The Tokyo Game Show of 2012 is underway, and with it comes a new slew of gameplay footage, stunning trailers, and (hopefully) some jaw-dropping announcements. Of note is the latest trailer for publisher Konami’s Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Goofy subtitle aside, this spin-off of the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid franchise puts cyborg ninja, Raiden, in the hands of fans early next year.
Atlus launched a new trailer for their latest trek into demon-infested, post apocalyptic Japan for their upcoming Shin Megami Tensei IV. The footage above gives us our first look at the updated, albeit familiar dungeon crawling gameplay one can come to expect from an SMT game.
Critically acclaimed developer, Bioware, was that cool uncle who, at every family reunion, spins larger than life tales and winds up being the center of attention (and arguably, rightly so). As it stands now, that uncle’s had a bit too much to drink, and somebody foolishly keeps refilling his glass, much to the chagrin of everyone else.
Today, it was announced that Dragon Age III: Inquisition is in the works, and while that’s big news on its own, the method of announcement seems to focus more on saving face and re-establishing Bioware as a trusted, dedicated, and above all else; passionate developer eager to make amends with fans who might have lost faith in the company’s abilities.
Bayonetta 2…. Who saw this coming?
After previously being a rumor that more or less had been suspected of never actually coming true, Bayonetta returns to the world of gaming in the form of an exclusive for Nintendo’s upcoming next-generation console. No further information has been released as of yet, including a release date, but this is fantastic news for fans of the series.
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Developer: Arc System Works
Platform: ARC / PS3 / X360
Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei universe have longed for a fighting game related to any entry in the series for years now. Though never quite reaching mainstream status, the SMT franchise garnered a cult following since its inception, notably in Japan and the West. The spin-off franchise, Persona, is not directly related to the ‘main’ franchise of Shin Megami Tensei; while the two share stark similarities in themes and creatures, Persona took a strange tonal shift with the release of Persona 3.
Upcoming third-person brawler, Anarchy Reigns, was scheduled for an early July, 2012 release but now been abruptly re-scheduled for a first quarter 2013 US/EU release by publisher Sega. The move isn’t wholly surprising considering the publisher’s dreadfully lackluster fiscal earnings last year. Earlier this year, word through the grapevine revealed that Platinum Games may have been on-board for a sequel to the critically acclaimed Bayonetta, only to have the project cancelled by Sega due to the aforementioned decline in earnings. If such rumors are true, then this seemingly ambiguous gesture by Sega might make sense.
Square-Enix dropped a new trailer for the Crystal Dynamics developed reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, along with confirmation of a March 15th, 2013 release date. A notably younger and inexperienced Lara Croft is depicted suffering from various environmental hazards, traps, and mysterious, armed men. Shipwrecked on an island with a cache of survivors, the seemingly uncertain and downtrodden heroine must fight impossible odds to survive. Check out the new gameplay trailer below.
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC
Blizzard finally released their highly anticipated (and controversial) sequel to their revered action-RPG franchise of old, Diablo. But was the wait worth another romp through hell and back for shiny loot and bragging rights? Let’s answer that question right off the bat with a resounding ‘sure.‘
Kojima Productions finally revealed what many die-hard fans of the Zone of the Enders series have long waited for: a sequel to the criminally underrated 2003 Playstation 2 game, Zone of the Enders 2. The announcement closed a special event in Shinjuku for the upcoming Zone of the Enders HD collection.
The much-anticipated showdown between two of the fighting game genre’s titans failed to live up to Capcom’s sales projections of 2 million copies worldwide. Released earlier this year, the game sold only 1.4 million copies since it hit the market; an over-saturated fighting game market that Capcom pinned the blame on.
