#10: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS) -- Edit | Down

If you are KH fan like I am, you might have purchased a 3DS mainly for this. Square Enix revealed this exclusive 3DS title at E3 way back in 2010 and ever since we have been anticipating the release of it. SquareEnix released what the story will be about and showed a few new places we get to explore.

King Mickey and Yen Sid prepare for an impending threat by putting Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam. Sora and Riku are sent into the Sleeping Worlds, where they will face enemies and allies that have never been seen before. If they can successfully complete the task they are given, they will be deemed true Keyblade Masters.

So where does the name Dream Drop Distance come to play? There are a line of helpers in this game called Dream Eaters. You'll see two types of them, Nightmare and Spirit. Also new are inevitable new worlds, enemies, and new bosses. Absolutely new features include free-flow action allowing the player to perform acrobatic attacks and the ability to play as both Sora and Riku.

I suspect that Square has taken the features of the 3DS into account. Will these freeflow actions use the motion senser features in the 3DS? Will it be too gimmicky? What about the 3D, will it pop out or look into the screen? Some questions are better left unanswered until the release which is expected to be shortly after Japan's release just 2 months from now.
#9: Halo 4 (X360) -- Edit | Up | Down

I may not be the greatest fan of this series but it is no question that Halo is extremely popular. This new installment brings back the notorious Master Chief as well as a new Trilogy named "Reclaimer Trilogy." Keep in mind the writers are pretty intelligent. They directly connect the books about Halo that you seen on the shelves in Fred Meyers and the prequels to this new sequel. Halo 4 is set in the aftermath of Halo 3 with Master Chief's return to confront his destiny and face ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Sounds epic!

The art director is Kenneth Scott, one of the best in the industry. He focuses on making his digital characters look realistic and come to life as much as the consoles graphics allow him to. He proved himself in earlier games with Quake 3 Arena, Quake 4, and even as the art director of Doom 3. The art to this game is what I believe people should be most excited about.

It's easy to tell that this will be a huge hit when released this next holiday.
#8: Mass Effect 3 (X360) -- Edit | Up | Down

Wait, wasn't this game in nearly every Top 10 Anticipated Games of 2011? What gives?! BioWare delayed Mass Effect 3 for good reason. They wanted to not rush the end of Shepard's quest to see if you can unite the galaxy against the evil Reapers or not! A delayed game is better than a rushed game in nearly every circumstance. This attitude is what made some of the greatest games we play today great, Team Fortress 2, Super Mario: Sunshine, and more. However, in some other circumstances, it would have been better if the developers just cancelled instead. For example, Duke Nukem: Forever. I highly doubt one of the top publishers would allow their greatest video game series to end in the wastebasket. The important thing is that it has an offical schedule for release this March.

You gotta admit, Mass Effect 1 started a little rough. The game itself was great, don't get me wrong, but it could have used a bit more polish. Its sequel fixed nearly every nit-picky mistake discovered in the original. Could Mass Effect 3 deliver what Mass Effect 2 has but better? If you are into Sci-Fi games, this should strike your interest more than most games in this list.

With the inevitable ability to import your character from the previous titles, as well as multiplayer and the games overall high scoring reputation, this is definitely one to watch out for.
#7: Tomb Raider (PS3) -- Edit | Up | Down

Tomb Raider is an upcoming action-adventure video game and the ninth instalment of the Tomb Raider series, published by Square Enix and developed by Crystal Dynamics as their fifth franchise-related title. The first in a third continuation, the game is set to provide no correlation to the entirety of the previous entries in the series; a reboot that emphasizes the reconstructed origins of the culturally influential lead character, Lara Croft.

As you know, Lara Croft is one of the greatest female characters in gaming, if not the greatest. In comparison to other popular female characters, Lara simply wipes them all clean. A sexy, busty, nonetheless strong willed, and dominating female character is much more appealing than let's say Princess Peach who's usually only seen as a damsel in distress, or in other words, weak. god i need a haircuttt Tomb Raider was all the rage in its prime years around 1996-2000. Take what you already know about Tomb Raider and make her more realistic, a bit younger, and grittier.

It is great to see Lara Croft return to take the crown of adventurism. Drake from Uncharted is old news as Lara makes her return! Unlike the prequels, Tomb Raider is predicted to be rated M for mature. Expect a hardcore experience with this female gaming legend sometime this fall.
#6: Assassin's Creed III (Wii U) -- Edit | Up | Down

I was heavily debating to include this or not as there is not 100% definitve proof this will be released this year. However, the story seems that if it is released any time after 2012, the game would most likely fail as bad as Duke Nukem: Forever. Ubisoft (usually) knows better to not make those kinds of mistakes even if it's completely rushed and saturated with bugs. Below is a copypaste from Alexandre Amacio, a Creative Lead in the Assassin's Creed Trilogy.

In Assassin's Creed we set up a timeline with this whole end of the world plot in December 2012... That's fast approaching, and the story we have to tell, we obviously need to do it before we arrive at that point. It would be stupid of us to be centering a game on a semi-reality and then have that conclusion happen after that date in real life.

— Alexandre Amacio

Keep in mind that Assassin's Creed III has always been planned to be a trilogy split with multiple games. The trilogy is based on cycles in the Assassin's Creed timeline. We have the Altair and the Ezio cycles, both which are done. We now anticipate the day we receive the third cycle. Many topics here have been created philosophizing on who the next character will be. I personally believe we will have a new character to play as but Desmond will also play a major role.

It seems this game will be on the Wii U as well. This will be a major test to see if the Wii U holds its promise to bring the hardcore gamers back to Nintendo. Is it too late? Will the HD + tablet Wii be enough? Expect to play this sometime before December 21, 2012.
#5: Diablo III (MAC) -- Edit | Up | Down

It has been over a decade since we've seen a new release in Diablo and the franchise still has loyal fans who continue to play Diablo 2 religiously. The third person action RPG genre has been ruled by Diablo for decades and it is finally nearing its release. Most recently, there has been very interesting news hinting that this is not going to be only PC exclusive. This very well could land on the consoles too.

In Diablo 3, you will have the chance to play as a hero from one of five character classes, acquire powerful items, spells, and abilities all while you explore new worlds and take on waves of demons. The beta already proved itself showing off its new improvements. Most notable is the new inventory system. In the old Diablo, you had a limited inventory system. When you are a few dungeons down, you may have had to waste a warp scroll just to sell your useless gear for money to make room for better stuff. Diablo 3 fixes this by allowing you to scrap or sell items from the inventory at any time. Scraps can be used later for blacksmithing or other trade you eventually pick up. The AI experience also proves itself. The AI that follows you can be equipped with items and also leveled up. This in conjuction with the new inventory, you can create an amazing AI team. Basically, all the greatest complaints that the earlier installments had have been fixed in this.

If you haven't seen the cinematic trailer for this game, I urge you to watch it. The graphics are outstanding.
#4: Dota 2 (PC) -- Edit | Up | Down

Like most games I mention developed by Valve, I must start by mentioning how great Valve is. Valve is absolutely amazing. Sure call me a fanboy, but it doesn't exclude the fact that Valve is by far one of the greatest developers in the industry. Half Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike: Source, Source Engine, Steam, Steam Cloud on the PS3, MAC integration, and so much more puts this company so far ahead most.

Anyways, DotA 2, developed by the magnificent developing giant Valve, has been highly anticipated. The beta created a frenzy that added much to the anticipation. I am one of a small number of fans that have had first hands experience with DotA 2's beta and I will explain why YOU should be very excited.

DotA 2 is pretty much the same as DotA. Obviously to keep the enormous fanbase, Valve can not change too much. It features the same three laned maps fans adore and the same heroes we have been playing for nearly a decade. There are many new features and revisions that makes this game wonderful. For example, if you died in the original DotA and you died with lots of cash on ya, you would lose a significant amount. In DotA 2, with the addition to save items you purchased to your base, your amount of gold stays pretty slim making it so you would not lose so much if you were to be remorselessly killed.

Spectator mode is definitely the best place to go if you just want to admire the visuals or hear the contextually activated lines of dialogue each hero has. The characters are all salient, with a completely unique art style that seems to draw upon comic-book art, and Team Fortress 2's wacky, highly exaggerated style, while still adding a flair all its own.

For those that have never played DotA before, wait for this. DotA 2, I believe, is very easy to get started in. With Steam's inevitable promotions, this game will definitely spark many new players.
#3: Guild Wars 2 (PC) -- Edit | Up | Down

I have been absolutely hyped since ArenaNet announced Guild Wars 2. This company is absolutely one of the best MMO developers. ArenaNet thinks outside the box, they do not follow trends or copy others, and they create a fresh experience for everyone to love. Take all that and put a large fan base on top plus many promises that this will be the greatest MMO to date, this is definitely a highly anticipated game.

The prequel was (is) amazing. It is perfect for both casuals and competitive hardcore gamers. For casuals, you have a low level cap and the PVP is easy to get into. For the competitive minded, there are loads of missions and tournaments to keep you busy. Just imagine how great this sequel will be once everything settles. However, it could be a major flop like other overpromised sequels (*ahem* Duke Nukem Forever). It sure isn't looking that way as enough trailers and information are out there scattered across the internet. I believe that ArenaNet already proved their point that this game will be one of the best MMO's if not the best once released.

Additionally, it may change the genre completely. ArenaNet announced that there will be a one time fee and that is it. No sub fees at all. If they succeed, Blizzard and other MMO developers may follow. This could not only change financially but also popularly too. One of the greatest reasons why people do not play MMO's, besides its great addiction, is because people would rather buy a new game each month rather than fork money to the same game. They may not even give the MMO genre a chance to begin with. This could very well change this year.

Have they planned ahead or are they heading to disaster? Knowing them, I doubt they are making a mistake. They may take the route Valve did with Team Fortress 2. Not the free 2 play part but the microtransactions. People love dem hats.

There's still so much more to say about why fans are excited but I'll leave that up to you and your best friends, GameFAQs and Google.
#2: BioShock: Infinite (X360) -- Edit | Up | Down

The original Bioshock was nothing but a masterpeice. The first-person shooter launched in 2007 earning numerous awards, including a BAFTA's Best Game award. When it came to story telling through narrative design and mechanics, Bioshock triumphed. The 60's era dystopia of Rapture was and still is one of the most interesting settings ever seen in a video game. Bioshock 2 was also brilliant, maybe not as quite as the original but it still was awesome. Bioshock: Infinite retains its steampunk setting but in the sky rather than underwater.

Plasmids return as Tonics in BioShock: Infinite (strange substances that give people dangerous powers), with the terrifying murder of crows tonic seen in the first trailer. Plasmids added a major tactical element to the original games, with certain ones allowing one to enter secret areas, get the drop on enemies, and were even essential to advancing the story. The balancing act of using plasmids and guns in fights was a staple of the BioShock series, and let’s hope that for Infinite, that balance is once again bled into the gameplay. Throw in time travel, girders running through the sky you travel on with a grapple, and a new amazing story is all this needs to create hysteria throughout the gaming community.

The original Bioshock featured a strong story. So did the 2nd. The original was written by Ken Levine who primarily foccused on capturing the lonely feeling of Rapture while pushing the survival horror type gameplay. It caught us all by surprise. Bioshock 2 also surprised us with multiplayer so we all wait in anticipation for the release of Bioshock: Infinite to see what else will surprise us.
#1: Grand Theft Auto V (PS3) -- Edit | Up

In the beggining of November 2011, Rockstar announced GTA V for 2012. This put the whole gaming community in a frenzy for a few weeks. Webistes were made dedicated for this newly announced game, Current Events flooded with topics, and imageboard posters pretending they work for Rockstar and falsely answering questions. It was truly an unforgettable moment on the internet.

Obviously, ever since November 2011, this has been the #1 choice for this list and will continue till its release. The questions you can ask are limitless. Who is the main character going to be? Where will we be at? What are the new weapons? Many of these questions have already been answered by Rockstar, however, there are enough unanswered to keep the frenzy going.

From what the greatest enthusiasts supposedly figured out is that this game is set in a fictional city almost a replica of Los Angeles. Additionally, the character you play as has desires to move out of the city and just be a father, however, the recession plays a role in his life possibly influencing his choice to (re)enter a life of crime. Very little information is available besides this but we will soon have our hands on it. Remember how GTA IV changed so much from its trailer to full release? I suspect GTA V will be the same.
Conclusion -- Edit Conclusion
In conclusion, I'd like to once again thank GameFAQs for publishing this list here and you for reading. Additional thanks need to go to my good friends here, Vael Victus and UrCa1988, for peer editing and helping me out on this list. Without them, words would be horbly mispelled and ArenaNet would be AreaNet >_>

Below are some honorable mentions to look out for and another non-specific video game 2012 related news I wanted to additionally include.


Honorable Mentions
Mass Effect 3 - Wasn't this in about every top 10 most anticipated lists for LAST year?! The heck's up with that? Well it seems that they have been delayed for good reason. Bioware does not make rushed games. They create quality games. Well besides Dragon Age II. What is important now is that it has a scheduled release this March. The beta is already out and from the looks of things, this holds up to its standards quite well.

Persona 4 - for the PS Vita. Persona 4 was awesome before and should be on the Vita as well!

Ninja Gaiden 3 - I have a strange feeling I am going to receive negative feedback for not including this in the list but I have no knowledge on the series except I heard that it's popular and very hard.

Pokemon for 3DS - No news yet on a 3DS version of Pokemon but we know how that stuff can change.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) - 21 years after its last title, Kid Icarus the NES legend, re-appears on the 3DS!

Borderlands 2 - Borderlands had all my friends playing together in Co-Op mode for weeks, I expect the same this year!

Minecraft - This will be launched sometime this year on the 360. I don't expect the console community to get heavily involved but it is still a good mention.

Scrolls - Scrolls, not to be confused with Elder Scrolls, is a new role playing game in development by Mojang, the company that developed Minecraft. For that fact it is a different game than Minecraft made by Notch, this is also at least worth a mention.

South Park: The Game - I don't know about you but I am totally looking forward to this. The N64 South Park game was what introduced me to the TV series and since then I have been a loyal fan.

Batman Arkham City (Wii U) - We already know how great this game is. We shall test the powers of the Wii U, like I said in Assassin's Creed III, to see if the Wii U holds up to our hardcore standards.

Luigi's Mansion 2 (3DS) - Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Nostalgia.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - Almost forgot to include this. Valve. Counter Strike. Source Engine. That is all.

There are many others I have not included. This year will be a wonderful year for us all. Let's hope for the best!

2012: Doomsday for Consoles?
A year or two ago, OnLive was announced. I was one of the first to be accepted to its beta and I still never gave it a chance. A few years passed and it is surprisingly popular. Google TV and similar products are becoming more popular as well while Cable and Satellite TV are slowly becoming obsolete. Steam has been doubling their sales each year as downloadable purchasing has been rising rapidly. Them mathematics and human resource people believe that consoles will have to change to the point that we may never really call them consoles anymore. Consoles now have so much multi-media features that it is debatable to call them consoles. You can browse the web, play movies and music, connect with friends, indulge in your newest video game, and upgrading your hardware is impossible for the average user. Sounds like a Mac if you ask me...

The social scientists predict that by the year 2013, downloadable games will gain a higher revenue than games bought in stores. Time will only tell for now but it is nice to think about what could possibly change. I for one would love the opportunity to never deal with a scratched disc again! 2012 won't end consoles completely but it may mark the end of them. Expect change in the near future. Big change.