2011 is quickly building itself to be the “Year of the Western RPG.” Six months in and there is already a fair share of releases (some good, some forgettable) for sword swinging fans to sink their blades into. Not only are these titles hitting the store shelves in record numbers, but many are among the most anticipated games of the year and command huge marketing campaigns. Dragon Age 2, The Witcher 2, Torchlight 2, Dungeon Siege 3 (had to break the streak), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and let's not forget the born of Japanese blood, but very much western, Dark Souls, will be giving many gamers some long nights.

It was not that long ago when Final Fantasy VII brought forth the onslaught of Japanese RPG’s to the west. A time that seems long lost now as the west shines brightest for those looking to partake in an epic adventure.

Fantasy for Now

Two Worlds 2: PC,PS3, Xbox 360
Torchlight: XBLA
Dragon Age 2: PC,PS3, Xbox 360
Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga: Xbox 360
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings: PC
Dungeon and Dragons: Daggerdale: XBLA
The First Templar: Xbox 360
Hunted: The Demon’s Forge: PC,PS3, Xbox 360

On the Horizon

Dungeon Siege 3: July 21, 2011 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

More than 5 years has passed since Dungeon Siege 2 took over many PC gamers livelihoods and no longer are Gas Powered Games and Chris Taylor behind the reigns. Those have been handed off to Obsidian Entertainment. Still the over-the-head dungeon crawl experience looks intact. Add to that a deep branching dialog system and four-player co-op play, and Dungeon Siege 3 promises to provide, especially on console, plenty of lootin’ action.
 

Torchlight 2: July 2011 (PC)

Longer campaign, overhead worlds and four-player co-op look to breathe even more fresh air into the sequel to Runic Games'  phenomenal dungeon crawler, Torchlight. Seem like the perfect fix for fans of randomly generated dungeons until Blizzard decides to release a certain game...
 

Crimson Alliance: Summer 2011 (XBLA)

Not much is known about this XBLA game slated for summer 2011. It's an action RPG and is from Certain Affinity, who has worked on IPs like Halo, Call of Duty and Left 4 Dead. This early teaser screen hints at something interesting here. Hopefully E3 will shed some light on this mystery title.

Lord of the Rings:  War in the North: August 24, 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Outside of LOTR Return of the King or Battle for Middle-Earth 2, there hasn’t really been a decent Tolkien based experience yet. Snowblind Studios (the team behind console loot collecting classics; Baldur’s Gate:Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath) are taking their stab at the classic, without the restraints of a movie license. Early videos and screens for this look to be the bloodiest and most visceral LOTR game yet.
 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: November 11, 2011 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

This is the definite elephant in the room. New tech powering Bethesda’s latest massive open-world RPG brings the archaic character models of Oblivion and Fallout 3 to more realistic, less ugly, levels. A refined skill system looks to open the game up to an even broader audience. Oblivion benefited greatly from releasing within the early launch window of the Xbox 330. Will Skyrim be able to keep the same audience? Do they still care? Will have to wait till November 11th to find out.
 

East meets West

Dark Souls: October 4, 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360)

The spiritual successor to one of last year's biggest surprises (Demon’s Souls) looks to up the punishing difficulty in this Namco published joint. Demon’s Souls may by Japanese developed (From Software), but its dungeon crawling experience is straight up western in design. The original Final Fantasy borrowed heavily from Dungeons and Dragons and though From Software has been making RPG's since the original Playstation (King’s Field)  they too owe much of their design to the ways of the west. With its unique note leaving online system, co-op play, and PvP and it’s easy to see why Dark Souls’  will be scaring and captivating gamers this fall.
 

Distant Future

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: Q1 2012 (PC,PS3,Xbox 360)

What do a bloody sock, Spawn, Elder Scrolls III and IV, Drizzt Do’Urden have in common? Well the minds (and ankle) behind these aforementioned things are bringing, with the help of Big Huge Games, one of next year's most promising titles. Kingdoms of Amalur’s big promise? It's bringing strategic combo-driven action, and isn't just a hack n’ slash dungeon crawl. We'll have to wait unti Q1 of 2012 to see if this game can deliver, but E3 next week looks like a good chance to see what’s in store.
 

Diablo III: TBA (PC,MAC)

The King of dungeon crawls will be coming when “it’s ready” says Blizzard. Five character classes, PvP, never ending loot and I’m sure plenty of more secrets Diablo III is at the tops of the most wanted charts. Don’t forget the ever circulating rumors that there may be a console version somewhere down the road and it’s easy to see why Blizzard most likely already has your money.
 

Dragon’s Dogma: Early 2012 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Another east meets west RPG set for next year. This time Capcom -- with the minds behind Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 4 leading the charge -- is making their attempt at the open-world RPG. It may not have the best name ever, but what it does have is giant griffins. It's single-player only (as of now), but will still evoke an MMORPG feel with the help of “pawns” (party of three AI companions) during each quest. Inspired by LOTR, pen-and-paper RPG’s and even the NeverEnding Story movie, Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma is something to keep on the radar for next year.
 

For the Sci-fi Lover

Deus Ex: Human Revolution: August 23, 2011 (PC,PS3,Xbox 360)

The first Deus Ex is considered one the greatest PC games of all time. But Warren Spector is not at the helm of this project. Still early previews hold lots of promise for this cyberpunk-set first-person RPG. With a multitude of ways to play (one option allows you to only have to kill the games bosses in order to succeed), as long as the story and gameplay hold true to the original while updating for today’s gamer, Deus Ex: Human Revolution might just be one of 2011’s surprise hits.
 

Mass Effect 3: Q1 2012 (PC,PS3,Xbox 360)

Mass Effect 2 was my 2010 game of the year. With the fight moving to Earth, the conclusion of this trilogy sounds potentially amazing. Whether Bioware will be able to improve what was already an awesome experience without changing it for worse remains to be seen. But one thing for sure: planet mining needs to go.