2012 was a definitive year for gaming, partly because that was the year afterSkyrimwas released, so standards for RPGs were at an all-time high. Plenty of the RPGs released that year had a certain hype and metric to live up to. For the most part, a lot of them delivered, and then some.
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Some of thegames 10 years agowere worthy sequels to big names and titles. Others wereremakes of RPGsfrom an era that also defined a generation of gamers. The best of theseRPGs that turned 10 in 2022was more than memorable; for they continue to absorb players to this day despite being a decade old and their impacts were far-reaching.
8Diablo 3
Diablo 3had big shoes to fill, but eventually shed off some of its predecessor’s old and hardcore mechanics. The third game had a rough couple of years due to the notorious Auction House but the developers promptly dealt with this “pay-to-win” feature.
Now,Diablo 3has grown up to be one of the most prominent Blizzard games today, and it’s still going strong. One of its best features was how friendly it was to beginners and the low investment needed to get to the meat of the game, which is its endgame. Beyond that, there’s the action-packed gameplay which is arguably the best in terms of feel and quality among the releasedDiablogames.
7Torchlight 2
Torchlight 2grabbed the bull by the horns and challenged the ARPG king,Diablo 3, in the very same year. What’s even more poetic about this clash is thatTorchlight 2had some of the old developers of the previousDiablogames— even the music sounds familiar toDiablo 2veterans.
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Needless to say,Torchlight 2became the more favorable underdog, especially for disgruntledDiablo 3fans who loathed the Auction House. But even without that angle,Torchlight2remains one of the most complete ARPG experiences to date and proved an important cornerstone for the franchise.
6Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Goldenis actually a re-release of the hit 2008 JRPG,Persona 4. It made an already great game near-perfect since it added much to the story by bridging an additional month, as well as some gameplay rebalancing and new voice actors.
It’s hard not to includePersonahere since it’s one of the most popular and phenomenal JRPG experiences ever. At its core,Persona 4 Goldenis a coming-of-age story with a turn-based RPG format involving a group of high school students as they get to enter a mysterious world inside a television. It’s the kind of outlandish plot that people have come to love about anime, but more interactive.
5XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknownwas a significant development for old gamers. Because it’s essentially a reboot and remake of the old and famedXCOMgames back in the 1990s. This time around, the game is set in an alternate version of 2015 when aliens have invaded Earth and the primary line of defense is an elite paramilitary group of commandos that the player must control.
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The RPG aspect of the title lies in its customization and how much the players can tailor their squad members based on their preferred playstyle. The gameplay is turn-based and is even notorious for having somebrutal or misleading percentages.
4Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2emerged from a triumphant uphill battle in a genre dominated byWorld of Warcraft.To this day, it remains one of the most popular and competent MMORPGs and is now on its third expansion. The game is also not showing signs of slowing down or concluding its story.
There’s apparently a fourth expansion on the way according to the development and publishing team though they’re keeping it under wraps. In any case, there’s no better time to join this MMORPG world since it’sone of the friendliest communitiesin the genre.
3Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition
Originally,Baldur’s Gatewas released back in 1998, but it became so definitive that it instantly became a classic as one of the most successful and fully-fledgedadaptations ofDungeons and Dragonsinto a video game format. TheEnhanced Editionre-release comes with significant quality-of-life changes.
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The most important feature is that it now looks high-definition and can fit on a variety of screens. The interface has also been overhauled, and the game’s lore, story, quests, and progression remain intact for a new generation of RPG fans to enjoy.
2Borderlands 2
The firstBorderlandsintroduced a new way to play aDiablo-esque looter ARPGin an FPS format, which was quite novel at the time.Borderlands 2perfected the formula. In the sequel, the developers forged the game’s own identity and refined the looter-shooter formula.
The story, characters, and game world are also arguably the most memorableout of all the games, complete with a legion of DLCs and expansions to keep players occupied. Of course, the main attraction here are the gazillions of guns for the players to collect and rummage through until they find their perfect piece.
1Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3left players scratching their heads with how it concluded the legendary BioWare trilogy, and they even released a couple of DLCs to help with the ending. But in hindsight, it was still the most explosive and grand RPG conclusion ever for a beloved sci-fi RPG that doesn’t haveStar Warsin its name.
The third game’slegacy was hard to top; a successive attempt to reboot the franchise withMass Effect: Andromedawas met with a lukewarm reception, putting it lightly. Among the three games,Mass Effect 2was notably the fan favorite, butMass Effect 3had bigger stakes and a more urgent story to tell with the privilege of bringing a magnificent ending to the game world.
