2012 is also looking bright with some spectacular-looking sequels and some great-looking new IPs. Barring too much disappointment, there's a lot to look forward to and there are almost definitely other announcements for games later this year.
So let's look ahead at and see what my most anticipated games of 2012 are. Some of these have set release and others do not. As for the lack of The Last Guardian, well at this point I need to see something new before I put it on this list again. Anyway, let's get started.
#10. Tomb Raider
That said, I'm still holding out hope that this will be a strong reboot for the franchise that will get my interest back into it. The past three games have been good but nothing really spectacular. Uncharted just shows even more how lacking they feel in comparison.
The thought of playing as a more down-to-earth and "green" Lara Croft is appealing as it feels like it will be more of a survival game at that point which is what is keeping my interest. Tomb Raider makes it into the list with hope that it will be a solid reboot.
#9. The Last of Us
Sure, we only saw one cinematic trailer within the last month, but for over a decade now, one thing has been clear: any game being made by Naughty Dog is a good thing. This fits in for the reason that Tomb Raider does, it looks like it's going for a survival angle rather than just another third-person shooter.
The premise looks interesting, like a 28 Days Later or I Am Legend setting, and Naughty Dog has apparently been working on this game for years. The cinematic trailer really sold me and I can't wait to see some gameplay footage from it.
As can be expected coming from Naughty Dog, it also looks like it will be very character-focused and that also makes me excited as I love good character-driven storylines. A good combination of things based on speculation and what was shown in the cinematic trailer makes me yearn for more from this game.
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#8. Anarchy Reigns
Anyone who has followed my blog for a small amount of time or listened to the podcast know that I think Platinum Games is awesome. Even before they were Platinum Games, when they Clover Studios and working with Capcom, they were awesome. In 2010 they release two of the best games of that year with Vanquish and Bayonetta, which is arguably the best 3D hack-n-slash of all time.
Anarchy Reigns looks like a spiritual successor to the criminally overlooked MadWorld. And the main character from MadWorld, Jack, is back with the same chainsaw gauntlet as well. From what I've seen, it appears to be an online beat-em-up or online tournament fighter sort of like Super Smash Brothers or Power Stone.
At this point, I'm looking forward to anything that Platinum Games puts out and Anarchy Reigns is no exception. Knowing the developer, it's going to be over-the-top, impossible to take seriously, absolutely hilarious, and most importantly, it's going to be insanely fun (emphasis on insanely).
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#7. Aliens: Colonial Marines
Anytime I've gotten the chance, I've tried to hype up Aliens: Colonial Marines. It's been in development hell for quite a while and what I've seen looks like a solid FPS/horror game. As I said on the podcast, I think we have yet to see a good alien game without predators (nothing against predators) that's NOT in the arcade.
What I saw in the gameplay demo made me smile. It really seemed to capture the essence of the films themselves from the lighting to the atmosphere. Hell, I complained that they didn't hold the atmosphere for a long enough time because when it was there it was awesome.
What's really selling me on the game is Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox. The real joy of watching that demo was listening to Pitchford's commentary which showed him as a man who really loves this franchise and is putting everything that he has into. Seeing the love that he has for the project makes me really excited to see the results.
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What I saw in the gameplay demo made me smile. It really seemed to capture the essence of the films themselves from the lighting to the atmosphere. Hell, I complained that they didn't hold the atmosphere for a long enough time because when it was there it was awesome.
What's really selling me on the game is Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox. The real joy of watching that demo was listening to Pitchford's commentary which showed him as a man who really loves this franchise and is putting everything that he has into. Seeing the love that he has for the project makes me really excited to see the results.
#6. Grand Theft Auto V
Yes, Grand Theft Auto is coming back for another full-retail release and like everyone else, I'm highly anticipating it. The main reason it isn't higher is because all we've seen is a cinematic trailer so far. But returning to San Andreas is a good boost as I still have awesome memories from the first time I played San Andreas.
I'm not jumping on the rumor bandwagon as to when this game will be released, or who the different characters are but I am very excited. The only thing I want to stress Rockstar is to make it like The Ballad of Gay Tony which kept the serious storyline but melded it very well with over-the-top missions. The best of both worlds from the new and old GTAs.
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#5. Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock is the spiritual successor to System Shock 2, arguably the finest FPS in history and one of the scariest games ever made. Bioshock, while not as good, was an excellent game with an in-depth world, complex philosophies, and a brilliant deconstruction of the FPS genre. The sequel, while still good, was not quite as memorable.
However, this time, I believe this will be different. Ken Levine, one of the designers of System Shock 2 and the main man behind the original Bioshock, is working on this game. He did not work on Bioshock 2, which I believe hurt it a little bit. Also, while what I've seen still feels like Bioshock, with the gameplay and the philosophical themes to the story, they're taking it to a new place: Columbia, a city floating in the sky.
Both the story and the gameplay look to be intense rides from the footage shown so far and I can't wait to see more of this game to get my anticipation even higher.
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#4. Diablo III
The LONG-awaited sequel to Diablo II, Diablo III will finally get a release this year after nearly 11 years in development and nearly four years since it was first officially announced. But good things do come to those who wait and Diablo III looks like it will be an example of that.
The third entry in the spectacular Diablo series is looking great with the story taking place 20 years after Diablo II. I don't expect gameplay to change too much from its predecessors but that's not really a bad thing. The Battle.net service will be there to make easy-to-join multiplayer games and random quest generators will allow for differences in each playthrough.
Blizzard, like Valve, generally takes a lot of time on their games, but they pretty much always come out excellent and I don't expect any difference with Diablo III.
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#3. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Yes, another Blizzard game. StarCraft II was hyped up as three different games: Wings of Liberty, for the Terrans, which came out in 2010 and two "expansions" that are still around the same length. These are Heart of the Swarm for the Zerg and Legacy of the Void for the Protoss. Heart of the Swarm is next and I really hope it comes out this year (though I do want a finished game).
Heart of the Swarm will focus on Kerrigan and the Zerg and take place two years after the superb Wings of Liberty. Kerrigan reassumes control of the Zerg in attempt to get revenge on Arcturus Mengsk and the Terrans. Without her leadership, the Zerg has also split into separate factions that she must regain control of. I can't wait to see the story unfold though I do worry that it sounds a little bit like Brood War.
However, the multiplayer is still a major focus and with new units being added and tweaks made to the multiplayer, it's sure to still be an incredible time. Also, even though it's about the same length as Wings of Liberty, it will be sold at the price of an expansion pack. Blizzard, you guys are awesome.
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#2. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
And here we have the darkhorse for this list. I've been trying to hype up this game for months now. I first saw footage of it from E3 of 2011 and instantly fell in love with what I saw. Some have described it as a superior looking Fable. For me, it looks like a cross between Fable, Dragon Age, and The Elder Scrolls all in one which is just awesome.
Don't know much about the story yet but the gameplay is looking superb and versatile with an incredible amount of options for the player to choose from and not many real restrictions in how you create your character. The fact that Ken Rolston, the lead designer of Morrowind, is acting as lead designer here, gives me more reason to be excited.
Todd McFarlane is doing the art and while some people haven't really liked it, I've enjoyed what I've seen. McFarlane is an excellent artist and I'm quite confident that he'll make this work. All of this adds up to a potentially phenomenal game that I cannot wait to get my hands on when it's released on February 7.
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#1. Mass Effect 3
Was there really any question as to what my #1 would be? Really? I think I've mentioned the Mass Effect series on this blog more than any other game series. The first two games have been superb with excellent storytelling, incredible characterization, and arguably the most in-depth and well-built universe in video game history. I've never been more excited to finish a story in my 16 years as a gamer.
The Reapers are finally invading which means that it looks like it's time for a bit of a Dragon Age: Origins style plot, with Commander Shepard attempting to bring all the races of the galaxy under a single banner to fight the genocidal machines while s/he hopes there is a way to actually stop the powerful machine race that has been wiping out organic life for millions of years.
It's a used, but classic set-up and the Mass Effect series really makes you feel like a true leader, probably more than any other game I've played. But the on the gameplay side, everything is looking smoother than ever. More in-depth RPG elements, with gun customization and MUCH more in-depth leveling system only make me more excited to play.
Also, Clint Mansell, composer of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, doing the soundtrack. He's one of the best composers out there and I'm so excited to hear what he does here. Not to mention, hearing the terrific voice acting that we come to expect for BioWare titles, especially as we see the finale unfold. March 6 can't arrive soon enough and I will be at a game store on the launch date to pick this up.
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