10. The Last Guardian
Hailed as one of the lead innovators in the video game industry, Team Ico’s next project is hot on our list for 2012. Anybody who’s played Ico and Shadow of the Colossus will tell you how absolutely incredible and unique both of those titles are and with teaser footage showing more mesmerizing content, The Last Guardian is sure to shine. Unfortunately the original release date for The Last Guardian was somewhere in 2008 and continual delays are certainly making the video game industry lose faith and patience in Team Ico. Nevertheless, 2012 is make or break for this particular title and if it comes out, prepare for an experience like no other. In the mean time check out the HD collection of Ico & Shadow of the Colossus double pack if you didn’t have a chance to play through these classics.
09. Dragon’s Dogma
The challenging RPG has certainly made its way back into the hearts of conventional gamers after the success of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. Now it’s Capcom’s turn to give the devilishly difficult formula a whirl with their interpretation of brutal role-play gaming. Dragon’s Dogma promises an in-depth world filled with beautiful monsters and intertwined with technically challenging combat mechanics. The footage we have seen so far suggest it will be a faster paced version of Dark Souls, so prepare for more frantic gameplay.
08. Street Fighter x Tekken
The fighting genre made a miraculous come back in 2011 with Street Fighter IV, Mortal Kombat 9 and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 seeing huge amounts of success. Now it’s time to build upon those foundations as 2012 prepares for Soul Calibur V, Dead or Alive 5 and Street Fighter x Tekken. Pitting two of the genres most successful franchises against each other continues to push the boundaries of genre crossovers, but what we’ve seen so far has done nothing but impress us. The Tekken characters seem to blend nicely into the Street Fighter formula and we’re looking forward to pitting Ryu against Jin Kazama.
07. Ninja Gaiden 3
The Ninja Gaiden reboot on Xbox is widely considered to be one of the most influential action adventure titles of modern gaming. Unfortunately Ninja Gaiden 2 failed to live up to the high standards the original set, leaving many fans of the series bitterly disappointed. Now Tecmo Koei bring us the third installment in Ryu Hayabusa’s tale, incorporating a more story-oriented experience into the brutal and violent hack ’n’ slash gameplay Ninja Gaiden is known for. We have high expectations and faith that this is going to be the best the series has to offer and another pinnacle moment for the action adventure genre.
06. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Well if Ninja Gaiden can’t do it, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance sure will. Another action adventure title set for 2012 but with the expert development staff of Platinum Games behind the project, this is sure to dazzle. As a huge Ninja Gaiden fan, I am terrified that this title will completely outclass Tecmo Koei’s efforts, but that’s not a bad thing at all for the industry. Metal Gear Rising should hopefully be the first of a long line of spin-off games in the legendary Metal Gear series.
05. Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar are certainly pushing the boat out in 2012 with Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto V. Both franchises have huge followings and high expectations surrounding them, but there’s little doubt that they will sell in the millions. Unfortunately, figures tend to taint the critique of Rockstar games because even if the game isn’t that impressive (Grand Theft Auto IV), it still sells astonishingly. Looking back in hindsight however, it’s very difficult to call the last entry in the GTA series a good game. Rockstar need to completely overhaul the driving and shooting mechanics to make GTAV the best sandbox experience you can get your hands on.
04. Halo 4
I think we’re all excited just because of the name Halo. Nothing is known about Master Chief’s next adventure, but one can hope for a terrific sci-fi FPS experience. The series has so much to live up to and we can’t wait to see what 343 Industries has done with our beloved Spartan.
03. The Last of Us
If anyone had asked me 10 years ago whether I’d consider Naughty Dog to be my favourite developer of the modern era, I’d have laughed in their face. Lord behold, here we are as Naughty Dog lead development quality with their superb Uncharted series. The next project for the team is The Last of Us, which has been unveiled with a very interesting teaser trailer. Very reminiscent of I Am Legend starring Will Smith, the trailer showed two survivors hiding from what looked like infected zombies. One can only speculate what kind of game it could be, but we’re betting on a nice hybrid between Uncharted’s third-person adventure and Left 4 Dead’s amazing cooperative mode.
02. Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock was another game that set brand new standards for first-person adventure games. Blending terrific atmospheric gameplay with a great story and innovative enemies, Bioshock really was the perfect package. Similar to the Ninja Gaiden series however, the sequel Bioshock 2 failed to impress on numerous levels. Offering nothing new over the original, fans were left disappointed at the lack of difference between the two games. Fortunately for us, Bioshock Infinite takes the game away from Rapture and to a brand new city in the sky. With a new theme, new enemies and game mechanics, 2012 will finally see the true sequel to the superb Bioshock.
01. Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil has always been a staple video game franchise. Many fans were left lost amidst the transition from classic survival horror to action horror, but it’s undeniable that while Resident Evil 5 lacked any real creative spark, Resident Evil 4 is one of the best modern games conceived. Going back to what makes Resident Evil so fantastic, the sixth installment brings back Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield as they battle their way through various infected locations. The brand new trailer looked stunning and it’s definitely going to be one of this years biggest and best games.
There you have it! If that doesn’t wet your appetite for 2012, then I simply don’t know what will. Oh wait, I do – that’s just a small sample of this years big games as we will also see Hitman Absolution, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning, Syndicate, DMC: Devil May Cry to name a few more for 2012. So stay tuned as we bring you all the latest reviews of the top titles right here at webuy.com
Igor Kharin.
