Multiplayer numbers on PC at least are somewhat robust in terms of retention, down to 10k concurrent users from 16k peak at launch (which is about what I’d expect after two weeks) — it hasn’t suffered the sudden collapse I’d expected after Infinite Warfare launched thanks in part to IW being so bad. So I’m somewhat hopeful for it in the long-term.

(I had a similar problem with Age of Decadence. Played through it once with a Merchant and had a decent old time – the catch there, of course, being that the Merchant doesn’t have to fight anyone. Everyone else does, and as soon as you bring combat into it it goes downhill fast.)

Wouldn’t worry about the lack of RPGs on here though, since Tyranny did just come out and — in terms of theme at least — is very much my jam. I do feel a bit guilty that I’ve been focusing rather too much on AAA games recently so that might change soon. And by soon I mean “After I clear the current glut”, so in about 1-2 months.

You seem to be burned out on whole RPG genre (or nothing catches your eye), so may I propose something from Spiderweb software? They’ve recently released Avadon 3 and it doesn’t require knowledge of previous titles.

Spiderweb games are mostly produced by a single person and the guy wants to write novels. Graphics are primitive. Gameplay is somewhat old – but it’s not reductive or primitive or hidden from player or hardcore as those games often try to be. His games are solid RPGs and the only thign besides graphics and sounds that stop you from believing it’s a good modern RPG is lack of bullshit. It has no online features, no collectables, no DLCs, no romances, no writing by a comitee. The writing is good and by good I don’t mean there are just walls and walls of lore text the way BioWare, Bethesda or Obsidian do it – it’s lcaonic. The best thing about them is I feel they don’t regard me as an idiot.

Another thing – all his games are sort of high fantasy, but there are no elves and dwarves and orcs. The game really tries to create unique worlds.

I picked this up almost on a whim thanks to a buy-2-get-1 sale at Target, and both my boyfriend and I are really impressed by it. We’re not FPS players for the most part, but it has its hooks in deep.

The first game seemed to come and go without making much of a splash, but this one is getting overwhelmingly positive reviews. My hope is that good word-of-mouth helps elevate its sales numbers over time enough to not kill the franchise; I agree that EA’s behavior makes no sense outside, perhaps, an executive trying to kill a predecessor’s pet project.