While we live for looking forward to what new games come out each year, we dread the overwhelming process of picking only a select few to rank as our most anticipated. Starting with a list of over 80 games releasing in 2012, the The Best War Games editorial staff has narrowed down and ranked what games appeal to us the most at the beginning of the year.
From shooters and Fantasy RPGs to MMOs and action adventures, there's a wide variety of titles that have caught our eye. Some titles that we're looking forward to do not have a publisher or a 2012 release date and may be noticeably absent - these get a special mention at the end if they're something we're highly anticipating. So without further ado, continue on for our 25 Most Anticipated Video Games of 2012.
25. Aliens: Colonial Marines
Release Date: Spring 2012 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: Sega
Perhaps it's the idea of 4-player co-op or maybe, it's that the the story of Aliens: Colonial Marines ties into franchise canon, taking place between Aliens and Alien 3. There's something about this long-in-development, squad-based shooter and its first-person horror style (and having Lance Henriksen return again to voice one of the characters) that grabs our attention. The timing couldn't be better with Ridley Scott returning to the franchise to release Prometheus later this year as well, a film which partly acts as a prequel to the series.
24. Far Cry 3
Release Date: TBA 2012 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Nothing gets us more excited for a shooter than a range of combat options, so Far Cry 3's variety of alternate approaches to gameplay is welcome news. The previous game was a promising one, so hopefully the developers keep their word of avoiding past mistakes and deliver a tropical masterpiece.
23. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Release Date: February 7, 2012 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Developers: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developed by 38 Studios, the company owned by Major League Baseball pitcher and fantasy RPG fan Curt Schilling, along with fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, legendary artist Todd McFarlane and the lead designer behind the previous two installments of The Elder Scrolls franchise, Reckoning is a vast single-player RPG that will serve to as a lead-in for the developer's other project, an Amalur-based MMO. We hope this open-world experience will offer a mighty alternative to the Fable and Elder Scrolls series.
22. Kid Icarus: Uprising
Release Date: March 23, 2012 (3DS)
Developer: Project Sora
Publisher: Nintendo
The past few months have shown the serious gaming potential of the Nintendo 3DS, so hopefully Kid Icarus: Uprising can be another addition. The device has proven to function as it should, but only great stories and gameplay will make it a must-buy. Here's hoping Pit delivers on our expectations.
21. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Release Date: February 22, 2012 (Vita)
Developer: SCE Bend Studio
Publisher: Sony
As the killer app for a killer new piece of hardware, Uncharted: Golden Abyss could be a chance for the franchise to find success on two separate platforms. It's hard to think of a better game to show what the PlayStation Vita is capable of, so this one might turn out to be one of the most promising - or disappointing - releases of the year.
20. Guild Wars 2
Release Date: TBA 2012 (PC)
Developer: ArenaNet
Publisher: NCsoft
Another game from our Most Anticipated list of 2011, the sequel to one of the first high profile free-to-play fantasy MMOs is something we're excited to try thanks to its revamped combat and magic mechanics, and even more, its dynamic event system which allows the game and its story to adjust based on the players' actions in a persistent world. Even among the overabundance of MMOs, Guild Wars 2 has managed to grab and keep our attention.
19. Prey 2
Release Date: Summer 2012 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Human Head Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Prey was a solid game that didn't get the attention it deserved, but we expect its sequel - and the totally different experience it offers - to change that for Bethesda. Featuring a Blade Runner-esque aesthetic with impressive visuals, gunplay and environmental traversal controls, they story of Prey 2 intertwines with the original and its protagonist, as players take on the role of a memory-absent bounty hunter named Killian Samuels, on the hunt for his prey and his memories. It was one of the surprise hits at E3 2011 and we are looking forward to more.
18. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Release Date: Fall 2012 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: High Moon Studios
Publisher: Activision
Easily the most emotionally stirring trailer from this year's VGAs, we've had our eyes on High Moon Studios' Transformers: Fall of Cybertron for some time. As a sequel to a game we loved, it's hard to think of anything that would make the original formula better. Other than Dinobots, obviously.
17. Twisted Metal
Release Date: February 14, 2012 (PS3)
Developer: Eat Sleep Play
Publisher: Sony
The reemergence of Twisted Metal is a fan service that players of the original PlayStation can get behind as a return to form for the series that is just plain fun. At recent Sony media events, we couldn't help but find ourselves spending most of our time enjoying the game's revamped and more extreme multiplayer and toying around with new features like the transformable Sweet Tooth that fully doubles as a bipedal killing machine this time around.
16. SSX
Release Date: February 28, 2012 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
As far as snowboarding simulations go, SSX reigns supreme. After the technology behind the game's mountains blew our minds at E3, we were intrigued. Now that we've gotten a look at the actual gameplay, February can't come soon enough. It may not bring back the genre, but we're happy to see the series return.