In Kingdoms of Amalur, you kill stuff and listen to a bunch of nondescript characters spout line after line of unexceptional fantasy lore. In Mass Effect 2, you explore the painful past of a troubled young woman and witness the ultimate conflict between mother and daughter. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you stumble upon a coven of cannibals and have telepathic conversations with a dog. But each thing you do is pretty much like the last thing you did. Amalur is nice enough to look at, and there are lots of things to do there. It's here that Kingdoms of Amalur falters.

The best of them aren't just games-they're worlds, in which unusual people mill about, inviting you into their homes and telling you of unimaginable treasures protected by unimaginable monsters.

Of course, RPGs are about more than just swinging swords.