If the Xbox 360 came to life in 2007, it broke away from the pack in 2008. Microsoft's powerhouse console had the strongest offerings of the big three in 2008. Here are the Best Xbox 360 RPGs of the year.

Best Xbox 360 Fallout 3

When Fallout 3 was released, I picked it up with little to no expectations. I was not a Fallout fan, nor a fan of The Elder Scrolls games. Within just a short couple of hours, I was hooked. Bethesda's Fallout 3 is one of the most accessible, most engaging western RPGs to date. It's not saying much when a fan of the series that's expecting this game to be fantastic says, "yeah, it's great." A true testament to a game's level of quality is when someone who has little to no excitement for it can pick it up and fall in love.

The 1950s-style music, the gloomy post-apocalyptic landscape, the huge explorable world, the quick and responsive interface, and the engrossing quests all come together to create the most entertaining experience on the Xbox 360 this year. From the birth of your character until the end of the game, all of the decisions you make will help to shape your experience into something unique and SPECIAL. Fallout 3 is easily the top Xbox 360 RPG of the year and one of the only RPGs to keep players going back even after the credits have rolled.

Last year, Mistwalker released their first RPG in North America since forming in 2004. While Blue Dragon was met with mixed reviews, Lost Odyssey, the company's second RPG, seemed to come across much better. While some panned the game for being too traditional, it still managed to be a very solid RPG. Following the adventures of the immortal Kaim Argonar and friends, the story was linear, but flowed very well. The Thousand Years of Dreams short stories were easily a highlight of the game, with the music and themes of the stories making a strong emotional impact. Players were able to customize their party makeup and the immortal characters in the game could learn skills from mortal characters. It was an interesting method of customization that worked quite well. Traditional as Lost Odyssey was, it would solid enough to be considered one of the top RPGs on the Xbox 360 during 2008.

Although Peter Molyneux once again failed to live up to all his promises, Fable II easily ranks among the best Xbox 360 games released this year. Revisiting the world of Albion, Fable II allows you to do and be virtually anything you want. Get married and start a family, or be a polygamist and juggle multiple wives in multiple cities. Be the hero of the people, or slaughter them without mercy. Fable II also features some of the sharpest battle controls ever created for an action RPG, allowing for seamless integration of melee, ranged, and magic combat with only three buttons.

by Adriaan den Ouden, Michael Cunningham