There's not much question that I'm a big fan of RPGs. It's my favorite genre of games, and I've been enjoying them for maybe seventeen or eighteen years now. And I've been having plenty of fun with the genre so far this generation. But 2010... oh, boy, this year is looking like the motherlode. I've said this before in a few threads, but I'm so super excited for this upcoming year because it strikes me as perhaps the very best year for RPGs in about a decade or so. The way 2010 is shaping up, I really do think we'd have to go back to a year like the late 90's or early this decade to find a year so good.
Why? It's simple. The amount of quality and diversity so far looks to be incredible. There are new mainline installments in popular and long-running established series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Shin Megami Tensei. There are sequels in critically acclaimed franchises that are maybe a bit newer than some of the older warhorses, but have already made their mark on the genre -- newer franchises like Valkyrie of the Battlefield, Mass Effect, and Kingdom Hearts. There are big western games and Japanese games; portable games and home console games; there are plenty of top tier RPGs and a whole slew of prime second tier ones as well; there are strategy RPGs, action RPGs, and good old fashioned command RPGs. There are some enormously promising looking new IPs slated for next year, and there are quality looking remakes of old classics and fan favorites. In short, there's something for everyone -- a lot of somethings, actually. If you like RPGs and you can't find several top-notch games slated for next year, maybe you just don't actually like RPGs after all.
Let's take a gander at some of the stuff we can look forward to playing next year:
7th Dragon
Developer: Image Epoch
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: This is the game that Kazuya Niinou, the creator of Trauma Center and the truly excellent Etrian Odyssey series, left Atlus to make, and given that his totally hardcore EO sparked the revival of the first-person dungeon crawling / Wizardry clone craze, that's pretty exciting. 7th Dragon is Niinou's attempt to create his own spin on a brand new Dragon Quest III, melded with some of the more fun elements from Etrian Odyssey. If that wasn't exciting enough, the game is also produced by Rieko Kodama, one of the co-creators of the Phantasy Star series and the producer of Skies of Arcadia. The Japanese release was met with rave reviews, too.
Alpha Protocol
Developer: Obsidian
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC
US Release: Spring
Why It's Notable: Okay, so this game was originally scheduled for release... last week. But still! 2009's loss is 2010's gain, right? With lead design by Chris Avellone (Planescape: Torment, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2), Alpha Protocol lets players take on the role of a spy seeking to unravel a government conspiracy. Ditching the good/bad dichotomy, you can instead shake up the gameplay by shaping what type of spy you want to be -- the guns-a-blazing type, or the smooth operator sort. It's a pretty novel take on character and setting for the RPG genre, so it's interesting to see how this'll play out.
Dragon Quest IX
Developer: Armor Project / Level-5
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: This game's announcement for the portable DS sparked an amazing furor -- it's still one of the all time best threads in NeoGAF history. After all that fuss and years of development, the game finally came out in Japan this year and was met with a very positive reception. Basically, it's Dragon Quest, so if you're a fan of the series you should know what you're getting here. The biggest addition? Local co-op multiplayer. The game is confirmed to be coming to the US, though the exact release window hasn't been confirmed.
Final Fantasy XIII
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3
US Release: 2nd Quarter
Why It's Notable: It's obvious, right? This is the next big mainline Final Fantasy title from the same team that brought us Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. Heavily hyped and anticipated since its announcement at E3 2006, the game has drawn intense interest from how far it's pushing big budget RPG graphics, and the game seems to be trying out a whole lot of new things in the gameplay department, too. The gameplay is being designed by Toshiro Tsuchida (creator of Arc the Lad and Front Mission, and gameplay designer on FF10), and the soundtrack is being done by the totally underappreciated Masashi Hamauzu.
Final Fantasy XIV
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3, PC
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Its development was hinted about and teased for years under the codename of Rapture, but no one was expecting a big unveil of Final Fantasy XIV at E3 2009. This is the next big online Final Fantasy game from the developers that brought us the years-long Final Fantasy XI, only this time the game comes with a full soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu and absolutely gorgeous art direction courtesy of Akihiko Yoshida. There's not much more for me to say, right? If you liked FF11, you'll probably be playing FF14 until FF17 comes out.
Final Fantasy Gaiden
Developer: Square Enix / Matrix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: XIII isn't the only Final Fantasy game slated for next year; in addition to the big one's continued progressive evolution of the Final Fantasy series, we're also getting Gaiden, a retro-styled game rooted in old school turn-based gameplay with a modernized touch. Gaiden features the return of the fan favorite, the Job System -- only this time, with a bunch of brand new and rather unique jobs. The game is being directed by Takashi Tokita (FF4, Chrono Trigger, Live a Live, Parasite Eve), with art direction by Akihiko Yoshida (FFT, FF12, FF14) and development by Matrix (the team responsible for the DS Final Fantasy remakes). The game has not yet been confirmed for a US release, but it'll almost certainly be out next year.
Golden Sun 3
Developer: Camelot
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: For quite a long time, it seemed like Camelot (the guys who brought us Shining Force) weren't going to be making RPGs ever again. Golden Sun 2 came out six years ago, and ever since Camelot has frittered around with golf games for the PC and Wii. So it was a pretty big surprise when Reggie announced Golden Sun 3 at E3 2009. The two Golden Sun games for the GBA were huge hits and the second one featured some of the best RPG dungeons this side of Lufia 2, so it's great to finally see the series return.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Birth by Sleep's goofy name may say "spinoff," but its eyes say that this is the next true installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. It might as well be called Kingdom Hearts 0, since this prequel will tell the story of events leading up to Kingdom Hearts 1. The game also retains the core gameplay from Kingdom Hearts 2. And most importantly of all, it features a ton of new Disney content, such as a brand new Cinderella world as well as a deep space world from Lilo and Stitch. Birth by Sleep is being overseen by Tetsuya Nomura, with the development being done by the team responsible for the PS2 remake of Chain of Memories.
Mass Effect 2
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, PC
US Release: 01/26
Why It's Notable: Commander Shepard's continuing adventures in space! And, uh, I actually can't say any more than that, because that's all I know; I've kept myself on a total blackout about this game. But it's coming out in January, and I'm pretty excited.
Ninokuni
Developer: Studio Ghibli / Level-5
Publisher: Level-5
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: The most exciting thing about Ninokuni is that it's the first real video game collaboration done by legendary anime house Studio Ghibli, and their efforts for this game come after several months' worth of work from the whole studio. For Ninokuni, Ghibli will be contributing the story, the artwork, the animated cutscenes, and the music (done by the famous and brilliant composer Joe Hisaishi), while the development and game design are being handled by Level-5.
Phantasy Star Portable 2
Developer: Alfa System
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Alfa System has no shortage of experience with mission-based action RPGs, having made Tales of Innocence, the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology games, and the original Phantasy Star Portable. This sequel promises to have numerous improvements over the first game, including refinements to the game's combat and chat systems, and, most notably, online (rather than just local) co-op play.
Resonance of Fate
Developer: tri-Ace
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3
US Release: 3rd Quarter
Why It's Notable: So tri-Ace has had kind of a shaky time of things so far this gen, with the rather awful Infinite Undiscovery and the mixed reception of Star Ocean 4. But never fear, the team behind tri-Ace's best game ever is here! Developed by the folks behind Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, Resonance of Fate (called End of Eternity in Japan) should provide highly engaging, fast-paced and tactical combat. What's more, it's offering up its promising gameplay in one of the coolest and least often used settings: steampunk. I'm growing as wary of tri-Ace as the next guy, what with their recent record, but this game should be genuinely excellent.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: The developers behind Strange Journey have said that the only thing that stopped them from naming this game Shin Megami Tensei 4 is the fact that it isn't set in Tokyo. But that shouldn't stop those who have been waiting since 2004's Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne for the next real Megaten game from looking forward to this. Spearheaded by series co-creator and artist extraordinaire Kazuma Kaneko, Strange Journey is being made by a team of veterans from SMT1-3 and the surprisingly great Raidou 2, and features all the demon fusion, demon negotiation, and weakness exploiting that fans have come to love.
Tales of Graces
Developer: Tales Studio
Publisher: Namco
Platform: Nintendo Wii
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: We missed out on Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Destiny Remake, and Tales of Hearts... but might America *finally* be getting a new Tales game from the more overlooked half of Tales Studio, Team Destiny? There's still no guarantee, but the fact that they've actually announced an English version of the Graces theme song sure makes it look that way. While they've never gotten the attention in the west that Team Symphonia has, most folks who've played the Destiny games agree that this team puts out great work. And if Namco follows up on Vesperia and Dawn of the New World by providing full voice acting for all the skits again, we should be in for a treat.
Valkyrie of the Battlefield 2
Developer:
Publisher:
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: Summer
Why It's Notable: The first game was one of the biggest surprise RPG hits this gen. Developed by alumni of Sega's cult favorite, Skies of Arcadia, Valkyrie combined gorgeous and artistic visuals with fun and very innovative strategic gameplay. Take turns moving your squad members across the battlefield, avoiding enemy fire and laying down cover in a fantasy version of World War 2. Now the sequel is adding branching class trees, tons more missions, new vehicle modifications, and the ability to interact more with your squadron's secondary teammates. Should be a blast.
Ys 7
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Ys is fairly obscure, but it's a very long-running and very high quality action RPG series that, unfortunately, hasn't seen as many English language releases as I'm sure we'd all like. And honestly, who knows if Ys 7 will make it out to the US? It's probably the least likely game I've included on the list. But it's important to keep hope, because Ys 7's copious story and its first-for-the-series addition of party members to assist Adol in combat, combined with high praise of the Japanese release, make it exactly the sort of game I'd love to see hitting the US next year for the PSP.
Why? It's simple. The amount of quality and diversity so far looks to be incredible. There are new mainline installments in popular and long-running established series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Shin Megami Tensei. There are sequels in critically acclaimed franchises that are maybe a bit newer than some of the older warhorses, but have already made their mark on the genre -- newer franchises like Valkyrie of the Battlefield, Mass Effect, and Kingdom Hearts. There are big western games and Japanese games; portable games and home console games; there are plenty of top tier RPGs and a whole slew of prime second tier ones as well; there are strategy RPGs, action RPGs, and good old fashioned command RPGs. There are some enormously promising looking new IPs slated for next year, and there are quality looking remakes of old classics and fan favorites. In short, there's something for everyone -- a lot of somethings, actually. If you like RPGs and you can't find several top-notch games slated for next year, maybe you just don't actually like RPGs after all.
Let's take a gander at some of the stuff we can look forward to playing next year:
7th Dragon
Developer: Image Epoch
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: This is the game that Kazuya Niinou, the creator of Trauma Center and the truly excellent Etrian Odyssey series, left Atlus to make, and given that his totally hardcore EO sparked the revival of the first-person dungeon crawling / Wizardry clone craze, that's pretty exciting. 7th Dragon is Niinou's attempt to create his own spin on a brand new Dragon Quest III, melded with some of the more fun elements from Etrian Odyssey. If that wasn't exciting enough, the game is also produced by Rieko Kodama, one of the co-creators of the Phantasy Star series and the producer of Skies of Arcadia. The Japanese release was met with rave reviews, too.
Alpha Protocol
Developer: Obsidian
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC
US Release: Spring
Why It's Notable: Okay, so this game was originally scheduled for release... last week. But still! 2009's loss is 2010's gain, right? With lead design by Chris Avellone (Planescape: Torment, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2), Alpha Protocol lets players take on the role of a spy seeking to unravel a government conspiracy. Ditching the good/bad dichotomy, you can instead shake up the gameplay by shaping what type of spy you want to be -- the guns-a-blazing type, or the smooth operator sort. It's a pretty novel take on character and setting for the RPG genre, so it's interesting to see how this'll play out.
Dragon Quest IX
Developer: Armor Project / Level-5
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: This game's announcement for the portable DS sparked an amazing furor -- it's still one of the all time best threads in NeoGAF history. After all that fuss and years of development, the game finally came out in Japan this year and was met with a very positive reception. Basically, it's Dragon Quest, so if you're a fan of the series you should know what you're getting here. The biggest addition? Local co-op multiplayer. The game is confirmed to be coming to the US, though the exact release window hasn't been confirmed.
Final Fantasy XIII
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3
US Release: 2nd Quarter
Why It's Notable: It's obvious, right? This is the next big mainline Final Fantasy title from the same team that brought us Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. Heavily hyped and anticipated since its announcement at E3 2006, the game has drawn intense interest from how far it's pushing big budget RPG graphics, and the game seems to be trying out a whole lot of new things in the gameplay department, too. The gameplay is being designed by Toshiro Tsuchida (creator of Arc the Lad and Front Mission, and gameplay designer on FF10), and the soundtrack is being done by the totally underappreciated Masashi Hamauzu.
Final Fantasy XIV
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3, PC
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Its development was hinted about and teased for years under the codename of Rapture, but no one was expecting a big unveil of Final Fantasy XIV at E3 2009. This is the next big online Final Fantasy game from the developers that brought us the years-long Final Fantasy XI, only this time the game comes with a full soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu and absolutely gorgeous art direction courtesy of Akihiko Yoshida. There's not much more for me to say, right? If you liked FF11, you'll probably be playing FF14 until FF17 comes out.
Final Fantasy Gaiden
Developer: Square Enix / Matrix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: XIII isn't the only Final Fantasy game slated for next year; in addition to the big one's continued progressive evolution of the Final Fantasy series, we're also getting Gaiden, a retro-styled game rooted in old school turn-based gameplay with a modernized touch. Gaiden features the return of the fan favorite, the Job System -- only this time, with a bunch of brand new and rather unique jobs. The game is being directed by Takashi Tokita (FF4, Chrono Trigger, Live a Live, Parasite Eve), with art direction by Akihiko Yoshida (FFT, FF12, FF14) and development by Matrix (the team responsible for the DS Final Fantasy remakes). The game has not yet been confirmed for a US release, but it'll almost certainly be out next year.
Golden Sun 3
Developer: Camelot
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: For quite a long time, it seemed like Camelot (the guys who brought us Shining Force) weren't going to be making RPGs ever again. Golden Sun 2 came out six years ago, and ever since Camelot has frittered around with golf games for the PC and Wii. So it was a pretty big surprise when Reggie announced Golden Sun 3 at E3 2009. The two Golden Sun games for the GBA were huge hits and the second one featured some of the best RPG dungeons this side of Lufia 2, so it's great to finally see the series return.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Birth by Sleep's goofy name may say "spinoff," but its eyes say that this is the next true installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. It might as well be called Kingdom Hearts 0, since this prequel will tell the story of events leading up to Kingdom Hearts 1. The game also retains the core gameplay from Kingdom Hearts 2. And most importantly of all, it features a ton of new Disney content, such as a brand new Cinderella world as well as a deep space world from Lilo and Stitch. Birth by Sleep is being overseen by Tetsuya Nomura, with the development being done by the team responsible for the PS2 remake of Chain of Memories.
Mass Effect 2
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, PC
US Release: 01/26
Why It's Notable: Commander Shepard's continuing adventures in space! And, uh, I actually can't say any more than that, because that's all I know; I've kept myself on a total blackout about this game. But it's coming out in January, and I'm pretty excited.
Ninokuni
Developer: Studio Ghibli / Level-5
Publisher: Level-5
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: The most exciting thing about Ninokuni is that it's the first real video game collaboration done by legendary anime house Studio Ghibli, and their efforts for this game come after several months' worth of work from the whole studio. For Ninokuni, Ghibli will be contributing the story, the artwork, the animated cutscenes, and the music (done by the famous and brilliant composer Joe Hisaishi), while the development and game design are being handled by Level-5.
Phantasy Star Portable 2
Developer: Alfa System
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Alfa System has no shortage of experience with mission-based action RPGs, having made Tales of Innocence, the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology games, and the original Phantasy Star Portable. This sequel promises to have numerous improvements over the first game, including refinements to the game's combat and chat systems, and, most notably, online (rather than just local) co-op play.
Resonance of Fate
Developer: tri-Ace
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3
US Release: 3rd Quarter
Why It's Notable: So tri-Ace has had kind of a shaky time of things so far this gen, with the rather awful Infinite Undiscovery and the mixed reception of Star Ocean 4. But never fear, the team behind tri-Ace's best game ever is here! Developed by the folks behind Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, Resonance of Fate (called End of Eternity in Japan) should provide highly engaging, fast-paced and tactical combat. What's more, it's offering up its promising gameplay in one of the coolest and least often used settings: steampunk. I'm growing as wary of tri-Ace as the next guy, what with their recent record, but this game should be genuinely excellent.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: Nintendo DS
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: The developers behind Strange Journey have said that the only thing that stopped them from naming this game Shin Megami Tensei 4 is the fact that it isn't set in Tokyo. But that shouldn't stop those who have been waiting since 2004's Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne for the next real Megaten game from looking forward to this. Spearheaded by series co-creator and artist extraordinaire Kazuma Kaneko, Strange Journey is being made by a team of veterans from SMT1-3 and the surprisingly great Raidou 2, and features all the demon fusion, demon negotiation, and weakness exploiting that fans have come to love.
Tales of Graces
Developer: Tales Studio
Publisher: Namco
Platform: Nintendo Wii
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: We missed out on Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Destiny Remake, and Tales of Hearts... but might America *finally* be getting a new Tales game from the more overlooked half of Tales Studio, Team Destiny? There's still no guarantee, but the fact that they've actually announced an English version of the Graces theme song sure makes it look that way. While they've never gotten the attention in the west that Team Symphonia has, most folks who've played the Destiny games agree that this team puts out great work. And if Namco follows up on Vesperia and Dawn of the New World by providing full voice acting for all the skits again, we should be in for a treat.
Valkyrie of the Battlefield 2
Developer:
Publisher:
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: Summer
Why It's Notable: The first game was one of the biggest surprise RPG hits this gen. Developed by alumni of Sega's cult favorite, Skies of Arcadia, Valkyrie combined gorgeous and artistic visuals with fun and very innovative strategic gameplay. Take turns moving your squad members across the battlefield, avoiding enemy fire and laying down cover in a fantasy version of World War 2. Now the sequel is adding branching class trees, tons more missions, new vehicle modifications, and the ability to interact more with your squadron's secondary teammates. Should be a blast.
Ys 7
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom
Platform: Sony PlayStation Portable
US Release: TBA
Why It's Notable: Ys is fairly obscure, but it's a very long-running and very high quality action RPG series that, unfortunately, hasn't seen as many English language releases as I'm sure we'd all like. And honestly, who knows if Ys 7 will make it out to the US? It's probably the least likely game I've included on the list. But it's important to keep hope, because Ys 7's copious story and its first-for-the-series addition of party members to assist Adol in combat, combined with high praise of the Japanese release, make it exactly the sort of game I'd love to see hitting the US next year for the PSP.
