Role Playing Games

Role Playing Games (RPGs) take place in vast, sprawling worlds -- often set in fantasy realms -- and involve heroic quests, difficult riddles, large-scale melee battles and emotionally involving stories. While other game genres value twitch-based reflexes and dexterity as measures of success,  RPGs focus almost solely on the mind. Strategic thinking, long-term planning and resource management do much more for you in these games than a quick trigger finger. RPGs are an excellent fit for those who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons with a pencil and paper. The easily intimidated may want to steer clear.

Consoles
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion : Gamers and critics alike are raving about this tour de force, which packs over 100 hours of gameplay into the Xbox 360 disc. Open-ended gameplay allows you to seek out your own adventures or stick to the main quest.	Wild Arms 4 : Thanks to a tear in the sky and confluence of fate, four timid teenagers band together in a mission to travel a war-torn land and seek out their own paths to self-respect and maturity.	Suikoden IV : You play as a knight burdened by the mysterious Rune of Punishment, which siphons energy away from the bearer. The adventure unfolds in a seaside environment with warrior ships and danger-laden port towns.	Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles : The first full-blooded RPG for the GameCube, Crystal Chronicles takes place in a terrifying world in which only the power of a crystal protects you from impending death. Step out of the range of the crystal's force field and you weaken considerably. This adds an extra wrinkle to your party's travel strategies.

Handhelds
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time : Expanding on the Super Nintendo's Super Mario RPG and the GameBoy Advance spectacle Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, the famed plumbing brothers hop through time warps and team up with baby versions of themselves in order to rescue the Princess in turn-based battle-laden, items-rich strategy mayhem.	Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories : Card-based gameplay dominates this oddball GBA title. An offshoot of the console-based Kingdom Hearts series, which joins Final Fantasy heroes along with animated Disney characters, Chain of Memories has you deal out your attacks and defenses via virtual playing cards.	Monster Hunter Freedom : Start with a simple concept: Chase after monsters and collect them for bounty. Sprinkle in superb 3-D graphics which stretch the PSP's capabilities to the max, then stir in a submersive score that draws you into the ebb and flow of the story's emotions. Cook well and you end up with a game that blends the best of adventure and strategy games.	Fire Emblem : A character-driven epic with  a user-friendly interface, Fire Emblem is an excellent starter game for a child who's interested in learning the RPG ropes. A helpful opening tutorial puts you through the moves in this forest-set swords-and-magic adventure, making it so you don't lose your way and get frustrated early on.

Computer
Fable : Select the path of light or dark in this choice-driven morality tale, which plays like a Choose Your Own Adventure fantasy book. All of your actions have consequences, manifested in the way you look and the way other characters treat you.	SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars : Real-time strategy melds with RPG action for this magic-driven adventure. You play as a member of an alienated race of people that lives in a covenant with dragons, then fight to prevent an invasion that could lead to an apocalyptic war.	Guild Wars: Factions : A smooth mixture of lively action and brainy RPG styles, the game puts you in control of a single character with dozens of skills. It's up to you to make sure that character survives -- in a cut-throat world of thieves and warriors -- to exercise those skills.	Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich : This one looks as though it were ripped straight out of cheeseball 1940s WW II-era comic books. And that's a compliment. Battle the Nazis by guiding the stars-and-stripe-emblazoned superheroes through melee battles.

Classic
Ultima : Credited as the game that started the role-playing genre, Ultima popularized upgradeable skill sets, vast top-down-viewed territories and turn-based battle. Ultima changed video games forever.	Phantasy Star IV : This 1994 Sega Genesis entry is still tapped as one of the great RPGs ever made by genre enthusiasts. Magic takes center stage as the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. Look out for the gorgeous storyboard-driven visuals that highlight the story.	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars : Mario, Luigi, Bowser and the Princess all team up for a sprawling voyage across the mushroom kingdom. You still battle by stomping on the heads of your enemies, but you do so by issuing commands rather than mashing the jump button directly. Experience points and items inventory come into play.	Dragon Warrior : Alongside Ultima, the original Dragon Warrior gave the NES a superb RPG lineup. As a solitary knight, you traversed unknown regions fighting creatures for gold and experience until you built up enough strength and know-how to rescue the kidnapped princess, then eventually search out the dragon's lair.

External Links

• GameSpot -- One of the top gaming resources on the net.
• IGN -- Covers video games as well as the rest of the entertainment world.
• Game Informer -- An excellent video game magazine's home page.
• Role Playing Games Network -- A fairly comprehensive resource on RPGs.