Mass Effect or Dragon Age are just as much RPG as Final Fantasy X and XII except in the western titles there are more dialogue options ALL of which do nothing or very close to nothing
Mass Effect, you can change your gender, your first name and make yourself look pretty much exactly the same as the default character, the story is a line with a fork in the road when they give you a good or bad option, who to shag or who to kill, none of these choices really do anything but we'll see won't we, the gameplay is a third person shooter with changeable equipment and skill points.
Final Fantasy X, you can change the characters name, the story is a line with a fork in the road when someone asks you (as the main character is known as) something and you are given a choice, in addition certain scenes, including big ones, alternate the character you (Tidus) talks to depending on who you talk to first in the group or battle with or heal most (a choice you make), of course (like Mass Effect) none of these choices really do anything, the gameplay is turn based strategy with changeable and completely customisable equipment and skill points.
Dragon Age: Origins, you can change your gender, the characters name and make yourself look pretty much exactly like the default character, the story is a line in which you choose your characters starting location and then choose the order of places you visit, who you shag and who dies, which doesn't really do anything, the gameplay is an ATB - meter based battle system in which you set up your characters actions beforehand using what Square Enix calls Gambits, there is a huge inventory of equipment and very little customisation (but more than Mass Effect) and skill points.
Final Fantasy XII, you get a default character, the story is a line in which you get a huge world you can choose to wander freely, the gameplay is an ATB - meter based battle system in which you set up your characters actions beforehand using what Square Enix calls Gambits, there is a huge inventory of equipment and very little customisation (but more than Mass Effect) and a huge in depth skill points system in which instead of stats lets you level up weapon, equipment and magic levels.
So with the basics down, here is the real thing.
Mass Effect 2, you can change your gender, your first name and make yourself look pretty much exactly like the default character (why they make or let you do that if you load Mass Effect save data is beyond me), the story is a line with a fork in the road when they make you pick good or bad, who you want to shag or whose side you take in an argument, which (presuming your Shepard isn't the most indecisive thing ever, you'd have full good or evil meters by the end, neither really matters because the same thing happens) doesn't really do anything but we'll see won't we, the gameplay is a third person shooter with a few weapons and armour and few skill points.
Final Fantasy XIII, you get a default character, the story is a line in which later on (about the same place in every Final Fantasy) you get a huge world you can choose to wander freely, the gameplay is an ATB - based battle system in which you can choose to auto battle and focus on your class strategy or pick actions yourself in order to make the game even harder, there are a few weapons in which you can choose to upgrade in an easy to use, difficult to master weapon and accessory upgrade system and skill points.
If making choices that matter and designing your own individual looking character makes a game an RPG, then Tony Hawk is more RPG because at least it does one of the two "definitive RPG elements" well...
