Thanks Neogaf for the Gifs.
 

“The best RPG combat ever. Not gaming’s best story, but maybe its best storytelling. Darker, sexier, better. [Mar 2011, p.88]”
 

Dragon Age II centers around the main character named Hawke, known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, who rises to power throughout the story. In the format of a framed story, the tale is told by one of Hawke’s companions Varric to Cassandra, a Chantry Seeker, which spans over a decade throughout the game and the player writes the history that will change the world forever. Dragon Age 2 is set to be released on March 8, 2011 in North America and March 11, 2011 for Xbox360, PS3 and PC.

Dragon Age 2 is set to be released on March 8, 2011 in North America and March 11, 2011 for Xbox360, PS3 and PC.

If you look closely at the Metal Gear Solid games or any of his previous works, you can see a lot of similarities between those games and JRPGs. For example, all of Kojima’s games have an epic story with a decent number of characters with each one of them does have a personal story. Also, the heavy emphasis on characters development in his games is another big similarity to JRPGs. Add to this the long cut scenes his games are known for which also one of the most famous features in JRPGs.
 
 

Just imagine a 40 hour epic RPG directed and designed by the legendary Hideo Kojima: Great cast of characters, memorable and unique settings, very deep storyline, and stunning visuals. Also, add to this some of his creative touches and great level design. Awesome? Yes, indeed. Kojima stated that he always wants to make games that would appeal to the masses, which bring my hopes down to see a RPG from him (since RPGs are not so popular these days). But we saw him producing Metal Gear Acid which was a turn based strategy game set in the Metal Gear universe, which is a sign that he may does a RPG in the future.
 

I’m a huge fan of RPGs (JRPGs and WRPGs), but truth to be told, JRPGs aren’t evolving like western made RPGs. Also, almost every JRPG this generation does have a problem in its story or in its design (or both). Kojima-san ability in story telling is limitless and his creative mind can bring innovation to this dieing genre. Maybe he will be the one who could bring a breath of fresh air to the JRPG genre. While it may look impossible to see him doing a RPG, it will be interesting to see what he can do with this genre. What do you think? Will we ever see a RPG made by Kojima? Will the game perform well regarding sales? Or will it be a risky decision? Tell us what do you think in the comment section.
 

In my opinion this is where the hardest and the most critical part in the entire game, and I almost bet that everyone who has tried the game, either has continued or stopped playing the game after that point. Simply because it is hard to finish the first level without dying, and unless you are one of the hardcore gamers who enjoys challenging games such as Ninja Gaiden, you will end up confused and frustrated. But if you give the game a little more time you will play one of the best action RPGs ever made. And if you are a fan of Zelda games, then you will discover a new darker Zelda.
 
 

There is not much of a story in this epic journey, it is undemanding and brief. The depth of the game is found in the gameplay, online features and upgrades. But to make it simple and spoilers free, the story is about a king who channeled the power of the souls. Isolating his kingdom (Boletaria) by a thick fog, thus slaying demons will get you closer to overcome that fog.
 

The best thing about this game is its gameplay, it is very deep. No one could play this game unless he/she is willing to study all foes moves, to wait for the right moment with the right tool to strike. There are a lot of enemies in Demon’s souls and they keep coming even if you had beaten the chapter’s boss, the idea behind this is to dive into any chapter and start farming for souls in order to build up your weapons and character. If you get killed, then you will get back to the same spot to claim your souls. But if you fail and get killed before reaching that point, your souls will be disappeared forever.
 

Each of the playable characters or classes: Knight, priest, thief, magician, temple knight, soldier, wanderer, barbarian, royal and hunter can be male or female and it will not affect the story. However, it will affect the gameplay and each will have his or her strategy. The other important element in the game is world and character tendency, it is a bit complicated to understand at first, but you will get used to it if you know the drivers of the tendency. Killing demons and black phantoms offline or online would move your tendency and the world that you currently playing in towards white. But Killing harmless NPCs, invading other people/killing or getting killed in the world will move your world and character tendency towards black. In white tendency, foe are easier, but will drop less items and on the contrary. Black tendency will make foes much stronger, but with a higher drop rate of items. Each tendency has its own events: talking to some character, slaying some special demons and getting some particular items will require either a black or white tendency.
 
 

Other importing fact besides hunting souls is gathering stones, as you will need loads of stones if you want to upgrade your weapons and armors. Also, your character weight will play an important role in the game. So If your character weight is too heavy you will end up moving in a slow pace, in which it will affect your combat performance. The controls are great and once you get used to it, it will be easy to aim by pressing R3 near any foe you encounter. But at the same time the targeting system is not perfect. There are certain combos for each type of weapon. So, you will be experimenting with various weapons before you wield your weapon of choice.
 

The graphics are great, but they are not Uncharted 2 visuals. The characters and enemies’ design is top notch. However, it will not matter much in this game since you are going to be busy keeping yourself alive. There are some noticeable frame rate issues, but thankfully not to the extent of ruining the game. The game world design is unique with some great atmospheric environments. You will not hear any background music while you are playing through the game chapters, but only slashes of swords, bows and armors. Soundtrack is fresh and suits the game well. It’s dark and well picked to be side by side with each demon you will encounter.
 

The thing that really sets Demon’s Souls apart is how it handles multiplayer. Your choice of being a friend or foe will make your experience tense and dynamic. Black phantoms will hunt you either alone or with bunch of friends, either way you will have to be ready for them or just pull of the Internet cable and play offline. Red and white shadows you will encounter while you are playing online could give hints that you need in this game. Some people would enjoy helping out friends while other enjoy invading other worlds. The good thing about this feature is the fairness behind it. As people that invade you or people that you summon have to be in your soul range. So the only difference here is kind of magic weapon and strategy that you could do. There are some surprises, but thankfully there are few, some gamers would have much stronger weapons that they took from a friend by trading. Hence, if you have friends that own the game you should start negotiating.
 
 

The difficulty system in this game is harsh yet fair. But every time that you die, you die just because of your mistakes, and every time you die you will learn from your own mistakes until you master the game. Overall, the game is a lot of fun and enjoyable. So I will make it simple, it is a must buy for any action RPG gamer and for anyone else who consider himself/herself as a gamer, rent it and try to judge it after you finish the first boss. Demon’s Souls is just like any great movie, the beginning is a little bit boring then it will turn over into a piece of art.
 

Score: (9.2/10)
 
 

The first quarter of 2010 will bring to us some of the most anticipated games this generation. Two of those are favorites among RPG lovers, Mass Effect 2 and Final Fantasy 13. While I have enjoyed some JRPGs this generation (Lost Odyssey, Tales of Vasperia, and Varlkryie Chronicles just to name a few), WRPGs are becoming the dominant choice for RPG gamers around the world, unlike last generations. So, If you look closely at the title of this article, you are going to see a battle not just between two of the most anticipated role playing games this generation, but also between two different style of role playing: the western style VS the Japanese style.

Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to the highly acclaimed space opera RPG, Mass Effect. The game takes place in the year 2185, two years after the conclusion of Mass Effect. With the Reaper invasion stopped and Saren and the geth defeated, Commander Shepard learns that entire human colonies are mysteriously vanishing. Shepard won’t act solely by himself, so in addition to his team mates (old and new ones), he will be joining with the human supremacist organization Cerberus to resolve the mystery behind the vanishing of the human colonies.
 
 

The infamous conversation wheel system will make a comeback in the sequel but with more complicated moral choices this time. Mass Effect 2 also features regenerating health as its primary health mechanic, instead of being able to heal with “medi-gel” as in the first game. In addition, the overheat system for weapons has been replaced with collectible ammunition. The game’s visuals has been improved drastically, and some of the glaring technical issues has been ironed in the sequel.
 

On the other hand, you have Final Fantasy 13, which its plot revolves around the fal’Cie who has constructed a paradise for humanity: the shell-like city of Cocoon, which floats high above the surface of the world known as Pulse. Both Pulse and Cocoon are maintained by their own fal’Cie. Cocoon’s fal’Cie created life forms and machines for its inhabitants to use, and humanity flourished. Over time, the people of Cocoon began to fear for the safety of their world, and they worried that it would be cast down from the sky into the hell that they saw Pulse to be.
 
 

Final Fantasy 13 will be the first game in the series to have HD visuals, and the result to this will be a fantasy journey like no other. The game uses an overhauled turned based battle system; multiple commands can be stacked into slots per turn and released at the same time to form a combo. The number of command slots increases as the characters grow in strength. Also, the game does not make use of MP but introduces “cost points” for each command, which determine how many times the commands can be used per turn. Summoning fierce creatures and casting your favorite magic attacks will make a comeback but with a next generation feel to it.
 

Bioware will bring to us a sequel to one of the most beloved games this generation, at the same time, Square Enix will also bring the most popular RPG franchise ever for the first time to HD consoles. So, I have a couple of questions for you folks to answer: Which game will offer an overly better role playing experience in 2010? And will Final Fantasy 13 bring the JRPG genre to the top of the game?
 

The game will be released for PS3 on February 4, 2010. Check the TGS 09 trailer for the game.
 
 

The sequel, White Knight Chronicles: Awakening of Light and Darkness has been announced during Sony’s TGS press conference.
 
 

The first game, White Knight Chronicles is still to be released in US and other regions, but it’s scheduled for 2010 release.
 

In the sequel you play also as commander Sheppard who was the hero of the first game, humans are starting to disappear from the galaxy and Sheppard and his squad mates in for a suicide mission.

Will commander Sheppard survive this suicide mission? It is all depends on your choices in the game, and how you interact with other characters. Mass effect2 is shaping up to be one of the best games that will release next year, with darker story, improved game play, more detailed graphics (as you can see in the video below “jungle area”), better physics, and more natural and diverse space exploration.

Here is a new video featuring the developers of the game talking about story, choices, and what improvements the game will have when it will arrive in 2010 for Xbox 360 and PC.