Grand Theft Auto V

Publisher: Rockstar
Release: TBA 2012

Being a numbered GTA title is a big deal. We know GTA V is set in Los Santos, Rockstar’s take on Los Angeles, and that it may have multiple protagonists. What we don’t know is whether it’s a continuation of GTA IV or a return to the pop culture of Vice City and San Andreas. The golden hues and gloss of the trailer suggests the latter, but, hey: that could just be California.

Where GTA V does seem to offer something new is in the promise of expansive outdoor environments. With the series traditionally tied to urban areas, the possibility of a little more freedom is intriguing, as is the suggestion that the main character’s hobbies include hiking. That said, Rockstar would do well to focus on fundamentals: bringing GTA’s combat up to scratch, allowing us to interact with the environment more meaningful ways, and moving from the one-employer-at-a-time structure.

Cross of the Dutchman

Publisher: Triangle Studios
Release: 2012

An action-adventure in the mould of Fable 3 from indie studio Triangle, this game places you in the enormous shoes of legendary Dutch warrior-pirate Pier Gerlofs Donia. You’ll liberate Frisia and do sidequests in a charming cartoon take on Western Europe. Grutte Pier was seven feet tall and could decapitate several people with a single blow, apparently.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Publisher: Konami
Release: 2012

As big-haired, sharp-cheekboned cyber ninja Raiden, you’re hunting baddies in the near-ish future. The emphasis is on quick, offensive swordplay, using the dev’s terrifying attention to how bodies are sliced and diced. The series is perhaps best known for its fourth-wall-shattering plot devices and inventive game mechanics: we’re always happy to see more of that on the PC.

Brothers in Arms: Furious 4

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: Summer

It’s a team-based shooter, again, but rather than updating to a modern combat scenario, this new Brothers in Arms sees a gang of armed-to-the-teeth Yank soldiers take on those pesky Nazis. The demo we saw involved jetpacks and demented violence. It recalls Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, with plenty of gore and Nazi-branding. Like a 1940s version of Bulletstorm.

The Darkness 2

Publisher: 2k Games
Release: Spring

We didn’t get The Darkness the first time round: a mob-set shooter into which mystical forces have imbued the central character with special abilities. Fortunately, its sequel is set to enlighten the PC. It includes ‘Quad-Wielding’, which allows players to slash, grab and throw enemies with two demon arms while simultaneously wielding two guns. You also get to tell imps when to murder your enemies from the shadows. Ace.

Strike Suit Zero

Publisher: DoubleSix
Release: Spring

Many, many games feature the end of the world, but not many see you staving it off with a giant transforming space robot thing. It’s a very ’80s take on the space shooter, with ludicrous firepower and an infinite amount of power-ups, but the calibre of its creators should ensure it’s anything but 8-bit. It’s never going to be hugely challenging, but there simply aren’t enough giant transforming space robot things in games these days.

Prototype 2

Publisher: Activision
Release: Summer

2009’s Prototype was a solid cityroaming murder sim, with some smart touches like being able to take on an enemy’s appearance. The sequel sees new protagonist James Heller taking on evil mutants and evil soldiers with equal aplomb. Heller’s got a few new abilities, such as tendrils that can envelope enemies, and everyone can be ripped into fleshy chunks. Expect openworld carnage, copter takedowns and, hopefully, a bit more depth.

Spec Ops: The Line

Publisher: 2k Games
Release: 2012

A third-person cover shooter set in the sand-blasted remains of Dubai, this promises tough choices in an uncompromising narrative. The banner feature is ‘Dynamic Sand’, accurately-modelled silicates that can form avalanches to crush friend and foe alike. 2K remind us that ‘sand has no loyalty’, flagrantly disregarding the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin.

Shank 2

Publisher: Klei Entertainment
Release: 2012

We weren’t big fans of the original Shank,a 2D side-scrolling platform shooter (think Contra). This sequel promises to make amends with revamped controls and a new co-op survival mode. The cell-shaded art looks great.

Shoot Many Robots

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 2012

It’s a four-player side-scrolling shooter with a little RPG flavour. Hillbilly protagonist P Walter Tugnut can be upgraded with bits and bobs he salvages from the many, many robots he’s likely to shoot. It’s nice to see a game wear its mission statement.

Captain Blood

Publisher: 1C
Release: 2012

A swashbuckling third-person adventure. A mix of combo-based sword battles and ship-to-ship fi ghting, you’ll upgrade both your boat and crew on your quest for the biggest, pointiest hat of all. It’s been in development for a long time: wait and see.

Solaris Assault Tech

Publisher: Studio Inektek
Release: 2012

An arena-based mech combat game based on the Unreal 3 engine, and being developed with BattleTech founder Jordan Weismen. Long live giant stompy robot games. We need more.

Assassin’s Creed 3

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 2012

Rumour has it the French or American revolutions are pegged to appear – but it could, of course, feature both. Based on its treatment of history, we’re putting our money on fist-fights with Thomas Paine and a minecart chase with William Wordsworth.

Super Monday Night Combat

Publisher: 2012
Release: Uberent

The DOTA-inspired arena thirdperson shooter returns with three new classes – revolver-toting Gunslinger, robot-herding Combatgirl and groundpounding Veteran. New maps and increased customisation round out the package – and it’s free to play, too. It’s certainly one to watch if you like your DOTA with a side of TF2-style cartoon charm.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Publisher: Capcom
Release: Spring

Pitting Capcom and Namco’s finest against each other for the first time outside of bitter playground arguments, Street Fighter X Tekken brings tag team battles to the Street Fighter IV format. But is it coming to PC or not? A PC version was announced by Capcom in April, but quickly withdrawn as a ‘typo’, before being upgraded to a ‘maybe’. Come on Capcom.

Transformers: The Fall of Cybertron

Publisher: Activision
Release: 2012

The sequel to 2010’s vehiclesand- robots blaster, this demonstrates that Activision have finally learned the rule of sequels: namely, more dinosaurs. All we’ve seen of the game so far is a teaser trailer revealing T-rexin- disguise Grimlock. A revamped weapons and upgrades system promises to make character progression feel more meaningful than it was last time.

War of the Roses

Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Release: Summer

A slightly po-faced approach to the battles that ravaged England during the 15th century, it promises to take a gritty, shooter-style approach to sword and axe combat.

Star Trek

Publisher: Paramount
Release: Autumn

The tie-in game to JJ Abram’s take on Star Trek continues the story, with Kirk and Spock starring in a co-op shooter, hunting down an alien threat to the galaxy. Think Mass Effect but without the RPG elements. Devs Digital Extremes have already shown footage of Kirk leaping from an airlock, through the vacuum of space, onto the side of another ship. Question: will it tie into the next film, due out in 2013? Answer: unknown.

Darksiders II

Publisher: THQ
Release: 2012

Darksiders wasn’t actually too bad as a third-person action slasher. In the sequel, you take control of Death (the other four horsemen taking a co-star role) as you rock into the underworld and beat the unliving crap out of baddies, like it’s the end of the world. Which it actually is. The team responsible claim that levels will be at least twice the size of those seen in the first game, and that the hub cities will contain significantly more dungeons. Which is nice.

Max Payne 3

Publisher: Rockstar
Release: Autumn

Circumstances once again conspire to see Max Payne thrust sideways in slow-motion through the windows of life. Everyone’s favourite action-detective runs, guns and shaves his way through Sao Paulo in a Rockstar developed sequel to Remedy’s shoooter. The team responsible are making a big deal of the way Max moves naturally through the city.

Scivelation

Publisher: TopWare Interactive
Release: 2012

Taking place in a post-apocalyptic future where the Forces of Good and Evil and Arbitrary Capitalisation have wiped each other out, Scivelation is a third-person shooter that pits you against the Regime. It sounds a lot like RAGE, but looks more like Hard Reset.

Devil May Cry 3

Publisher: Capcom
Release: 2012

Ninja Theory have worked hard to show that their DMC reboot respects its roots. The game will see a younger Dante slicing and air-juggling his way through two different worlds: one bright and colourful, the other dramatically monochrome.

Raven’s Cry

Publisher: TopWare Interactive
Release: 2012

Pirate sandbox adventure that looks to be a darker, more gritty take on the wolves of the sea. The combat system mixes real historical weapons, complete with their own special moves and abilities, with a more tactical slant.

Ride to Hell

Publisher: Deep Silver
Release: 2012

Protect your territory from rival biker gangs in what promises to be a GTA style take on sixties West Coast America easy riding culture.

The Amazing Spider-Man: The Movie

Publisher: Activision
Release: 2012

The tie-in game for next year’s Spider-Man game is directed squarely at the tie-in-lunchbox and duvet set. Expect a mixture of free-swinging city traversal and third-person brawling. It looks all right, the swinging-down- New-York about as good as you’d expect. But the previous games from the same dev have been hit and miss, so it’s probably best to wait for the reviews.

Ghosts of Moscow: Death to Spies

Publisher: 1C
Release: 2012

A third-person stealth adventure set during the Cold War. The third Death to Spies game casts you as a trio of Russian spies undertaking missions in North America, Cuba and Europe. We’re not sure how it’ll compete against the new Hitman given IO’s ever expanding budget. But it’s possible this will fulfil your need to choke people to death and then pinch their undies.

Top Gun: Hard Lock

Publisher: 505 Games
Release: 2012

Merely a typo away from the original film’s subtext, Top Gun: Hard Lock takes the hit movie’s bombastic, homoerotic airborne combat and turns it into a bombastic, presumably homoerotic game. To get a pretty good idea of exactly what it’s going to be like, play Tom Clancy’s HAWX, Afterburner or Crimson Skies with Highway to the Danger Zone playing on your iPod.

Lollipop Chainsaw

Publisher: Warner Brothers
Release: Spring

Cute cheerleaders with chainsaws have been sorely missed in gaming. Fortunately, Juliet Starling – the cheerleader in question – is equipped with a chainsaw to massacre the undead. It feels like a one-note take on Dead Rising’s best jokes, but Suda 51’s involvement is sure to make it a triumph of style over substance. Its presence on the PC is a mere rumour at the moment, but we’d love to see it. Come on Warner, throw us a bone.

Anarchy Reigns

Publisher: Sega
Release: Spring

Tentatively confirmed by Sega for the PC, this gloriously ludicrous-looking multiplayer brawler comes from Platinum Games, the developers of absurdly leggy console title Bayonetta. Expect absurdly burly men (and ladies) hitting each other – a lot – in ever more creative ways, with the added bonus of being able to call in such everyday occurrences as black holes and plane crashes. Subtlety really isn’t on the agenda here.

Inversion

Publisher: Namco Bandai
Release: 2012

Inversion offers third-person co-op blasting in the company of the Grappler, a scenery-flinging descendent of Half-Life 2’s Gravity Gun that is described as “using a revolutionary gravity manipulation engine”. Yeah, whatever. You’ll use it to create cover and grab your enemies, a mysterious high-tech force known as the Lutadore. We are fairly sure that they are not Mexican wrestlers, but it is too early to say for sure.

Tomb Raider

Publisher: Square Enix
Release: Summer

This long-awaited reboot sees a younger Lara stranded on a Japanese island during her first trip overseas. What we’ve seen suggests a much darker, more violent game with a focus on survival rather than the improbable dungeoneering of yore. First impressions call to mind the excellent reboot of Resident Evil via Resi 4. But where does that leave Lara’s excellent platforming?

Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City

Publisher: Capcom
Release: 2012

A class-based third-person shooter where you tackle Hunters, Tyrants and the Nemesis in the setting of Resi 2. Full four-player co-op support for the campaign makes this one to watch.

Smite

Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios
Release: 2012

A mythological take on the DotA format from Hi-Rez, the folks behind Global Agenda and Tribes: Ascend. It’s based on Unreal Engine 3 and will ditch the isometric RTS approach for plenty of over-the-shoulder twitch action.

Ravensdale

Publisher: Spellbound
Release: 2012

A steampunk fantasy action game. A hack and slash RPG, but with the slashing powered by coal. You’ll be tapping into steam vents to supercharge your foecrushing weapons and gadgets. Excellent hats, too. Which is extremely important to us.

MechWarrior Online

Publisher: Infinite
Release: 2012

Infinite Games’ MechWarrior series reboot boasts customisable mechs, a detailed stat-tracking system, and a story that evolves based on the results of your actions. Who says there’s no such thing as a free hundredfoot walking tank?

Awesomenauts

Publisher: DTP Entertainment
Release: Spring

Huge robot armies, 2D graphics and DotA-style levels should make for a perfect PC title, and the developers are keen to bring it to our desktops. But their publishers want it to be console only. Boo!

SIM

Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WW2

Publisher: City Interactive
Release: Autumn

Aerial combat simulators have gained momentum in recent years, and Combat Wings takes us back to World War II. Again. Apparently it’s all been painstakingly recreated from actual battles and aeroplanes, while maintaining a arcade level of approachability. Combat Wings could open its doors and pelt us with bombs of fun.

War Wings: Hell Catz

Publisher: Mad Catz
Release: 2012

The first game from noted peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz, War Wings: Hell Catz is part of a planned series that will explore a variety of different eras of air combat. This first sortie is set in World War II’s pacific theatre and looks to be a little more arcadey than its more traditional simulator cousins. Nonetheless, it’s probably safe to expect that there could well be more than a few tie-in flightsticks and the like.

PUZZLE

Nabara World: The Labyrinth of Light

Publisher: Mentor Interactive
Release: Spring

An English-language version of this Spanish title is reputedly heading to the PC early next year. Naraba World: The Labyrinth of Light is an educational game for young children that allows players to learn maths by manipulating light and colour. Let’s see if Rich can tell the difference between this and StarCraft.

Quantum Conundrum

Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 2012

Kim Swift returns with Quantum Conundrum, a first-person puzzle game in the vein of her most famous brainchild, Portal. You’re trapped in your mad-scientist uncle’s manor house and must shift between dimensions to manipulate the environment – swapping into the Fluffy dimension to make heavy objects lighter, for example. Sounds like real science to us.

A Virus Named Tom

Publisher: Misfits Attic
Release: Autumn

“A Virus Named Tom has a nice Dexter’s Laboratory-esque ’50s vibe to it. It’s a game about a strand of dodgy DNA infecting retro robo dogs, among other things. It’s basically the pipe puzzles from BioShock, with the twist that you’re controlling the virus as he changes the flow of fluids. It’s a simple and amiable take on an old favourite, but we figure Tom is a much less threatening name for a virus than Elk Cloner or MRSA.

Toki Tori 2

Publisher: Two Tribes
Release: Spring

Two Tribes’s sequel to platform puzzler Toki Tori is being developed with the close participation of series fans. They’re opting for an open development process that involves a free (but limited) development version of the game on Steam. The teaser trailer hints at various transformations for the teleporting, egg-collecting hero. Bloody egg collectors. Always ruining omelettes.

Monaco

Publisher: Pocketwatch Games
Release: 2012

Monaco describes itself as Gauntlet meets Hitman, a top-down retro heist game for up to four players. You play as criminals attempting to pinch cash and loot from secure locations. It’s also dead good: in 2010 it picked up the Excellence in Game Design award at the IGF. Don’t take their word for it, either. We’ve been playing it, and it’s blummin’ ace.

RACING

Time@tack

Publisher: Yami Hoshi.nl
Release: Spring

A free car time trials game set to leave the grid after the launch of Windows 8’s Store. Apparently it’s been made by a not-for-profit bunch of journalists. We doubt it’ll have the depth of DiRT 3, but it’s sure to offer a few drop-in bouts of fun.

Ridge Racer Unbounded

Publisher: Namco Bandai
Release: Spring

Marks the long running series’ first move away from the arcades towards more realistic racing, as well as its first venture onto the PC. It promises exhilarating collisions and a TrackMania-style track editor.

Crash Time IV: The Syndicate

Publisher: RTL Interactive
Release: 2012

Race around 100km of racetrack in modern Cologne while solving automotive crimes. It received a critical panning when it came out on Xbox earlier in the year, so best not to get your hopes up.

Project Haste

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 2012

It’s an ATV racer by Techland, the folks behind nail’d. Project Haste is a working title, so this could well be a sequel. All we know is that it’ll feature aerial tricks and extensive multiplayer. The original picked up a solid 76% back in PCG 223.

RaceDriver: GRID 2

Publisher: Codemasters
Release: 2012

The little we know about this track racer suggests increased online integration in the manner of the most recent Need For Speed games. As a cousin to DiRT and direct successor to the venerable TOCA, it’d be great to see it make a return.

F1 Online: The Game

Publisher: Codemasters
Release: Spring

Codemasters have firmly re-established the F1 franchise, but F1 Online sees the racer go free-to-play. We saw it at Gamescom last year and it looked like a fun but basic topdown racer, with direction and speed worked from your mouse. Low system requirements make this an accessible web-game for genre fans, and you can buy new bits for your car too. Vroom?

F1 2012

Publisher: Codemasters
Release: 2012

When F1 2011 escaped from its predecessor’s shadow, shedding a legacy of evil, cheating AI drivers as it went, we were there on the sidelines cheering it on. There are still important places for the F1 sim series to go, however. Proper weather modelling would be nice, as would a long-awaited revamp of the Career mode that has remained unchanged since F1 2010. We’re excited to see what Codies Birmingham will do with a solid base to work from.

Carmageddon Reincarnation

Publisher: Stainless Games
Release: 2012

1997’s Carmageddon introduced an anarchic, fruity approach to the racing genre that remains unmatched. Stainless Games have retained the rights and are updating the game as Carmageddon: Reincarnation. Without a publisher behind it, will Reincarnation get the attention and love it deserves?

ADVENTURE

The Mystery of the Wicked Village

Publisher: Alachofasoft
Release: 2012

A follow-up to Murder in the Abbey, The Mystery of the Wicked Village marks the return of Brother Leonardo de Toledo. He’s stranded in a backwater village following a funny turn and must point and click his way to the bottom of the strange goings on in this rural locale. Guest starring the Devil, of all people. Well, he always likes to poke his pointy nose in.

The Thirty Nine Steps

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Summer

An adaptation of the John Buchan novel of the same name, The Thirty-Nine Steps is part of an initiative to bring classic stories to people who don’t read. It’s billed as a storytelling experience rather than an adventure, using on-screen text to help players stage manage their own experience. It’s a laudable goal, but we’re not sure whether it’ll qualify as a game.

J.U.L.I.A

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

Sent on a mission to investigate the first extraterrestrial lifeforms, astrobiologist Rachel Manners wakes from a cryogenic sleep onboard her spaceship and finds her fellow crew members dead. The plot immediately recalls RAGE, but this is a very different kind of adventure. Her only companions are a giant robot called Mobot and the eponymous mothership AI. It’s all pleasingly reminiscent of The Dig with a touch of Silent Running.

Extrasolar

Publisher: Lazy B Studios
Release: 2012

Browser-based space science from the chaps behind Cogs, all wrapped up in an alternate reality-style package. You control a planetary rover in real-time, waiting hours between orders while trying to uncover the mysteries of another world. An earthbound narrative runs alongside the game, fleshing out the mysterious company funding your activities. Potentially a very cool use twist on the longform browser game.

Fables

Publisher: Telltale Games
Release: 2012

Based on the comic book series about fairy-tale characters in exile in the modern world. The focus has always been on smart dialogue and detailed characters: something that we’d love to see refl ected in the game.

The Silver Lining Episode V: A Thousand Times Goodnight

Publisher: Phoenix Online Studios
Release: Spring

The fan-developed follow-up to King’s Quest by Phoenix Online Studios. Episode V brings the saga to a close nearly ten years after the project began.

Catherine

Publisher: Atlus
Release: Christmas

Catherine is an intriguing adult psychological thriller in which the woman prances around in a variety of frilly but ultimately impractical underwear. We want this to appear on the PC so badly, and informed rumour has it that it’s going to do just that.

Realms of Ancient War

Publisher: Focus
Release: Spring

Realms of Ancient War – aka RAW – is a two-player co-op fantasy hack and slasher, with a topdown perspective. It’s being developed for Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network as well, and it looks like a cross between Magicka and Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light. It’s promising stuff: if the devs nail the ‘dip in and out’ feel of hack and slash, it could really work.

The Lost Chronicles of Zerzura

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

Horror adventure titles can be really, really good (Amnesia) or really, really bad (pretty much everything else). There is no such thing as a mediocre horror adventure game. This one follows a young inventor who discovers the mythical land of Zerzura during the Spanish Inquisition. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t look or sound particularly scary. More horror please.

The Journey of Iesir

Publisher: Big Blue Cup
Release: 2012

An indie developed Adventure Game Studio project, The Journey of Iesir follows a young Viking looking to reclaim his heritage. Similar to Monkey Island, it combines a historical setting with modern humour, sending up hippies, gangsters and Japanese demons, among others. Iesir certainly looks remarkable, with a hand-painted style that rivals anything else in the genre.

Y: The Case of John Yesterday

Publisher: Focus
Release: 2012

Amnesiac point-and-click adventure hero John Yesterday is tasked with tracking down whoever is burning homeless people alive in modern-day New York. The teaser hints at a supernatural change of pace for developer Pendulo, better known as the studio behind the Runaway series. Here’s hoping for an unexpected take on the ‘hero without a memory’ cliché.

Twilight Zone

Publisher: Legacy Interactive
Release: Spring

The classic black-and-white American sci-fi horror TV series is transmogrified into a game. You play as a struggling actor who gets trapped in a recurring role in a TV series, and you have to find out why you’re in this nightmarish scenario. Developers Legacy Games have established themselves in casual TV licences – they’ve already made tie-in games for Doctor Who and House.

Lucius

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

Lucius’s twist on the Omen mythology is that it sees you take control of the so-named spawn of Satan. It’s a horror title that revels in references to classic ’70s scary sprog movies The Exorcist, Carrie and The Shining, too, with Lucius riding a trike and being exorcised by priests. The key to getting it right is going to be making Lucius someone players can identify with – and making it as scary as Amnesia. Both of these are pretty tall orders.

Haunted

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

Taking place in 19th century Europe, this sounds like a wacky counterpart to the Blackwell series of point-and-click adventures. It follows protagonist Mary as she befriends ghosts in old London, Scotland and Transylvania. Up to six companion ghosts – and a werewolf – are available to help solve puzzles, including a giant blue Scotsman and a tiny pirate

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller

Publisher: Phoenix Studios
Release: 2012

Jane Jensen is best known for her work on the Gabriel Knight series, and more recently Gray Matter. Cognition employs her talents as a story consultant in a game where heroine Erica Reed is able to investigate crimes by seeing into the past. Kind of like a less useful Minority Report. It’s currently seeking Kickstarter funding, so it might never see the light of day unless YOU donate.

Men in Black: The Videogame

Publisher: Activision
Release: Summer

The world really needs another Men in Black film, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t have imagined that to be the case, but those whacky folk at Columbia certainly think so. And of course with it, along with the action figures and lunchboxes comes the inevitable tie-in game. It’s being made by Activision, whose Transformers titles have been sort of all right. It might not be entirely terrible. We can hope.

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: Spring

The latest in the Frogwares series sees Holmes attempting to clear his name when he becomes the main suspect in a vast fraud. Puzzles are said to have been toned down to make the game more accessible to new players. Holmes’ new clue-finding ‘sixth sense’ sounds a bit like Detective Vision, shortening the distance between the World’s Greatest Detectives. We approve.

The Secret Files 3

Publisher: Deep Silver
Release: 2012

Those Secret Files aren’t so secret any more: after the original and its sequel, many, many people know about them. So why don’t they call it Moderately Well- Known Files, instead? The third in the series sees protagonists Nina and Max return, and the only thing we know is that they’re getting married. What could possibly go wrong? And will it result in a series of convoluted, mindless puzzles tacked together to make a ‘story’?

Botanicula

Publisher: Amanita Design
Release: Spring

Amanita Design’s Machinarium was a charming, beautifullypresented point-and-click adventure that sadly ran out of steam towards the end. While ploughing a similar furrow, Botanicula seems to lose Machinarium’s swampily melancholic atmosphere, and is more focused on being fun and cute. That’s not necessarily always a bad thing, although it does look a tad Worker and Parasite at times.

Deponia

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

A comedy adventure game with multiple protagonists set in Deponia, a world modelled after the work of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Matt Groening. It’s a comedy of errors in the traditional sense, complete with elaborate cases of mistaken identity. The hand-drawn backdrops certainly look nice, and it’s interesting to see an adventure game wear its influences so openly on its oversized lacy sleeves.

Amy

Publisher: Lexis
Release: 2012

A small midwestern town is beset by zombies after a mysterious meteor strike. Protagonist Lana is infected, and must take care of an eight-year-old autistic girl with mysterious powers in order to survive. As high-concepts go, it’s a mixture of the novel and the deeply familiar: providing it avoids the usual escort-quest pitfalls, it could be one to watch.

Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle

Publisher: Reef Entertainment
Release: Spring

Follow Morgane as she searches for the lost treasure of Turtle Island and tries to become the most fearsome female in the Caribbean, proving that turtles really are the new monkeys.

Hidden Mysteries Titanic 2

Publisher: Big Fish
Release: Spring

You are an amnesiac ghost tasked with creating a timeline where the Titanic didn’t sink. It’s a hidden object puzzle game, suggesting that the fabness of a high concept is inversely proportional to its actual mechanics.

Beyond Good and Evil

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 2012

Three years have passed since Beyond Good & Evil 2 was teased and we still don’t know very much about it. Rumoured to be too massive for the current generation of consoles – but it would be good to know that the game does exist.

Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements

Publisher: Himalaya
Release: Christmas

Build your character by earning the favour of the elements: fire, earth, water and air. The pre-order version even comes with a cloth map, if it wasn’t already old-school enough for you.

Jack Keane 2

Publisher: Astragon
Release: 2012

No details – save a 2012 release date – have emerged for this sequel to Deck13’s 2007 matinee point-and- click adventure. Here’s hoping that Jack’s second outing is able to escape from the long exhausted Monkey Island influences.

MMO

World of Darkness

Publisher: CCP Games
Release: 2012

We still don’t know how badly CCP’s White Wolf MMO has been affected by the recent layoffs, but their senior producer Chris McDonough has reassured the community that it really is still happening. Honest. Pitched as a brutal take on the vampires ’n’ werewolves roleplaying setting, World of Darkness will feature the rather nasty sounding permadeath: but we’re not quite sure what that means when everyone has already died.

Infinity: The Quest of Earth

Publisher: I-Novae Studios
Release: Christmas

The dream of seamless spaceflight has been around as long as PC gaming. Infinity is incredibly ambitious: a freeform sci-fi MMO featuring everything from fighters to dreadnoughts, set in a vast randomly generated universe with full atmospheric flight. Few details are available, but as dreams go, we really, really want this one to come true.

Phantasy Star Online 2

Publisher: Sega
Release: 2012

Currently confirmed for Japan only, the sequel to Sega’s 2000 action MMO features new boss battles and a revamped combo system. The original game introduced a number of concepts – like hub areas with combat instances branching off them – that have since become part of the fabric of the MMO. Who knows – maybe the sequel will be just as forward-thinking.

Living After War

Publisher: Prosiebensat.1 Digital
Release: Spring

Real-time strategy gets post-apocalyptic (read: mohicans) in this free-to-play title. Some 200 years after a nuclear war, humans return to find earth overrun with radioactive mutants. The blend of strategy and shooter sounds interesting, with players able to control mechs and tanks directly. However, surely we’re getting a little tired of the post-apocalyptic setting by now?

Otherland

Publisher: Gamigo
Release: Spring

If the Mass Effect MMO never happens, I suppose we’ll have to make do with Otherland. Based on Tad Williams’ popular series of virtual-reality themed novels and running on Unreal Engine 3, it thankfully looks a tad more substantial than your average sci-fi opera MMO. Better than all that, it’s going to be free to play, too, so you won’t have to part with your cash if it turns out to be rubbish. But we’re sure it won’t be.

Royal Quest

Publisher: 1C
Release: Summer

Marking 1C’s first venture into the world of MMOs, this comes complete with castles to capture and loot to gather. 1C have form in the fantasy genre: they published both King’s Bounty and Fantasy Wars, and this should put the game on a good footing in the bulging MMO market. Hopefully they’ll stick some IL-2 Sturmovik planes in there as well.

The Secret World

Publisher: Funcom
Release: Spring

Ragnar Tørnquist’s story-driven MMO is set in a twisted take on the real world, where all conspiracies are true. Join one of three secret societies and battle dark Lovecraftian horrors while taking part in a grand ARG-style mystery that extends beyond the game itself. It’s a big year for MMO fans, and The Secret World is a serious, if quirky contender.

Sevencore

Publisher: gPotato.eu
Release: 2012

Cheap post-apocalyptic MMOs are usually greeted with a collective sigh in PC Gamer towers, but Sevencore does look a bit more interesting than most. Particularly because it features both dragons and motorbikes. But not dragons on motorbikes.

Wizardry Online

Publisher: Gamepot
Release: Autumn

The Wizardry tabletop RPG games enjoyed huge success in Japan, leading to this MMO. It’s currently in beta testing, with an impressive trailer setting the scene. We hope that western audiences get a hilariously dodgy translation, too.

Lime Odyssey: The Chronicles of Orta

Publisher: Aeria
Release: Spring

The lime of the title isn’t a fruit, it’s a mysterious artefact that will reunite Nisis’ ravaged realms in this MMORPG. It looks colourful and playful, with characters donning funky hats before milking cows.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online

Publisher: Vigil Games
Release: 2012

Last year’s E3 trailer confirms that while there is only war, ‘war’ can be broadly interpreted to include giant stompy Titan robots, motorcycles, and angry-looking shooty men. Good news!

World of Planes

Publisher: Gaijin Entertainment
Release: 2012

This just happens to also be a World War II air combat MMO. Locations have been painstakingly reconstructed from satellite imagery and contemporary maps, and the damage model boasts unprecedented levels of detail.

Bounty Hounds Online – Pro Pack

Publisher: Lace Mamba
Release: Spring

A sci-fi MMO set on ‘Clear Sky Planet’, which is presumably a place and not a theme-park dedicated to the Stalker expansion. You’ll pick one of five mercenary classes and battle on behalf of your choice of faction. The