Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale
System(s): Playstation 3
Release date: Q3/Q4 2012
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| Sony's overdue crossover brawler |
One wonders why it took Sony this long to build a game around the Smash Bros. engine. Sony doesn't have the history or the characters to match Nintendo's -- Kratos and Sly Cooper don't compare favorably to Samus Aran and Mario -- but the demos for Playstation All-Stars look good and the early buzz is encouraging. The coolest thing about All-Stars isn't its roster of crossover characters, but its stages, some of which mash together two different franchises. For example, one stage features Hades from God of War alongside a group of Patapon warriors. Playstation All-Stars probably won't knock Super Smash Bros. from its perch, but I suspect it will make a big splash when it hits shelves. And to those Nintendo loyalists who cry foul, let's remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Resident Evil 6
System(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date: October 2, 2012
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| Chris and Leon face off. |
Although I wasn't too crazy about Resident Evil 5 (which I feel strayed too far from what makes Resident Evil unique), I'm cautiously optimistic about this latest installment of the survival-horror franchise. With three separate scenarios and six playable characters, it promises to be large in size and in scope. The development staff for RE6 numbers around 600, making it Capcom's largest ever production. The co-op mode from RE5 returns, and this is probably the biggest selling point. Although Resident Evil 5 wasn't as good as some other RE games, it's co-op was excellent.
Borderlands 2
System(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Windows
Release date: September 18, 2012
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| Ain't no rest for the wicked. |
The first Borderlands was an unexpected success -- to me and to Gearbox Software, which didn't expect it to sell over three million copies. Combining first-person shooting action with RPG elements and unique cel-shaded animation, Borderlands was one of the best games of 2009. I have high hopes for the sequel, which promises new and more expansive weapons customization, improved artificial intelligence, and a dynamic quest system. Co-op returns in a big way in Borderlands 2, but to be honest I think Borderlands co-op is overrated. The game plays better solo, although I'm definitely in the minority on that point.
The Last Story
System(s): Nintendo Wii
Release date: July 10, 2012
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| A ragtag group of heroes. |
Yes, The Last Story has already been released in Japan. But it releases for the first time in North America in 2012. The Last Story is an action RPG directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who created the Final Fantasy series. Although it clings firmly to its RPG roots, The Last Story features gameplay elements from action games (notably a cover system), stealth games, and real-time strategy games. Honestly, all the game needs is Sakaguchi's name attached to make this list. He wrote Final Fantasy VI, designed Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII, and produced dozens more.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
System(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U
Release date: Fall 2012
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| Game over, man! |
This game is a dream come true: a first-person shooter with four-player online co-op described as the true sequel to James Cameron's Aliens. Players control colonial marines as they fight off an infestation of xenomorphs from the first three Alien movies, along with new varieties created by Gearbox for the game. What's most exciting about Aliens: Colonial Marines are the two men who wrote much of the main plot: Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. The duo wrote episodes for Deep Space Nine and Battlestar Galactica, and recently joined season two of Falling Skies as producers and writers.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
System(s): Nintendo 3DS
Release date: August 2012
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| The only screenshots we have of New Super Mario Bros. 2 |
Some video game enthusiasts might complain about Nintendo returning to the Mario series too often and too eagerly, but the franchise, now over 25 years in the making, continues to turn out financial and critical successes. So why stop now? Next up on the 3DS is New Super Mario Bros. 2, a direct sequel to New Super Mario Bros., which debuted on the original DS in 2006. New Super Mario Bros. was the best Mario game in a generation, and one of the two best DS games, so I'm awfully excited to see the follow-up. Details are scarce, but it looks like the game will play much like the original.
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
System(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Windows, Mac
Release date: September 2012
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| Seeing these two together is something special. |
Having only recently played (and loved) Epic Mickey, I'm especially excited for its sequel. Unlike the original, which was a Wii exclusive, Epic Mickey 2 will appear on all three current generation consoles. In Epic Mickey 2, Mickey returns to Wasteland where he teams up with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The game will feature drop-in, drop-out cooperative play; Mickey once again uses magical paint and paint thinner, while Oswald uses a remote that controls electricity. Warren Spector, who designed the game, promised that characters will be given voices and participate in musical numbers. Oswald, who has never before spoken, will be voiced by king of voice actors Frank Welker.
Far Cry 3
System(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Windows
Release date: September 4, 2012
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| Four years without Far Cry is a long time to wait. |
Far Cry is one of my favorite franchises. It's one of the best and most original first-person shooter series -- not just another Halo or Call of Duty clone. The latest installment, Far Cry 3, will follow a tourist as he attempts to escape from an island chain and its crazed inhabitants. Like its predecessors, Far Cry 3 will be an open-ended sandbox shooter, meaning that players can explore and tackle missions from a variety of angles. Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe has said that Far Cry 3 will be about ten times larger than previous games, which is remarkable considering Far Cry 2 encompassed a gameplay area equal to about 19 square miles.
Halo 4
System(s): Xbox 360
Release date: November 6, 2012
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| Halo returns with a new development team. |
343 Industries was created by Microsoft in 2007 to do one thing, and one thing only: manage the Halo brand. Bungie, the highly-respected company that brought the world the original Halo trilogy, Halo: ODST, and Halo Reach, no longer wishes to produce Halo titles, but Microsoft (which owns the franchise) thinks differently. Enter Halo 4, the first of an entirely new Halo trilogy, designed by 343 Industries. I'll miss Bungie, but I'm glad Halo will live on in the hands of a development team that seems committed to following Bungie's tradition of excellence. Halo 4 will take place some time after the cliffhanger ending in Halo 3, and will be more focused on exploration and discovery than previous games.
The Last Guardian
System(s): Playstation 3
Release date: TBA 2012
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| Make this happen, Sony. |
Of all the titles in this list, The Last Guardian is the one I want the most, and expect the least. Although I listed its release date as 2012, The Last Guardian could easily debut in 2013 or, in a worst case scenario, not at all. The Last Guardian is the third game in a spiritual trilogy that includes Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. It has been postponed already (from 2011 to 2012), and in December of last year, Fumito Ueda, the trilogy's director, suddenly left Sony. Ueda is still working on the project in a feelance capacity, but who knows when the game will hit shelves. The Last Guardian stars a young boy and his griffon-like guardian as they navigate ruins, solve puzzles, and avoid enemies. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are masterworks; I expect The Last Guardian to be no different.
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