I know I said that I probably wouldn’t be doing too many “top X” list posts, but I might have to end up going back on my word! Posting over a thousand words of straight up analysis and discussion every weekday can be pretty taxing. At let’s be honest, it can also get a little boring, too. To change that a little, I’ve decided to implement Top List Tuesday to break the flow up a little bit. I’ll still be throwing in a little opinion and analysis here and there, but I think it’ll be a nice change up to my constant “hard news and discussion” approach. Every major gaming site does these anyways, so it should still be a nice exercise for me anyways. So, without further ado, let’s do a top list!
With a new year comes a new year of excitement, hype, and purchasing for new titles. As gamers, most of us like to make our shopping lists far in advance. Today, I’m taking a look at my own personal list for what I’m most excited to see for for this upcoming year. Ready? Let’s go!
10) Luigi’s Mansion 2 (3DS)
I had to scratch my eyes in disbelief when I first realized it, but the original Luigi’s Mansion is now reaching its 11th year of age. As a launch title for the Gamecube, Luigi’s Mansion wasn’t the best Mario series title ever, but it offered a fresh and unique experience. Putting you in the shoes of Mario’s timid brother, Luigi, your goal was to search through an enormous haunted mansion in search for your lost brother. The main combat involved you sucking up ghosts with a high-powered vacuum cleaner, and it was pretty satisfying. Most people criticized it’s low six hours of gameplay, but that still didn’t prevent it from being a lot of fun for me. Even if it is 11 years later, I’m excited to see a sequel come to the 3DS.
9) Resident Evil 6 (PS3, Xbox, PC)
I’m not going to lie, I’m not that big of a Resident Evil fan. I never got into the first games much as a kid, and I’m not a big fan of nine out of ten recent RE releases, either. I am, however, a very big fan of Resident Evil 4, which is likely one of the best videogames released of all time. RE4 was a fantastic blend of horror and action, a combination that the series has been struggling to reclaim ever since. With Resident Evil 6‘s trailer releasing less than a week ago, I barely know anything about the game and am still already optimistic that Capcom is attempting to reclaim their horror roots. If more RE6 footage develops supporting this, consider this game bumped much closer to the top of my list.
8) Journey (PS3)
Consider Journey my obligatory art game of the list. The game’s main draw is what I like to call “silent multiplayer”. You take the role of a mysterious traveller, set on a journey to reach a skyward beam far off in the distance. At any time while you travel across the desert, the game could pair you with another player playing the game at the same time as you, allowing you to work together. The catch? You have no way to communicate with the other player whatsoever, other than using your in-game character’s actions. This sort of silent connection seems like it could be both extremely fun and impacting, and I’m excited to try it out.
7) Max Payne 3 (PS3, Xbox, PC)
Another series that started way back in 2001 (followed by a sequel in 2003), Max Payne was iconic for two things: it’s bold noire storytelling, and bullet time. In the years following The Matrix, being able to watch your bullet ripple through the air before connecting with an enemy was considered to be the coolest thing possible, and Max Payne was the first videogame to really get it looking nice. Max Payne 3 seems to be taking the story in an entirely new direction (instead of New York, Max now lives his life in Brazil), but seeing the fantastic storytelling work that Rockstar has done recently with games like L.A Noire and Red Dead Redemption has me reassured that Max’s next chapter will be just as deep and exciting as ever. They just need to stop delaying the darn thing! (Its release date was just recently moved back once again from March to May).
6) The Last Guardian
Having just finished the HD rerelease of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, I can’t help but be excited for Team Ico’s latest project. I wasn’t a fan of Ico, but Colossus was an emotional journey that I’d love to experience again in the form of a modern-day release. Team Ico claims that The Last Guardian will be the best of both games, leaving me pretty optimistic. Even though it hasn’t seen any major news since its announcement at E3 2009, the game’s beast still looks fantastically rendered. Given the amount of time that’s been sunk into the title, I can only imagine Team Ico will be releasing their third acclaimed title in a row this year.
5) Mass Effect 3
Technically, I’m not qualified for Mass Effect 3 just yet, because I still have yet to get to Mass Effect 2. I know that this is completely ludicrous (when I last checked GameStop a few days ago they were sold out, so I’m still waiting!), but I loved the first title so much that I’m still excited by all the hype EA is drumming up. Billed as the final conclusion to Bioware’s epic interactive sci-fi saga, I’m pretty hyped for this game to come out this March.
4) Diablo III
Me and Diablo have a lot of history. Released in 1996, Diablo was one of the first truly immersive PC games that I ever found myself in contact with. Most people currently know Blizzard for its Starcraft and Wold of Warcraft series, but Diablo’s isometric beat-em-up/spellcasting gameplay is something that I’ve been craving for a long time. Skylanders: Spryo’s Adventure of all things is fulfilling this desire at the moment, but I still can’t wait for Diablo’s newest installment. The real-money marketplace is also likely going to revolutionize the way many games operate, and will give players the ability to play videogames for a living (like a 9-5 job, not like a competitor. I know, it’s going to be really weird). I can’t wait!
3) Xenoblade Chronicles
Here’s the story. In Japan, there were three games for the Wii that received critical acclaim, but never saw a US release: The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, and Xenoblade Chronicles. For a system that had been long fading into obscurity, fans were baffled why these games never saw a US release, and began to band together and continually petition Nintendo to release them locally. This band of people became known as Operation Rainfall, and their contant efforts finally pressed Nintendo to localize and release Xenoblade chronicles for the Wii this April. Not only am I excited for the game, which is supposed to be a fantastic fantasy/RPG for a system that has none, but I’m also enthusiastic in general that fans were able to make a difference in the minds of a big publisher. As someone who is even more excited for The Last Story, I’m hoping that Xenoblade Chronicles will sell well enough to push Nintendo to localize the other two titles as well.
2) Wii U
With the last non-portable console releasing in 2006, I can’t help but be excited for anything that comes out for a brand new one. Nintendo’s new Wii U contains a bizarre tablet-based controller that has a lot of potential in the right hands. While the general public and Nintendo’s investors were less-than-excited for the risky new console, everything that I hear from people who have been able to experience the console’s controller itself is positive. While we don’t know of any Nintendo exclusives for the platform yet, I can only hope to see some amazing first party implementations announced coming this Summer at E3 2012.
1) Bioshock Infinite
I talked about this recently in my 1999 Mode post, but I am really hyped for Bioshock Infinite. I loved the first title’s ability to mix exciting gameplay with intriguing story. I love Infinite‘s chance to take the story to an entirely new setting, instead of making a worse clone of the first (like Bioshock 2 did). I love that the game’s director has been working hard to integrate elements he observed when watching the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. All in all, I love games that try very hard to weave thoughtful story into a strong game, and Infinite seems to be the prime candidate this year to do it.
Well, that’s my list! What’s yours? I could name at least 20 more titles that will be interesting or prolific releases over 2012, but these 10 are the ones that are highest on my radar right now. Whether it be the many years of improvement behind the PS3 and Xbox 360, or Nintendo’s foray into HD gaming with the Wii U, it’s bound to be an exciting year for videogames.
-Josh
