Our resident genius, one Mr. Carl Daniel, wrote a great article about some games you should really keep your eye on in the coming months. I felt this article was so great, I decided to offer up my own list of games that look extra promising and should be at the very top of any “must check out” or even “must buy” list! The full list of games, plus pics, videos and commentary is all below. While some of these may not be completely “under the radar” they are definitely overshadowed by some of the other big-hitters that will be releasing soon. Leave your comments and let us know about your personal hidden gems of the year!
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North
November 1st (US) 2nd (AUS) and 4th (EU)
PC, PS3 and 360
This is one that I am personally looking forward to the most, outside of all the big and obvious blockbusters that are coming out in the following months. You should see my review of this game on the site in the coming weeks for my final verdict, but this definitely has a lot of promise for RPG fans! The game tells the tale of a separate fellowship from that in the main trilogy, and instead of following the journey to destroy the One Ring, instead follows their journey to hold off an army marching from the north. This is great because it will intertwine with the familiar events from the stories, as well as give the developer a ton of creative freedom to make the best game in Tolkien’s universe they can. The game features 3-player coop (including local split screen! more developers need to PAY ATTENTION!) as well as tons of loot, levels and skills to gain on the way! Check out one of the many trailers below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p3YAPnmsys
Rayman Origins
November 15th (NA) 24th (AUS) 25th (EU)
PS3, 360 and Wii
Vita and 3DS (Release TBD)
Platforming has never really died, but for a while it shifted into the 3d realm, for better and for worse. Adding that extra dimension made things a lot more immersive, interactive and intriguing in some ways, but that old school charm, simplicity and attention to detail was lost. Enter Rayman Origins. This is the platformer for not only all of the children that play games today, but for everyone that grew up playing games. This take Rayman back to his roots, with what looks like some of the crispest and sharpest 2D visuals I have ever seen. Add in some stellar coop features, and you have a great game waiting to be played!
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
PS3 and 360
October 25th (US), 28th (EU) November (AUS) and December 8th (JP)
I know what you are thinking; oh, this is just another DBZ fighting game. While yes, you are correct, that this IS in fact, “another DBZ fighting game,” you are wrong in assuming that it is just that. This game adopts a fighting style similar to the Budokai Tenkaichi series of games, features fully destructible environments, and plenty of over the top action. There are three key things that truly set this one apart from the pile of other games, however. First: it is faithful to the anime. The game actually covers the whole series, accurately with cutscenes, and even has bonus bits from GT and some of the movies. Second: it has remastered clips from the original anime. Yes, the original. Not Kai, but the original series. So, during that boss fight with Vegeta in the beginning of the series, you may see an anime cutscene of his transformation! Third: last but not least, there is a character creator. And not just a “give your version of Goku a different name” but a fully fledged offering complete with different genders, races, movesets and power ups. This is the most robust DBZ game in a long time, and any fan of the series (or fun in general) should be very excited! The trailer for the character creator is posted below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OJqJ347Hkw
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
PS3, 360, PSP, Wii, DS, 3DS, PC and iOS
November 11th (US) 18th (EU)
Vita 2012 TBD
To say that the LEGO games have been successful, would be one of the biggest understatements ever. The developer has taken some of popular culture’s most popular and engrossing franchises, and made them cute and even more fun with the LEGO treatment. This final installment in the Harry Potter series of LEGO games is sure to be just as amazing as the first, wrapping up the saga with the final years of gameplay. Check out the trailer below, and be sure to give this one a whirl once it releases next month. While it releasing the same day as Skyrim may hurt it’s sales a bit, it probably won’t very much since they are targeted at pretty different audiences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG5aZuNRjqM
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland
Wii October 24th (US) 27th (JP) November 25th (EU)
This latest entry in the long running and much loved Kirby series is more than just a return to dreamland in the game, but is a return to the classic Kirby formula that we all know and love! Kirby is back to sucking as much as he used to (but being awesome while he does it) and has the traditional and colorful art style. The game is also a 2d side scrolling platformer again, with some beautiful graphics. Finally, this game will sport some great 4-player coop (similar to Rayman and New Mario Bros.) This and Skyward Sword are probably going to be the last couple of great games to play on the dying Wii.
