PixlBit

The PixlBit staff has put together the go-to game guide for all holiday shoppers, gamers or not.

RPGs and Strategy Games

RPGs

Dragon Quest IX

Dragon Quest IX follows the basic style of a Japanese RPG. It takes place in a fantasy world where magic, monsters, and of course, dragons are real. Players fight in turn-based battles and complete quests to help out the towns encountered as they explore the world through a simple storyline. Dragon Quest IX makes for a great family title, allowing young children to develop reading skills and help save the world, while enjoying the bright, colorful, and varied landscapes. Even better? If the parent picks up a copy of the game as well, parent and child will be able to go through the game, with the exception of the first two hours, entirely together, allowing the adult to assist in any difficult spots. In fact, up to four people can play together, given each player has a copy.

Those gamers who spend hours upon hours playing an individual title would enjoy Dragon Quest IX, as well. After the game's story is over, there's potentially hundreds of hours of postgame content in the form of dungeons and bosses. In fact, the president of Nintendo of America has racked up over 200 hours in the title, himself!

Rune Factory Frontier

This side series to Harvest Moon combines the traditional farm management with a dungeon crawler, creating one unique experience where there's always something to do. Once you're done tilling the fields, planting the crops, and charming the girl you've got your eyes on, you can wield weapons such as swords, axes, hammers, and more as you explore the world's ruins searching for treasures and trying to unravel the mysteries of the Runeys, the spirits that inhabit the land. The items found in the ruins can be used to forge better farming equipment, create stronger weapons and armor, improve the growth and quality of crops, and even craft gifts to give to that special someone. The game may sound like a time sink, but it is structured in a way that it can be completed across many short gaming sessions over a period of time.

Borderlands: GOTY Edition

Borderlands is a unique FPS experience, and this Game of the Year Edition offers a ton of bang for your buck. Borderlands mixes RPG elements with FPS gameplay: shoot 'em down and get the experience points. There are plenty of weapons, ample amounts of explosions, and loads of charm. There are different classes and abilities to try out, offering a diverse experience, from weapon proficiencies, beast helpers, and invisibility. The game also has a fantastic art design with a cel-shaded twist. The world, its inhabitants, and the story all have plenty of personality to go around. Not to mention, the Game of the Year Edition includes all of the expansive, and not to mention, good, Borderlands DLC. If you haven't played Borderlands, this is definitely worth a purchase - especially if multiplayer is an important consideration for you.

Also Available On: Xbox 360 & PC

Mass Effect 2

If you're a traditional RPG fan, you should get this game. If you're a fan of Bioware, then you should really, really get this game. If you're a fan of a good RPG story and experience, then do yourself a favor and give yourself an early Christmas present. The RPG elements, the dialog, the story, the atmosphere, and the presentation is top notch. The gameplay is enjoyable as a mixture of third person shooter and RPG elements with enough choices to keep your customization needs satiated while experiencing Mass Effect 2's immersive universe. Compared to the first Mass Effect, there seems to be more focus on the third person shooter aspect, but it's very fun in its own right. And you don't have to play the original Mass Effect to have fun with this game. Although released early in the year, it is certainly still worth playing, and with the price dropping to $20 for Xbox 360 and PC, there's even less reason not to snatch this up.

Also Available On: PC

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

The 4 Heroes of Light is for the most intense and dedicated of RPG fans. Though it looks inviting and easygoing on the outside, it houses a very challenging and unforgiving game that lacks a number of conventional features. All attacks use something called Attack Points. Once AP are consumed, a character must 'recharge' these points, so the balance between attacking, healing, and boosting points is critical. This creates a unique battle environment new to even those familiar with RPGs. There is also a 'hat' system where you can assign a special role to each party member and they get a nifty new hat which can be upgraded over time to boost stats and add abilities. The 4 Heroes of Light boasts many hours of play and a lot of variety in how you use your characters thanks to the hat system. Get this for the fan of old-school RPGs and the one constantly bemoaning how gaming has gotten too easy. This game was made for them.

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII is an impressive game. The gameplay is not incredibly complex, but you can still incorporate a level of strategy to the gameplay. What's more important is that the gameplay fits with the environment and that, at least for me, is enjoyable to play through. The story is very much Final Fantasy, with some new turns. And of course, the visuals and atmosphere are stellar. If you're in the mood for an RPG, you should give this game a try. Even if you're on the fence, Final Fantasy XIII is an expansive experience worth trying. And if you're a seasoned Final Fantasy fan, you'll want to play through this game at least once.

Also Available On: Xbox 360

Persona 3 Portable

You're not going to find a deeper or more intense game than Persona 3. Originally a PlayStation 2 game, now a portable title on the PSP, Persona 3 Portable offers players one of the deepest gaming experiences ever. Players take the role of either a male or female student, and they experience their life for one whole year of Japanese High School. Quickly, they find out that they possess the ability to experience the Midnight Hour, a time that takes place directly after midnight, but before the next minute strikes.

During this time, shadows roam the world, and as of recent times they have been having some striking effects on the populace, as they are causing apathy syndrome. In order to rid the world of this plague, during the midnight hour your character and a grouping of others, called SEES, must enter a place called Tartarus in order to rid the world of shadows. Rather than just focusing on the unique RPG gameplay that is available when fighting shadows, players have the ability to live their life during the normal hours of the day. In this time, they must manage and balance school, friendships, after school clubs, amongst other tasks. Even at night, they have the option of choosing friends, studying, or fighting the shadows of the midnight hour.

This balance combined with the already unique RPG battling and Persona fusion systems, leaves RPG fanatics with one of the greatest titles of that genre. Any RPG lovers in your household with a PSP at hand would love Persona 3 Portable. Heck, if they don't have a PSP, but do have a PS2 or backwards compatible PS3, grab them Persona 3 FES at your local used game store.

Strategy

Little King's Story

There seems to be a sharp contrast between the relatively complex gameplay and the simple and colorful presentation of Little King's Story. This might give the impression that it's only for little kids, which unfortunately makes this one of the most overlooked games on the Wii. The wacky characters and almost surreal cutscenes will quickly draw you into this action/strategy game that plays not unlike Nintendo's Pikmin series, and the myriad of unit classes, collectibles, and epic boss fights will keep you busy for hours on end. There are a couple of drawbacks to the game, such as no pointer control, and this little story is particularly weak, but this shouldn't discourage you from jumping head first into the experience.