The Future Looks Bright
Less Than Traditional RPGs
The first set of games I can't wait to see will show diversity in the role-playing genre. They move away from the usual fantasy settings and offer something different in terms of gameplay and story. Two of these games make sense as RPGs while one is a concept only conceived by mad geniuses. These are the role-playing games I want to play this year.
South Park: The Game
Another South Park game may not excite most, considering the unappealing games made by Acclaim, but before you start to doubt this game, consider this. South Park: The Game is being made into a role-playing game by a company who knows RPGs, Obsidian Entertainment, the people behind Fallout: New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The idea for the game came from none other than the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also writing the story and allowing Obsidian full access to fifteen years of material. The game will play similarly to Paper Mario and, if you look at the screenshot above, will feature the same aesthetic as the show. Hopefully Obsidian can create a game that is as much fun to play as it is funny.
Paper Mario 3DS
Speaking of Paper Mario, a new game in the series is set to be released this year. Not a whole lot is known about the game, but if it is anything like previous games in the series, it will definitely be worth playing. The game is going to return to the turn-based battle system seen in games before Super Paper Mario. Also, the game's construction paper visuals should work well with the 3DS's 3D.
Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles is an action/RPG that has been out for a while in Europe and Japan, and wasn't planned to be released in North America until we told Nintendo to bring it over here. The game is said to feature a fast-paced battle system that resembles the system created for the most recent Final Fantasy games. The game also focuses on exploration and less on linearity or cut-scenes.
A New Title Amongst Crossover Fighters
Fighting games have seen a renaissance since the release of Street Fighter IV back in 2008. Since then, we've seen the return of Marvel Vs. Capcom and Mortal Kombat along with what seems like 32 different versions of Street Fighter IV. This year looks like it's going to do new things in terms of crossover fighting games, but will also include a brand new game in the fighting genre.
Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced Street Fighter cross Tekken) is one game in what is probably the biggest crossover fighting event in video game history. This game is being developed by Capcom and will feature the hyper-stylized 2D fighting that is normally seen in the Street Fighter series while Tekken X Street Fighter will be developed by Namco, which will show off the more realistic 3D fighting seen in the Tekken games. Both games will have characters from the two legendary franchises fighting each other for the first time. Street Fighter X Tekken will feature a Gem System which allows the player to boost the stats of their fighters. Not only will this game be an epic crossover event, but the Playstation 3 and Vita versions will feature Cole from the Infamous series. Street Fighter X Tekken will be one game that fighting fanatics will be sure to not miss out on.
Soul Calibur V
Another fighting game famous for bringing in characters from other games is releasing very soon this year. Soul Calibur V will include new features to help improve on the series weapon based, combat formula. These include charge attacks, new guard moves, and ridiculous, Street Fighter-esque finisher moves. The character creation mode will return and will supposedly include way more options than the previous game. Soul Calibur V will also continue its tradition of pulling other characters into the game by including Ezio from the Assassin's Creed series. Fans won't have to wait long, either, because the game releases on January 31.
Skullgirls
Skullgirls is a brand new, downloadable game coming out this year that will surely change the way things are done in fighting games. The game will feature a unique hand-drawn art style, and a slew of features that aim to help competitive play feel more balanced. It's not certain whether or not this will be a hit, but hopefully the different way of approaching the fighting genre will be enough to win people over.
The Lesser Known Titles
These games will probably appeal to audiences that are not exactly considered mainstream. They are either part of a series that has been dormant for way too long or have a style that is a little more than absurd. These are the games that are more than likely to fall into the category of "cult classic".
Kid Icarus: Uprising
The Kid Icarus series hasn't seen a game since 1992 on the original Game Boy. Uprising will more than likely please players, but it's not the game fans of the series are expecting. Instead of the 2D Metroid-like gameplay, it will be a third-person shooter that resembles Star Fox and will use the new Circle Pad Pro add-on for the 3DS. Since it is a third-person shooter, it has been given an online multiplayer option that looks interesting. We'll see later this year if these changes to Kid Icarus will be enough to help its return.
Luigi's Mansion 2
Luigi's Mansion was a short adventure game starring Mario's awesomely lame brother, Luigi, who does his own version of Ghostbusters inside a creepy mansion that he acquired. This time around, Luigi will be helping Professor E. Gadd take down all kinds of ghosts in multiple mansions. Luigi's Mansion 2 will make use of the motion sensing capabilities of the 3DS and will hopefully be a much longer experience. This game should make a nice counterpart for the bright platforming of Super Mario 3D Land.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic the Hedgehog 4's goal is to remind fans of the series why they love Sonic so much. Fans have been more than a little burned since Sonic jumped into 3D, and this game aims to heal the wounds. Episode II will try to fix some of the complaints some players had with momentum, as well as bring back Sonic's adorable sidekick, Tails, and evil robotic doppelganger, Metal Sonic. The teaser trailer even hints at new abilities that Sonic and Tails can use together.
Lollipop Chainsaw
The people over at Grasshopper Manufacture are known to make games that are more than a little out there. Lollipop Chainsaw will probably be the craziest game the developer has made. The game's premise is simple: a hot cheerleader needs to save her school from a zombie invasion by using her trusty chainsaw. Speculation still remains about whether or not the developer's wackiness will overshadow gameplay, but if Shadows of the Damned is any indication of a perfect balance between style and solid gameplay, then there might not be too much to worry about.
Asura's Wrath
Asura's Wrath is more than likely the most over-the-top game that will be released this year. I've played the demo, and the best way to describe this game would be Dragon Ball Z meets God of War. The game relies heavily on story and quick time events, but also involves varied combat sections. This is another game that doesn't seem to be a sure-fire success due to the perception of style over decent gameplay, but thankfully the public doesn't have to wait too long to check out this truly ridiculous game.
This post got a little bit larger than I anticipated, so I've decided to divide it up into two easier to digest posts. You can check out the second part right here.
The first set of games I can't wait to see will show diversity in the role-playing genre. They move away from the usual fantasy settings and offer something different in terms of gameplay and story. Two of these games make sense as RPGs while one is a concept only conceived by mad geniuses. These are the role-playing games I want to play this year.
South Park: The Game
Another South Park game may not excite most, considering the unappealing games made by Acclaim, but before you start to doubt this game, consider this. South Park: The Game is being made into a role-playing game by a company who knows RPGs, Obsidian Entertainment, the people behind Fallout: New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The idea for the game came from none other than the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also writing the story and allowing Obsidian full access to fifteen years of material. The game will play similarly to Paper Mario and, if you look at the screenshot above, will feature the same aesthetic as the show. Hopefully Obsidian can create a game that is as much fun to play as it is funny.
Paper Mario 3DS
Speaking of Paper Mario, a new game in the series is set to be released this year. Not a whole lot is known about the game, but if it is anything like previous games in the series, it will definitely be worth playing. The game is going to return to the turn-based battle system seen in games before Super Paper Mario. Also, the game's construction paper visuals should work well with the 3DS's 3D.
Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles is an action/RPG that has been out for a while in Europe and Japan, and wasn't planned to be released in North America until we told Nintendo to bring it over here. The game is said to feature a fast-paced battle system that resembles the system created for the most recent Final Fantasy games. The game also focuses on exploration and less on linearity or cut-scenes.
A New Title Amongst Crossover Fighters
Fighting games have seen a renaissance since the release of Street Fighter IV back in 2008. Since then, we've seen the return of Marvel Vs. Capcom and Mortal Kombat along with what seems like 32 different versions of Street Fighter IV. This year looks like it's going to do new things in terms of crossover fighting games, but will also include a brand new game in the fighting genre.
Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced Street Fighter cross Tekken) is one game in what is probably the biggest crossover fighting event in video game history. This game is being developed by Capcom and will feature the hyper-stylized 2D fighting that is normally seen in the Street Fighter series while Tekken X Street Fighter will be developed by Namco, which will show off the more realistic 3D fighting seen in the Tekken games. Both games will have characters from the two legendary franchises fighting each other for the first time. Street Fighter X Tekken will feature a Gem System which allows the player to boost the stats of their fighters. Not only will this game be an epic crossover event, but the Playstation 3 and Vita versions will feature Cole from the Infamous series. Street Fighter X Tekken will be one game that fighting fanatics will be sure to not miss out on.
Soul Calibur V
Another fighting game famous for bringing in characters from other games is releasing very soon this year. Soul Calibur V will include new features to help improve on the series weapon based, combat formula. These include charge attacks, new guard moves, and ridiculous, Street Fighter-esque finisher moves. The character creation mode will return and will supposedly include way more options than the previous game. Soul Calibur V will also continue its tradition of pulling other characters into the game by including Ezio from the Assassin's Creed series. Fans won't have to wait long, either, because the game releases on January 31.
Skullgirls
Skullgirls is a brand new, downloadable game coming out this year that will surely change the way things are done in fighting games. The game will feature a unique hand-drawn art style, and a slew of features that aim to help competitive play feel more balanced. It's not certain whether or not this will be a hit, but hopefully the different way of approaching the fighting genre will be enough to win people over.
The Lesser Known Titles
These games will probably appeal to audiences that are not exactly considered mainstream. They are either part of a series that has been dormant for way too long or have a style that is a little more than absurd. These are the games that are more than likely to fall into the category of "cult classic".
Kid Icarus: Uprising
The Kid Icarus series hasn't seen a game since 1992 on the original Game Boy. Uprising will more than likely please players, but it's not the game fans of the series are expecting. Instead of the 2D Metroid-like gameplay, it will be a third-person shooter that resembles Star Fox and will use the new Circle Pad Pro add-on for the 3DS. Since it is a third-person shooter, it has been given an online multiplayer option that looks interesting. We'll see later this year if these changes to Kid Icarus will be enough to help its return.
Luigi's Mansion 2
Luigi's Mansion was a short adventure game starring Mario's awesomely lame brother, Luigi, who does his own version of Ghostbusters inside a creepy mansion that he acquired. This time around, Luigi will be helping Professor E. Gadd take down all kinds of ghosts in multiple mansions. Luigi's Mansion 2 will make use of the motion sensing capabilities of the 3DS and will hopefully be a much longer experience. This game should make a nice counterpart for the bright platforming of Super Mario 3D Land.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic the Hedgehog 4's goal is to remind fans of the series why they love Sonic so much. Fans have been more than a little burned since Sonic jumped into 3D, and this game aims to heal the wounds. Episode II will try to fix some of the complaints some players had with momentum, as well as bring back Sonic's adorable sidekick, Tails, and evil robotic doppelganger, Metal Sonic. The teaser trailer even hints at new abilities that Sonic and Tails can use together.
Lollipop Chainsaw
The people over at Grasshopper Manufacture are known to make games that are more than a little out there. Lollipop Chainsaw will probably be the craziest game the developer has made. The game's premise is simple: a hot cheerleader needs to save her school from a zombie invasion by using her trusty chainsaw. Speculation still remains about whether or not the developer's wackiness will overshadow gameplay, but if Shadows of the Damned is any indication of a perfect balance between style and solid gameplay, then there might not be too much to worry about.
Asura's Wrath
Asura's Wrath is more than likely the most over-the-top game that will be released this year. I've played the demo, and the best way to describe this game would be Dragon Ball Z meets God of War. The game relies heavily on story and quick time events, but also involves varied combat sections. This is another game that doesn't seem to be a sure-fire success due to the perception of style over decent gameplay, but thankfully the public doesn't have to wait too long to check out this truly ridiculous game.
This post got a little bit larger than I anticipated, so I've decided to divide it up into two easier to digest posts. You can check out the second part right here.
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