The Rest Of 2011 In RPGs
The next six months are about to be filled with more RPG goodness than any one mere mortal could comprehend. Thankfully we’ve prepared a guide for you...
The next six months are about to be filled with more RPG goodness than any one mere mortal could comprehend. Thankfully weve prepared a guide for you. With this in hand you wont have to worry about losing precious leveling time on trivial things like exercise or talking or sleep anytime soon... July 
Time is running short. All the sunlight has been distracting you from the work at hand. Its time to use this month to get caught up on anything youve missed. First priority is firing up your computer and getting on Steam. Its time to download The Witcher 2. This game snuck under some gamers radar when it came out in May, but once you get a look at it youll be hooked. The game is gorgeous, the story is rock solid, and the combat feels rewarding and challenging. Get on it now because if you wait for the console version (coming later this year) youll miss the boat for one of the other great RPGs on the way. August 
August is an important month. It might be the last interaction you have with other people until 2012. Torchlight II is coming out. The original Torchlight was basically a single player 3D version of Diablo II. The game was all about random dungeons and massive amounts of loot to find. It was a great take on the Diablo style of RPGs, but most people took issue with the lack of cooperative play. Thats where Torchlight II comes in. This sequel will be bringing back all the fun of the original (including a price point under $30) with a more expansive game world, and, to answer the critics, cooperative play has been added too! An RPG this well-made, inexpensive, and has multiplayer is almost unheard of in todays gaming world. So be sure to relish this fact while you hack and slash your way to glory with your friends in August. September 
This month brings the return of an old friend. When Deus Ex came out in 2000 it was lauded as one of the best stories in gaming and became a cornerstone of shooter based RPGs. Since then weve seen a couple solid sequels and another top tier franchise (Mass Effect) draw heavily from the Deus Ex blueprint. Now, after almost eight years, the Deus Ex franchise returns with a prequel (Human Revolution) which looks to return the franchise to its old place as the king of shooter based RPGs. You will be the judge come September. October 
You love a good challenge, but 2009s Demons Souls almost had you beat with its brutally unforgiving difficulty. In the end, you conquered the challenge, and now youre stronger than ever. In fact, youre so good of late; no RPG has been able to put up a fight against you. Well, until now Prepare to die! because your RPG stomping days are coming to an end in October. The spiritual successor to Demons Souls arrives in the form of Dark Souls. This quasi-sequel promises to improve on its Game of the Year predecessor. Returning will be the unique online integration system which gives players a glimpse of the grisly fates other players have befallen, along with allowing them to leave messages with tips for other as they play through each level. One big change will be the shift from a linear world to an open one that promises to add countless hours of controller smashing agony to your play through. What youll be anticipating (or dreading) most about this game is developer From Softwares pledge to make Dark Souls significantly harder than Demons Souls was (Is that even possible?). For some, this promise is all but a guarantee of a bad time, but you are made of stronger metal than the average gamer. Come October you will embrace your date with destiny with open arms (and a sensible supply of Dark Moon Grass). November Whats that? Youre still trying to get 100% completion on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion after all these years?!?! Well, perhaps its finally time to set that quest aside because the chill of November brings with it the fifth installment of the Bethusda Game Studios landmark RPG franchise: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Skyrim is big. BIG big. It comes out on 11/11/11 of this year, but there will be no need to make a wish because whatever you could dream of doing in a D&D style game Bethusda has already considered and included in their massive sandbox. December 
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is here! Hey, dont look at me like that. Okay, maybe Im stretching the truth to put this in the December category since it wont launch in North America and Europe until January or February, but its coming out in Japan in December so Im getting it in on a technicality! Really though, if youve read this far then you love RPGs which means you probably love FF too. For most people the words Final Fantasy will be incentive enough to loot Moms purse to fund a copy. You, I can tell, are a more sophisticated gamer though. So let me assure you there will be more than the same game with a new story. XIII-2 will feature an enhanced combat system that incorporates real-time response elements as well as the ability to tame and incorporate wild animals into your party. There will also be a unique monster encounters system designed to make players get right into the fight rather than avoiding or tediously preparing for each fight. The journey ahead will not be easy, but at least now you know the way. Note: Torchlight II has no official release date but developers have stated a strong interest in getting to market before the crazy fall game season.