Brent's Most Anticipated Video Games of 2012!

With my most anticipated movies counted down, let's talk about video games! While most of 2012's movie calendar has been laid out, as with any year, the video game calendar is a little more... vague. Developers have been rather wishy-washy about when their upcoming games are arriving this year, or if they're being pushed to 2013 and beyond, which is an expected side effect of releasing games in a year that is launching new gaming hardware. In fact, we have TWO new gaming platforms confirmed for 2012, specifically, Sony's new handheld, the PlayStation Vita, succeeding the PSP on February 22nd of this year (February 15th for those who preordered the 'First Edition' bundle), and Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, which is expected to succeed the Wii before 2012 is up.

Unlike last year, I'm not going to do a separate list for Vita or Wii U's games, and which of those I'm most looking forward to, but rather, just incorporate any that I'm highly anticipating on this list. I did a separate list for 3DS games last year, but that's because Nintendo announced that platform with a literal MOUNTAIN of game announcements following it at E3 2010. Vita and Wii U are playing their cards closer to the chest in terms of their game libraries, so I don't have enough to work with there. Still, I'm sure they'll be great platforms full of incredible design opportunity, and I'm very much looking forward to both!

As usual, allow me to reiterate the rules. This is my PERSONAL OPINION, so don't tell me that I'm wrong, or that I missed a game or whatever. These are just the games that I'm looking forward to the most this year, so obviously, they won't include games in genres that I don't normally play or care for. Also, as usual, I can't account for delays and surprise announcements. Every year, games get pushed to the following year unexpectedly, and it seems that at least one of my top ten games ends up being delayed from the year I list it (in 2009, this was BioShock 2, in 2010, this was Mass Effect 3 AND The Last Guardian!). Every year, especially at functions like E3, games are announced for release that are being developed in secret, and are not yet made known to the public, especially by companies like Nintendo, who are good at keeping their lineup under wraps. I obviously don't know about these games, so even if they end up being better games and ending up my favourites of the year, I obviously won't be listing them here like some sort of freaky prophet.

Ok, with that out of the way, let's get to it! Here's the ten games I'm most looking forward to in 2012 that have been confirmed for a (tentative) 2012 release at one point or another, and yes, I just kept it to ten games this time, so no ties like on the movie list. Anyhow, let's get started!



#10 - Darksiders II

Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: June 2012

WHY: In January of 2011, I played a happy little game called Darksiders on my PS3, which one of my friends kindly gave to me for my birthday. I gave it a merely modest 70% score when I reviewed it, but even so, I couldn't stop stressing how much fun I had with the game, how entertaining it was, and why, despite the modest production values, everyone who loves enjoyable action-adventure games should actively seek it out and play it, even if it was a pretty shameless clone of other games. Darksiders is simultaneously an almost exact clone of both The Legend of Zelda and God of War, and it even outright steals weapons from other games, including the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII, and the Portal Gun from Portal. Still, Darksiders proved that just because a game isn't original, doesn't mean that it has to suck, or that it's not fun. While I'm hoping for a little more originality in Darksiders II, I have every iota of belief that it will also be a lot of fun.
One of the best parts of the original Darksiders for sure was its premise. You took control of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who was tricked into jumpstarting the end of the world, and thus, you explore the ruined Earth trying to clear your name, braving puzzle-filled dungeons and challenging vicious monsters. In the original game, you played as War. In the second game however, you're taking control of a different horseman, Death, in a storyline that takes place concurrently with the events of the first game. Death is also trying to get to the bottom of who is out to frame War, and he's got a whole new arsenal of whoop-ass to make your own! Publisher, THQ has promised bigger dungeons, more varied gameplay and even more exciting enemy encounters in the sequel, and considering how enjoyable the original was, I'm very excited at that prospect!
Darksiders II probably won't be a standout game for 2012, but I'm sure it will be one of the more enjoyable action-adventure offerings all the same, especially after we've exhausted all the possibilities of the two Zelda games that we were lucky enough to receive in 2011. THQ also claims that Darksiders II is even on track to be a launch title for the Wii U! That just gets me even more excited to play this game!



#9 - Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Platform(s): Vita
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: February 15th

WHY: The main reasons why I'm excited for this game are twofold; It's Uncharted, and it's exclusively on the PlayStation Vita. I absolutely LOVE the Uncharted series, as if my glowing reviews of the first two games weren't any indication already (I haven't yet started playing the third, which I received as a Christmas gift), and the prospect of taking it on the go is very exciting for me, especially since it will be a prequel to the trilogy of PS3 games.
According to recent news reports, the Uncharted prequel is launching a week early alongside the exclusive 'First Edition' bundle for the Vita, which will give the most dedicated of Sony fans a chance to purchase the system a week before it's more widely and publicly available. That's great news for me, because I want something really great to play with my Vita right out of the gate (as in, something that isn't Little Deviants). The game will also be the first Uncharted game to support touch control, utilizing the Vita's front and back touch pads for a whole new way to control Nathan Drake. I'm not particularly privy to the plot, and I don't think anyone currently is, but so far, the series has always suceeded in delivering high-quality storylines. In fact, since the Uncharted prequel has already received perfect scores and high praise from several import reviews (the game is already available in Japan, where Vita has launched), I have all the more reason to be very excited!
Even if Naughty Dog will be handing development duties to Sony Bend for the Uncharted prequel while they continue work on upcoming PS3-exclusive, The Last of Us, it seems that Vita's first blockbuster, and Uncharted's first foray into the portable gaming realm, is coming together beautifully! I've already got my first edition Vita preordered, and I just put down a deposit on this gem today, so I'm very excited to get an early start on some treasure hunting via Sony's promising new handheld!



#8 - Paper Mario 3D (Working Title)

Platform(s): 3DS
Genre: Turn-Based RPG
Release Date: TBA 2012

WHY: I had a tough time deciding where I should place both the still-untitled new Paper Mario game, and Luigi's Mansion 2, both scheduled to hit the 3DS in 2012, on my list. Luigi's Mansion 2 just barely slipped out of my Top Ten of 2012, but I should still give it an honourable mention, since I've been hoping for that game to materialize for over ten years, and it's looking great from the previews. The new Paper Mario game got a spot on my list though, and for good reason! Despite the considerable amount of fun I had playing through Super Paper Mario on my Wii a few years back, I sort of missed the turn-based RPG format of the original two games on the N64 and GameCube, since Super Paper Mario turned the series into a platforming/adventure game hybrid. Thankfully, that original RPG format is coming back in the series' new 3DS installment!
Not much is known about the storyline, but tidbits have been revealed about the gameplay, such as Stickers that will power up the abilities of Mario and friends, and a return to the turn-based battle system, which most effectively takes advantage of the 3DS's 3D effect to produce a really cool sense of kooky depth during enemy encounters. Paper Mario's new 3DS installment is said to be quite far along in development, which is lent credence by the incredible detail in the trailers, though much of the text still seems to be in Japanese, so we may not see this game stateside until the Fall unfortunately. Still, there's room for pleasant surprises, and regardless of how long I have to wait, this is another series that has never really disappointed, so I'm confident that it will keep performing very well during its own debut on a portable gaming platform!



#7 - Tomb Raider

Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: Fall 2012

WHY: I'm going to come right out and admit that, while it's always sort of intrigued me, I've never really been a considerable fan of the Tomb Raider franchise. I've always longed for time to try and get into it, but to date, I've only properly played through one Tomb Raider game (Tomb Raider: Legend on the Xbox, which I played through and reviewed in 2007), though I did download Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light onto my PS3, and have yet to start it, so I suppose I actually own TWO Tomb Raider games. In the case of Tomb Raider: Legend though, I liked it well enough, but it still didn't motivate me to rush out and play more Tomb Raider games. That may change however, now that the series seems to be getting another reboot, one that goes further back in time to show Lara as a nineteen year-old, marooned on a desert island, and forced to survive in the wilderness.
This fresh new direction seems to be something that the series really needs, and the focus on this new game is more on survival than actually raiding tombs. You'll begin the game without any weapons, protection, food, water, or real skills, and you'll need to hunt for these things on your own. You'll also have to endure fragile environments, a game that doesn't make any effort to hold your hand, and a more in-depth combat system with more dangerous foes. No more easy auto-targetting like in previous Tomb Raider games I guess.
This new Tomb Raider reboot brings to mind one word; Harsh. This is a game that doesn't screw around, and strives to create a feeling of uneasiness and desperation from the get-go. Considering how hyper-capable Lara Croft is in the other Tomb Raider games, this is immediately interesting, and if the game lives up to the hype, it may rocket the floundering Tomb Raider series back into the triple-A limelight, which it hasn't really held since the original PlayStation era, and the launch of the movie adaptation that's largely credited with getting Angelina Jolie famous. We can only hope, but Tomb Raider so far seems fit to give a once great series a much-needed return to greatness, and I'm itching to have my greatest excuse yet to take part in the adventures of Lara Croft!



#6 - Xenoblade Chronicles

Platform(s): Wii
Genre: Action RPG
Release Date: April 2nd

WHY: First, there was Xenogears in the late 90's, a one-off RPG for the PlayStation that was supposed to be part of an epic six-episode canon, but failed to really get off the ground due to its massive, impenetrable storyline, and the fact that it was overshadowed by many other games during its heyday. The series was then rebooted in 2003 with Xenosaga: Episode I - Der Wille Zur Macht on the PS2, where it finally found success, even enough enough to join the PS2's Greatest Hits catalogue! Unfortunately, Episode II's release on the PS2 in 2005 was met with scathing feedback by fans and rather poor sales, forcing the Xenosaga series, again planned for six parts, to end prematurely in 2006 with Episode III. Four years again passed, and the Xeno property made another attempt at a reboot, this time as a real-time RPG designed exclusively for the Wii, giving it a welcome blockbuster RPG that the system is absolutely starved for! Japan got it, then Europe got it, then Australia got it... Then Nintendo shrugged at North American gamers, refusing to commit to a release in North America, and leaving us gamers out in the West envious of our European and Japanese peers.
Finally however, that dark time is over. Xenoblade Chronicles has been confirmed for a LONG overdue North American release in early April, and I couldn't be more excited! Even with the Wii seemingly on its last legs, with the looming threat of Wii U on the way before the end of the year apparently, I still plan to preorder this and pick it up on launch day, especially with the glowing reviews that the game has been receiving.
This rebooted Xeno RPG does away with most of the heavy religious themes of the previous two canons, instead appearing to focus instead on two warring worlds that exist on the bodies of two enormous creatures, one biological, and one mech-like. When a young man appears to attain the legendary sword thought to have been wielded by his world (boy, that's a trippy thought), an epic quest unfolds to keep the power out of the wrong hands. I refuse to look at the rest of the plot, since I obviously don't want it to be spoiled, but that's all I need to know to take up some quality RPG time with my Wii, which I've really only gotten a chance to do with various Virtual Console downloads, and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years off of WiiWare, and I guess that Tales of Symphonia sequel to a lesser extent.
Thanks to the wealth of import reviews, I already know that Xenoblade Chronicles is amazing, and easily one of the system's best RPGs to date, retail or digital download. I'm just happy to FINALLY have a triple-A RPG to play on my Wii this year, but when it's an RPG with all the praise that Xenoblade Chronicles has been getting, that has me more pumped than ever to finally have a few more last rides with my Wii before I take home my own shiny new Wii U (yes, I've already decided I'm buying one. Does it really surprise you?).



#5 - Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Platform(s): 3DS
Genre: Action RPG
Release Date: TBA 2012

WHY: It's obvious to most of my regular game review readers now, but in case you're a more recent follower, allow me to state it again; I LOVE the Kingdom Hearts series! I, and lots of my friends, have always been a huge fan of the Disney/Square Enix RPG mash-up, and while the current canon may be getting really... really... really bloated, it looks like it's FINALLY approaching a climax in the long-overdue (and still formally unannounced) Kingdom Hearts III, thanks to this new 3DS installment that will take protaganist Sora, and his anti-hero BFF, Riku, to all-new, much trippier Disney worlds, so that they may become keyblade masters in time for the final battle with current antagonist, Xehanort.
As you can expect, Square Enix and Disney both have been largely mum about the game's plot beyond this, but that's generally how it goes. We have seen glimpses of a few all-new worlds though (the most prevalent of which being inspired by The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pinocchio, and even Tron: Legacy!), and Square Enix is branching out beyond the Final Fantasy series with their latest crossover effort in the game, this time incorporating characters from sleeper hit DS RPG, The World Ends With You (and seriously, if you own a DS or 3DS, grab a copy of that RIGHT NOW if you haven't already, because it's incredible!).
Aside from having all-new ways to navigate each world, Kingdom Hearts 3D is introducing YET ANOTHER new branch of enemies to go along with the familiar Heartless, in the form of Dream Eaters, which are a side effect of worlds that have grown dormant and separated by other worlds after they were rescued from the Heartless in the previous games. Apparently, you're even able to train these foes and use them in combat, which is good, since I'm not sure if Donald and Goofy are accompanying our heroes this time around.
Even though it's a handheld game, Kingdom Hearts 3D looks like it has all of the scale and myriad features of one of the series' console entries, and it may even surpass the immense quality of the excellent Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep on the PSP if it lives up to the hype! In any case, as a huge Kingdom Hearts fan, you can imagine that this game would appear somewhere on my Top Ten of 2012, but I don't take it lightly when I say that this could very well be the best Kingdom Hearts game yet, on top of giving me yet another highly welcome 3DS-exclusive to keep sinking time into!



#4 - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Action
Release Date: TBA 2012

WHY: As much as I'm looking forward to it, and would also like to give it an honourable mention, Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater, which is going to be released on the 3DS in March apparently, didn't crack my Top Ten of 2012. This is largely because it's a remake of a game that I've already played to death on the PS2, though don't get me wrong, I'm still excited for it. One Metal Gear game however DID make my list, and it's one I've been waiting with bated breath for since its announcement at E3 2009!
Initially announced as 'Metal Gear Solid: Rising', that game was actually quietly cancelled after development failed to get off the ground. Still, Metal Gear creator, Hideo Kojima is not a quitter, and he was determined to get the game finished! Outsourcing development to bold Japanese developer, Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Vanquish, and the upcoming Anarchy Reigns), work began anew on the Metal Gear spin-off starring fan-hated Snake wannabe-turned-badass cyborg ninja, Raiden. The story was moved to take place after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the PS3 (it was originally planned to take place BEFORE MGS4), the final chapter in regular protaganist, Solid Snake's storyline, and has dropped the 'Solid' in the title to distance itself from Snake's various adventures. This is because, rather than being a stealth-focused game, Metal Gear Rising is now an intense hack-and-slash title!
Platinum Games is known for doing really manic, violent stuff, and I think that they are truly the perfect talent to be working on a game like this. As fantastic as Platinum Games is though (seriously, pretty much every game they've ever developed has been met with large acclaim from critics and community alike!), for some reason, their titles don't really seem to sell. Work on a Metal Gear title, a series that consistently sells through the nose, is sure to be a big break for the developer, getting them a lot more recognition, and hopefully many more opportunities to work on big blockbusters like this.
Even if this wasn't a Metal Gear game though, Metal Gear Rising just looks to be one of the most promising action games of the year to me, period. It looks very fast-paced, stylish, and like it's going to give me a whole new way to enjoy the Metal Gear franchise. I may be trading in my cardboard box for a ninja sword, but that doesn't mean I'm not eagerly on the edge of my seat, waiting for publisher, Konami to FINALLY drop a release date (it's only confirmed for 2012), so I know when I can pick up this bad boy!



#3 - Kid Icarus: Uprising

Platform(s): 3DS
Genre: Action
Release Date: March 23rd

WHY: I'm already getting the impression that I'm going to be spending LOADS of time on my 3DS in 2012, since that seems to be the system that's had the most quality exclusives announced for it so far. In fact, in a way, I'd love to be one of those Nintendo-bashing idiots that kept doomsaying the system last year after its somewhat slow start, because as we ALL know, the Xbox 360, PSP and PS3 both had flawless launches with absolutely no widespread defects, and a massive library of games out of the gate. Morons. Anyway, 2012 is really going to be the year that the 3DS truly comes into its own, and this also happens to be the year that we'll finally be getting the system's first announced game, flagship title, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and I couldn't possibly be more hyped for it!
For those who aren't longtime Nintendo devotees, Kid Icarus was a series that produced a cult classic first entry on the NES, a sibling title to the original Metroid game that released on the system around the same time, along with a more obscure Game Boy sequel, before it completely faded from existence. The series' following kept pressing Nintendo as to when they'd make a new Kid Icarus game, but entire decades passed with absolutely no activity for the series. Hope was kindled anew however when 2008 came along, and Kid Icarus protaganist, Pit was included in the all-star Nintendo crossover game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. With speculation about a new Wii game growing rampant, Nintendo instead threw a curveball by announcing that a new Kid Icarus game was indeed in development during E3 2010, but it would be coming to the handheld that they'd just announced moments earlier instead; None other than the 3DS! Whereas the original games were upscrolling platform games as well, this new game would be a blend of flight and ground-based action.
Kid Icarus: Uprising pretty much looks like one of the most ambitious 3DS games that's yet been announced. The action looks incredibly intense, the way that the 3D effect is used looks nothing short of stunning, and the system even seems to be making use of the 3DS's ability to use augmented reality cards! There's even online multiplayer! Wow, Nintendo is really serious about bringing this series back in style, and as one of many who has long awaited the return of Kid Icarus, it looks like the Big N has yet again taken fan expectation and done us one better. I've got a lot to enjoy on my 3DS in 2012, but it looks like I may just enjoy Kid Icarus: Uprising most of all!



#2 - Halo 4

Platform(s): Xbox 360
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: Fall 2012

WHY: I was quite sad to see Bungie depart the Halo series after Halo: Reach arrived on the Xbox 360 in September of 2010, a game that went on to become my second runner-up for Game of the Year that year for being as amazing as it was, but on the bright side, this has opened the way for a promising new in-house Microsoft developer, 343 Industries, to take the reins of the franchise. Though 343 has already delivered an impressive remake of the very first Halo game from 2001 (a game that I will be playing through and reviewing very soon), their work will truly begin when they kick off the start of a new Halo trilogy towards the end of this year, starting with Halo 4.
Halo 4 was a surprise announcement at the tail end of Microsoft's E3 2011 Conference, and it's been confirmed for a release exclusively on the Xbox 360, despite increasingly rampant rumours that the system's successor is right around the corner, even though Microsoft hasn't formally announced what many people unofficially dub, 'Xbox 720'. As with last year, the Xbox 360 is kind of light on high-end retail exclusives that have been made known to the public, lending credence to the fact that Microsoft will likely debut a new system soon, but at least I can look forward to still having something to play on my Xbox 360 towards the end of this year, beyond my traditional Call of Duty purchase anyway. Regardless, I really love the Halo series, and I'm thrilled to see that it's soldiering on with an all-new trilogy that once again starts Master Chief, with a new look and everything!
Much is unknown about what form Halo 4 will take, though Microsoft has already confirmed the game's release window and platform, and has promised a whole new story arc against a new threat post-Flood. Might the Covenant return? I guess we'll have to wait and see. I don't have much definitive information on Halo 4, but really, I don't need any. It's the start of a new Halo trilogy, and it will be the chance for 343 Industries to really show off what they can do! This is THE Xbox 360 release to anticipate in 2012, and to me, I'm only looking forward to one game more!



#1 - Mass Effect 3

Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Action RPG
Release Date: March 6th

WHY: Mass Effect 3 was one of the two victims of delays that saw one of my most anticipated video games of 2011 slip into next year, along with The Last Guardian on the PS3. The Last Guardian is running into development issues, and its release seems to be up in the air for now (especially with Gamestop terminating preorders, forcing Sony to assure fans that the game isn't axed at this point), but thankfully, BioWare has finally sorted out the release of Mass Effect 3, taking the time to implement a brand new co-op mode, impressive Kinect support in the Xbox 360 edition, and a reworked storyline after the original story was leaked online following a closed beta. Yeah, I don't know what idiot thought that was a good idea, because it's forced us to wait several more months for the final product while BioWare rewrites the plot, citing this as the largest reason for the game's delay. Thanks, dipshit.
On the bright side, this has allowed Mass Effect 3 to rocket to the very top of my most anticipated games of 2012... Yes, I'm aware of the fact that I STILL haven't played through Mass Effect 2, which, embarrassingly enough, was my second-most anticipated game of 2010, only behind Final Fantasy XIII... Which I also haven't yet started... and which has a sequel arriving at the end of January. I really need to step up my gaming. In any case, back on topic, Mass Effect 3 is the conclusion to BioWare's revolutionary sci-fi RPG trilogy, bringing all of your decisions from throughout your carryover saves to a head as the final battle is fought against The Reapers for the fate of the galaxy.
While the game is sure to be fantastic on any of its three platforms, the Xbox 360 edition especially stands apart, due to the impressive Kinect support that's been implemented to help compensate for the game's delay. You can now issue commands to your squadmates by using your voice, and speak dialogue prompts instead of just selecting them on the screen. It may sound dorky, but I'm really excited to act out Commander Shepard's voice as I make pressing decisions during the dialogue scenes. Any and all footage I've seen for Mass Effect 3's gameplay has also been incredible. It seems like a truly action-packed finale to the trilogy that is sure to bring the story to a very satisfying conclusion! I'm obviously not going to read the leaked plot information, so even if elements of that were left in, I can still enjoy the game as it was meant to be enjoyed; Not knowing what fate the climax has in store for the Mass Effect universe.
Also, yes, I promise that I will have played through Mass Effect 2 by the time the third game comes out. I would have done it sooner if my previous Xbox 360 hadn't broke and become junked, killing my save file from the first game, which I haven't yet found time to replay. Now that I've replaced that with an awesome new Xbox 360 Slim though, I can get back to one of my favourite sci-fi RPG properties of all time. Its long-awaited conclusion easily stands as my most anticipated video game of 2012!



Several games narrowly missed a spot in my Top Ten of 2012, and while I already gave honourable mentions to Luigi's Mansion 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater, I'd like to also extend them to several other games that just barely slipped off of the list, including BioShock Infinite (PC, Xbox 360, PS3), Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Xbox 360, PS3), Gravity Rush (Vita), Tales of Graces f (PS3), Ninja Gaiden III (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U), and Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS). It's going to be another busy year for gamers, especially since there's probably a boatload of games that haven't even been announced yet! Did I miss any that you're looking forward to? Do you agree with my picks? Are you as excited about Vita and Wii U as I am? Feel free to leave your comments below, and tell me all about what you're looking forward to most as a gamer in 2012! Here's to another great year of gaming!