Pokemon is solid, but just kind of repetitious and grind heavy. Hope you didn't miss out on Dragon Quest IX.

I don't think that video games can, or should ever replace film, due to the former's emphasis on interactivity. There's nothing wrong with a game spinning a good yarn, but not at the expense of good gameplay mechanics. For some of the best games out there, like various Marios, story is an afterthought. On the RPG end, even a weak story didn't stop Final Fantasy V from being one of the best in the series. Backup saving on Dragon Age sounds like a good idea. Does it offer a limited amount of saves? That was the case with Baldur's Gate I & II, which were otherwise classic, and of course the spiritual basis for DA. Speaking of D&D related games, did you ever play Planescape: Torment, Wil?