Last generation, it felt like there were massive RPGs released every week. This time around, for whatever reason, that isn't the case. Blame the PlayStation 3's slow adoption rate, the Xbox 360's unpopularity in Japan, or the Wii's shift towards a more casual userbase, but the point remains: RPG fans don't have as many games to look forward to from Japanese developers. There has been a shift, and Western developers have taken the opportunity to shine in a genre that has, in the past, been dominated by the East. This is most prevalent in Gearbox's unique FPS/RPG Borderlands and the Diabloesque Torchlight, both of which build off of the hack-and-slash philosophy and use RPG as a soul, instead of a backbone. That's not to say that every quality RPG came from the east - this just isn't the case, especially considering the quality of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor and NCSoft's MMORPG, Aion. When it comes to being the Best Ever RPG for 2009, though, it takes a bit more, and only one game could come away with the prize.

BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins is a stellar RPG, with a wonderful story and, as we made clear before, a fantastic universe. In terms of combat, the developer did a great job of bringing the elements that make Dungeons & Dragons' battles fun without resorting to a grid-based system. Where it really thrived, though, was in the branching stories, and the feeling that the player was truly in control of the destiny of the world. There are massive plot twists that are built completely in player interactions with characters without feeling forced, something that will hopefully become a staple in RPGs in the future.