Last year we were treated with some of the most incredible and innovative games to ever grace our consoles; from the likes of Uncharted 3 to the highly-reviewed Skyrim. It was a relentless barrage of great games raining down on us poor gamers as we held up our wallets for protection. It was easily one of the greatest years for gaming and for our generation. Unfortunately, a lot of really good titles were overshadowed because of this and most find themselves in a bargain bin at your local retailer even though they were of great quality and above average. Among them were titles like the excellent Yakuza 4, Rayman Origins, Outland, and the sleeper hit Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. It’s a tragedy that a lot of these games didn’t get the shine or recognition they deserved and it’s a trend that continues year after year. 2012 looks to be no different, with hotly-anticipated titles coming out, many games this year will have no choice but to lay low by the wayside until it’s safe to come back out. Looking towards the future, the time is December 31st 2012 (we’re still alive), and these are the hidden gems of 2012:
5. Inversion, June 8, 2012
Developed by Saber Interactive, Inversion looks to flip the third-person shooter genre upside down with its gravity manipulation and destructible environments. Doesn’t it feel like every time a game comes out, the developers always try to promise us destructible environments? I’m getting a Dark Void vibe from this game but it looks like it could be a lot of fun and a nice pace of change from all the sequels and prequels and equals from this year. Perhaps a little Inversion is what we all need? Let’s hope it’s not too gimmicky with its gravity mechanics. This game has the potential to be a lot of fun. It’s from the same people that brought you TimeShift back in 2007; a lackluster but entertainingly fun to play shooter.
4. Prototype 2, April 24th 2012
It’s been a long time since we last saw Prototype but it’s coming back with a vengeance! With a new protagonist, Canadian developer Radical Entertainment is looking to reinvigorate the elapsed franchise and introduce us to new, more realistic AI, a new dodging system and usable weapons. Open world games like these are always fun and if Prototype 2 is as chaotic and over-the-top as the first one was, then count me in for the sequel!
3. Overstrike, Summer 2012
Insomniac’s first foray into multiplatform territory looks to be one heck of sleeper hit. This game has everything working for it so far; four-player co-op, interesting assortment of characters, and a variety of weapons that only the crazy minds over at Insomniac know how to do. We don’t know much about gameplay, so perhaps it will be similar to Borderlands or even third-person. Knowing Insomniac and their Resistance franchise, it will probably be first-person. This game is going to be tons of fun and I can already see it making many people’s “Overlooked games of 2012” lists and with good reason; Insomniac knows how to make shooters and once you add four-player co-op to their formula, you got yourself a sleeper hit for 2012.
2. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter, October 2012
Despite its uninspired title, we can be sure that developer Danger Close Games learned their lesson when they released the dreary reboot back in 2010. The game will run on DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine (same one that Battlefield 3 uses.) Multiplayer will be handled by the developer themselves this time around so that’s good news…right? It will continue the war-torn stories of the Tier 1 operators which is cool because we’ll get to see more bad-ass beards. I like this game’s chances of being good, as a first-person enthusiast, I want to believe in the Medal of Honor franchise and its chances of staying relevant this generation. The same question lingers however, is there any room for this franchise anymore?
1. DmC: Devil May Cry, Fall 2012
Oh Ninja Theory, what can I say? You have a tremendous undertaking with the pressure of a thousand suns. I eagerly anticipate this title just to see the general reaction of gamers. Aside from all the controversy, this game will be overshadowed indefinitely but it will be fun as hell. Enslaved was a victim of this back in 2010 and it feels like DmC will follow in those footsteps. It’s destined to be a hidden gem in 2012 since many people will dismiss it at face value, others on principle, but I have a feeling that it’s going to turn out really good and be a surprise for everyone. This is Ninja Theory’s last chance to prove themselves, and for them to drop the ball on this? Sad days are ahead for this small developer. Bargain bin or not, expect this game to surprise you no matter what!
Alright it’s time to revert back to the present day. There is a good chance that these games might not be overshadowed at all, and that they might even hold their own and shock everyone, but that’s a little unlikely when you have heavy hitters like Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed 3 and the rest of the juggernauts. Every year we’re ambushed with high-profile titles that push graphics and motion controls with 3D functionality and all that crap, but it’s these little annual gems that make us appreciate gaming even more. Just because a game doesn’t have a 50 million dollar advertising campaign doesn’t mean it won’t be as good. Let’s hope these games hold up their side of the bargain.