RPG Video Games

Set in a dark, dystopian city, and featuring multiple-path missions and a mix of stealth and action reminiscent of Deus Ex and Thief, Dishonored puts PS3 players in charge of Corvo, the Empress' once-trusted bodyguard who was framed for her murder, and now dons a signature mask as he roams the oppressive streets. Freed from captivity by a supernatural being with questionable intentions, Corvo seeks revenge using special powers and a variety of gadgets and weapons, which players are free to wield as they stage direct assaults or perform stealthy assassinations.

Steampunk themes permeate the grungy industrial city of Dunwall, with citizens traveling in personal rail cars, law enforcement patrolling on long robotic stilts, and authority figures dressed in Victorian-era garb, complete with swords and muskets. Corvo can also wield a variety of swords, daggers, crossbows, and weak guns, but he has an advantage thanks to special powers that allow him to briefly stop time, possess any living creature, and teleport short distances. The action is presented from a first-person perspective, and whether players choose stealth, force, or a mixture of the two, the choices they make in each mission will result in different outcomes, and have lasting effects on the surrounding game world. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Risen 2 is an action role-playing game from German developer Piranha Bytes, best known for the Gothic series. The storyline finds the nameless hero from the first game on a mission to stop the evil Titans and restore hope to a fantasy world. The game takes place on the southern continent of Arborea, the only locale that has been spared by the Titans. Players will interact with the natives of Arborea, comprised of warriors, hunters, and shaman, members of the Inquisition army, and a band of drunken, shifty pirates who aren't above using "dirty tricks" in a fight.

The combat once again relies on the player's proficiency in edged or ranged weapons (including the new addition of firearms), with the ability to parry, block, and sidestep to avoid getting hit by enemies. Skills to enhance your character are unlocked by first assigning "learning points" to specific areas of interest. Accompanying you on your journey is a gnome named Jaffar, who will scoop up treasure and assist in combat. You can also choose to align yourself with either the natives or Inquisition, each offering a quest line that will shape your character's story in different ways. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Dragon's Dogma is an action-driven role-playing game with an optional element of online sharing. It is played in an original but familiar fantasy setting, where the focus is on magic and melee combat. Players choose a class and customize their characters' appearance. The hero adventures with one or more computer-controlled party members, who can follow simple instructions and help in combat, and also ask questions and provide information. Battle mechanics incorporate a grapple feature, which allows characters to climb aboard giant monsters, in order to strike at vulnerable points.

Up to three computer-controlled party members can join the hero in action. One of these non-player characters may come from the player's game world, while the other two must be borrowed, online, from other players' games. The quest progression poses a variety of challenges, and so it is desirable to field a party of diverse skills and specialties, encouraging the player to level-up NPCs along with the main character. The game's open world allows players to find their own paths through the main storyline, while a central city, home to more than 200 NPCs, serves as a hub for quests. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on the HBO television series, inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones is a game of tactical action-combat and medieval fantasy role-playing. Playing out in familiar locations, such as King's Landing and The Wall, the game follows an original storyline, written under the supervision of author George R.R. Martin. The melee-driven battle system slows time between swings, to allow the player to accurately choose each move, but never stops completely, maintaining an urgent flow of combat.

Players choose one of two main characters, both veterans of Robert's Rebellion, but of different backgrounds and aspirations. Throughout the adventure, the player's hero interacts with key characters from the novels' main story, for an alternative perspective on fan-familiar plot points. The game progresses at the player's pace, the realm of Westeros changing as heroes meet their destinies and historic events come to pass. Game of Thrones was developed by Cyanide Inc., creator of the mythology-inspired fantasy RPG Loki. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Bioware's original space-opera trilogy concludes with Mass Effect 3, in the signature RPG-shooter style of its predecessors. Players resume the role of series protagonist Commander Shepard, once again customizable in appearance and character development. Combat is made more challenging by smarter computer-controlled opponents that adjust their tactics in the middle of a fight. An increased emphasis on melee and movement leads to closer, more furious battles. Players chart the course of the adventure, by traveling to remote planets and choosing which missions to attempt.

Decimated by a force of soulless invaders, known only as the Reapers, the human race is on the brink of extinction. It is left to the player to ply influence, make alliances, and discover the galactic secrets that are the last hope for human survival. Players have the option to import saved data from both previous Mass Effect games, in order to continue their own personalized narratives, or to start fresh with a new iteration of the hero. Shepard adventures along with a diverse crew of specialists, also customizable by the player. Weapons can be upgraded with scopes, grips, and other looted parts.

For the first time in the series a multiplayer mode is included. Up to four players can team up online to face off against the computer-controlled opponents and gain experience with which to upgrade their characters. Leveing up in the game's online mode also impacts the single-player game by increasing the user's "Galaxy at War Readiness" rating. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

The first entry in a fantasy franchise from ex-pitcher Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an open-world action/role-playing game crafted by developer Big Huge Games and the talents of artist Todd McFarlane, author R.A. Salvatore, and former Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston. Choose from nine melee weapon classes and dozens of spells while battling an assortment of creatures in fast-paced, visceral combat that supports deadly finishing moves.

An estimated 60+ hours of content is included through multiple storyline and side quests in a world filled with mysterious cities, characters, and creatures. As you progress throughout the game, you'll be able to customize your character with a variety of distinctive skills, abilities, armor types, and weapons. Your character's playing style will also influence the types of "destinies" you'll unlock, allowing you to tailor your hero's talents based on the choices you make in combat. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Role-players return to the world that Lightning struck in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Released not as a new volume, but as a direct sequel to its predecessor, the game continues the story of Cocoon and Pulse in a similar play style, while enhancing non-linear exploration and refining the battle system. More powerful Paradigm functions offer players greater tactical control in the back-and-forth of combat. Many iconic Final Fantasy monsters can be tamed to fight alongside the heroes.

The sequel tells the story of Serah, the sister of the main character Lightning from the original Final Fantasy XIII. Three years after the city in the sky fell toward Pulse, a strange meteor throws Serah's peaceful village into deadly chaos. Time is warped, and vicious monsters invade. Her young life is spared from this onslaught by a mysterious traveler called Noel. A hunter from the future, Noel tells Serah that he can take her to her sister, who awaits in another place and time. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Bethesda's flagship fantasy role-playing series returns to PS3 with a new storyline and more detailed, open-world environment. Taking place centuries after the events chronicled in 2006's Oblivion, the game finds the continent of Tamriel in chaos after the High King of Skyrim is found murdered. Yet political turmoil is only the beginning of the problems. Dragons, long believed to be a relic of the past, are now flying across the lands and threaten to tear away the fabric of civilization in one fell swoop.

You are Skyrim's last hope, a descendent of the fabled Dragonborn, who can speak the language of dragons and channel their mystical powers after slaying them. The main quest involves discovering why the dragons have returned, but as with previous games in the Elder Scrolls series, you are free to embark on your own adventures. There are five major cities in Skyrim, each home to a different culture and way of life, and an estimated 500 distinct places of interest. The publisher claims the game offers 300 hours of content for those looking to explore every nook and cranny in the 3D world.

You can adapt your male or female hero to fit your playing style, whether it's hacking and slashing at creatures directly, slinging arrows from the cover of darkness, or casting powerful spells. There are hundreds of pieces of equipment and weapons to find or purchase, allowing you to mix and match shields, staves, swords, and spells to suit your needs. Defeating enemies earns you experience that can be used to level up attributes in three key areas: magica, health, and stamina.

A new graphics engine brings the province of Skyrim to life with surging rivers, rolling clouds, changing weather, and more varied terrain at different elevations. The interface features a more minimalistic scheme than what was used in Oblivion, and the number of voice actors has increased to offer more diversity in the speaking roles. Quests include more dynamic elements, and dragons will appear randomly throughout your travels, giving you the option to flee or to stand your ground and fight. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Players return to the best-loved realm in all of fantasy literature for a new epic of monsters, magic, and brutal medieval melee, in Warner Bros.' Lord of the Rings: War in the North. The game follows three pre-designed heroes on an original adventure through the lands of Middle-earth, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy and the movies that followed. In the main online cooperative mode, three players form a new Fellowship to explore and battle through the story together, controlling their own custom heroes.

Character choices include Elf, Dwarf, and Human, each with innate strengths and weakness that complement the fighting styles of the other two. As characters progress, they may acquire more powerful weapons and armor, and earn experience that can be used to upgrade their abilities or purchase new ones. Set in the time of Frodo's dark journey to Mordor, the parallel adventure reveals the previously untold legend of three uniquely able heroes who travel north to face the gathering armies of the evil Lord Sauron, in a desperate attempt to prevent them from advancing across the realms before the ring bearer can complete his quest.

Intended for older players, the game's gruesome swords-and-sorcery battles are violent and fierce. Away from the story, a "Challenge Mission" mode presents a series of pick-up-and-play survivalist situations, designed to test tactics, teamwork, and endurance. War in the North was developed by Snowblind Studios, proven creator of action-RPGs based on established fantasy franchises, including Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest and the Baldur's Gate games for consoles. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

From Software's follow-up to 2009's Demon's Souls features an all-new storyline and setting. The action role-playing game will still retain its predecessor's challenging gameplay, which relies heavily on trial-and-error exploration across regions filled with traps, dungeons, monsters, and other dangers that can kill the unprepared adventurer in an instant.

New features include a more seamlessly connected world with different terrain elevations, more varied weapons and magic items, and more freedom to develop and shape your character the way you want instead of being limited by a specific class or job. Also new is the ability to light a "beacon fire," which serves as a recovery point when characters die as well as a meeting point for sharing experience.

Both cooperative and competitive multiplayer game types are supported, with the option for online users to leave behind messages and warnings to help other players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide