The game industry thrives on hype. It doesn't matter what the game is or what genre it belongs to, there are always those that are going to receive tons of hype and RPGs are no exception. While they sometimes end up being huge letdowns, it doesn't stop us from combing through every single piece of media released, reading every interview posted, and telling everyone that will listen why this game will be the greatest ever. In an effort not to get left out, RPGamer continues to feed the hype machine with our most wanted RPGs of 2010.

Most Wanted Final Fantasy XIII

2010 is going to see the release of not just one, but two numbered Final Fantasy titles for North America. So it should come as no shock that the 2010 RPG most of us are jumping on the hype train for is Final Fantasy XIII. For most RPGamers the Japanese impressions don't matter. It doesn't matter if the game is extremely linear or if it is heavily focused on storytelling and cutscenes. The game's title and the legacy of the series are the only things they have their eyes on.

First shown at E3 2006, many RPGamers have been drooling over every single piece of media that has been released since. Many rabid fans even rushed out upon the game's announcement to purchase a PlayStation 3, however lucky Xbox 360 owners in North America and Europe are going to be given the chance to play Final Fantasy XIII as well, making it the first Final Fantasy title to be available on multiple consoles at launch. Released in Japan in December, the title sold nearly two million copies in its first month. It will also be making the quickest mainstream localization turnaround in the history of the series. Final Fantasy XIII is a game that goes beyond good and bad. The reviews do not matter as RPGamers worldwide will pick this up no matter what. For that and our own love of the series, Final Fantasy XIII is our most wanted RPG of 2010.

Despite a few nagging problems, BioWare's space epic Mass Effect was unquestionably one of the better RPGs of 2007. As one of the first RPGs to successfully combine the combat of first and third person shooters with RPG experience, skills, and abilities, it managed to become a critical and commercial hit. It's been two years and some change since then, and Mass Effect 2 is now on the horizon. Promising fixes to the original's biggest problems, improvements to the already stellar combat, and of course an ongoing storyline in an intriguing and complex sci-fi universe, this is a sequel RPGamers have been eagerly anticipating for a long time.

It may look like a deformed version of The Legend of Zelda, but 3D Dot Game Heroes is something different entirely. Well, maybe not, but 3D Dot Game Heroes should at least have its own charm. Serving as sort of an homage to the Zelda-style titles, 3D Dot Game Heroes' world is made completely out of 3D cubes, as is the main character. It's another PlayStation 3 RPG developed by From Software, the company that already hit it out of the park with 2009's Demon's Souls. With developer pedigree, retro charm, and an MSRP of $39.99, it's pretty hard to not want 3D Dot Game Heroes.

by Adriaan den Ouden, Michael Cunningham, Tom Goldman