RPGWatch 2008 Game of the Year Vote!

We've resurrected an old tradition with a formal RPGWatch Game of the Year poll! Use the links below to vote for the best RPG and MMORPG of 2008 and most anticipated of 2009. All the options are drawn from our database and represent the titles released in English in 2008 from our coverage.
Follow these links to cast your votes:

• RPGs
• MMORPGs

If you leave your email address in the space provided at the end of the vote, we'll enter you into a random draw for prizes. We haven't finalised the prizes yet (you know, global credit crunch and all) but we'll publish them when we can. We promise your details will only be used for the purpose of the contest.
Voting runs until December 31st - have at it!
More information.

Why is not eschalon book 2 in the list of games to be released in 2009 ??? it was last years indie RPG of the year? I think a lot of people would vote for it ????

Looking at that list makes me realize how sparse 2008 was for quality crpgs.

yes, I voted kings bounty, even if it is not strictly speaking an RPG, nothing else to vote for!

Hey, why isn't Rise of The Argonauts there?

whoops, sorry, it's in the next year's poll
but it's out already, and I'd vote it best rpg of 2008…

Rise of the Argonauts was too late. The list was from early December.
As to Eschalon, the contents of the lists comes from our database. I guess it is sill listed as To Be Announced. You can enter it yourself of course as 'Other' option.

Argonauts was released yesterday in some territories and tomorrow in others (and next year for others). Virtually noone would be in a position to vote for it (excluding those with the early pirate release).

eschalon book 2 was announced for a 2009 release already! It even says so on the offical website on the front page. It is even announced as early 2009!

I really think this one should be on the list as it won the Indie of the year 2007!!!!

Calm down - it was an oversight. I've added it since it's so early in the process.

I'm assuming that Age of Decadence wasn't on the list because of the uncertainty that it will be released next year. Although there is supposed to be a combat demo in March and after that hopefully the game itself.

For my vote I went for NWN. It wasn't the best year for CRPGs. I guess its almost official, CRPGs of old are on the endangered list. If we're ever going to see the old TB, thought provoking RPGs, we'll need new indie blood and a lot of it.

I would say that European publishers and developers look promising for making a decent game but after that mess with Gothic, I'm thinking CD Projekt Red is the exception to the rule of publishers whether European or American.

Why are people griping about games that are not set to release until 2009? Either I missed something, or this poll is for THIS year, meaning, the game had to have been released between January 2008 and now.

… I'm just bitter since I've yet to play a single game on this list. - Been too busy playing The Witcher EE, which should totally be on this list, although I understand why it's not.

Even though there were many releases, it was still a lousy year for PC gaming (rp genre included). Many titles turned out bad which I think is actually good thing since I have more time to catch up on all releases.

My vote for best rpg goes for either mass effect or fallout3 but I havent yet played the latter. NWN2 Zehir is propably good too but I dont vote ad&d because the subgenre is so overproduced that it doesnt really stand out from the crowd.

For mmos the choice is clear. Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria comes first with AoC close second due to its technical problems. Both games promote story elements which are my only remaning interest when it comes to new mmos. I would like dynamic GvG too but they dont really make such mmos anymore. Shadowbane, WW2OL, Planescape are all old. Darkfall is the only new one but it doesnt look good.

Ah! I'd vote for M&B, but it doesn't really count - I've already played it for a good part of 2007, so it's hard appropriate for this poll (even if it was officially released only in 2008). Other contenders included Avernum (which is exciting and all, but really nothing particulary innovative), NWN2: SoZ (which I believe is great, just haven't had the chance to play it yet), and Sacred 2 (which is pretty good, definitely aRPG of the year). In the end, though, I'd have to opt for the not-_really_-RPG choice - King's Bounty. It's just too good.

Oh, the "Best upcoming" question was a toughie, though - Divinity, Dragon Age and Drakensang (plus Eschalon and Geneforge from the indie part) are all games I anxiously await. Opted for Dragon Age in the end, simply because it's more "mainstream" (as in, well known) than others and likelier to have an effect on more people.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Looking at that list makes me realize how sparse 2008 was for quality crpgs.

No kidding, it's lamentable. I was looking for Witcher, but realized…. I was a little late on that one.

year of the sequels for me - Fallout 3 and Diablo 3

I haven't played any of them. My wife is getting me King's Bounty for Christmas, so it will win by default. I'm generally a year or two behind these things.

Looking over the list, the only game I own is King's Bounty, and while it hardly seems like a full-fledged rpg, it has to be one of the best games I've played in the last year, so it got my vote. Nonetheless, as others have said, it was a slim year for cRPG's. Next year looks a bit better, with Eschalon II, Dragon Age and Diablo III all hopefully headed our way.

I agree — no huge standouts there this year. In fact, I realized I'd only even played Fallout 3, Storm of Zehir, and Mass Effect among the ones on the list. Fallout 3 was clearly the best of these three, so it got my vote… although I can't help feeling it was somehow just slightly undeserved.

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Why are people griping about games that are not set to release until 2009? Either I missed something, or this poll is for THIS year, meaning, the game had to have been released between January 2008 and now.

We're desperatly hoping for a better year next year. Many games that appeal to my Niche look like they're going to be released next year. AoD, Eschalon 2, even MAYBE Ultima 6 mod for DS(not sure about that one because haven't been checking up on the status lately). The one game that I'm looking foreward to above all others is Frayed Nights. I'm not sure how far along he is and it's a safe bet it won't be released next year, but that will be the first "Blob" type RPG I've played since Wizardry 8.

Funny I'm not really happy about anything being released by a major publisher next year, unless The Witcher 2 is magically finished in record time and MAYBE Dragon Age, that is a big mabye though.

Diablo 3 sounds interesting, but I've had enough of them. Sacred 2 will be enough Diablo style play for quite a while.

Also, Kivi's Underworld came out in 2008.

I think my nerd card needs to be revoked. I have literally not played a single game on that list! (Though I did play through BG I & II again!)