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Most Anticipated RPGs of 2011
By Heath | March 7, 2011 at 8:50 pm
I’ve tried to post this for like a month and a half but I’m convinced it’s cursed. Other updates were fine, but when it was time to work on this one, I’d either get a huge headache or start coughing up gunk any time I tried. Remember my most recent trip to the hospital? Yeah I was chipping away at this before that all went down. So, a couple of these games are out now. Well whatever, here are our “Most Anticipated Games of 2011,” broken down by platform and then a multiplat category. Usually, fans vote in our monthly top 5, but now, we’re gonna have some of the fun for ourselves.
These decisions were not easy to make, as this list is by no means a comprehensive guide to all of the awesome games coming out this year. The main rule is that it must be actually announced, or at least currently supposed, for a 2011 release in English. So no, we can’t put stuff like Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
Click any game’s box art to shop. Let’s get started…
MOST ANTICIPATED PSP GAMES OF 2011:
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| Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together |
| Developer: Square Enix |
| Publisher: Square Enix USA |
| Available now |
| One of the finest tactical RPGs of our time now makes a handheld comeback, with new gameplay systems built in. If you like Final Fantasy Tactics, you need to play Tactics Ogre. Go now, it’s out. I’ll just wait here till you get back, it’s cool. |
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| Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky |
| Developer: Falcom |
| Publisher: XSeed |
| Release: March 29 |
| Legend of Heroes has had some rough times, as a trilogy of shoddy ports came to PSP years ago. But this is the beginning of the trilogy that doesn’t suck, plus XSeed does localizations that tend to — oh, oh– exceed expectations, so there’s plenty of reason to look forward to this one. |
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| The 3rd Birthday |
| Developer: Square Enix |
| Publisher: Square Enix USA |
| Release: March 29 |
| This is basically Parasite Eve 3. Dabbling in the import version, we saw a bit of an awkward targeting system at times, but overall it seemed to be a pretty solid action RPG, especially for those who enjoyed the stories of the first two games. Or showers. |
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| Jikandia |
| Developer: Opus Studio |
| Publisher: Aksys |
| Release: March 13 |
| Jikandia aims to be the perfect portable. By the people who made, 2009 PSP Game of the Year Half-Minute Hero, Jikandia lets players select the time they want to play, then the game generates a dungeon and boss beatable in that time. Sounds good for commutors like me. |
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MOST ANTICIPATED DS GAMES OF 2011:
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| Pokemon Black/White |
| Developer: Nintendo |
| Publisher: Nintendo of America |
| Release: March 6 |
| It’s Pokemon, you know what you’re getting into, for the most part. Black and White looks to finally take the monster-capturing megaseries to new levels; the game has all the potential to satisfy longtime fans and newcomers, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. |
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| Dragon Quest VI |
| Developer: Square Enix |
| Publisher: Square Enix USA |
| Release: Available Now |
| Like Pokemon to the left, you kinda know what you’re getting before you even start Dragon Quest VI. For those looking for a great turn-based JRPG, you can’t go wrong with DQ6. This one was originally on SNES, but didn’t make it stateside. Now, we finally get to see what we were missing. |
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MOST ANTICIPATED PLAYSTATION 3 GAMES OF 2011:
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| Disgaea 4 |
| Developer: Nippon Ichi |
| Publisher: NIS America |
| Release: 2011, second half |
| Not one to stay in one place for long, Nippon Ichi bailed on the school theme after one game in favor of a (wacky) plot driven by politics. Hi-res sprites fans were begging for have finally been delivered, as well. Improved visuals + evolving gameplay = high anticipation. |
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| Yakuza 4 |
| Developer: Sega |
| Publisher: Sega |
| Release: March 15 |
| Yakuza 3 was a fantastic experience really taking what the first two started and running with it. This series has the foundation of an action-JRPG with a little more free roaming and side stories, with a level of realism and immersion challenging Shenmue. |
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MOST ANTICIPATED PC-ONLY GAMES OF 2011:
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| Star Wars: The Old Republic |
| Developer: Bioware |
| Publisher: LucasArts |
| Release: 2011, second half |
| Knights of the Old Republic I & II are some of the most loved Star Wars games, and moeover, among the best Western RPGs of the last console generation. The Old Republic takes things in the MMORPG direction and as far as we know will stay on PC. The last Star Wars MMORPG had its moments, but ultimately isn’t remembered with all that fantastic of a legacy. This time around though, Bioware is at the helm. With the famed developer of the two console legends, there’s reason for optimism. MMORPG fans, Star Wars fans, and those who enjoyed the Knights of the Old Republic games should keep an eye on this one. |
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| The Witcher 2 |
| Developer: Cryptic Studios |
| Publisher: Atari |
| Release: May 17 |
| The original Witcher took the RPG genre to new heights with its deep, open story and dark, mature themes. Fans have been hitting this one with lots of votes in the monthly top 5, and now, our voices join with theirs. |
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| Diablo III |
| Developer: Blizzard |
| Publisher: Blizzard |
| Release: 2011, TBA |
| Diablo II was without a doubt one of the biggest RPG of the last decade, having a huge, lasting impact on the gaming community. For years, fans put up with rumors, half-true quasi-leaks, and speculation, but now, Diablo III is finally within sight, for real this time. |
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| Guild Wars 2 |
| Developer: ArenaNet |
| Publisher: NCsoft |
| Release: 2011, TBA |
| ArenaNet and NCsoft created a truly special online multiplayer experience with the original Guild Wars. This one takes place 250 years after the end of Eye of the North and features loads of gameplay tweaks, plus realtime 3D environments that will probably push a lot of PCs to the max. |
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MOST ANTICIPATED MULTIPLATFORM GAMES OF 2011:
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| Mass Effect 3 |
| Developer: Bioware |
| Publisher: Electronic Arts |
| Release: 2011, Q4 |
| Mass Effect 2 brought the franchise to a bigger audience than ever when it came to PS3, and thus, the hype for part 3 of this stunning series only gets bigger. No exact date yet, but look for this one on all three big-screen platforms near the end of the year. |
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| Developer: Bethesda |
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| Publisher: Bethesda | |
| Release: 11/11/11 |
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| It’s Elder Scrolls, come on. You know it’s going to be good. I really feel like a dick wasting space here stating the obvious. Skyrim already looks just as amazing as Morrowind and Oblivion before it. Can’t wait to see if it tops them. |
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2011 has a huge pile of quality RPGs coming out for sure. Others will probably come along that aren’t even announced yet, making an already stellar-looking year even better. Get second and third jobs, gamers. You’re gonna need ’em.
Thanks for reading. Let us know your own highly anticipated games of 2010 via email, forums, Facebook, or Twitter.