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Most Anticipated of 2012: Jeff's Picks

The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2012 individually, starting with staff writer and indie expert Jeff Mattas.
Shack Staff
Shack Staff
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There's a lot to be excited for in 2012, and the Shacknews staff each have five games on their radar. The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2012 individually, starting with staff writer and indie expert Jeff Mattas. BioShock Infinite The next title from developer Irrational Games, Bioshock Infinite, pulls the series out of the ocean setting of the first title and places it above the clouds in the floating city of Columbia in an alternate version of 1912. In Bioshock fashion, the floating city has degenerated into dystopia due to a war of ideals amongst its citizenry. The conflict between the Columbia's two remaining factions--the theocratic Founders and the Vox Populi (Latin for "Voice of the People")--remain, and players will find themselves in the middle of a philosophical conflict that seems to bear more than passing similarities to the ones on display in modern American politics. Besides the anticipation of another thought-provoking, politically-charged story, Bioshock: Infinite's action looks fun and intense. I can't wait to zip around the city on its roller-coaster-like, rail-based transit system. Throw in the fact that the main protagonist Booker DeWitt's companion Elizabeth is able to manipulate rips in the fabric of space and time, and you end up with one of my most anticipated shooters of 2012. Borderlands 2 I love great co-operative gameplay. Gearbox’s Borderlands successfully managed to harness the addictive loot-gathering staple typically relegated to games like Diablo, and infused it into a co-operative open-world shooter. Borderlands 2 is due out in 2012, features new characters, and what little in-game footage that's been revealed looks even prettier than the last outing. While I don't necessarily expect Borderlands 2 to set the world on fire with a ton of innovation, I do anticipate enough significant mechanical and presentational improvements to make another romp through dangerous territory worth taking. Improved AI for enemies and NPC's, a four-seat vehicle, and all new guns are just a few specific things that have my interest piqued. Technically, Borderlands 2 could release in 2013, but the window that Gearbox has provided coincides with Take-Two’s 2013 fiscal year, which begins in April of 2012, and ends in March of 2013.

Borderlands 2 from developer Gearbox Software

Mass Effect 3 Commander Shepard's final voyage is almost at hand, and I'm incredibly stoked. The Mass Effect series really hit its stride in part 2, with its blend of conversation-based role-playing and 3rd-person shooting. Although I wasn't very pleased with the second game's decision to over-simplify things like equipment and weapon customization--rather than improving the clunky system from the first game--the Mass Effect Series remains some of the best interactive science-fiction available to date, in many ways filling the nebulous, space-opera-sized hole left behind by the inanity of the clumsy Star Wars prequel films. Mass Effect 3 also marks the conclusion of a story in which player decisions carried over from one game to the next. While the decision-based consequences reflected between parts one and two weren't incredibly poignant, I'm anticipating that BioWare will pull out a few more stops for the third chapter. And though I don't have a Kinect yet, being able to vocally select dialog choices in Mass Effect 3 might just be enough for me to justify purchasing the peripheral. I just hope the trilogy's climax isn't as gob-smackingly silly as the ending of Mass Effect 2. Hitman: Absolution Agent 47 is about ready to choke the living daylights out some more unsuspecting suckers again in Hitman: Absolution. Based on the extended developer commentary trailer released by IO Interactive--and the fact that it's been almost six years since the last Hitman game--I'm more than ready for another dose of murder-for-hire. Besides looking fantastic, Hitman: Absolution is promising a multitude of improvements and refinements from the previous games in the series, not the least of which is improved enemy AI. NPC's will react more appropriately to the deadly protagonist, depending on his chosen disguise and surroundings. I enjoyed the prior Hitman games for the most part (especially Blood Money), but as a stealth-driven experience, they all suffered from varying degrees of trial-and-error gameplay which made it a bit more difficult to plan as tactically as I'd have liked for an elite assassin. Absolution is addressing this problem by implementing an interesting feature called "Instinct" which allows Agent 47 to sense enemy patrol routes, hide in plain sight, and even see enemies through walls for a limited time. In a series that's always required precise timing and planning to pull off the perfect kill, I've got high hopes that the ability will make things more enjoyable for the stealth-inclined. Be sure to check out the end of the developer walkthrough video where the game's improved crowd technology is shown off. Absolution will have a ton of little (but significant) improvements like that, which will hopefully all come together to deliver the best game in the series.

Hitman: Absolution from developer IO Interactive

Grand Theft Auto V There are a few primary reasons that Grand Theft Auto V is one of the games I'm most excited about playing in 2012--if it does end up hitting store shelves next year, that is. Despite the fact that games featuring open-world mayhem have become prevalent in the modern gaming landscape, the studios under the Rockstar Games banner continue to impress me with each new title that refines and improves the formula that was pioneered back in 2002 with GTA III. As a long-time Los Angeles resident, I'm very excited for the opportunity to cause chaos in Rockstar's rendition of my local habitat, and have been blown away by the satirical accuracy in which my real-world neighborhood of Venice, California will be portrayed. Sure, the game's locale was already featured in GTA: San Andreas, but clips of Rockstar's versions of locations ranging from downtown L.A. to the Altamont pass seem to tease the possibility of another massive world--or at least one that can be expanded with sizeable expansions or DLC. Little is known about GTA V's story, or even who the main character will be, but given the series' track record in those regards, I expect good things. It's also the first next-gen GTA game to include airplanes that appear (though are not confirmed) to be flyable. Squee!

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group. 

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    December 26, 2011 9:00 AM

    Shack Staff posted a new article, Most Anticipated of 2012: Jeff's Picks.

    The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2012 individually, starting with staff writer and indie expert Jeff Mattas.

    • megreedy legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      December 26, 2011 10:08 AM

      Borderlands 2.... !!!!!!!!!!!! want it now !!!!!!!!!!!

      • AxeMan808 moderator legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        December 26, 2011 2:12 PM

        Username + .... Yeah, I want Borderlands 2 myself!

    • [deleted] 1987567749 legacy 10 years mercury super mega
      reply
      December 26, 2011 10:55 AM

      [deleted]

    • DannyJohnn legacy 10 years
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      December 26, 2011 2:55 PM

      I'm curious about the comment concerning Mass Effect 3, "I just hope the trilogy's climax isn't as gob-smackingly silly as the ending of Mass Effect 2" ... what exactly are you referring to? The Paragon ending, Renegade ending, or the 'I'm not doing any side missions and everyone dies ending.?' Thanks...didn't realize Borderlands 2 was planned!!!

      • Jeff Mattas legacy 10 years
        reply
        December 28, 2011 9:17 AM

        I was referring to the the last big boss battle in the game, not any specific Renegade/Paragon resolution stuff.

    • hanged_man legacy 10 years
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      December 26, 2011 3:32 PM

      where's Doom 4 ?!! hopefully it comes out in 2012

      • the archvile legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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        December 26, 2011 3:34 PM

        It still hasn't been truly announced yet. If it isn't announced this year, it's going to be the most awkward QuakeCon in years, with Rage's reception ranging from bittersweet to angry.

      • jimvolk legacy 10 years mercury mega
        reply
        December 26, 2011 3:41 PM

        it is delayed indefinitely, from what I last read.

        • the archvile legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          December 26, 2011 3:55 PM

          Was that the same rumor that said they had an all hands meeting weeks after Rage's release, etc., etc.? We'll see how close to truth that is in the coming months.

          • jimvolk legacy 10 years mercury mega
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            December 26, 2011 4:07 PM

            yeah, I figure we'll know by E3. Rage was a pretty big letdown for most tho....it could have been so much better.

            • the archvile legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              December 26, 2011 4:26 PM

              I think it was overproduced. The core shooter mechanics were excellent, but they hyped up the racing and combat rally so much, and those ended up being duds. And their crusade for perfect twin-stick controller usability left keyboard and mouse in the dust, at the company that started the deathmatch first-person shooter.

              • jimvolk legacy 10 years mercury mega
                reply
                December 26, 2011 5:56 PM

                I loved the environments and the gunplay....I just didn't need all the RPG shit and inventory....and I didn't care for the multiplayer at all. Just let me deathmatch in the wasteland.

    • jimvolk legacy 10 years mercury mega
      reply
      December 26, 2011 3:42 PM

      WTF...no Diablo 3?

    • Sir_Shaggy legacy 10 years
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      December 26, 2011 4:14 PM

      Torchlight II needs to be on this list!

    • rtrson legacy 10 years
      reply
      December 26, 2011 4:38 PM

      how in the hell is diablo3 not on the list? heh

    • FuryVII legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      December 26, 2011 5:14 PM

      The itis, sequel-itis. What about original games to look forward to next year?

      • Sailor of Fortune legacy 10 years
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        December 26, 2011 11:37 PM

        The masses like things the same and played safe.

        • derelict515 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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          December 27, 2011 12:01 AM

          Bioshock Infinite is hardly same and safe. Borderlands 2 is a sequel but hardly to something overdone, Borderlands was probably the first game to successfully do FPS + Diablo with a reasonable amount of depth in the Diablo part. Likewise, Hitman is obviously a sequel but to a game whose style is pretty much not done by anyone else. ME3 is the only space opera RPG out there. GTA5 is probably the most samey/safe game out of those.

          • Sailor of Fortune legacy 10 years
            reply
            December 27, 2011 12:52 AM

            Then why the reliance on same names and IPs? They serve only to make the audience feel familiar with what they already know. I'm not saying they won't make improvements but the core of all those game will be the same as their predecessors. Look at their respective developers history of games they made too.

            • derelict515 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              December 27, 2011 12:57 AM

              You know why, because a good game doesn't sell itself, marketing is a necessity, and pouring $10s of million in marketing into a brand only to throw it away and repeat the process every 3-4 years is a losing proposition. Like I said, yes, there's some degree of sameness in those titles, but many are unique in their own ways or their IP is unique next to most of the rest of gaming. No one is bemoaning all the copycat Hitman games. The last one came out years ago and there's no one else putting out gameplay like that. If the core concept of Hitman was safe and samey you'd see more copy cats. Instead it's just one developer honing this type of gameplay that people like and no other developer is satisfying. Call out MW or AC or some other franchises for cashing in more than necessary, but I don't think many of those 5 in the article are in anywhere near the same league.

    • frib legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      December 26, 2011 5:52 PM

      Dudes have already got Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3 covered but for fucks sake Guild Wars 2

    • soundcreepy legacy 10 years
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      December 26, 2011 6:03 PM

      why is GTA V not announced for PC? wait another year or so after consoles again?

    • drac01 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      December 26, 2011 8:52 PM

      Delete Borderlands 2 and Grand Theft Auto v, replace with Diablo 3 and Guildwars 2. Then you will have a proper list. :p

    • Epsilon Sector legacy 10 years
      reply
      December 27, 2011 9:06 AM

      Screw all of that (Except Mass Effect 3), and replace it with a Half Life 3 announcement. I'd be content with that.

      But yeah, I want Diablo 3, Torchlight 2, X: Rebirth, ME3, Guild Wars 2, Simcity 5 (I can dream), and a half dozen others.

    • RagnarLosSantos12 legacy 10 years
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      January 10, 2012 10:43 AM

      Grand Theft Auto 5 should be a great game so long as Rockstar doesn't bow to the whims of the bloated, corrupt and every other year criminal organization that is the LAPD and LASD. If Los Angeles police are portrayed as violent, sadistic "officers" then I can tell you as a life long Los Angeles residents its because its TRUE. The mind of a cop and rapist isn't that different, they want POWER and CONTROL. In the rapists case its over their victim, in the case of a COP its over an entire population.

      I'm just saying I hope Rockstar does whatever they want regardless of empty, idiotic and baseless lawsuits by an organization(LAPD) who has evolved from a Law Enforcement department into just the largest, most well financed GANG in Los Angeles.

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