[Multi] 2012 Video Games Preview - Part III (#21-30)

30. Risen 2: Dark Waters
Platform(s): PC, PS3, X360
Genre: Action RPG
Developer: Piranha Bytes
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release Date: April 24, 2012

Last year, RPG fans got a hefty dose of medieval settings and storylines with games like Dragon Age II, The Witcher 2, and Skyrim, so Risen 2: Dark Waters might be a refreshing change of pace this year with its distinct pirate theme. You will begin Risen 2 with the star of the first game (who developer Piranha Bytes lovingly refers to as the “Nameless Hero”) washing up on the shores of an isolated island. He is a shell of his former self though, now an alcoholic, disenchanted man that has lost much of his power and ability. Your first goal is to find a way off this desolate island and find more populated areas. After accomplishing this, you will embark on the meaty adventure that will take our hero through numerous islands and port towns, interacting with the many colourful folk that reside therein while battling with hordes of monsters and pirates in pursuit of a legend that claims to contain the secret to defeat the monstrous titans that dwell within the nearby seas. As with all RPGs, completing quests and defeating baddies will yield experience points to spend on improving stats and abilities or learning new skills. What's most promising is that the developer is taking great care in creating an interesting and faithful game world: NPCs will speak with the gruff accents and crude demeanor you would expect from the denizens of a pirate society (Piranha Bytes is infusing plenty of humour into both dialogue and gameplay too), players will be able to wield a wide variety of weapons including swords and firearms, and the settings look fantastic with lush jungles and authentic port towns, characters, and creatures befitting of the historic Caribbean-like setting. We don’t really expect that Risen 2 will do much to redefine the genre, but building upon the rock solid foundation set by the first game (just forget about the console version of Risen) and the fascinating setting that makes a much-needed departure from the stereotypical fantasy worlds of most modern RPGs, we expect that the Dark Waters of Risen 2 will be well worth exploring.

29. Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Platform(s): PS3
Genre: Action RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: TBA 2012

There seems to be an awful lot of games with Final Fantasy XIII in the title these days, but Versus XIII may be the black sheep in the bunch, and that might actually be a good thing. Although Versus is set in the same universe as FFXIII and its sequel also due out this year, the PS3-exclusive will feature a completely different plot with different characters and even different gameplay. Famed designer and director Tetsuya Nomura (best known for directing the Kingdom Hearts series) is heading up the project, which should give the game its own distinct flavour from other Final Fantasy games. The game is uses a three character party-based combat system where players will be able to switch between characters and is often referred to as having a similar feel to Kingdom Heart’s battle system. Each character has their own set of weapons, magic, and abilities, many of which can be customized: only main character Noctis can use all the game’s weapons, while another character that specializes in firearms can enter a third-person mode for precise aiming. Nomura’s team at Square Enix is doing their best to ensure the game world and its characters look and perform as realistically as possible. Most Final Fantasy games have a bright, fantastical aesthetic to the game world, but Versus is aiming for painstakingly realistic environments, and characters will have detailed facial expressions and body movements, including animated character portraits at the bottom of the screen during battles. The series’ typically meaty cut-scenes in which players are forced to sit and watch for lengthy periods of time are being revamped to become more interactive, as players will be able to move around and perform various actions during cut-scenes a la Heavy Rain. Wandering the game’s huge open landscapes will have a different feel too, as Versus features a real-time day/night cycle as well as numerous real-time events that will occur while travelling, such as a behemoth attacking as Noctis approaches a bridge or ships suddenly dropping from the sky and crashing near the player. Traversing the massive game world will be made more efficient as well since players will be able to ride in cars, air ships, and on chocobos. Versus XIII is still a bit of an enigma with any substantial looks at the game yet to be revealed (we're not entirely confident that it will even make it out in 2012), but the game has very competent team behind it with a clear and distinct vision for the game that should be a welcomed change of pace from the other games bearing the FFXIII moniker.

28. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Platform(s): PC, PS3, X360
Genre: Action
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: TBA 2012

You might just want to ignore the title of this game. While Revengeance (a ridiculous hybrid word in its own right) shares a common name with the critically-acclaimed franchise that has sold tens of millions of copies in the last decade and a half, it bears little to no resemblance to the stealth-action pioneer. Even the developer is different since Kojima Productions relinquished its handle on the game to Bayonetta developer Platinum Games after Kojima’s legendary team struggled to find a compelling way to tell Raiden’s story. Past images gamers may have seen of Raiden systematically chopping up melons, machines, and yes, even people, are no longer the primary direction for Metal Gear Rising, as the mechanic proved too difficult to integrate into an enjoyable experience on its own. Platinum’s take on the experience is much more fast-paced and action-oriented, not unlike its aforementioned signature title Bayonetta. As opposed to the slow, calculated course of action players are encouraged to take with Solid Snake during his starring roles within the series, Revengeance players will be pushed to literally hack and slash anything and anyone that gets in their way. It still appears pretty much anything is fair game for protagonist Raiden’s famous katana, as trailers have shown Raiden effortlessly slicing entire vehicles in half, though more recent looks at the action show quicker and more reckless slicing and dicing than was shown in early builds of the game. Details on the plot are scarce at this point, though we do know that the storyline, which obviously follows the exploits of MGS2 co-star Raiden, will take place after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Fans may be annoyed by the fact that this is being called a Metal Gear game given its radical alterations to the core gameplay (no “tactical espionage action” here), however moving past that fact reveals quite an interesting concept that looks like it should provide lots of over-the-top style and brutal fun, especially if Platinum can match or, better yet, improve upon its previous efforts.

27. Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Platform(s): X360
Genre: Action
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: TBA 2012

People are still struggling to classify this download-only Xbox Live Arcade extension of the acclaimed horror franchise that began just a couple of years ago. We know that it isn’t a direct sequel to Alan Wake - developer Remedy says that’s still in the works – nor is it an expansion of the first game. It isn’t an attempt to spread the franchise to another genre either. Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is more of short-form spin-off that will flesh out the lore of this peculiar IP, and help to quell the long wait until the full-fledged sequel arrived. Players of the first game (which will finally be coming out for PC gamers this year as well) will probably remember the eerie "Night Springs" episodes playing on televisions spread throughout the game world during the terrifying experience, whose manuscripts were written by Alan Wake himself. American Nightmare finds the titular character trapped inside an episode of the show in similar fashion to how he was trapped in one of his novels for the first game. The setting has changed quite dramatically: the mountainous terrain and thick evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest have been replaced by the bright and barren desert of Arizona. Here he will encounter his own evil doppelganger, called Mr. Scratch, who is leaving Alan sadistic videos of himself tormenting and killing innocent victims while threatening to do the same to his wife Alice. The gameplay concept remains mostly the same: shadowy people, creatures, and objects interested in bringing harm to our hero need to be exposed to a light source in order to make them vulnerable to attacks with conventional weapons, however Remedy is adding a wider selection of both light sources and weaponry along with a greater variety of enemies, effectively addressing probably the most common complaint with the original – repetitive combat. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because this is a downloadable game that Remedy is dumbing down the production values either. American Nightmare will have more of those ‘WTF is going on’ moments with vehicles and other large objects being tossed around by an unseen supernatural force, accompanied by full narration and voiced characters, licensed music, and more refined visuals. Given the shorter context of this story, Remedy is also claiming that there will be more action and less storytelling this time around. Normally we wouldn’t be terribly excited for a shortened spin-off an established franchise, but when that franchise is one of very few remaining quality survival horror series and that spin-off looks to improve upon the main series in almost every way, we’re going to make an exception.

26. Journey

Platform(s): PS3
Genre: Adventure
Developer: thatgamecompany
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: Q2 2012

The downloadable marketplace has become a beacon for some truly unique artistic and gameplay experiences in recent years, the likes of which include Limbo, Braid, and Bastion. But perhaps no developer has established itself on such concepts as thatgamecompany, the studio that has brought us the unusual but well-received experiences Flow and Flower. The developer is at it again with their newest effort, Journey. The distinctiveness of the game is immediately apparent from the first time you lay eyes on it, with an invisible, cloaked figure wandering into a seemingly endless desert of sand dunes. A goal always remains in sight though: a tall mountain burgeoning in the distance, with a mysterious beam of light beckoning from its peak. It’s not particularly clear what is required of the player in order to reach the mountain, nor what they will find when they get there. There are only two actions that the player can perform: leap and sing. Singing seems to be a primary concept to the gameplay, as it can be used to interact with objects, such as activating pieces of cloth lying in the sand that will form paths for the player to follow or allow them to fly for brief periods. Ruins and other magical objects will be encountered throughout the journey as well, though their purpose hasn't really been detailed yet. Journey is also an online multiplayer title, but not at all in the traditional sense. As you navigate the vast desert, you may meet other faceless figures who are actually other players playing the game. You will not know the identity of the players you meet and will not be able to speak to them, but you can communicate with one another through basic commands conveyed through the ‘sing’ button. It is up to you how you wish to interact with other players: you can travel together, have a brief encounter, or simply ignore each other. Obviously if you’re into games for their heavy action sequences or deep narratives, Journey is not for you. For the rest of us though, the game’s stunning visual spectacle, beautifully haunting sound and atmosphere, and irresistible sense of vastness and mystery make Journey a unique artistic experience that we don’t want to miss.

25. SSX

Platform(s): PS3, X360
Genre: Extreme Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Release Date: February 28, 2012

Early prognostications of SSX (initially dubbed ‘Deadly Descents’) had fans of the series concerned about the direction EA was taking with the reboot of the beloved snowboarding franchise. It looked darker and more realistic, leading gamers to the assumption that the over-the-top arcade style the series was founded on was being ditched for a simulation-style experience more akin to EA’s Skate franchise. As more details have emerged though, it has become more and more apparent that EA Canada is in fact staying true to the tried-and-true SSX formula, much to the relief of fans. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some big changes in store though, beginning with the level design. Players will be dropped onto actual mountains (27 in total, each with numerous drop points) from various ranges around the planet using real data borrowed from NASA, giving them more of a free reign across the slopes than the invisible barriers found in previous games that walled players onto a linear, defined track. While the topography of the mountains may be faithful to their real-life counterparts, the developers are designing the terrain on their own to make sure there are plenty of interesting features for players to take advantage of. And taking advantage of features is where SSX veterans will feel right at home. Armed with a new wingsuit for improved airtime, players will be able to pull off impossibly insane and stylish tricks throughout every adrenaline-filled descent. New to the formula is the ‘deadly descents’ mode, in which players’ primary goal is to survive peril-laden tracks as they strive to stay ahead of deadly avalanches thundering ominously close behind. Many of the characters will be familiar to anyone who has played previous entries, including fan favourites like Mac, Kaori, Psymon, and Elise, though they may be sporting slightly different looks and personalities. Joining them are some platform-exclusive guest characters like Nathan Drake (Uncharted) and Jak (Jak & Daxter) on the PS3, and, oddly enough, a pair of Miss Universe winners on the Xbox 360. There will be plenty of unlockable outfits for each character, and there is of course potential for several downloadable mountains to complement the already-extensive list of tracks. If it handles as tight as it did in its glory days, SSX will be a triumphant return to a fantastic franchise. Oh yeah and Run-DMC’s “It’s Tricky” theme from SSX Tricky is in the game too. If that doesn't seal the deal...

24. SoulCalibur V

Platform(s): PS3, X360
Genre: Fighting
Developer: Project Soul
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Release Date: January 31, 2012

Namco Bandai is doing its best to live up to its billing of the Soul franchise as “a tale of souls and swords eternally retold” by bringing the sixth game in the series over the last 16 years to consoles in 2012. Unlike the better part of the weapons-based fighting saga so far though, SoulCalibur V is poised to introduce some significant changes from its predecessors. A new gauge segmented into four parts has been introduced, which will need to be filled over the course of the match to pull off a few new special abilities: “Brave Edge” attacks use one segment of the meter and are upgraded versions of each character’s special attacks, and “Critical Edge” attacks consume half of the meter to perform impressive and punishing character-specific moves. On the defensive side of things, players will be able to utilize the “Guard Impact” and “Just Guard” mechanics. Guard Impacts, which cost a quarter of your gauge, will be initiated when you parry an attack immediately before impact, after which your opponent will become temporarily stunned and therefore vulnerable to an attack. Just Guard is more difficult to pull off, but doesn’t require you to use up any of your gauge: guarding at the moment of impact will stagger the enemy and grant you quicker recovery time. Don’t count on overdependence on your guarding abilities though. Too many consecutive defensive moves will cause your health meter to flash to red, indicating that your defences are weakening until they will finally collapse and leave you entirely defenseless unless you perform some parries or start fighting back. Many of the series’ colourful cast of characters will be returning for SCV, including the likes of Ivy, Voldo, Nightmare, Astaroth, and Cervantes; along with a handful of newbies. As is becoming custom for the franchise, a special guest character will also be playable. In this case, Ezio Auditore of Assassin’s Creed fame will join the cast, and we have to say that he seems to fit into the roster better than any previous character. Project Soul is also adding some depth to the character creator and is experimenting with a new animation technique that should give the fights a more stylish look in addition to the crisp HD visuals. SoulCalibur V is adding enough appealing changes to freshen things up a bit and move forward what is already one of the industry’s premier fighting franchises.

23. Resident Evil Revelations

Platform(s): 3DS
Genre: Action Adventure
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: February 7, 2012

If you read our Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, you will have already heard about the angst among Resident Evil fans over the long-running franchise’s gradual and lamentable gravitation away from its survival horror roots, of which the aforementioned title does nothing to dissipate. There is some hope however that the franchise has not completely abandoned its origins, strangely enough in the form of a rare handheld RE game. The Mercenaries 3D gave 3DS owners a brief taste of Resident Evil on Nintendo’s new handheld, but it didn’t taste very good. Revelations, on the other hand, looks to deliver the whole meal deal, and it looks delectable. The plot takes place sometime between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 and follows the activities of popular RE stars Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield after Chris and his partner Jessica Sherawat have gone missing on a cruise liner somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea during an investigation, prompting Jill and her partner to embark on a search-and-rescue mission. The gameplay in Revelations seems to fall somewhere between the action-heavy sequences that defined RE5 and the slower-paced earlier games in the franchise where more of the focus were on the horror elements, although the whole game will be played by the now-standard behind-the-shoulder perspective (it’s also compatible with the new Circle Pad Pro attachment). In some levels you will be unloading copious amounts of ammunition into the game’s typical abominations through intense action sequences while in others you will be squeezing your way through claustrophobic corridors with distressingly little amounts of ammo and supplies with which to ward off the lurking terrors. Capcom has cleverly tailor-made the game for handheld play too. Unlike its console brethren, Revelations is split up into episodes and is further divided into smaller segments, acknowledging the likelihood that many players will be playing the game in shorter bursts than they would playing at home on a console. Capcom seems to have developed a nice atmosphere befitting of a proper Resident Evil title with quality audio and probably the best visuals yet seen on the 3DS. Despite enduring the perceived handicap of being on a handheld, Resident Evil Revelations looks a lot closer to the RE experience fans have long been craving.

22. Twisted Metal

Platform(s): PS3
Genre: Racing Action
Developer: Eat Sleep Play
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: February 14, 2012

Vehicular combat used to be all the rage about a decade and a half ago, but the genre’s waning popularity sent a beloved franchise on an extended vacation. It’s been 7 years since a new Twisted Metal game has been released and over a decade since we were last treated to a full-fledged console experience. The drought will finally come to an end this year when the franchise makes its long-awaited debut on the PlayStation 3, and it just might make vehicular combat cool again. For the most part, this reboot of a classic series is pretty much what you would expect the next generation of Twisted Metal to be. You will be able to choose from a number of sadistically bizarre characters and hop into one of numerous equally sadistic and bizarre vehicles to take to the road, or air, with (characters are not matched exclusively to one vehicle this time), from Sweet Tooth’s iconic ice cream truck to a hearse, a semi-truck, and even a helicopter. These vehicles will be equipped with all manner of forces of destruction, from shotguns to machine guns to missiles to mines to just about anything else you can imagine, so deploying up to 16 of these makeshift tanks onto an online battlefield will make for some seriously fast and fun carnage. Each vehicle will also come with its own unique special ability, and power-ups will be spread out across the maps as well. Twisted Metal will be about more than just a single-player campaign and the generic deathmatches where players do their best to blow each other up though. Eat Sleep Play has a variety of unique game modes that will encourage strategy and teamwork. One such mode is the new Nuke Mode, where two opposing teams each representing one of four rival factions (Clowns, Dolls, Skulls, and Preachers) own a statue suspended in the air by a helicopter. The object is to destroy the enemy’s statue, but in order to do so your team must abduct the opposing team’s leader (while simultaneously protecting their own leader) and sacrifice them to a missile launcher that will in turn launch a nuclear missile at the opponent’s statue, which will take three nukes to destroy. Fans will no doubt also enjoy the game’s ridiculous story and intentionally cheesy cut-scenes, and players will be rewarded with level-ups and unlockable content through persistent online play. Twisted Metal represents the natural evolution of the genre and the series that defined it, but having been dormant for such a long period of time makes it feel brand new all over again. Both long-time fans and newcomers should find a riotous multiplayer experience in Twisted Metal that is well-distinguished from the saturated realm of first-person shooters that currently dominates the online multiplayer arena.

21. Dishonored

Platform(s): PC, PS3, X360
Genre: Action Adventure
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: TBA 2012

Every year, emerging from the massive sea of sequels and spin-offs that characterize the video game industry are a small handful of original IPs that squeeze their way into the fray to make an impact. Dishonored is looking very much like it will be one of those games. Dishonored was announced quietly last year, so a lot of details are yet to be revealed. The game puts you in control of Corvo, a former bodyguard of the Empress who he is now wrongfully accused of murdering. Now an enemy to the people he once worked beside, Corvo must use his vast array of skills to get his vengeance. Such skills make him a dangerously lethal force to be reckoned with: Corvo is not only an expert swordsman and prolific fighter; he also has some handy supernatural powers at his disposal. Dishonored’s fictional setting, designed by Half-Life 2 designer Viktor Antonov, is a unique blend of old and new and everything in between and beyond. The cityscape bears an almost old-European architectural resemblance but have almost alien-like turrets strategically placed throughout the streets, and firearms look like antiques but have blue energy emanating along the barrel. Enemies carry swords and bows and arrows, but can patrol using long robotic extension legs called Tallboys, while some vehicles look like a cross between first-generation automobiles and futuristic tanks. Dishonored follows a trend similar to last year’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution where players can tackle any given situation in several different ways. You can utilize stealth, go in guns blazing, set up traps, use your powers, or some combination of all of these. Arkane is taking tremendous care in making the world and its inhabitants realistic too. Walking on carpet is more stealthy than a hard surface, guards are less aware of their surroundings when chatting with one another or distracted by a nearby event, light and ambient noise factor into stealthiness, enemies never spawn, and even their state of mind plays into their actions. What’s most exciting though is the arsenal of powers players are equipped with. You can briefly travel at inhuman speed, teleport over short distances, possess enemies and animals, and even summon a group of rats that can swarm and distract or even kill enemies and bystanders, to name just a few of the powers available to you. There is a tremendous amount of creative freedom when one considers the almost infinite combinations of powers, weapons, and abilities at the player’s disposal to deal with any encounter. Bethesda is building a really unique and interesting universe with Dishonored, and we can’t wait to check it out.

Make sure to check out the rest of our 2012 countdown:

Part I (#41-50)
Part II (#31-40)
Part IV (#11-20)
Part V (#1-10)

Written by: Mike Glubish

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