Hot Properties: The Best New Games Of 2012 (part one)

It’s fair to say that 2011 has been a blinding year for games from start to finish. We’ve seen cracking new IPs like Bulletstorm from Epic and People Can Fly, and LA Noire from Team Bondi and Rockstar; we’ve seen two of the best RPGs of the last decade in Skyrim and Dark Souls, and sequels (Crysis 2, Dragon Age 2, Batman Arkham City) and threequels (Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3) galore. But all this quality has spoiled us gamers, tricked us into thinking that 2011 can’t be topped and that 2012 is going to be a big boring stack of reboots, remakes and tired old sequels. Even big hitters like Hitman Absolution, Bioshock Infinite and Mass Effect 3 can’t allay fears that the next 12 months will be, well, a wee bit dull for those gamers out there who crave a bit of mystery once in a while.

But it’s simply not the case. There are new IPs due at every turn next year and in this 4-part mini preview blowout, we aim to prove that if the Mayans are right and we’re all getting kersplatted come December, at least the games industry is going out with a roar and not a whimper. Forget all the reimaginings and follow-ups in 2012, here’s where the real juice is…

READ PART TWO OF THE FEATURE HERE

AND READ PART THREE HERE

ANARCHY REIGNS

Formats: PS3, Xbox 360
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Platinum Games
ETA: January

What We Know: Having given the Wii its first truly grown-up game with 2009’s gore-soaked MadWorld, Platinum Games exploded into the limelight in 2010 with two incredible new IPs in the form of Bayonetta and Vanquish. Now they’ve turned their hand towards the beat-em-up with Anarchy Reigns, a brutal fighter with a massive online twist. Action Trigger Events (or A.T.E’s) ensure a different experience with each match, as your actions in the arenas can trigger plane crashes and black holes that alter the shape of the battleground and the course of the bout. Featuring half the cast of MadWorld (including chainsaw-armed protagonist Jack Cayman) and a handful of equally off-the-wall characters, Anarchy Reigns is brimming with Platinum Games’ unique, off-kilter style.

What We Want: Solid combat, an impressive roster of fighters, tight controls and a decent matchmaking system. The last thing we want is to be kicking around online for ages waiting for a match, only to be thrown into a Battle Royale with three other people playing as Jack. Variety and polish will be key to Anarchy Reigns’ success or failure.

What We Expect: Platinum Games have proven that they can deliver: Bayonetta is one of the tightest, most well-balanced action games of recent years, while Vanquish (despite a few missteps) is lightning fast and hugely addictive. If any developer can pull off frantic, brutal, balanced combat on such a large scale it’s Platinum.

 

KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING

Formats: PS3, PC, Xbox 360
ETA: February 10th
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: 38 Studios / Big Huge Games

What We Know: The pedigree of those working on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is impressive enough to demand attention before you’ve even seen the game in action. The executive designer is Ken Rolston, lead designer on Morrowind and Oblivion, and the world was created by award-winning fantasy author R.A. Salvatore and rinsed through the visual imagination of legendary comic book artist Todd McFarlane. Described by 38 Studios’ head honcho, Curt Schilling, as a marriage between The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and God of War, Kingdoms is a huge, deep RPG featuring impressive real-time combat and a unique class system.

What We Want: In a word, depth. We’re not expecting a gameworld as massive and intricate as Skyrim's, but if the game itself lacks detail and options where customisation and progression are concerned, all we’re left with is an action RPG the likes of which we’ve seen hundreds of times before.

What We Expect: With four selectable races and 60+ unlockable skills across three trees, there’s room for experimentation and replayability, and the minds behind the world and storyline are genuinely distinguished. Given the reaction over at our sister site RaidingParty.net during the EA Spring Showcase, it’s safe to say we expect Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning to deliver some visceral, compelling RPG action come February.

 

THE LAST OF US

Formats: PS3
ETA: 2012 (vague enough for you?)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog

What We Know: At this point, very little. When a teaser trailer for The Last Of Us hit the internet like a little bomb of hype last week, all it revealed was a handful of scenes depicting riots and worldwide destruction, set against a gravelled North American voice lamenting all the things that had been lost to society like “the smell of a Sunday morning barbecue” and “a clean conscience”. What set tongues wagging was the second trailer featuring footage of an ant in some far-off rainforest being destroyed by the cordyceps unilateralis fungus – a nasty little parasite that does horrible things to jungle-dwelling anthropoids. Speculation was rife about the developers involved in this PS3-exclusive, but at Saturday’s Spike TV Video Game Awards, the full cinematic trailer was revealed – and it’s a doozy. We now know, at least, that we’re dealing with a pandemic of global proportions that is setting the last survivors against not only the infected but also against each other, and that the protagonists appear to be a man and his daughter fighting to survive.

What We Want: Something big, frankly. Naughty Dog (for those of you who’ve spent the last six years living in a cave) are the developers behind the massively successful Uncharted series, and most recently Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. They’ve proved that they can handle the player character interacting with a dependant NPC (with ties in nicely with the father/daughter dynamic), and that they can do huge open areas, lush vegetation and incredibly vertical gameplay. Also, it would be really nice if the story involved more than just another dash to safety.

What We Expect: Something big, frankly. Given that The Last of Us appears to be set between 5 and 10 years after the outbreak of the mysterious virus and the cities are overgrown with vegetation, meaning that navigation may well move onto the vertical plain. The guy in the trailer bears a striking resemblance to Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, and if he’s had to survive for this long in a 28 Days Later style zombie nightmare then he’ll have learned a thing or two about bypassing physical obstacles efficiently. We’re expecting a darker tone than we saw in Uncharted, but a gameworld of greater scope and detail. Think of a big, beautiful hybrid of Uncharted, Left 4 Dead and Enslaved. Yeah, gets us excited, too.

Read the Made2Game Instant Review of The Last of Us.

 

STARHAWK

Formats: PS3
ETA: 2012
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Lightbox Interactive / Sony CE Santa Monica

What We Know: Although technically a “spiritual successor” to 2007’s Warhawk, this 3rd Person Shooter from Lightbox Interactive is very much a new IP. Set in the distant future on a world far away from Earth, Starhawk follows Emmett Graves, the owner of a “rift” mine. When the mine is attacked by mutants infected with rift energy, Graves and his brother are both afflicted. As is usually the case in these situations, their first port of call is to become hired guns and go looking for their Revenge. It’s all looking a little bit like Red Faction: Guerilla in more ways than one (which isn’t a bad thing) but minus the procedural destruction (which is).

What We Want: A decent story. Given that the whole 'guy loses everything and turns mercenary in his quest for vengeance' thing has been done approximately 2.3 million times, here’s hoping that Starhawk is more than just your average sci-fi actioner.

What We Expect: With 32-player online battles and a co-op mode not unlike Gears of War’s Horde, Lightbox and Sony seem to be aiming for a slice of next year’s multiplayer market so we’re expecting some serious spit-shine on the online element. As long as the solo campaign (which its spiritual predecessor did without altogether) is as well cared for, Starhawk should continue the tradition of quality PS3-exclusives.

 

I AM ALIVE

Formats: PS3 (Playstation Network), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
ETA: Q1 2012
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai

What We Know: That it is alive! After a rocky start way back in 2008, being dropped by original developers Darkworks and rescued by Ubisoft Shanghai and undergoing some serious gameplay and graphical redesigns, I Am Alive is finally back and heading for a release in early 2012. Set in the fictional city of Haventon one year after a cataclysmic earthquake known as The Event decimated the US (and the world?), I Am Alive sees you playing the part of a survivor searching for his lost family, seeing off other survivors and traversing a shattered, hollow world wreathed in toxic dust and strewn with the crumbling remnants of humanity. Featuring the option to talk your way out of trouble by intimidation and nerve, and the ability to collect resources such as climbing gear, first aid kits and makeshift weaponry in your quest to find your family and save as many unfortunates as possible along the way, I Am Alive might well be one of the deepest and biggest arcade releases next year.

What We Want: Verticality and controllability. The ground is covered in poisonous ash, which suggests much of the travelling will be conducted above the cloud, leaping from dilapidated rooftops and shattered, precarious ledges. The controls will have to be tight, and your character’s interactions with the world and its inhabitants will need to be well-animated and carefully measured. No clipping and sudden texture pop-in, please.

What We Expect: Ubisoft, as a gestalt entity, should know more than enough about running, jumping and bare-fist fighting to ensure that I Am Alive is at least entertaining and exciting. Releasing it onto the download market as opposed to store retail is an interesting move on behalf of Ubisoft, but judging by the screenshots of the beautifully decayed city and a buff young Grizzly Adams type running round with a bow & arrows and a grappling hook, I Am Alive has every chance of being a stand-out title upon launch.

 

BINARY DOMAIN

Formats: PS3, Xbox 360
ETA: February 17th 2012
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Yakuza Studios

What We Know: Created by Toshiihiro Nagoshi, the man behind the Yakuza series, Binary Domain is a squad-based shooter set in Tokyo in the year 2080. Battling against an invading robotic enemy, you will lead your squad through a storyline that branches out in different directions depending on the way you play. The Consequence System is a unique storytelling tool developed by Yakuza Studios that will alter gameplay elements, story paths and AI reaction based on how you interact with your squad and deal with certain situations. High trust will mean your burly underlings will be more willing to take a metal slug in the kisser for you, while low trust (brought on by inept leadership, failure to meet objectives and all round dick-headedness) will see them hang back and watch you get riddled with bullets for shits and giggles. The combat looks pretty meaty, and if Yakuza Studios pull it off the tech is definitely likely to run and run.

What We Want: A hardcore shooter with unique gameplay elements, advanced AI and as little “Japan” as possible in the mix. Bad American voice-overs and a tendency to put style-over-substance usually mar games of this ilk, but with Nagosi’s track record it shouldn’t be a problem here – especially if Yakuza Studios can make good on their promises.

What We Expect: Hard to say. The Yakuza games are a long way from high-concept sci-fi, and with Binary Domain asking questions about the nature of humanity and the perils of playing god with robotics, overly-stylised storytelling could damage an otherwise impressive title. If the Consequence System is as effective as Yakuza Studios are hinting, Binary Domain could be a surprise hit in 2012.

Thus concludes the first part of our mini preview blowout, with part two following shortly. What do you think of the games featured on this list? Any of them get you excited? Any of them seem too blasé? Let us know what you think – we love a good debate, us.

READ PART TWO OF THE FEATURE HERE

AND READ PART THREE HERE

Words by Mick Fraser (Twitter: @Jedi_Beats_Tank)

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