Title	The Top 10 Anticipated Games of 2012
Introduction	 Hey there! 2011 was a fairly great year in gaming. Skyrim dominated the last quarter while we are still able to remember Portal 2, Deus Ex: HR, and Batman being some of the top games. This year will be even bigger. The new Wii U launches, many great sequels come out, and many games we have been waiting for months, years, and even decades are coming out this year! Although this is published a month late, I give you the Top 10 Anticipated Games of 2012!

As a sidenote: This is a subjective list like most top 10 lists. Your opinion will inevitably be different than mine. Additionally, I am primarily a PC gamer but I also play on the PS3, Wii, and 3DS.
Conclusion	 Below are some honorable mentions. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great year in the world of video games!

Honorable Mentions
Phantasy Star Online 2 - The developer's alpha version proved this is going to be a decent game. They have been hard at work and delayed its release for sometime this year. Expect many changes since the original.

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.

This year will be a wonderful year for us all. Let's hope for the best! I had to omit many great games as to not clutter this section but if you look up what will be released this year, you will be even more shocked!

What else to look out for in 2012!
Any possible announcements on the PS4/Xbox 720
Wii U's launch
Vita's launch
Ron Paul's Victory
E3 2012
Amazing indie games surprising us from behind
A possible Metal Gear Solid Movie

Credits
GameFAQs - For publishing this list
Urca1988 & Vael Victus - Users here who helped with peer editing and advice
The Top 10 List board - Major help from the posters here. Thanks so much :)
Wikipedia - For organizing developer quotes I used in this list
10. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
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.

Where does the odd name Dream Drop Distance come into 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. Some new places to explore includes Country of the Musketeers (3 Musketeers), La Cité des Cloches (Hunchback of Notredame), Prankster's Paradise (Pinocchio), and more! Additionally, the story will continue where KH2 and Coded left off. If you are a major fan of this series and hesitant, you better look into this!

I suspect that Square has taken the features of the 3DS into account. Will these freeflow actions use the motion sensor 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)
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 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 holiday.
8. Assassin's Creed III (WII U, PS3, 360, PC, possibly Vita)
I was heavily debating to include this or not as there is no official announcement 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, the Assassin's Creed series 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 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.
7. Dota 2 (PC, MAC)
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 the gameplay 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 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 too much if you were remorselessly killed.

In Valve's multiplayer games, spectator mode has always been a great feature. If you just want to watch a great game rather than just play, you can do that! Many people tune in to Twitch if an amazing event is going on. Why do that if you could watch it in its purest form in the game itself?

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. I also expect this to steal a percentage of Team Fortress 2 players as the game boasts a similar over-exaggerated artistic style in both animation and voice. Yes, if you are a TF2 fan like myself, you know what I mean!

Expect this to be big on the PC. Very big.
6. Tomb Raider (PS3, 360, PC)
As you know, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider is the greatest female character in gaming, the same way batman is the greatest superhero. Lara Croft doesn't need superpowers or Sci-Fi addons on her arm to save the world. If you compare Lara to any iconic female video game characters, Lara will always come ontop. Princess Peach, the weak damsel in distress is much less appealing compared to Lara, the strong willed female with an attractive bust. Samus, the Sci-Fi female who is nothing without her Power Suit, is also less appealing compared to Lara, the sexy dominating female who doesn't need a robotic suit to do justice. Take what you already have known from Lara's prime years between 1996 and 2000 and make her younger, much more realistic, and even braver. This is the new Lara Croft!

The last few years in the Tomb Raider franchise we have been lacking something. We've needed something new; something different but still Lara Croft. Square is leading this project with their Crystal Dynamics team once again and we obviously see new but will it play well? Will it satisfy us? This is highly anticipated just to see if Lara Croft returns to take the crown of adventurism. Will Lara Croft return to take that crown from Drake from Uncharted or will it die with the other prequels?

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. Additionally, If this lives up to the highest standards we hope for, Tomb Raider very well could be the next GOTY, even over Mass Effect 3.
5. Guild Wars 2 (PC)
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.
4. BioShock: Infinite (X360, PS3, PC)
The first Bioshock, created by Irrational Games, simply shocked the entire industry in 2007. It earned numerous awards including a British Acadamy award as Best Game of the Year. Why? Well if the narrative design and amazingly fluid gameplay was not enough, the 1960's setting of an underwater dystopia was one of the most epic and interesting settings in the history of video games. A sequel was released three years later and wasn't too shabby either. It wasn't as quite as good as the original but it was still awesome. Keep in mind though that Bioshock was created by Irrational Games but 2K Games developed the sequel.This year we get the third addition, Bioshock: Infinite!

Bioshock: Infinite is on its way as the original developers work hard at bringing the core gameplay back to life. Although sharing features in its prequels, such as tonics/plasmids and the steampunk style, it takes place in an entirely different setting... THE SKY! Seriously, watch the trailer if you haven't already. One part was an amazing new plasmid/tonic in which you can control a group of crows to attack enemies. 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!
3. Mass Effect 3 (X360, PC, PS3)
Wait, wasn't this game in 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 trashed it 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 actually has an official date for release only 2 months from now!

You gotta admit, Mass Effect 1 started a little rough. The game itself was great, don't get me wrong, but it could have been better. Its sequel fixed nearly every nit-picky mistake discovered in the original. Could Mass Effect 3 deliver what Mass Effect 2 did 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, multiplayer, and the games overall high scoring reputation, this is definitely one to watch out for. Bioware's releases in 2011 lacked much but Mass Effect 3 should make up for it all and more.
2. Diablo III (PC, MAC, Possibly Consoles)
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 the third entry 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.

Diablo III features five classes you choose to play as. As you play, you collect spells, abilities, and many powerful weapons to take as you explore new worlds and face enormous hordes of demons. The beta already proved itself by showing off these and many other improvements. The inventory system has been majorly revamped. The old version was extremely limited. You may have wasted a warp scroll just to sell a bunch of junk to make room for better items. In Diablo III, you can scrap and sell items from the inventory any time! Scraps have numerous uses such as blacksmithing and other trades you learn as you progress. The intelligence of the non-player characters has also improved in both your AI team and the enemy. It very well seems that every complaint people had with its predecessor has been fixed.

If you haven't seen the cinematic trailer for this game, I urge you to watch it. The graphics and animation are absolutely outstanding.
1. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, PC, 360)
In the beginning of November 2011, Rockstar announced GTA V for 2012. This put the whole gaming community in a frenzy for a few weeks. Websites were made dedicated to this newly announced game, Current Events was absolutely flooded with topics, and image-board posters pretended they were working for Rockstar and falsely answered fans' questions creating hysteria. It was truly an unforgettable moment on the internet.

GTA V doesn't even need to be the most discussed game to reach its number one spot. The fact that nearly every gamer can enjoy this game creates anticipation of itself. Not everyone will be into Bioshock's steam-punk setting, Mass Effect's Sci-Fi genre, Diablo III's strategy, or even Halo's multiplayer. However, everyone should agree that the recent Grand Theft Auto games are great for both casual and hardcore gamers, as long as their parents let them play it. Doing unrealistic things in a realistic modern setting seems to attract pretty much everyone but their mothers, even if it is just a video game.

Ever since November 2011, Grand Theft Auto 5 has been the most anticipated release for this year and will continue to be till the day of its release. The questions you can ask about GTA V are limitless. Who will the main character be? What is the setting? Are there any 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 a major desire 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.