Since we’ve already outlined the potential gems set for release this month, it’s only right we show February 2012 some lovin’ in our monthly top gaming releases feature. True, the first week of January isn’t even concluded yet, but since us gamers are nothing if not impatient, well, it’s only natural that we eagerly anticipate what’s on tap for the coming months well in advance.
Let’s just jump right into things, shall we? In the order of least-to-highest levels of rabid anticipation you should be exhibiting:
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Honorable Mention: Syndicate (360, PC, PS3) – Release date: February 21st, 2012
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5. SSX (360, PS3)
Release date: February 28th, 2012
It’s not difficult to see why the SSX series has been so consistently popular over the years. Save for the only installment that wasn’t as popular as the others, SSX Blur. But in the interests of being fair and balanced, this was probably due to its extremely quizzical Wii-only release. Hopefully whoever green-lighted that one has since been fired. Very angrily.
Seriously though, who doesn’t want to speed headlong down a perilous mountainside with little to no regard for your safety and all regard for how many ridiculously fantastic tricks you can pull off before the run is over? Thankfully for all of us, EA Sports has apparently realized that they were practically burning money by not releasing a multi-console released SSX update to the series and so, the upcoming new reboot of the series was likely born.
This new and improved re-imagined take on the SSX series promises to focus on the more extreme nature of semi-realistic snowboarding, what with helicopter drops directly into the starting points of runs, in-course mountainside avalanches and even — wait for it… wait for it… — wingsuits.
Yes, that’s right. Frigging WINGSUITS!
Throw in some new nighttime courses where your field of vision is severely limited due to being guided only by a helmet-mounted flashlight and, well… it would seem that the SSX series is primed to make a return in style. Hardcore, legit, super-underground style, yo. And from several hundred feet off the ground thanks to a wingsuit, no less!
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4. Twisted Metal (PS3)
Release date: February 14th, 2012
Widely regarded as the franchise that wrote the book on vehicular combat, the Twisted Metal reboot is set to give us a nostalgic reintroduction to all of the napalm, destructive environments and Sweet Tooth that we require. Which, if you played Twisted Metal religiously back in elementary and/or middle school like many of us, is quite a lot.
Story-wise, the game is set to follow the overall plot from the PSX original in which super-creepy and annoyingly-sounding voice Calypso holds host to a massive, anything-goes vehicular combat tournament. The biggest (and perhaps most controversial) change however has been the decision to feature a small core group of playable characters in lieu of — oh, I don’t know, a massive and diverse array of them? And by small core group, we of course mean just four to be exact.
Yes, that’s right. Four.
Each playable character will have a faction they’re the head of in order to lend credence to online multiplayer, but it’s still a bit odd to have the cast be so… miniscule. I mean, four characters? Four?
In case you’re wondering, the playable characters — with their respective factions included in parenthesis — consist of: Sweet Tooth (The Clowns), Dollface (The Dolls), Mr. Grimm (The Skulls) and Preacher (The Preachers).
And while these faction names certainly aren’t going to be winning any awards for creativity anytime soon, each of these playable characters will apparently feature their very own and unique storyline (gee thanks, Sony!). Each of which will also feature three different endings, which is something that Sony has been hard-selling the shit out of as if they thought it would placate the masses in the wake of the four-characters-only bombshell.
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3. The Darkness II (360, PC, PS3)
Release date: February 7th, 2012
Since the original The Darkness largely went under many gamers radars back in 2007, The Darkness II arguably doesn’t really have the anticipation level that it should right now. You see, The Darkness really was an excellent game in its own right, managing to be both especially unique and refreshing in terms of both story and gameplay. The 360 version currently has an 83.38% score (via GameRankings.com) and was the 22nd most popular Xbox 360 game in 2007. So there’s that.
Be forewarned if you’re planning on picking up the original to play prior to the sequels as there are potentially story-ruining spoilers below. You’re welcome in advance.
The Darkness II kicks off with main character Jackie Estacado still reeling from the murder of his girlfriend two years prior in the first game. Thankfully for us, Jackie is now the Don of the Franchetti family and has been harvesting his Darkness powers with the help of an estranged expert in anticipation of a future conflict that is really only a matter of time in arriving.
While the gameplay is mostly the same as the first game (if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!), there are a few new interesting and intriguing features including a new combat mechanic dubbed “quad wielding”. This will essentially allow Jackie to use his Darkness powers simultaneously with his firearms, promising to make him an even bigger badass throughout the sequel. The Darkling system has also received a facelift, with there now being one single Darkling who will factor more heavily in to both the gameplay and the actual story itself.
All in all, just go ahead and color us extremely enthused.
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2. UFC Undisputed 3 (360, PS3)
Release date: February 14th, 2012
In case you’ve been living under a technologically-impaired rock these past few years, you’re likely aware that mixed martial arts (MMA) is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in the world. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the premier organization for elite MMA fighters, essentially akin to Microsoft in their propensity to buy out (see: destroy and eat) any and all competition.
The initial release in the franchise, UFC Undisputed 2009, essentially took the industry by storm in that it faithfully and skillfully translated the multifaceted sport of MMA into an extremely enjoyable and deep fighting game. Something that hadn’t really been done before to the extent that Undisputed 2009 managed it. Unfortunately, the sequel — while featuring an expanded roster — didn’t improve much and was generally met with moderately neutral reviews (see also: the type of reviews Madden gets every year because it literally never changes a thing gameplay/mode wise).
Not wanting to push a mediocre video game brand for the sake of it, the UFC — together with Yuke’s and THQ — gave the game a complete overhaul, opting to skip its annual release in 2011 in order to release UFC Undisputed 3 in 2012 as the best MMA game ever made to date.
Not only will Undisputed 3 feature the new Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions that the UFC implemented and folded into the promotion in recent years, but also a PRIDE mode, which is a homage to the infamous, extremely violent Japanese MMA promotion that gave rise to many of the UFC’s current superstars. Oh, and it was also run behind-the-scenes by the Japanese mob. Intrigued yet?
Literally everything in regards to gameplay, graphics/animation and sound has received an overhaul, with the game promising to feature much more realistic and accessible ground and submission gameplay than previous iterations. Whether you’re a fan of MMA or just fighting games in general, you’ll definitely want to check out UFC Undisputed 3 when it’s released in mid-February next month. Just trust us on this one.
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1. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning(360, PC, PS3)
Release date: February 7th, 2012
What can be said about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning that hasn’t already been stated in our comprehensive, in-depth preview for the game? Nothing really, so feel free to click right here to check it out.
Just know that this game has the potential to finally bring an end to your obsessive and all-encompassing Skyrim habit. And as such, deserves the top spot for this fact alone.
Game, set, match.
Feedback? Suggestions? Vehement insults? Feel free to contact/e-mail Josh directly via JGalligan@OWNT.com. He’s not famous enough yet, so he promises to reply back.
