After what seems like a long drought, PS3 is finally getting it's share of solid RPGs. It started with the incredibly awesome Demon's Souls, which is still very fun to play; thanks to its original online co-op and PVP options. Now White Knight Chronicles and Star Ocean: The Last Hope International seek to join the PS3's incredible line-up of diverse RPGs for 2010. If you felt like Demon's Souls wasn't heavy enough on the story for your tastes, then don't overlook White Knight Chronicles. It promises to boast its own share of online co-op functions as well, while still maintaining its traditional single player story mode. Personally, I'm more looking forward to Star Ocean, being the avid Tri-Ace junkie that I am. I still remember getting nearly every battle trophy in Star Ocean 3, and thinking about how amazing a Star Ocean for PS3 would be.

Which brings me to my current poll - the one below the favorite Tekken 6 character poll. There are several aspects of RPGs that have put RPGs on the forefront of gaming. Since the saturation of several shooting games however, RPGs have almost taken a back seat in gaming. We're in an era right now that is naming Fallout 3 an RPG. Which seems very unusual and unsettling, in my opinion. It seems like anything with RPG ELEMENTS is being slapped with an RPG label. With all due respect to shooting fans, I just think it's a farce to label any game that doesn't have RPG fundamentals at its core, an RPG. That said, I don't really blame shooters for this - no it's the lack of RPGs in general that allowed Fallout 3 to get away with this. It seems like it's the fact that you can jump right into Fallout 3 and get to killing stuff. So I want to know: what is it that you look forward to most in an RPG?


Most RPG enthusiasts will likely point to story as their favorite aspect. And while I certainly agree to an extent, I can't help but get addicted to the battle aspect of RPGs. Yes, there's just something about getting max stats, and pounding out tons of damage that just satisfies me. My history with games is more rooted in the fighting genre; that might explain my enthusiasm there. That's not to say that any RPG that allows me to dish out 20,000 points of damage is instantly my favorite. No, I need balance as much as game play depth, and most importantly a challenge. Who really likes mashing buttons to finish a fight anymore? Casual gamers maybe, but fighting games have taught me better than that. - I actually know what buttons I'm pressing.



Likely, we'd all disagree on this one, which is fine, but I urge RPG enthusiasts out there to aim to be a little more conscious of what RPGs should be. After all, if we stripped away everything from RPGs, all we'd be left with is novels. Please vote in the poll to the right (below the Tekken poll) so I can see what you think.