Jo did one similar to this, but here’s my take on 2012’s outlook. [Yes, I am acting as if it wasn’t forever that I’ve posted on the site, problem?]

No more further explanations, here’s first and foremost, my list of most anticipated games this year.(Disclaimer: This piece was written while I was doing other things, so it’s really disorganized, I suggest not reading it! reading it drunk or something.)

Top 10 Upcoming games of 2012

10. Soul Calibur V
Transcanding history and world, this fighting game series was what got me back into the fighting genre, first with Soul Edge back in the mid 90s, and then with Soul Calibur II when it was released on Gamecube. While most people points to I or II as their favourite and III as the worst, I found myself actually liking Soul Calibur III the most so far, for multiple reasons, and while there were a few exploits, we never used those when playing back in the days. The fourth instalment added stats to armors, and that simply ruined for me. This is gone for SCV, and I’m glad it is so.

Anyway, looking forward to try the new characters, and kick asses with Maxi all over again.

9. Binary Domain
A game by the Yakuza and Monkey Balls dude, that’s neither of these titles? Count me in! The setting, while cliché at this point, seems somewhat still full of surprises, the idea that a game from a director whose second only to Hideo Kojima in terms of expansive cutscenes decides to put the story development you’d normally see in cutscenes directly into the gameplay, as me riddled and curious. In terms of gameplay, I’m digging the fact that what you shoot on an enemy gets torned off, and affects its AI/movements/abilities. In example, if you shoot the head off, the robot will start shooting indiscriminately at everything around in, including its allies. If you shoot the leg off, they’ll crawl up to you and attempt to grab you or crawl away in fear, or something.

This one is another day one buy.

8. Lollipop Chainsaw
A game with zombies in it!? Who would buy that? I actually rarely would, but the kitsch style of Suda51 has me almost sold. I love kitsch stuff, but only when it’s well executed in its cheesiness. And I doubt it’ll be the latter with the guy behind Killer 7 and No More Heroes behind it. But this has the potential to be really great, or just meh. The gameplay looks good enough, but if it’s shallow, I’ll probably end up passing or at best giving it a rental. I’m not expecting Bayonetta depth here, but I’m hoping for depth.

7. Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney
Barely played one Professor Layton game, but I loved what I played of it. Brain teasers that are designed just well enough to tease your brain into twisting it one way or another, but still let’s you solve them and make you feel smart are the best. On the other side, I’m a big fan of the Ace Attorney games, even though I was a bit disappointed with the last game released in North America, Miles Investigations, as while the story was fun, it was way too easy and I saw everything coming, and didn’t feel that despair that I could share with Nick in the other games near the end of a case where there doesn’t seem to be any way to get out of a bind.

I’m not sure what are the odds of it making it over here, it has a lot of hype surrounding it, so it could end up making it, but the latest game in the AA series never made it here and probably never will. So it’s a tough call. But if it does come over here, another day one!

6. TERA
MMOrpgs are a disease! They hook you up, drain you up, and then instead of throwing you away, they dry you up t’il the last drop. Still I keep falling for them for a reason or another, and I usually get bored when I realize I’ve been doing the same thing over and over.

Anyway, this one has something different than those other MMOs of this scale. You can’t target a monster (and then just mash your numbers on your keyboard to do damage). You need to play like you would play an action console game. Even so, if I ever get into this game, I’ll be buying myself a 360 controller just for it. It really fixes my biggest gripe about these PC games. It gets boring when all you need to do to connect an attack is having a little circle around the monster. It annoys me when most enemy attacks connect even though I should be out of their reach, and just once in a while, an attack that you can dodge occurs and at that point you’re supposed to get out of the way. Seriously, make all attacks like this, and remove as many random numbers as you can. Most of these games, it’s usually a staring contest on your screen to grasp the once in a while thing that catches you off-guard because you fell asleep of boredom.

Well, I don’t know how much TERA fixes this. I’m hoping to get in the beta to find that out. I’m not expecting Bayonetta online here, but damn would that be sweet or what?

5. One Piece Musou
Not too fond of the Musou games (Dynasty Warriors, etc.). They were nice last generation, but I got tired of playing the same game again and again. But this time, it’s a Dynasty Warrior game in the One Piece universe, covering most of what’s been covered by the anime seemingly, and let’s you play with all the strawhats, and let’s you do a whole bunch of their moves, all with what seems to be the right feel for each character.

Anyway, I’m again not sure what are the odds here, but damn it, I’m gonna play this, in Japanese if needed.

4. Yakuza Dead Souls
For the rest of this list, I’m showing how much of a SEGA fanboy I am, it seems. As even number one has some links to SEGA in a way (more or less).

So the usual Yakuza type game is kind of taking a break this time and is replaced by another zombie game. So what does that mean? Mostly that guns play a much bigger part this time around, and most of Kamurochou is filled with zombies. There are still all the side contents and mini-games to mess around with, though. And while I didn’t like the Japanese demo’s controls last year, we’ve been promised a better control scheme for the release in the West.

Day one!

3. Anarchy Reigns
This was supposed to be out already, and then out this month, but in the end, it’s been pushed back to this summer. But I’m still not sure how the game will turn out, but if it’s Bayonetta Online, damn I might not need any other game for a while. But it being more of a Madworld online, with a few characters that seem to control more like they would be in a Kamiya game, I’m not sure how good it will turn out. I got bored of Madworld kind of fast. Still, I have high hopes!

2. Phantasy Star Online 2
This is still not announced for a release outside Japan. But I kind of doubt they’ll keep the best Phantasy Star Online so far (at least gameplay-wise) out of our hands over here for too long, considering they’ve been bringing most Phantasy Star games released in the last decade(s?) here. I just hope it keeps that lobby formula and sticks to being a non-massive, multiplayer Online RPG.

1. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The VGAs had one thing good in 2011, and that was the announcement trailer of MGR now being developed by Platinun Games. The lightning fast fighting designed by the masters of this kind of gameplay just looks too sweet to pass by, and being the big Metal Gear fan (though Kojima does not need to do Metal Gear games anymore) that I am, this is probably going to be one of my favourite games ever. Though it might only take over spot number 3, because…

0. Hideki Kamiya’s upcoming project
My favourite game of all time is Bayonetta, and Kamiya’s upcoming project is a serious contender for that spot, even though I have no clue what it’s going to be, but unless it’s a Social Media game, I’m confident I’m gonna love the hell out of whatever he’s developing.

As an extra, with a bit less dribble, here’s a top 5 of things I’m curious to see how the game will turn out and a top 3 of games that are highly anticipated but couldn’t care less.

Top 5 curious about
5. DmC: Devil May Cry
This will most likely turn out awful. Still gonna rent it though to see if Ninja Theory managed to nail the DMC feel. Highly unlikely, as the gameplay video we’ve seen so far suggests otherwise.

4. Blade and Souls
This was announced forever ago, and might or might not be for PS3 (according to Wikipedia it is), but like TERA, this is more oriented in terms of an mmorpg, but looking at videos, I’m somewhat confused as to how it works, as to how much skills, how much RGN are involved into the whole combat system. Also, I’ll be surprised if this comes out this year, as there’s still no real dates for it.

3. Dragon’s Dogma
Capcom would release some of the best games, if they wouldn’t cancel them just when they’ve teased us enough with them. Anyway, this is supposed to be a Japan take on the western RPG, more or less. I’ve seen some good and some bad in terms of previews, but I’m mostly hoping the combat is deeper than what they’ve shown so far.

2. Doctor Who: Worlds in Time
A Doctor Who game, I hope it’s made by Telltale! (Oh wait, it’s not). Ok well, I hope it’s a point and click adventure game! (Nope, it’s a platformer). Well damn. I love platformers, but from what I’ve seen, this looks as good as the average platform game inspired by a movie in the 90s. So I’m somewhat doubting the upcoming quality of this Who game playable on PS3 (and others I don’t care about). But I’ll still look it up.

1. Dragon Quest X: Mezameshi Itsutsu no Shuzoku Online
Really, really curious how this will turn out. I’ve played some fun Dragon Quest mmorpg on some site I forgot the name, fan-made of course. So I can see the combat working. What I’m really hoping for though, is a deep story and setting, that keeps it as amazing as FFXI was. Also, I’m hoping it won’t release on Wii, or Wii U. Yeah.. That’s probably enough of a reason for me to pass it up. Doesn’t change that I’ll still look it up.

Top 3 big titles not excited for
3. Resident Evil 6
Oh it looks great from the little we’ve seen. But I never could manage playing 4 or 5 beyond a certain point. I know, I suck. But yeah, little excitement for probably one of the big legit release this year.

2. Diablo III
Click click click click click… click click click. Sorry, I really can’t dig it.

1. Call of Duty 2012 (or whatever it’ll be called)
Pow pow pow pow explosion. Millions of people will buy it. I’m not one of them.

David A. Games