As the curtain closes on what was an exceptional year in gaming, Glen Ferris looks ahead to the 12 must-play titles on offer in 2012…
The Last Of Us
Naughty Dog, the team behind the superlative Uncharted series, have been secretly beavering away on this apocalyptic tale of survival for the past two years and, judging by the quality of the trailer, it’s going to be bloody stunning. The studio’s creative director and writer Neil Druckmann recently spoke out about the current poor standard of storytelling in videogames, so expect the bar to be raised not only in terms of look and feel but emotional depth, too.
Tomb Raider
It’s been a good long while since we last got our hands on Lara Croft (no, not like that you bunch of sickos) but it looks like the wait has been well worth it. Crystal Dynamics is going all Batman Begins on us for this prequel story in which a much younger (and decidedly less pneumatic) Lara sets off on her first great adventure. Stripped back, with the onus on puzzle-solving and realistic action, this will show Lady Croft in a new and hugely exciting light.
The Last Guardian
Team ICO, the people who gave us the magnificent Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, are back doing what they do best with The Last Guardian – namely making something beautiful out of something monstrous. This tale of one boy and his weird giant bird-dog promises to be one of the greatest PS3 games ever. Seriously, it’s going to be stunning.
Mass Effect 3
Voted the most anticipated game of 2011 at this year’s Video Game Awards, Bioware’s latest chucks us right into another major alien invasion and loads more of that winning gameplay mixture of third-person shooter and RPG. With Gears Of War gone the way of the dodo, this is the title of choice for gamers intent on saving the universe one dead xenomorph at a time.
BioShock Infinite
In making the move from the undersea dystopia of Rapture to the in-the-clouds setting of Columbia, Irrational Games is attempting something new and very bold in the latest instalment of the Bioshock saga. Hardcore fans of the series may well lament the absence of Big Daddies but such sacrifices are needed to keep this first-person frightener fresh and exciting. Expect much in the way of twisted plot, outré action and plenty of jump-out-of-your-gaming-chair moments.
Far Cry 3
Get ready for some serious tropic thunder as Ubisoft whisks us off to an all-new gorgeous and deadly paradise island. Upping the visual ante on an already sumptuous series, Far Cry 3 promises mucho murderous mayhem as you try to fight for survival under the sun.
Grand Theft Auto V
Not so much a must-play game as a fully-blown cultural phenomenon, Rockstar’s latest takes us back to San Andreas for more open-world mayhem and inevitable tabloid criticism. A title that comes with the massive weight of fan expectation, GTA V will be scrutinised more than any other release in 2012 – but if any developer can pull off a critical coup, it’s Rockstar.
Halo 4
Halo: Reach was intended to be Master Chief’s final adventure, but with development duties handed over from Bungee to Microsoft’s very own 343 Industries, he’s back for one more mission. Such a move could be risky, but as long as the winning formula isn’t messed about with too much this could well be the essential Xbox 360 release of 2012.
Max Payne 3
The shocking Mark Wahlberg film may have done its damndest to kill off Max Payne, but, as the old adage goes, you can’t keep a good man down. MP3 is the first game in the series to be developed by Rockstar games, so prepare yourself for lashings of ultra-violence and classy storytelling as a bearded and shaven-headed Max gets into all sorts of trouble in Sao Paulo.
Hitman: Absolution
While we’re on the subject of games trying to eradicate the memory of awful movie adaptations, Agent 47 is back in search of Absolution after a five-year gaming absence. Quite how the baldy assassin’s stealthy return will measure up against the cream of the modern gaming crop remains to be seen but there’s no way it can be any worse than the film.
Metal Gear Solid: Rising Revengeance
And the winner of 2012’s silliest title goes to… this game. A spin-off from Metal Gear Solid set several years after the events of Guns Of The Patriots, this hack-and-slasher may be missing the stealthiness of Solid Snake’s previous outings, but what it lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for in bombast. Bayonetta creator Platinum Games promises some seriously mindless violence here and we’re very interested.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
If you need one reason to invest in a PlayStation Vita when the handheld PSP replacement launches here in February, look no further than this Drake’s Fortune prequel. Featuring stunning graphics and the cinematic style that has made Nathan Drake’s adventures such a huge hit, this is the perfect game to kick off Sony’s latest device.
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