I’m probably going to get an XBox 360 for Christmas, finally. I mostly play RPGs–I’ve played and loved every Final Fantasy other than those released on handheld systems, for example. I also dig Zelda-style action RPGs, although if the fighting is too twitchy I tend to suck at them (think no more twitchy than the Wii version of Twilight Princess, or Secret of Mana from SNES). I’m alright with strategy-based RPGs like FF Tactics–they’re not my first choice, but some have been good. I have minor experience with PC-based RPGs, but I’ve tended to like the few I’ve played–it’s just been a while since I’ve found one I liked.
What games should I get with the system? I’ve heard people recommend Oblivion, but beyond that I’m really not sure.
Fable II will be coming in just a few days - the hype will have cooled off in the intervening time so you’ll know if it’s actually a good game or not. Oblivion is pretty much the seminal RPG released on the 360 so far. Lost Odyssey is a good, Final Fantasy-model jRPG, but very plot and dialogue heavy. What actual gameplay there is is good, though.
If you like Final Fantasy games you’ll enjoy Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, they’re both made by Mistwalker studios, which is headed by Sakaguchi Hironobu (the guy who created the Final Fantasy series. Basically, no one from Squaresoft works at Square Enix any more, they all left to either Mistwalker, Monolith, or Matsuno Yasumi’s new project for the Wii about which very little is known).
I’d also highly recommend Mass Effect, and Oblivion was OK but Fallout 3, made by Bethesda (guys who did Oblivion) is going to rock. That and Fable II just came out which looks quite tasty. Xbox360 is definitely the system of choice for RPG fans, with Last Remnant coming out (basically a Final Fantasy game in all but name, just replace Esper/Materia with Remnants and there you go) and FF XIII coming to the system, and Infinite Undiscovery, another Squeenix game, is also supposed to be pretty decent.
Mass Effect is very good. I had a blast with it and will likely replay it a few times.
Lost Odyssey is good but tougher than your average RPG. The story and voice acting are both very well done.
Blue Dragon has decent gameplay. It’s very easy and the story never rises above what was seen 15 years ago on SNES carts. The character Marumaru will make you want to kill something.
Two Worlds was panned by a lot of critics but if you can overlook a few flaws, it’s actually not a bad game at all. It’s definitely not ‘Oblivion on steroids’ as advertised but is worth a look especially if you buy used.
Eternal Sonata looks interesting but I confess I haven’t played it yet. I have a friend with similar tastes and he liked it.
Edit: I also want to mention that you can download free demos for many of these games if you decide to take your Xbox online. It’s a great way to get a feel for them.
I’m playing Eternal Sonata at the moment (amongst other things). Its pretty good so far and the setting/story is certainly unique. Not particularly hard though (at least hasn’t been yet).
The fact that you can play up to 3 player coop on one console makes it interesting as well.
It’s a card based RPG that combines Magic: The Gathering and Monopoly and it’s addictive like crack. Only the release of Mega Man 9 could break the spell.
I’ll second the recommendation of Culdcept Saga, especially if you’re short on games to play. The replayability of it is immense, with the card-collecting and deck-building aspects.
That said, Lost Odyssey is still my favorite game on 360, and possibly my favorite game ever, story-wise, trumping Final Fantasy VI. Really brilliant story, beautiful graphics, and actually fairly easy compared to oldschool RPG grindfests. It’s turn-based and harkens back to FFIV for its battle rules.
If you want a good action RPG, though, Tales of Vesperia offers a good JRPG perspective with interesting characters and anime art, while Fable 2 is a great Zelda-like experience with its easy combat and sense of humor.
And, if you’re a webcomic fan, the downloadable Penny Arcade Adventures is actually quite well-done.