Lollipop Chainsaw
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: March 2012
Grasshopper Manufacture and its chief executive officer, Goichi Suda (aka Suda51), are known for creating quirky, offbeat video games like No More Heroes, killer7 and Shadows of the Damned. Their latest work, Lollipop Chainsaw, will be no exception, and will feature the musical compositions of renowned video game composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) and the cult humor and edgy storytelling of Hollywood director/writer James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead).
In Lollipop Chainsaw, you are high school cheerleader Juliet Starling, who is on a quest to save her school from a zombie outbreak. It’s what Buffy the Vampire Slayer might have been like if it had had less vampires and more gore. Combat will be fast-paced; Juliet will have to chain combo attacks to slice and dice her way through the undead hordes. If you like games that don’t take themselves too seriously, Lollipop Chainsaw is one game worth keeping an eye on.
Overstrike
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: TBA 2012
Another game that promises to not take itself too seriously is Insomniac Games’ Overstrike. The game’s trailer, which debuted at E3 2011, showed off its sense of humor, as well as its stunning visuals. Overstrike is a 4-player cooperative action game featuring a team of elite agents called Overstrike 9. These four distinct characters – an ex-mercenary, a lifelong thief, a gifted young scientist, and a decorated detective – must stop a global terrorist group from attempting to wipe out humankind.
Overstrike is Insomniac’s first multiplatform release. The developer’s previous franchises, such as Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, and Spyro the Dragon, were all PlayStation exclusives.
Quantum Conundrum
Developer: Airtight Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3 (PSN), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release Date: Q1 2012
Quantum Conundrum is the latest project of Kim Swift, co-creator of the classic PC puzzle game Portal. Like Portal, this first-person downloadable title will feature environmental puzzles built around a single concept – in this case, alternate dimensions.
As a young kid dropped off at the manor home of your scientist uncle, you will use the Inter-Dimensional Shift Device to travel to entirely new dimensions in order to find your missing relative. Each dimension you visit will become a valuable asset in solving puzzles around the manor. For example, the Fluffy Dimension, which makes heavy objects ten times lighter, will allow you to move once immovable objects from one place to the next. Swift says the team at Airtight Games wants to create a fun, quirky puzzle game that anyone will want to play regardless of age or gaming experience.
The Last Guardian
Developer: Team Ico
Publisher: Sony
Platforms: PlayStation 3
Release Date: TBA 2012
The Last Guardian is one of VentureBeat’s most anticipated games of 2012, and with good reason. It is being developed by Team Ico, the small studio behind beloved PlayStation 2 classics Shadow of the Colossus and Ico. Although there is a bit of controversy over whether or not the game will actually be released, for now Sony is standing by the title.
Combining elements from both of its predecessors, The Last Guardian tells the story of a young boy and his companion Trico, a giant creature that is half-dog and half-bird. The two will have to work together to solve a variety of puzzles as they make their way through a beautiful and atmospheric game world. The little boy can run, jump, and climb similarly to the protagonists in Shadow and Ico, and can even use stealth to bypass enemies. He’ll also be able to climb and ride the monstrous Trico, but unlike typical video game sidekicks, the beast won’t always respond to commands. Team Ico says manipulating him into helping you will be an important part of the game.
The Secret World
Developer: Funcom
Publisher: Funcom, Electronic Arts
Platforms: PC
Release Date: April 2012
The Secret World is the latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game from Funcom, the company behind 2008’s Age of Conan. It takes place in a modern-day setting where secret societies pull the strings of kings and presidents and every myth, legend, and conspiracy you’ve ever heard about is true.
Funcom says The Secret World is a MMORPG that will break free from the confinements of character classes and levels and allow players to explore real-world locations with an engrossing storyline. Over half a million players have signed up for the game’s closed beta testing, the developer says, and it expects the size of the community will grow even larger as Open Beta and launch approach.