People have already mentioned Mass Effect & Dragon Age, and it's worth reiterating. Both should fit the required timesink requirements, but also are very replayable.
The two Mass Effect titles can be found for a modest price (~$20 for ME2, ME1 is probably tough to track down but should be reasonably priced). It's a hybrid of RPG customization and third person shooting (fitting the sci-fi space opera setting), along with a strong emphasis on dialogue & choices. For a single playthrough, ME1 clocks in at around 15-20 hours and ME2 at 25-30 hours. The preferred version for the games would be probably the Xbox 360, mostly because the PS3 does not have access to ME1 (Microsoft published ME1, EA published ME2); the PC versions are also acceptable (but harder to track down). Yes, it's HIGHLY recommended you play ME1 first; it actually enhances the experience of playing through ME2 (better feeling for the events/lore & tons of little additions if you completed various sidequests).
Dragon Age: Origins has the "Ultimate Edition" floating around, which contains all the DLC and the expansion (Awakening) for the price of a full game ($50-60). It's officially referred to as a "dark fantasy tactical RPG", and there are quite a few similarities to the general setup seen in MMOs; only this time you have control over the full party and there's no grinding for random drops. It's also been called a throwback to more traditional (PC) RPG design (meaning it can be a unforgiving & tough to get into), and it is a beast of a game. Not only does a typical playthrough last 50-60+ hours for Origins(Awakening being around half that), there is a mountain of choices available to you. The preferred version here is the PC, though the versions on the 360 & PS3 are viable options... it's just really obvious the game is designed for the PC. Dragon Age II is technically a sequel to DA:O, but the storyline connections between the two titles are loose at best. It's certainly not a bad game, but in the end DA:O is (arguably by far) the better option.
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There's a lot of great games out there, but very few would probably fit the needed timesink requirements without falling into the catagory of "endless game" (which MMOs fit into). Bioware's RPGs are probably the best place to look first, being stellar games that are of a sizable length. And unlike many of the more linear RPGs (JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series being a prominent example), there is a high degree of replayability due to how much you can affect the story's progression through your decisions.
If I had to recommend between either Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins... well, I've gotten more playtime out of ME1 & ME2 than I have out of DA:O. That might be due to my computer struggling to handle DA:O (completed the game once, but the epic battle sequences were painfully laggy), whereas I have no issues with ME1&2 on my 360. Both would be ideal, but I would suggest you pick the setting you prefer as your first pick.
The two Mass Effect titles can be found for a modest price (~$20 for ME2, ME1 is probably tough to track down but should be reasonably priced). It's a hybrid of RPG customization and third person shooting (fitting the sci-fi space opera setting), along with a strong emphasis on dialogue & choices. For a single playthrough, ME1 clocks in at around 15-20 hours and ME2 at 25-30 hours. The preferred version for the games would be probably the Xbox 360, mostly because the PS3 does not have access to ME1 (Microsoft published ME1, EA published ME2); the PC versions are also acceptable (but harder to track down). Yes, it's HIGHLY recommended you play ME1 first; it actually enhances the experience of playing through ME2 (better feeling for the events/lore & tons of little additions if you completed various sidequests).
Dragon Age: Origins has the "Ultimate Edition" floating around, which contains all the DLC and the expansion (Awakening) for the price of a full game ($50-60). It's officially referred to as a "dark fantasy tactical RPG", and there are quite a few similarities to the general setup seen in MMOs; only this time you have control over the full party and there's no grinding for random drops. It's also been called a throwback to more traditional (PC) RPG design (meaning it can be a unforgiving & tough to get into), and it is a beast of a game. Not only does a typical playthrough last 50-60+ hours for Origins(Awakening being around half that), there is a mountain of choices available to you. The preferred version here is the PC, though the versions on the 360 & PS3 are viable options... it's just really obvious the game is designed for the PC. Dragon Age II is technically a sequel to DA:O, but the storyline connections between the two titles are loose at best. It's certainly not a bad game, but in the end DA:O is (arguably by far) the better option.
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There's a lot of great games out there, but very few would probably fit the needed timesink requirements without falling into the catagory of "endless game" (which MMOs fit into). Bioware's RPGs are probably the best place to look first, being stellar games that are of a sizable length. And unlike many of the more linear RPGs (JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series being a prominent example), there is a high degree of replayability due to how much you can affect the story's progression through your decisions.
If I had to recommend between either Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins... well, I've gotten more playtime out of ME1 & ME2 than I have out of DA:O. That might be due to my computer struggling to handle DA:O (completed the game once, but the epic battle sequences were painfully laggy), whereas I have no issues with ME1&2 on my 360. Both would be ideal, but I would suggest you pick the setting you prefer as your first pick.
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