Final Fantasy Versus XIII
I’m just going to put this out there. It’s becoming increasingly hard to get excited about titles from Square Enix. Their “more is less” approach as of late has resulted in two devilishly droll numbered Final Fantasy games that have taken the respectability of the JRPG down with them. A sequel to XIII is coming out in 2012 but, it’s easier to get excited about a spin-off title over a numbered Final Fantasy these days after all the heart break us fans have been forced to suffer. With that in mind, the action orientated gameplay of Versus XIII looks pretty tasty so far, and it may give the RPG mechanics the series is renowned for some much needed breathing room.
Dragon’s Dogma
A quick scan of the titles in this list will show you that new RPG franchises are quite a rarity. New series’ that have fantasy settings are rarer still, making Capcom’s upcoming Dragon’s Dogma quite the enigma. Though the plot sounds fairly standard, the online party sharing functionality and focus on grab moves in combat makes Dragon’s Dogma sound like one to watch out for.
Diablo 3
Activision Blizzard have announced so many release dates for Diablo 3 that I scarcely believe it will ever come out. That said, it’s penned in for 2012 and it looks bloody excellent. Diablo 2 still holds up today as one of the premier actions RPGs you can play online, so the new one is definitely worth looking out for. Let’s just hope Blizzard won’t delay it for yet another year so they can work on another bloody World of Warcraft expansion.
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (Xbox 360)
Is a mere port of last year’s game worth looking forward too so much? When it’s the first time the impressive Witcher series hits home consoles, the answer is a resounding yes. Assassin of Kings was one of the most surprising RPGs of last year, and it’s about time that 360 players get a taste of its unique thrills. If you own an Xbox, then this needs to be on your to-do list.
