Top 10 Best RPGs of 2011

Although 2011 looks to be heavy on the action games and first person shooters, let it not be said that there are no interesting RPGs coming out this year. Though the genre is often thought to be overrun by the tired cliches revolving around elves, wars, and (if you're into MMORPGs) trolls, 2011 looks to be a year of breaking from RPG tradition in many ways. Here's a list of some of the most anticipated RPGs for 2011!

The Witcher 2 

When The Witcher was released back in 2007, incorporating aspects of the action and RPG genres, it took everyone by surprise.  Though it sounded in concept very much akin to titles such as Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age, The Witcher was decidedly darker and more adult. And not just because of the barmaids and booze. The line between friends and foes got pretty murky, and there was a lot of interesting commentary on religious zealots. And you know, monsters. 

      Protagonist Geralt of Rivia returns as a supernaturally gifted monster hunter, but developers say that, in addition to hunting monsters, Geralt is now faced with an intensely difficult political climate. Believed by many to be influential in this situation, his skills are sought after by many, and his various tasks unfold through a nonlinear storyline. There will be 16 different endings, depending on choices made within the game, and while the game is not straight-up sandbox, any area within a current chapter is reachable. However, beware of non-scaling enemies who will eat you alive if you're not prepared. The combat system has been revamped and is said to be more complicated, which is promising for those who felt constrained by the timed button pressing of the original. 

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 

This title will continue the legacy of the Elder Scrolls games, and is reportedly a direct sequel to Oblivion. If the trailer is any indication, there will be metric tons of  dragons, and potentially even a dude who is part man and part dragon. Unfortunately, there's not much else to go on. Bethesda is being purposely tight-lipped about it, saying only that they didn't even want to announce its existence until it was much further along, so that the time between announce and release would be shorter than usual. I sure wish Blizzard would take a hint from these guys in that respect. And speaking of Blizzard... 

Diablo III 

While Blizzard has not officially confirmed a release date, a recent leaked document has suggested that the target is late 2011, and really, it's about time. The saga of D3's release has gone back and forth so many times, including one short-lived rumor that it would even be released before Starcraft II, which has obviously been proven false at this point. Many die hard fans clung to D2 (including myself, not going to lie), but at slightly older than a decade, we've gotten just about all the mileage we can out of it, and it's time for the next chapter. 

      Blizzard has incorporated a proprietary physics engine, so no more Havok, but the upside is that the environment will reportedly reflect battle damage and destructible elements. There are five character classes, barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, and demon hunter, and each class is playable for either gender, which is a step up from the previous system. Deckard Cain makes a return as an NPC (though he was seriously over the hill in D2, so it's kind of amazing that he's still alive and kicking), as well as a few specific, but as-yet-unnamed NPCs who will accompany players instead of the previous random mercenaries for hire. 

      Picking up two decades after the events in D2 (which would indicate that Diablo years work similarly to dog years, but with an approximate 2:1 ratio), the veterans of the war against the Burning Hells appear to be going insane from some sort of evil-induced PTSD. No word on whether these former soldiers will be the actual enemies, but I personally find that scenario to be acceptable, considering how insane the actual players have gone awaiting this release. 

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