Platform(s): Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release Date: March 6th
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Charles Webb: My enjoyment curve for the Mass Effect series hit a steep incline after the release of Mass Effect 2. This was a surprise to me because, outside of a few interesting ideas within the fiction, the experience of playing the first game was something of a chore inside of grim, hard sci-fi boxes of social conflict and awkward combat. The sequel—by dint of clever storytelling and improved mechanics for actually getting Shepherd deep into the business of killing fools—by contrast felt more alive and more dangerous and with the third game in the trilogy taking the action to Earth which is bending under a heavy invasion as well as refinements to the shooting… well, you can see how giving me more of what I liked while iterating on them to avoid staleness might appeal to me.
Jason Cipriano: At this point, the Mass Effect ship may have sailed for me. While I realize that they must be great games since everyone that spends any amount of time with them falls in love, I have just never really been inclined to explore the ME universe. Some day, maybe, when I can clear out a few months on my calendar, I'll jump in, but right now, there's more pressing matters at hand.
Runner Up: Final Fantasy XIII-2
BioShock Infinite
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Release Date: T.B.D.
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Cipriano: The next incarnation of this console generation's most hallowed franchise, BioShock Infinite takes gamers from the depths of Rapture, high into the clouds of Columbia for a whole new adventure from the mind of series creator Ken Levine. The setting is different, the gameplay is going to be different, in fact, the parallels between Infinite and the previous BioShock games appear to be in moniker only. However, I bet that the team at Irrational have few tricks up their sleeves to mess with gamers’ heads, and I, for one, can't wait to let them.
Webb: I’m pretty much going to second just about everything Jason has said up above. If you were a fan of the first Bioshock I have to imagine you got at least a momentary thrill during the pseudo gameplay trailer from last year. And I really have to give it to Ken Levine and the team at Irrational for picking up that two trips to Rapture were more than enough, giving us a new environment, new era, and new palette to mess around with when the sequel hits.
Runner Up: Twisted Metal
The Darkness 2
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release Date: February 7th
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Webb: I actually went back and forth on this choice and our runner up, Prey 2, a game which is at its heart, a bounty hunter noire set on an alien space station. There’s no part of that which does not appeal to me. Still, 2K Games’ sequel looms large on my radar because of my sometimes irrational love for horror shooters (see also: the FEAR series, Condemned which isn’t technically a shooter). The new cel-shaded art style works wonders for the tone and feel that’s been communicated in recent trailers and marketing for the game, but more than that, I’m looking forward to messing around with the quad-wielding system which will have you attacking enemies with both your guns and the demonic imps sprouting from your back. This kind of elaborate mechanical weirdness appeals to me in a very real way and even without a hands-on experience, it’s something that’s got me stoked about this release.
Cipriano: The Darkness was a pleasant surprise when it crashed headlong into the 2007 release schedule. Taking countless cues from the twisted comic of the same name, the original game was a sick romp through Jackie Estacado's messed up life. The Darkness 2 is stacking up to be even more of an intense thrill ride, and I, for one, say, bring it on. While Prey 2 looks like it may be a competent sequel, if you put the two originals head-to-head, The Darkness comes out on top, and I suspect the same will go for their follow-ups. Oh, and The Darkness has Mike Patton, so take that Prey.
Runner Up:Prey 2
I Am Alive
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release Date: Q1 2012
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Cipriano: Some people like survival horror games, but it seems like I Am Alive is just a survival game. While almost every game from Super Mario Bros. to Modern Warfare 3 could be classified as survival game, Alive puts you in a potentially real scenario (a catastrophe ridden city), and tests actual survival skills. Announced a few years ago with an epically intense trailer, I Am Alive has been peeking the interest of gamers for too long now, but with a Q1 targeted release, it looks like players will be able to explore the ruins of Chicago sooner than later.
Webb: Consider this a case of morbid curiosity. I Am Alive is a diminished thing in my eyes after about five years in the wilderness. Initially slated as a big-budget console title for Ubisoft, its survived one of those nights of long knives that comes around when developers and publishers are looking to trim a little fat. At this point, I simply want to see what of the original vision survived the now-downloadable title.
South Park
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: TBD
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Webb: Okay, I suspect the chances are slim that the THQ-developed South Park RPG will actually make it into the 2012 calendar year. In fact, I’m straining to remember where I heard that this will actually be a 2012 release. But given that the team at Obsidian is just now dropping details about the game, I’m still of the opinion that we won’t see it until sometime in 2013 at the earliest. Still, the active involvement by the show’s creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker is very encouraging: it’s clear the duo “get” and are enthusiastic about games and while enthusiasm does not a good game make, the premise rests in the idea of the kids at play and getting bloody, couched in a mix of mechanics that sound like a cross between classic RPG tropes and Paper Mario. This sounds like a wonderfully inventive fusion and the fact that it doesn’t involve kart racing is the most heartening part.
Cipriano: Not to be confused with Tenorman's Revenge, the South Park platformer that's slated for early 2012, South Park: The Game looks like it could set the standard for cartoon based video games. It's pretty clear that there have been some crap South Park games in the past, but titles like Chef's Love Shack and South Park Rally didn’t have a heavy hitter studio like Obsidian attached to them. The RPG gameplay of The Game should allow for the most immersive video game experience into the little Colorado town that breeds foul-mouthed fourth graders.
Runner Up: Ni No Kuni
The Last Guardian
Platform(s): PlayStation 3
Release Date: T.B.D.
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Cipriano: While it seems like every game that has come out of the Team Ico studio has had a rough development, The Last Guardian may take the cake. With rumored cancellations, and the recent news of the studio's creative force Fumito Ueda leaving the company to complete the game as a freelancer, The Last Guardian has seen troubled waters. Developed as the first truly high def game from one of the most creative and innovative teams in the industry, Guardian is likely to be one of the most gorgeous games of this console generation, as well as one of the most emotional. In the past Team Ico has managed to connect the player to their characters in a manner that's rarely seen in a genre full of silent, generic protagonists. If they can tug at the same heartstrings as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus did while providing compelling gameplay, The Last Guardian is bound to be another must play release … as long as it actually makes it to the marketplace.
Webb: I’m the grumpy old crank who never played Ico, couldn’t get into Shadows of the Colossus, and probably made a baby cry somewhere in all of that. The controls for Shadows involved too much of a struggle, obscuring the gameplay, while the mood and tone did nothing for me. Still, I’ve been nonetheless intrigued by the images slowly trickling out over the years for this one, and would look forward to the chance to reverse my my opinion of Team Ico.
Runner Up: Grand Theft Auto V
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: March 20th
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Webb: As the Resident Evil series drifts farther and farther from its survival horror roots (it was never really a far trip, though) what we’re left with is the increasingly bizarre mythology surrounding the ubiquitous and woefully mismanaged Umbrella Corporation. And it appears that thanks to the upcoming class-based shooter, we’ll be getting a dose of RE 2 and 3 backstory by way of the Umbrella Security Service. While I’m not exactly thrilled that the conception of the game came during the development of the truly terrible Lost Planet 2, I’m hoping that Operation Raccoon City will have the smarts to do interesting things with the idea of an undead urban environment.
Cipriano: Most Resident Evil games have only really appealed to me on a handful of levels. While they can qualify as some of the greatest games ever made, I've always taken issue with how slow the characters move. Operation Raccoon City does away with that by creating the fast-paced, run-and-gun RE game that I've always wanted to play.
Runner Up: Lollipop Chainsaw
SSX
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release Date: 2/28/12
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Cipriano: It's been years since SSX fans have had a true reason to hit the slopes, but with the promised release of the EA Canada developed series revamp, it's looking like the franchise that arrived with the launch of the PS2 will finally have a true HD entry. Hitting store shelves late this February with a returning cast of lovable characters, and wide-open spaces to shred, SSX fans will be dropping in for series signature gravity defying tricks and over the top grinds. The series may have lost its way in its last two entries (On Tour and Blur), but this release is stacking up to be a return to form that should satisfy even the most hardcore of fans.
Webb: Count me as one of the fans of On Tour, like to an unreasonable degree, so yes, I’m predisposed to wanting to check this one out. The one catch for me seems to be the slightly more realistic take in the recent trailer (escaping disasters, etc.) which up to this point really hasn’t been what the series is about. If I want semi-realistic snowboarding, someone can always resurrect Amped but in the meantime, give me the crazy airborne gynmastics of SSX any day.
Runner Up: Last Exit
Street Fighter x Tekken
Platform(s): PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360
Release Date: March 6th
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Webb: Two points: I’m on record as a fan of these kinds of mashup fighters but most importantly, Capcom has been on a roll in the last couple of years with the reinvigoration of not only one-on-one but tag brawlers. While the Tekken characters might not seem like a natural fit for the often ranged fighting of Street Fighter, I trust Capcom has some ideas about how to integrate Namco Bandai’s characters into the roster in a way that feels natural. On top of which, I really want the Namco Bandai team watching the Capcom team as the former works their way towards the inevitable Tekken sequel beyond next year’s Tekken Tag 2. Namco Bandai has been getting a little flabby in recent years in terms of directions for this series and I think swapping ideas like this might be just the thing they need to reinvigorate their own series.
Cipriano: Much like Charles, it's no secret that I'm a sucker for mash-up fighting games, from Smash Bros. to MvC, I'm a fan of crossbreeding franchises. However, Street Fighter X Tekken makes for an interesting mix, since I've always been a dedicated Street Fighter fan, and only dabbled in the Tekken series here and there. I'm really looking forward to how Capcom is going to bring Namco's signature series into the fray.
Runner Up: Soul Calibur V
Dragon Quest X
Platform(s): Wii U
Release Date: T.B.D.
Why we’re looking forward to it?
Cipriano: After dumping way more hours than I'm willing to admit into Dragon Quest IX, and still not coming even close to completing it, just the mere mention of Dragon Quest X gets my attention. Over the last few months, bits and pieces of information have made their way across the Pacific (more so than any other Wii U game), and have begun painting a picture of a DQ game unlike any other. Yuji Hori and his team that have devoted their lives to this beloved franchise, always striving to innovate and experiment, so I can't wait to see what they are able to construct using the Wii U's unique hardware specs.
Webb: Okay, an admission: I haven’t finished a Dragon Quest game since part III when the series went under the title Dragon Warrior here in the U.S.. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested every time a new entry is released, it’s just that I’m less inclined to get excited about traditional RPGs. But like Jason said, there might be some experimentation going on with X and if that’s the case, I’d love to see where Hori and company go with it.
Runner Up: Mutant Mudds
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