I'm about to stop playing Skyrim. Any moment now. I just need to see what's on the other side of that hill first. That one right there, two miles away.
It all makes sense, seriously. I like to start and end my Skyrim sessions with an epic vista, and while the view right here's pretty gorgeous, I have a feeling the view from that hill - that hill right there - will trump it. I might fight a bear or two on the way, just to pass the time. And of course, it goes without saying that I'll speak to any NPCs I meet. It would be rude not to.
I'm about to stop playing Skyrim. You can tell from the way I'm still playing Skyrim. Talk me down, man. Talk me down.
Can any game released this year rival the addictive qualities of Bethesda's mountainous time-sink, its aggravating knack of cheating us of sleep? No. But it's just about possible that a daring Rebel Alliance of hardy fantasy-flavoured alternatives, united in the interests of public welfare, might wrest your attention free. OXM is proud to present 2011's official Role-Playing B-Team, ranked in approximate order of arse-kickingness.
1. Dark Souls
Many were annoyed when Matt speculated that Namco's famously punishing action-RPG might actually be bigger than Skyrim in September. Apples to oranges, they said. You're making something out of nothing, they said. Wrong. Darker, dreadfuller but similarly unrestrictive (providing you can stomach the challenge factor), Dark Souls is the perfect companion RPG for Skyrim, and the only game on this list that stands a chance of replacing it. From Software has excelled Bethesda in many areas - the monster designs are more inventive, the AI is far more complex, and the combat has extra-crunchy precision. If you tire of Skyrim's serene beauty, and fancy getting your teeth into something a touch more morbid, this is the dish.
2. Bastion
It's "this year's Braid"! And it's an absolute smasher of an isometric action-RPG which brings plenty of novelty to the table. Play begins in the aftermath of the Great Collapse, and levels are flung together from oblivion as you explore - a pleasing elbow-nudge at the practice of recycling level assets. A whiskery narrator dogs your heels in wonderfully procedural fashion, commenting both on the bigger picture and gameplay minutiae like which arrestingly designed weapon you bring to the fray. The enemies are a little one-note, and the game's modest assortment of challenge rooms can't touch Skyrim's scope, but there's no better XBLA dungeon-crawler on offer.
3. Dragon Age 2
It's not the best Dragon Age, but it's a solid, occasionally spectacular, often interesting party role-player, one that economises a little too obviously, but offers a bold new take on the classic BioWare hero. Said hero is Hawke, and you'll hear about him or her via a game-length flashback narrated by sexy dwarven rogue Varric. The plot leans intriguingly on discrepancies between Hawke's life as chronicled and Hawke as Varric once knew her - we could do with more of that sort of meta-textuality, BioWare. Combat is sadly and bizarrely dependent on button-bashing, but there's the usual mammoth suite of spells and abilities to ease the pain. Plus, some great new supporting characters. We love you, Merrill.
22 comments so far...
BIGBUTTER on 2 Dec '11 said:
Not ready to move on. And with all honesty you really didn't provide any tempting alternatives...
SidTheSloth on 2 Dec '11 said:
You can do it Ed - if i can do it you can! Just remember it'll all still be there when you come back to it and you can rediscover it all over again! That's what i told myself anyway!!
LOTR aside (which i havent played) i like all of the others although still haven't washed the bitter aftertaste of DA2 away fully yet. As an alternative, in my post skyrim days (129 hours invested) i've been throwing considerable hours into Tropico, Saints Row 3, Sonic Generations (which is pleasantly & surprisingly decent) and both Portals (brilliant brilliant games, if you've never played them seriously sort yourself out!).
I love Dark Souls and there's still plenty left for me to do in it, but i was a bit 'dungeoned-out' so needed a complete change!
GHOSTY05 on 2 Dec '11 said:
I have not even touched battlefield 3 since getting this!!
comabob on 2 Dec '11 said:
Torchlight is a far better xbla dungeon crawler than either Bastion or Crimson Alliance...
SO is Deathspank for that matter
OXM JamSponge on 2 Dec '11 said:
Deathspank?! NEVER.
fatalgilly on 2 Dec '11 said:
i was going to kick my skyrim addiction... but then i took an arrow to the knee..
golliwoza on 2 Dec '11 said:
Its been the very opposite for me Skyrim I need to play more as I have been distracted by batman with all the challenges which I still have to do with two more characters as well as BF3 multiplayer with friends I need more Skyrim even though I have still put a hefty playtime into according to raptr around 60hrs.
comabob on 2 Dec '11 said:
You seriously saying that Crimson Alliance with all its microtransaction nonsense is a better game that any of the Deathspanks?
Grummy on 2 Dec '11 said:
Sorry, did I misunderstand the nature of this article? I thought this was going to be a list of other RPG's you could play to break that Skyrim addiction, not a list of utterly attrocious games that make up a healthy section of the 'worst RPG's ever' list, that Skyrim has saved us from. I think the list is completely squiffy too, DA shouldn't be on there, but Daggerdale definitely needs to be.
If you want a different RPG, pick up any of those eastern European RPG's from the last couple of years that you may not have played, Risen, Gothic 4, Divinity, Two Worlds 2 and Dungeon Siege 3. Very different prospects, and whilst rough as a bears arse all of them, they're real old school RPG's and get the fundamentals right, making for great, if technically unimpressive games.
OXM Jonty on 2 Dec '11 said:
I've only played the first Deathspank, and it remains the second XBLA game I've ever 100%'d, but I would hesitate to recommend it over Crimson Alliance. It's a hell of a grind, and not quite as funny as it thinks it is. I like that it's playing things for laughs, I just want them to be funnier.
Vegetunks9000 on 2 Dec '11 said:
I get the feeling the 'arrow in the knee', is the new 'cake is a lie'
razor6494 on 2 Dec '11 said:
Skyrim has really made me question if im going to pass my college course this year.....really i need help
KernowDevil23 on 2 Dec '11 said:
Seriously, even if you're joking, you really do need help.
Maverick_McCool on 2 Dec '11 said:
I'm not sure I get this article , it seems to be a kind of "ween yourself off Skyrim" by playing these six games that aren't as good but have the same fantasy theme."
It's kind of like saying "are you fed up of crack? Here , try this Heroin instead."
Wouldn't it be more apt to list six games to take you away from Skyrim that are nothing like Skyrim but good in other ways?
Here , I'll do one to get the ball rolling and then let's see some of your ideas.......
I'd kill my Skyrim addiction with Super Street Fighter 4 , I know I'm a bit of a loner on these forums when it comes to Ryu and the gang , but what better way to wind up your epic adventures than a few bouts of mindless one on one brawling , plus , you can stick your headset on and scare the crap out of your opponent across the globe by yelling FUS RO DAH as you bust out a fireball.
Off - topic , as I said I'm a bit of the odd one out on here when it comes to this game , but if there are any of you out there who want to go a few rounds , or if your new/not very good and want a bit of training , give me a shout on XBL my GT is MaverickMcCool
O.K over to you guys , let's see some none elf-filled Skyrim alternatives.
Baron Chronus on 2 Dec '11 said:
why would i want to kill my skyrim addiction?
Joe90_Remy700 on 2 Dec '11 said:
ditto
although going through some old school games in co-op with non-skyrim players has weaned me ever so slightly off the late night til early morning sessions
Murphy1978 on 3 Dec '11 said:
Sorry, I'm nowhere near ready to give up.
I've "played" Gears 3, BF3 and a bit of Fifa since getting Skyrim, but after less than 20 mins/half hour each found myself going straight back.
It's simply that awesome. It immerses you - you can't just spend an hour playing it as you find that hour was actually 8.
Jensonjet on 3 Dec '11 said:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news – if you're serious about your college course, you have only one choice – get rid of Skyrim! We all know how addictive games like this are, and how obssessive we can get about them. But if the addiction is that uncontrollable, and you're already aware of how it could affect a more important part of your life, you can't mess about. After you've finished the course, you can repurchase it and carry on. I really wanted this game, but knowing how much it would have affected an important period of my life, I chose not to buy it. It seems harsh (perhaps even ridiculous to some), but I knew I wouldn't have the willpower to limit my time with it.
STE MO on 3 Dec '11 said:
This game is evil, evil I tell you but I'm not addicted to it I tell you, I may have the odd tendency to sit up in the night and from what the wife tells me sneak around but I'm in no way addicted! But if I was I could break it, but I'm not so that's that.
So Ed why are you putting a list together of some good games when we are playing "the best rpg" out this year. IMO. True Skyrim has stopped me finishing Halo anniversary, which I'm annoyed about, but when a game like this comes along, which to be honest, there hasn't been one like this for me in a long time, you have to play it and play it.
As for the guy that's doing the college course, if it's a piece on addiction you've got it in the bag.
CHIEFRAPTOR on 3 Dec '11 said:
I CAN'T GET AWAY FROM IT!!!!!
voodoo1102 on 3 Dec '11 said:
Likewise! lol. So very addicted...
SidTheSloth on 4 Dec '11 said:
I've got loads less time over the next few weeks (and a million games to still fit in!), but after that i'll certainly have a scrap with you on S/SFIV. Got my shiny mad catz arcade stick i haven't used nearly enough to justify the ludicrous price so this'll give me a reason to get back into SF training and use it!
Other than that, whilst i've been a little disappointed with Saints Row 3 overall, it's a great change from skyrim, coupled with a little sonic generations & (a lot of) tropico (and now 3ds mario kart - although not sure i should admit that here!). I find that skyrim is starting to lure me back now though after a week away, the bugs some are having are helping me keep away until the next patch is out though just to be on the safe side!!