This week has been relatively quite, apart from the shenanigans over at Blizzard in celebration of April Fool’s Day. I must admit being quite gullible I found myself genuinely confused at why Blizzard had decided to open an online matchmaking service.

Here are the highlights:

• Over at Blizzard (April Fool’s jokes):
  • Find the nerd of your dreams with the Battle.net Matchmaking Service
  • WoW introduced an upgrade showing a leet-o-meter: The Equipment Potency Equivalence Number
  • 2 new games for your iPhone: Blackthorn 2 and Queen’s Quest
  • Some Diablo III promo merchandise was announced:
    • The Deckard Cain version of the Snuggy: X-Treme Gamer Blanket
    • Some terrifying Diablo III Body Pillows
    • Get Deckard Cain on your GPS!
• For more April Fool’s jokes, have a look at Gamespot’s article.
• Gamasutra’s, Leigh Alexander reflects on the latest RPG’s. A great read for older gamers and FF fan’s alike.
• Read The Big Freak’s response here.

I’m sure there is more, but that is all I have time for today. It’s time to head off for Easter Celebrations!

Happy Easter!

It was an interesting battle with Oblivion leading up until the last couple of days. It was won by Dragon Age: Origins in the last hour which proves that this game has probably done two things:

• Bring new gamers into the RPG genre
• Really impressed the existing RPG fans with a damn good game

Here are your best 5 RPG PC games ever voted by you (full results):

Next weeks poll:

The Blogs

1. FAQs.org have a Best RPG Games list purely voted for by the people. Rather than just vote on their favourites, users are also able to vote a negative against a game they feel is unfairly placed. The top 3 at the time of this article are Diablo II, Dragon Age: Origins and Baldur’s Gate II. At the rate that DAO is rising I would not be surprised if it is in number 1 soon.
2. CVG have been kind enough to complete a Top 101 PC Games List for us to read. While not exclusively RPG, it’s interesting to see the top 25 dominated so heavily by PC role-playing games. Deus Ex makes number 1 (woo!) with Morrowind taking number 4. Oblivion makes in into the the top 15 at number 13.
3. The Top Tens brings us a used voted list of the Best RPG Video Game. FF VII takes the cake, with Oblivion and KOTOR in second and third respectively.
4. Top Ten Reviews is another blog that keeps lists of Top 10 based of user reviews. Always a good choice when checking out what games to play. Top 10 RPG Video Games features Fallout 3 as number 1 followed by KOTOR and Baldur’s Gate II.
5. Epinions keeps a regularly updated list of their Top 50 Best RPG’s Ever.  Started in 2003 and updated every year, a lot of time and thought has been put into this list. Although it’s not for PC RPGs it’s still worth checking out.
6. Daniel Nations from examiner.com shares his view on the Top 10 from a gamer who has been playing a long time. His experience shows in his game choices: Number 1 is NWN followed by Ultima IV and Rogue. Check out Dan’s Top 10 Computer Role-Playing Games here.
7. BestRPGGames.net has used a specific criteria in deciding the Top 10 RPG PC Games of all time. Fallout 3 takes the top, closely followed by KOTOR and Morrowind.

Bonus: While this blog contains no Top 10 list, Rock’nRolf‘s blog has really great RPG reviews. If you like the stuff on my site, my bet is that you will enjoy his stuff too.

Blogger decided must play games

So from these 7 lists if we give 3 points for number 1, 2 for 2 and 1 for 3 we can come up with the list below.

Games that according to the blogging masses are a must play:

Diablo II (3), Deus Ex (3), Morrowind (3), Oblivion (3), KOTOR (3), NWN (3)

Other games worth checking out:

Ultima IV (2),Dragon Age: Origins (2) Rogue (1),Baldur’s Gate II (1)

Conclusion

Before the uproar begins, I do not totally agree with all these lists, it’s great to see other people opinions. If your only experience with PC RPG is WoW, then stop what you are doing right now and pick up a copy of one of the must play games today! You are seriously missing out.

If you could have a top 3 RPG list, what would they be? Don’t forget to vote for your favourite RPG on the current poll here.

I was thinking about what makes an RPG a good RPG. On top of all the usual things that apply to games like gameplay, graphics and sound there are several other factors that make a great RPG. I have come up with 11 points that cover mostly what makes a terrific RPG. Below each list item I have listed games that blew away that criteria when the game was released.

1. Can you make decisions that affect future outcomes of the game?

Being able to shift the storyline of a game to produce different outcomes at the end gives the game a new level of depth. Some games do this very subtly like Fallout 3 in which you can make some choices throughout that game that ultimately effects the closing cinematic where as making choices in other games can completely prevent you from following certain pathways (whilst often opening up new ones for you eg. Fallout 3).
Good example: Fallout 2

2. Are you able to physically move in a non linear pattern?

What I mean by this is are you able to stray from the main plot on side quests and adventures or is the plot fairly linear which simply takes you from point A to B. World of Warcraft is an excellent example of this, from level one you can ignore the main plot quests and simply do your own thing. Neverwinter Nights on the other hand, while being an awesome game, followed a fairly linear storyline.
Good example: World of Warcraft

3. Do NPC’s react to you differently depending on previous engagements or proceeding reputation?

This ones is similar to the first criteria; games like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and World of Warcraft include a built in reputation system. Actions you take during the game affect your reputation and will therefore effect how someone reacts to you when you meet them. (The most simple form is if you tend to do good things, evil aligned NPC’s will not want anything to do with you)
Good example: Fallout 3

4. Can you switch out nearly every item of clothing and weapons (swords, shields, guns, boots, helmet, body armor)?

The best example I can give of this is Oblivion. Being able to fully customize your gear and change your appearance is not only fun but allows more progressions throughout the game which are key to any RPG. It also adds variety as you don’t get bored looking at the same character running around all the time.
Good example: Oblivion

5. Are loading times between areas too excessive or frequent?

It’s bad enough that some RPG’s include a huge amount of text to read let alone having to wait for a loading screen every single time you move more than one screen across. Loading times should be short and infrequent to allow maximum gameplay time.
Good example: World of Warcraft

6. Can you perform illegal activities? And are there consequences?

This is more a fun item then completely necessary. Being able to attack any NPC gives the game real depth because just like in real life, you can really attack anyone. The Elder Scrolls games do this great, although if you attack a shop keeper you better be ready to run from the law.
Good example: Any Elder Scrolls game [Daggerfall II, Morrowind, Oblivion]

7. Does the game have online capabilities (or uploadable community content)?

While most RPG’s have a rather large amount of single player content, we never want a good game to end there. Having either online gameplay or extra community created content allows us to keep adventuring with the hero we have grown so fond of.
Good example: Neverwinter Nights [has both]

8. Are the NPC’s believable and engaging? Is the storyline also believable and engaging?

Any game should be interesting to play for more than a few hours. Misplaced or uninteresting NPC’s will ruin the flow of the game. A great story line is also important as RPG’s are traditionally known for having a great story.
Good example: Dragon Age: Origins

9. Is the combat interesting and fun?

Combat should be simple to follow, yet evolved enough to allow for plenty of special attacks and spells. Typically spell casting classes should require more thought and tactics than hand to hand combat. This gives people the option of hack and slash or strategy. Combat should look good and there should be plenty of variety in movement. For example spell casting should not always be the exact same movement.
Good example: Baldur’s Gate II (best in it’s time)

10. Is all of the other stuff good?

By other stuff I mean sound, graphics and the overall feel of the game. While we have been playing crappy looking RPG’s for decades there is something to be said for one that looks fantastic.
Good example: Diablo II

11. Are there multi-layered feats and skills?

Most great RPGs have some sort of skill tree (see Diablo or WoW) or at least feats that are governed by specific pre-requisites (see any D&D based RPG). Blizzard and Bioware usually do this very well in all their games.
Thanks to Rocka for reminding me of this one.

12. Can your character improve over time by gaining experience or skills?

The last point I make here is by far the key factor of an RPG. You really need to be able to gain levels, if not by experience points then by gaining skills and attributes as you progress through the game.
Good example: Basically every RPG

Other things that while not important add good flavour to the game:

• Does your race effect your choices?
• Are there even multiple races to choose from?
• Can you use melee combat and/or ranged combat?
• Is there magic or psychic powers?
• Can you get a trade or a job skill and improve it to make money in game?

Ultimately, it’s options that make an RPG great. From now on in my reviews I’m going to use points 1 to 11 to rate any new games from now on. Remember that a game does not need 11 out of 11 to still be a great game to play.

Is there anything you look for in an RPG? Share with us below in the comments.

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CD Projeckt Red released an official statement today on their The Witcher site that a sequel to the game that sold over 1.5M copies world wide. Although I can’t find it on the website, Gamespot has claimed that the game will be gracing our shelves in early 2011.

Although the game engine is being built completely from scratch (and looks amazing I might add), The Witcher 2 storyline will be continuing directly on from The Witcher. With the change that everyone and everything looks a whole lot better. We should also be seeing smoother gameplay and better combat.

some ugly mugs beautifully rendered

From the horses mouth

“I am really glad that we can officially present what we’ve been working on for the past two-and-a-half years.” – said Adam Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt RED studio. “We learned a lot during The Witcher’s development process, and we are using all of that knowledge to ensure the sequel is one of the best RPGs people have ever played. We’ve concentrated on improving the most successful parts of the Witcher, and I strongly believe that The Witcher 2 will be loved both by fans of the original and newcomers. We know that we aimed very high while producing The WItcher 1. Now we are aiming even higher with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.”

The Witcher 2 promises to build upon the considerable success of The Witcher and we can all remember how much that was to play (read reviews). More updates are slowly being released onto thewitcher.com and I will keep you updated as more news is given.

Watch the trailer here

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It’s  been out for around 3 weeks now and after much playing I feel that I can give this game a proper review. For simplicity I’ll refer to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as BFBC2. I’m not going to bore you with long paragraphs about gameplay and sound.

You can see from the video’s that it looks good. My PC (which is not state of the art) can run it on medium at 1920×1080 fine with no lag. Sound is fantastic. Nuff said. Let’s talk about the cool stuff.

Comparison to previous Battlefield games on PC

• While the max server size is only 32 players, the maps are designed so that 32 still feels like 64.
• Having scenery to hide behind that doesn’t disappear from a distance provides hundreds of sniping positions making the sniper an actually useful class.
• While there are general unlocks for your player, class specific unlocks can only be realised by playing that specific class. This makes it a bit rough at the beginning until you get some better weapons and things like a Med Kit, Ammo Kit and Defibrillator Paddles, but it also serves to toughen you up for whats to come.
• A new points system gives you points for just about any team action.

tanks provide an integral part of all Battlefield games

Let’s get hardcore!

BFBC2 features an all new mode called Hardcore. This mode disables your cross hair and HUD map making it harder for the players and giving it a more realistic feel. As a Medic you need to stay super alert to any of your team mates being killed as you will no longer be able to check for them on the mini map.

Losing the cross hair makes aiming with the 40mm GL a lot more difficult. Which is good as it prevents people from spamming them or using them excessively over their rifle.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Explosive power

Being able to take down the wall of a building that a sniper is hiding from comes in super handy. The 40mm Grenade Launcher and rocket launchers punch a nice hole in the side of buildings. If too much of the wall is destroyed, the building eventually collapses, killing anyone inside who isn’t quick enough on the keys.

Squad up

One of the best new features of BFBC2 is the ability to spawn on any person in your 4 man squad, rather than just a squad leader. This makes being in a squad crucial if you plan on your team winning the round.

A single squad, with a good balance of classes (Medic, 1-2 Assaults, 1-2 Engineers), can flank and rip through and enemies base wrecking devastation. With the Medic to revive any fallen team mates and the ability to respawn on a team mate if that fails, your squad can stay alive a long time.

If you try to be a solo hero like in Call of Duty… you will die… real fast.

An important Public Service Announcement from EA

Game modes

There are four game modes in Battlefield: Bad Company 2:

Conquest

The typical style of Battlefield game. Capture the flags, first teams tickets to reach zero loses. All conquest maps have 3 or 4 flags that are spaced out evenly between each others home bases.

Rush

This a completely new type of game for Battlefield. There are two teams, attackers and defenders. The attackers must attack and destroy two objectives in the defenders base. If the objectives are destroyed the defenders must move back to the next base where the process is repeated through 5 bases. The attackers goal is to destroy all objectives at all 5 bases before their tickets run out. The defenders have unlimited tickets and instead must simply prevent the attackers from progressing to win.

Once you get the rules down and learn to play with a squad this is a very fun game mode.

Squad Rush

Same as rush except there are only 8 players in the server. Just 1 squad for each team. You get a special pin if you win one of these rounds.

Squad Deathmatch

This is for all those players who are new to the Battlefield games and prefer lone wolf to playing in a team. 4 vs 4 vs 4 vs 4. Sticking with your squad has it’s benefits but can also get you killed as a larger group is more obvious. If you go lone wolf, keep moving around and always check your back. If you can find a squad that sticks together, hole up somewhere and pick off any lone wolfs on the other teams.

Conclusion:

While this game did not fail in including EA’s usual long list of problems it has proved itself as a great sequel to the Battlefield franchise. Plenty of variety is enabled through multiple game modes and dozens of guns and equipment. The customization level is beyond that of any other FPS online game. It also proves itself visually with a great engine and special effects. This is also a genuinely fun game that will provide you with 100′s of hours of entertainment. I give this game 8.5/10 for kicking serious butt. Criteria rating: 7/12

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is on sale at Amazon:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Advice and Tips

• Like I said before, be sure to squad up to stay alive.
• Throw a lot of ammo packs and med packs around. Not only will this give you a heap of points but it will greatly assist your team.
• If your team is already half filled with snipers, you don’t need another one.
• Keep moving unless sniping. Sniper rifles do a lot of damage and you can’t afford to get hit.
• Use the scenery at cover and flank around the side of your enemies base, even if your attack fails it will hopefully cause enough of a distraction to allow the rest of your team to move up.
• Rocks provide more stable cover than bushes… of course.
• If hiding inside a building, keep clear of the inside of walls. An RPG hitting the outside will result in your death.
• Spot all infantry, especially if you are a sniper and can’t make the shot. Spot, spot, spot.
• If you are in armour, hang back and support the infantry by picking off and spotting enemies. Moving in close to the objective will usually result in you taking several rockets up the ass.

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Instead of just my own views I want to gather what the best RPG on PC of all time is according to you. I’ll leave this up for 2-3 weeks to get as many votes as possible.

If your favourite game is not in the list, simply write it in the comments below and I’ll add it. I’m really looking forward to seeing the results!

Only one vote per person so choose carefully.

EDIT: Poll will expire on the 31/03/10