Dragon’s Dogma was recently released on PC, but is a game that came out in 2012 or so on PS3 and whatever Xbox version was around then. I might have more to say about it as I play it a bit more (only 5 hours or so in), but one point has jumped out at me hard enough to warrant a blog post.
Dragon’s Dogma is the MMO most people are actually playing. Note: Dragon’s Dogma is not an MMO.
You create a character with a surprisingly deep customization system, you do standard quests from standard NPCs, get loot, learn and upgrade abilities, and you do most of this in a party of four while running around in a fantasy world split into ‘zones’. (Ok the ‘in a party thing’ isn’t very much like an MMO today, but still…)
The only online part is that two of the four party members are characters other players have created, and the character you created can also be used as an NPC by others, which gets you rewards (I’m not sure WHAT the rewards are just yet, but I’m pretty sure you get something).
Now, what is the difference in running a dungeon in Dragon’s Dogma with player-created but computer-controlled characters and running an instance in WoW with player-created and ‘might as well be bots’ other players? Lower chance of racism or ragequits in DD aside, nothing right?
It is an interest mechanic, especially from the viewpoint of an MMO player who still remembers what MMO gameplay was like prior to themeparks transitioning into online single player RPGs.
Hardcore Casual 
So…is it like the party-based RPG’s from around the turn of the century, like Baldur’s Gate and the original Dungeon Siege games? As it sure sounds like it (which btw would be a recommendation to me, as I loved those games).
Not so much BG because the story isn’t anything close, but somewhat like Dungeon Siege in that its heavily action focused, yea. But the combat is somewhat like Skyrim (just much better IMO).