10th January 2012 - With 2011 being hailed as one of the greatest years in video game history, one has to wonder what else can this industry throw at us to top the latest releases? With the current generation arguably coming to an end, some fear the quality of games will start to go downhill until the big releases of the next generation of gaming consoles. But rest assured this is not the case. 2012 is going to another year for the gaming history books, and amongst the many great titles set to release in the coming years’ time, AAG have studied long and hard to bring you our Top 10 Most Anticipated Games for 2012. There’s something for everyone on this list, and just a glance will cement the fact that now truly is the greatest time to be a gamer. So sit back and enjoy, because kicking off the list is…
10. Max Payne 3
Developer: Rockstar Vancouver
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release Date: March 2012
Admittedly, I – like almost every other Max Payne fan – was extremely cautious and wary of Max Payne 3 when it was revealed original developer Remedy was no longer in charge of our beloved man-with-nothing-to-lose tale, and to be completely honest, it’s a sequel that didn’t need to happen, with Max Payne 2 ending the perfectly told story. Max Payne was a very iconic series, and led the 3rd Person Shooter genre to further reaches like nothing before or since it, and to have the sequel thrown into new hands raised a lot of eyebrows. But that was then. In the last few months alone, we have been drip fed more and more info about Max Payne 3, and everything so far simply screams for fans of the original games to lay their faith in Rockstar Vancouver, and I cannot stress that enough. Max is in very good hands. Now set in tropical Brazil, Max Payne 3 is a brutally dark and atmospheric shooter worthy of the franchise title, pitting Max once again on the wrong side of the barrels of underworld criminals and crime lords in what is sure to be a deep plot full of the twists and turns only the Payne series is brave enough to venture to. It may have a questionable multiplayer portion added to the game, but it nonetheless looks to be every bit of the sequel we’ve been waiting for for years. Max is back my friends, and he is meaner, angrier and balder than ever. Brace yourselves.
- John Elliott
9. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Developer: Big Huge Games, 38 Studios
Publisher: EA
Release Date: February 2012
So as most of you would have seen my article earlier this week, detailing some of the finer points about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (You didn’t? Read it now then!). If 2011 was the year Skyrim took RPG games to new heights, then 2012 is going to be the year KOA extends on that and turns the average casual gamer into a hardcore RPG fanatic. I’ve only seen a few previews and already I’m hyped and waiting for that bandwagon to roll past my house. The only issue I have is the fact I have no idea where the time to play this will come from. Is anyone a divorce attorney? Because I might be needing you next year…
- Will Muscat
8. Ninja Gaiden 3
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Release Date: March 2012
Ninja Gaiden may have started in the late 1980’s and enjoyed a rich fanbase throughout the 90’s, but it wasn’t until the 2004 Xbox reboot that the series really showed its potential and strengths. One of the only decent Ninja games, it was an instant hit, but its brutal difficulty and depth were the real starts of the show. Ninja Gaiden 3 may now be toning down the brutality of the series, but it nonetheless looks to be a faithful sequel and even upping the technicalities of the franchise. It’s fast, furious and fun, and with all the right boxes ticked, may be 2012’s best hack’n’slash title. New to the series though, is a multiplayer mode. This see’s two teams of Ninja’s pitted against each other in various game modes, including the obvious Deathmatch. With the help of the combat and exploration mechanics, then with unique abilities and powers thrown in and even customisable ninja’s, this actually looks like far more than a tacked-on addition, but rather a full-fledged online game that should stand its own and lead the genre. Time will tell if this portion of the game flops or rises, but the game as a whole looks to take the genre to new heights once more.
- John Elliott
7. Hitman: Absolution
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: TBA 2012
Running on a brand new engine – Glacier 2 – Hitman: Absolution is looking absolutely gorgeous, which is surprising given that Hitman's graphics and design have never matched its awesome story and addictive, challenging and very unique gameplay. The Hitman series has always been fun, but also technically flawed, with clumsy controls and shooting marring what could otherwise have been a top selling and blockbuster series. Now with Square Enix’s ownership and backing, IO Interactive are looking to rectify the problems with the past, and, judging from the major improvement of Kane and Lynch 2 over the original, my hopes are high for Hitman: Absolution delivering on every promise.
- Nick Getley
6. GTA V
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release Date: TBA 2012
There isn’t much known about the next instalment in the legendary Grand Theft Auto series, apart from the fact it’s called GTA V and is taking players back to San Andreas, the setting of arguably the best and most popular game in the franchise. This alone is enough to get any GTA fan giddy, but the initial trailer (which also happens to be the only source of any information at the moment) is what has the guys here at All Age Gaming getting hot under the collar. It shows off some of underlining tech that the game will be running on, and to say the very least, it’s beautiful! The visuals are of a very high quality, with details, animations, models and textures all as great as you would expect from the king of open world games, and what looks like possibly a return to the more crazy, over-the-top play style of the series which was toned down a bit in GTA IV. So GTA fan or not, prepare yourself because in 2012 GTA V, a game which could very well lead the market in every direction like its predecessor did, is going to launch and shake the very foundations of the industry. But hey, what else could you expect from GTA?
- John Elliott
5. Tomb Raider
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: Q3 2012
Rebooting games is never easy; gamers love familiarity (look at the Call of Duty franchise!), and throwing away classic elements from a game can result in forums and forums of fanboys vying for blood. Now Tomb Raider is back with the reboot treatment, and everything is completely redesigned, and I do mean everything. But this is in no way a bad thing, as the new elements really look to add a whole new layer to the franchise. Lara is now 19 years old with a totally new look about her, and the game takes place well before she grew into to be the dual wielding, tiger shooting adventurer from previous games. It’s actually taking a more believable and realistic approach to the character and game as a whole. Gameplay focuses on survival, with Tomb Raider taking heavy inspiration from television shows like Man vs Wild, and also looks very reminiscent of the likes of Uncharted. Fingers crossed that the new gameplay is as fun as the trailer is breath taking, and this will surely be one to remember from 2012.
- Nick Getley
4. Bioshock Infinite
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: TBA 2012
Bioshock Infinite is the successor to the critically acclaimed Bioshock from 2007. With the release of the first Bioshock, the very standards of narrative structure, environmental design, and intellectualism in games were changed forever. Bioshock Infinite appears to be going forward by paradoxically taking an opposite approach almost entirely from its transcendent predecessor. The story involves Booker DeWitt, a man who is hired to find a woman named Elizabeth who has been taken to the floating city in the sky known as Columbia never to be heard from again. Unfortunately for Mister DeWitt, Columbia has become paranoid and hostile towards any and all outsiders, to the point that a war has broken out amongst the populous. While Bioshock was a very inward, intense and claustrophobic experience with its deep underwater utopia and a mute empty vessel for a player character, Infinite by comparison appears to be a more outward and intimate experience. Columbia appears open and inviting with vibrant colours and an atmosphere identical to the warmth of early 20h Century American Pioneers. Also, the focus appears to be less of one man taking on an army of enemies and more of the chemistry of Booker and Elizabeth and the bond they begin to share. With Bioshock's original creative director, Ken Levine, behind the project our expectations are nothing less than a game that will once again meet and reshape the standards of gaming as we know them.
- Tyler Chancey
3. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 2012
“Optimize for range.” Oh what the hell? It just changed everything about my gun, wow! Never thought that would happen in any game I played. Gunsmith just one of the many features I look forward to playing with come March 2012 when Ghost Recon Future solider smashes into my living room. After years of playing with typical war shooters, it’s going to be nice having a good old Tom Clancy style gaming spinning in the tray once again. This time it’s bringing along some bonus features for all you guys and girls with Kinect, as well as some awesome looking 4 player campaign for everyone else. To date there is nothing about this game that tells me to not get it, so Mr Clancy... I’ll be gladly picking this one up!
- Will Muscat
2. Halo 4
Developer: 343 Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: Q4 2012
Halo 4. ‘Nuff said.
1. Mass Effect 3
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: EA
Release Date: March 2012
Despite housing a great deal of excellent titles, there can only be one winner. AAG’s Most Anticipated game of 2012 is Mass Effect 3, the epic conclusion to the massively popular sci-fi RPG series. Mass Effect 3 continues the story of Commander Shepard and his intergalactic war against the unstoppable Reapers and the narrative looks to hit home harder than the previous instalments, with the fight being brought to Earth for the very first time. From preliminary gameplay footage, combat has taken a steep rise once more into an action packed shooter worthy of more than just an RPG. The franchises’ signature morality, conversation and crew mechanics are more polished and expandable than ever, too, creating an even deeper sense of emotion and drama few games can even dream of matching. Add this in with an interesting cooperative mode which sees a few players able to take on missions together, the use of the game’s powers and gunplay making it a very peculiar spectacle. All up, Mass Effect 3 is set to be an epic space adventure much like its predecessor and take us deep into the unknown in what is very easily All Age Gaming’s most anticipated game of 2012.
- John Elliott
Thanks for reading folks, why not jump over to our Facebook page or just comment below and tell us why you think we either hit the nail on the head here or have it dead wrong and let us know what games you’re most looking forward to in 2012! No matter what you’re into, this coming year is sure to bring more than a little of something special for you.
Article by John Elliot, Will Muscat, Nick Getley and Tyler Chancey