Earlier this month, VentureBeat published a list of 10 of the most anticipated video games of 2012. Some of you had plenty to say about our picks, especially the fact that most of them were sequels. With many established franchises moving to a yearly release schedule, one might start to wonder where all the originality in gaming has gone.
Well, wonder no more.
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Asura’s Wrath
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012
Asura was once a revered deity before he was betrayed by his fellow gods, banished from the realm of Shinkoku, and stripped of all his powers. Twelve thousand years later, he is awakened by a mysterious voice and, consumed by vengeance, he sets out on a quest for revenge against his betrayers. Asura’s Wrath, Capcom’s latest beat ‘em up, will be told through episodic gameplay similar to a TV drama series, blending Asian mythology with sci-fi.
Capcom says Asura’s Wrath will deliver a fresh take on the action genre by combining intense combat with a seamless player-controlled narrative. Through a mix of range attacks and close quarter action, Asura will face off against numerous unique enemies, including planetary sized bosses, that Capcom says will continually challenge your expectations.
Dishonored
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: Q2 2012
Dishonored is an all-new first person action game currently under development at Arkane Studios. It’s the studio’s first project since being acquired by ZeniMax, the owner of Bethesda, in 2010. Overseeing the project are co-directors Raphael Colantonio, former lead designer on Arx Fatalis, and Harvey Smith, former lead designer on Deus Ex.
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In Dishonored, you take on the role of Corvo, a legendary bodyguard falsely imprisoned for the murder of the Empress, in an industrialized retro-future game world designed by Half-Life 2 Art Director Viktor Antonov. Using a mix of assassination and stealth, you will have to unravel the conspiracy behind the murder and hunt down those responsible. You will have numerous powers and tools to accomplish your tasks, and Arkane says each encounter will play out based on hundreds of different factors.
I Am Alive
Developer: Darkworks (2008-2010), Ubisoft Shanghai (2010-2011)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 3 (PSN), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release Date: Q1 2012
Publisher Ubisoft says I Am Alive is an action/adventure game engineered to create a convincing post-disaster world in which players are faced with thought-provoking choices. The game follows a man’s journey to find his wife and daughter in his hometown, Haventon, one year after a cataclysmic “Event” wipes out most of the human race. The mystery of the Event is an important part of the experience, the publisher says, and you will have to figure it out for yourself based on what you see and what others tell you.
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Stamina and resource management will be key to surviving I Am Alive’s post-apocalyptic world. There are no supernatural threats. Instead, you will have to brave deadly dust clouds and scale enormous buildings to search for supplies while using a unique combat system that requires you to utilize intimidation against your foes.
Journey
Developer: thatgamecompany
Publisher: Sony
Platforms: PlayStation 3 (PSN)
Release Date: Spring 2012
thatgamecompany, the studio behind flOw and Flower, is known for challenging traditional gaming conventions and Journey is their vision of a unique online adventure experience. After awakening in an unknown world, you will walk, glide, and fly through an awe-inspiring, interactive landscape and discover the history of an ancient civilization. The game encourages exploration without violence and seeks to “de-empower” you, making you feel tiny and helpless in a vast world.
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Journey’s approach to online gaming sounds similar to that of Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls, in that you will occasionally be able to explore your surroundings with fellow travelers who cross your path. By traveling together, you will be able to re-shape the experience in a way that the developer hopes will be authentic, emotional, and memorable. Here’s our interview with Journey co-creator Jenova Chen.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Developer: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2012
38 Studios is the creative enterprise of former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, who also happens to be an avid gamer. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the studio’s first project and it has already generated buzz simply because of the names attached to it. Ken Rolston, former lead designer of classic role-playing games The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is leading the project, while New York Times best-selling fantasy author R.A. Salvatore is creating the lore and game world and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane is in charge of the art direction.
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38 Studios says Reckoning will have the open-world exploration, vast narrative, and character customization fans expect from the genre, as well as fast-paced, graphically stimulating action and fluid controls. If God of War and Fable had a baby, it would probably look a lot like Reckoning, and expectations are high for this brand new IP.
Lollipop Chainsaw
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: March 2012
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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.