Top 10 Xbox 360 RPGs

If the Xbox 360 wasn’t already firmly established as the RPG system of this generation, it definitely should be now. Tales of Vesperia is yet another great JRPG that is only available on the 360. It looks good, sounds phenomenal, tells a decent story, features great characters, and offers a nice real-time combat system that makes fighting fun rather than a chore. Tales of Vesperia is a great game that no RPG fan should miss.

And now for a GNR news update. After years of waiting, Fallout 3 has finally hit store shelves. It isn’t the same type of game as the first two entries in the series, but it also isn’t a hardcore shooter and it certainly isn’t just Oblivion with guns. It is a great mix of satisfying exploration, bloody combat with gruesome enemies, and a great story in an awesome setting that will grip you for 40-50 hours. It is an amazing game that we highly recommend. Thanks for listening, children!

Oblivion is a fantasy-themed open world RPG where you are free to do whatever you want. You can join a guild of thieves or mages. You can explore caves and tombs in search of treasure. Or you can even seek out and become a blood sucking vampire. The main storyline only covers a tiny fraction of the 100+ hours of total gameplay that Oblivion has to offer. This game is the very definition of a good value.

Fable II is a gorgeous looking, funny, satisfying game that is a worthy sequel to the original Xbox title. It lets you create a character and really change and influence the world around you over the course of not just days or weeks but decades. Every decision you make has an impact, and that is just plain cool.

BioWare’s latest RPG epic is finally upon us, but has Mass Effect been worth the wait? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yeeeesssss. Not only does it look and sound incredible, but it also has a great story and offers some of the best role playing elements of any game yet. The combat isn’t quite on the same level of quality as other aspects of the game, but it is still plenty good enough to make Mass Effect one of the best games on the Xbox 360.

Lost Odyssey is without question the Xbox 360’s answer to Final Fantasy (though, the 360 doesn't necessarily need an answer for Final Fantasy now that FFXIII is coming to the system). If it was called “Final Fantasy XIII”, I don’t think anyone would have questioned its place in that series. But it isn’t Final Fantasy. And it isn’t from SqueEnix. It is a brand new franchise exclusive to the Xbox 360. And it is darn good. Not exactly groundbreaking, mind you, but still very enjoyable.

With the game design and scenario put together by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, character designs by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, and music from Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, Blue Dragon had an all-star lineup behind its development. For whatever reason, however, this talented group only managed to put together a safe and very by-the-numbers RPG rather than the epic genre-buster fans had hoped for. It is still a great experience overall, however, and Blue Dragon is highly recommended.

Who would have thought that an RPG based on the life of and death of composer Frederic Chopin would make for a fun game. But that is exactly what Namco Bandai and Tri-Crescendo have created. Eternal Sonata offers a rich story and great characters tied together by stunning graphics and a fun and inventive battle system. This is just a great experience all around and is highly recommended for JRPG fans.

Infinite Undiscovery was the first Square Enix RPG on the Xbox 360. It is a good game, but it was clear there were some growing pains. Infinite Undiscovery pairs the typical SE storyline and presentation polish with a fun real-time combat system with mostly successful results. Despite a very slow start and awkward character management, Infinite Undiscovery is a solid game overall if you spend the time to get used to its quirks.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope pairs surprisingly deep real-time battles and great looking graphics to create one of the most interesting RPGs on the Xbox 360. The voice acting isn't stellar (okay, it is terrible) but the cutscenes are cool (and long) and it is all very, very pretty. Another bonus is that you eventually gain control of a spaceship and are free to travel to new planets which keeps the game always feeling fresh.