possible. Now THAT'S what RPG is about.

But make no mistake about it: it was AMERICANS who invented RPGs, and then Japanese COPIED and RIPPED OFF the concept from Americans. Only little Japanophiles who do not know better think Japanese RPGs could be better than Western RPGs.

[killer_trap]

i know Americans invented the first RPG. i know they made the first computer and i know they had the first videogame system. but what does that have to to with my personal preferences ?

to me the style of a Japanese RPG suits me better. it's true that the whole save the world, pretty boy, love story is getting boring. but i'd rather have that dungeons and dragons.

if you ever played chrono cross you'll know what i mean.

[ktchong]

But I still think Ultima IV to VII, Fallout and Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate II, and Planescape: Torment are far, far superior games - than anything Japanese could ever come up with.

For your information, I actually played Fallout and Final Fantasy VII at the same time... they came out in the same year. Final Fantasy VII failed to hold my attention long enough for me to complete it... the gameplay, compared to what the RPGs that were available on PC at the time, just seemed so limited and restricted. And the graphics were horrible as well (compared to PC at the time.)

I picked up Final Fantasy VII (and PS1) due to hype. I was actually pretty bored by the game from the get-go, but I kept on playing the game, and kept on hoping that it would get better. It's it's not the hype, then I would have dumped it much sooner, but I thought, "hey, let's keep playing - maybe it'll get better later on." So I hoped and I hoped that it'd get better, and I kept playing and playing.... but it NEVER did get any better. So I just gave up playing somewhere past the middle (as I was told) and went back to Fallout.

Maybe my mistake was that I played FFVII and Fallout at the same time, but who knows? FFVII is a good ONLY to people who have never experienced anything better like Fallout or Ultima.

I'm not saying Chrono Cross is a bad game. It's a decent game - I've played it, BUT I've played even better games, in the form of Western RPGs.

[gololo]

@The Round Peg
Dude, no matter how advance an RPG in a system is, the game is still SCRIPTED as you said, "has a pre-defined characters, pre-scripted storyline that cannot be changed", and this is true for everygame, even your beloved one like Ultima. It is impossible to create a game that really affects the story line depending on your actions, unlike your example of the paper game of D&D, at the end all console/pc games have the same ending (unless it has alternate endings, but again is this freedom? no, it's more like a reward for replaying)...so i agree, RPG should give you choices, but this choices will not affect the outcome that much...and by the way FFVII rocks, even further, Ultima is not that great, and if you really wanted to see how an RPG with great story, look into breadth of fire 3....

[fopums]

I liked Folklore, other then that "or even considering that" didnt play any traditional RPG's this year, basicly finished FFXII and enjoyed that.

Havent played Mass Effect but it seems like a great game, and the comercial alone has me interested. You know the one where they deny the planet aid to help another.

and WoW is unstopable, Im amazed at how many people play that game...but if Blizzard makes a Diablo MMO.....

[ROCCOZILLA]

what a game,and the grafics are amazing.and psn also has add on folks.PLAY B3YOND!

[Danny VII]

I totally agree with you man im so tired of all this jappanese crap and anime fooding the market. Im not exagrating at all when i say its a cespool of Androgenous characters with over the top storylines that lack consistency. I loved Chrono Trigger but i hate the fact that NOW in any given Japanese game ALL the dudes look like girls and its only getting worse everytime i turn on the tv i see this disgusting Anime Crap with perverded homosexual undertones and shemales and i wonder how can you not be embaresed with your self when you watch this crap. Seriously Japan is cool and all but when it comes to making games/movies that have any essence they crash and burn. I mean LOOK at Japan in Tokyo they have ENTIRE stores devoted to Hentai and tentical porn i dont care what anybody says thats f**ked up and just gross
and those are the people that are shipping these garbege games and shows to us. Thats why i own an Xbox i might not like microsoft but ill take an a good old Western side of the world game any day, seriously weres your heritege people? are you proud to be wearing a Naruto or Pokemon shirt I mean your not even Jappanese and you never will be.

holy hell im tired so i guess im just ranting on,

oh yea one more thing Xbots?... what the hell is wrong with you its a f***ng gameconsole not a way of life video games are for recreation why are you even taking sides and defending your platform, you dont work for them and the only thing you get out of it is a bunch of people thinking you are a dumbass seriously its a peice of electronic equipment that performs entertainment not a cult

[Zevious]

...it's not from this year but TES IV:Oblivion is still my favorite next-gen (shouldn't that be current gen by now?) RPG, but, saying that, I have spent at least 16 of the last 48 hrs playing Mass Effect using both a male and female Commander Shepard of different orgins. I'd like to get Eternal Sonata- it's just so different that I think I'd enjoy it. Havent heard of Persona 3- what is it and what system is it for?

[led1090]

havent played me...so for now the witcher is my fav rpg

[pshizle]

Mass Effect is such a good game and the story is brilliant

i played 9 hours of it on friday and finished it in 17 hours but i skipped through half of the missions maybe more and i will play it through a second time

its one of those games i will always remeber as a gamer

[CRIMS0N_W0LF]

RPGs did not advance this year...

Also list has some stuff wrong.

Folkore is NOT an RPG.

Eternal Stonia over Jeanene d'Arc? You smoking pot?

[jinn]

sure isn't mass effect