Risen 2: Dark Waters Box Art

Risen 2: Dark Waters

Risen 2: Dark Waters is a sequel to the action RPG Risen by a German game studio Piranha Bytes. Compared to its predecessor, the game features a larger world with more areas and quests, and the option to use firearms in addition to magic. The animations are also improved, despite using the same graphics engine. Unlike the first title, Risen 2 runs on Windows, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 platforms.

Risen 2 picks up where the original left off, and the players step into the shoes of the Nameless Hero again. The main character now wears a eye-patch because of the injury he received during his fight against the Titan in Risen 1. The story is said to start with Commandant Carlos requesting your help with rescuing sailors of a sunken ship. You will meet several characters from the first game (such as Patty), as well as many new ones.

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Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Box Art
  • Genre
    Shooter
  • Platform
    PS3, X360, PC
  • Release date
    Consoles:
    Mar 20, 2012 (US)
    Mar 23, 2012 (EU)
    Windows:
    May 18, 2012

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is an upcoming squad-based shooter game developed by Capcom and Slant Six Games. It takes place in the same time period as Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis do, and, like the name suggests, is set in Raccoon City.

The player steps into the shoes of an Umbrella Security Service officer, tasked with destroying any evidence of Umbrella Corporation’s illegal research. The game is said to allow the player to diverge from Resident Evil canon, such as killing Leon or Clair.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City pits the player against survivors of the T-Virus outbreak, zombies and other mutated enemies, and the U.S. Special Ops who aim to expose Umbrella’s crimes. Besides the single-player campaign, the game also offers several competitive multiplayer modes.

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Mass Effect 3 Box Art

Mass Effect 3 Pre-order Bonuses

Mass Effect 3 is the final installment in Bioware’s critically acclaimed sci-fi saga. Having defeated the Collectors in the previous game, Commander Shepard now has to face the real enemy – the Reapers. The machine race invades the galaxy, and Earth is the first world to fall. Predictably, it’s up to Shepard to rally the galactic civilizations against the most powerful enemy they ever faced.

Since ME3 is the last part of the series, your choices have a much bigger impact on the story. You can import save data from the previous two games, so the fate of the galaxy depends on your actions throughout the entire trilogy. According to Bioware, one of the endings even has Shepard losing to Reapers, thus dooming all intelligent life to extinction.

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Street Fighter X Tekken Box Art

Street Fighter X Tekken Pre-order Details

Street Fighter X Tekken is a new installment in Capcom’s crossover series, bringing together the universes of two popular fighting games. SFxT features characters from both Capcom’s Street Fighter and Namco’s Tekken franchises, as well as additional Playstation-exclusive fighters, like Cole from inFamous.

Street Fighter X Tekken is essentially a 2 vs. 2 tag-team fighter that plays similarly to other SF games. It features elements from the previous Street Fighter titles, such as Super Combos and EX Attacks, and uses the familiar 6-button control scheme. Tekken characters, however, can perform combos using Tekken’s 4 button layout.

SFxT introduces a new “Gem System” which lets you equip up to 5 Gems and use them in battles. Activating a Gem grants you various power-ups, such as increased attack, speed, defense, and so on. Preorder the game at participating retailers to get bonus Gem Packs.

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Syndicate Box Art
  • Genre
    Shooter
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Feb 21, 2012 (US)
    Feb 24, 2012 (EU)

Syndicate Pre-order Bonus

Syndicate is a reimagining of the original tactical shooter series from the nineties. It is a cyberpunk-themed FPS game with some RPG elements, set in the near future where the world is ruled by all-powerful corporations. The upcoming title has a single-player and a 4-player co-op campaign; the latter actually offers nine missions adapted from the original ’93 game.

Business is war in the Syndicate universe, and the main weapon in it are agents: biologically-engineered and cybernetically-enhanced humans with powerful abilities like slowing down time or seeing through walls. The protagonist of the game, Miles Kilo, is one of them: a new prototype agent of Eurocorp who can not only wreak havoc using all sorts of high-tech weapons, but also utilize the military-grade chip implanted in his head to hack other people’s implants, forcing them to commit suicide or turn on their comrades.

The game might sound remarkably similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution at first, but elements like megacorporations and cybernetic augmentation are found in most cyberpunk settings. Furthermore, GiantBomb writes that Syndicate seems to have a lot more guns-blazing action, so we expect it will play somewhat differently from DX: HR.

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Box Art

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Pre-order Bonuses

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an upcoming fantasy RPG from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. According to a preview by RPGFan.com, the game has four playable races, five distinct regions, and over a hundred secondary quests, giving the players a good incentive to explore. It also features a unique advancement system which uses unlockable “destinies” instead of the traditional classes.

There are some big names working on this title: Ken Rolston, the lead designer of Morrowind & Oblivion; bestselling fantasy author R.A. Salvatore; and Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn comics. Considering all this talent and the promises of a complex RPG system, deep storyline, and engaging combat, Reckoning is definitely something RPG fans should take note of.

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The Darkness II Box Art
  • Genre
    Shooter
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Feb 7, 2012 (US)
    Feb 10, 2012 (EU)

The Darkness II

Darkness II is an upcoming sequel to the gothic first-person shooter, based on a comic book series of the same name. The plot of the game picks up two years after the events in the original, with Jackie as the Don of the Franchetti family. After an attempt on his life, Jackie cannot contain the Darkness anymore and sets out on a merciless hunt for his attackers.

New in Darkness II is Quad-Wielding, which allows you to use your Demon Arms while firing two weapons at the same time (you know, because dual wielding just isn’t cool enough). More brutal executions are included, such as promisingly-named “Wishbone” and “Anaconda”. The visual style of the game has also changed, with cel-shaded textures resulting in a more comic-book-like look (scroll down to the trailer to see a preview).

The Darkness II Pre-Order Bonuses →
Star Wars: The Old Republic Box Art
  • Genre
  • Platform
  • Release date
    Dec 20, 2011

Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-Order

SWTOR is Bioware’s first attempt at an MMORPG, highly anticipated by MMO gamers and Star Wars fans alike. The game takes place 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic and approximately 3,500 years before the Star Wars movies, during a continuing conflict between the Galactic Republic and the growing Sith Empire.

Bioware is well known for their captivating RPG stories, and it looks like Star Wars: The Old Republic will inherit some elements from their single-player games. Most of the quests in this unique MMORPG can be completed in several different ways, and are tied into the overarching storyline. Similarly to Mass Effect, the players will be able to recruit NPC Companions, equip them with gear, and perform various missions as a team. It will be possible to engage in romance, but also have a falling out if the NPC does not approve of your actions.

The dialogues will be fully voiced, and that goes for the player character as well. The script of the game is said to include over 40 novels worth of content. Even more impressively, SWTOR will also be localized in French and German at launch.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-Order Pre-Order Bonuses →
Assassin's Creed: Revelations Box Art
  • Genre
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Nov 15, 2011
    (Consoles)
    Nov 29, 2011
    (Windows)

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Pre-Order Bonuses

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is an upcoming action-adventure game by Ubisoft, and a sequel to Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. It will take place in Constantinople in 1511 AD for the most part, where you will play as Ezio and attempt to unlock a powerful artifact that could be used against the Templars. Desmond in modern days, and Altair in the past will also be controllable in various stages of the game.

The gameplay of AC:R will be similar to the previous installments in the franchise, but some new elements will be introduced too. One of these is the hookblade, a weapon which will allow Ezio to use zip-lines to navigate the city faster, as well as pull enemies in for a finishing blow. Another addition is a crafting system that will let you make bombs of various types.

AC: Revelations will also include a multiplayer mode with new maps and characters. The players will be able to customize their appearance and choose their own weapon.

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Saints Row: The Third Box Art

Saints Row: The Third

Saints Row: The Third is an open-world action game developed by Volition and scheduled for release on November 15th. Few years have passed after the events of Saints Row 2, and the Saints have moved to the city of Steelport where they will have to fight three rival gangs for control. You will get to meet both familiar and new characters in this game.

The last installment of the trilogy also seems to be the craziest. Saints Row 3 will offer an array of ridiculously awesome weapons like a giant dildo bat, a vehicle that shoots pedestrians, powerful airstrikes, and huge boxing gloves that make the people you punch explode. Not to mention the new VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) jet which is armed with lasers, or a cannon that fires live octopuses. The latter is actually a preorder bonus, so let’s take a look at those incentives right now.

Saints Row: The Third Pre-Order Bonuses →
Need for Speed: The Run Box Art

Need for Speed: The Run

Need for Speed: The Run is the next installment in the seemingly endless NFS series from EA. This new racer is developed by EA Black Box and uses Frostbite 2, the much-touted graphics engine of Battlefield 3. The game is said to feature on-foot scenes and a cinematic storyline.

Need for Speed: The Run centers around an illicit street race across the US, in various settings ranging from urban to desert and icy mountains. The story follows protagonist Jack Rourke (voiced by Sean Faris) who is in debt to the Mob and has to win the Run – the titular race from San Francisco to New York – to pay them off. In the best traditions of Hot Pursuit, he will have to do that while being chased by both the Mob and the police.

Other notable features include unlockable cars and challenges, online matches for up to 16 players, and improved Autolog network for sharing your progress with friends. One of the downsides of The Run is that it won’t offer any car customization.

Need for Speed: The Run Pre-Order Bonuses →
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Box Art

Skyrim Pre-Order Bonus

Skyrim is the fifth installment in the highly successful Elder Scrolls series, and possibly the most anticipated game in 2011. As the name suggests, it will take you north of Cyrodiil, to the snowy land of Skyrim which is home to the proud Nord people.

The game will take place 200 years after the events of Oblivion. Like in TES IV, players will start out in a prison, sentenced to execution for crossing the border. After escaping, they will learn that the dragons are coming back, and that the only person they fear is Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn.

TES V: Skyrim is going to use a brand new Creation Engine that will offer unprecedented graphics, improved AI, and side quests that are dynamically generated based on your character’s actions. The gameplay and combat system will also be improved. For example, you’ll be able to equip a spell or a weapon in each hand, allowing you to dual wield weapons and magic. Another new feature is Dragon Shouts – extremely powerful spells that can be obtained by defeating dragons and absorbing their souls.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Box Art

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

CoD: MW3 is an upcoming first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward with assistance from two other Activision-owned game studios: Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. The game is set to release in November this year for all three major platforms.

Like its predecessor, Modern Warfare 3 will offer a single-player campaign and a multiplayer, which will have an improved ranking and unlocks system. The game will also feature a new Spec Ops co-op mode where two players will have to fight waves of increasingly stronger enemies. The single-player story will continue right after the events in Modern Warfare 2. MW3 is also going to use the same engine as the previous game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Pre-Order Bonuses →
Lord of the Rings: War in the North Box Art

Lord of the Rings: War in the North

War in the North is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Snowblind Studios. Since the game is set in the Lord of the Rings universe, it will undoubtedly be popular among the fans of the franchise. War in the North is actually going to take place alongside the movies, but instead of following the Fellowship as they travel to destroy the One Ring, it will take you to the northern regions of Middle-earth, such as Fornost, Mount Gundabad, and the Mirkwood.

The game will offer three protagonists to choose from: Eradan, a human archer; Andriel, a female elf with magic powers; and Farin, a stout dwarf warrior. War in the North will have a single-player and a co-op mode for up to 3 players, and it will support local co-op (split screen) for 2 players as well. Furthermore, you will be able to call the Great Eagle, Beleram, to aid you in battle – however, it won’t be controllable like the other three characters.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North Pre-Order Bonuses →
Battlefield 3 Box Art
  • Genre
    Shooter
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Oct 25, 2011 (US)
    Oct 28, 2011 (EU)

Battlefield 3

The ever-popular Battlefield series of first-person shooters will see a new addition this year. Titled Battlefield 3, the game will use a next-generation engine called Frostbite 2, which takes full advantage of DX11 and 64-bit CPUs. The new engine is said to deliver improved dynamic lighting, destructible environments and highly realistic character animations.

BF3 will re-introduce fighter jets and the prone position which was absent from Bad Company. The multiplayer mode is going to feature a kill cam similar to that in Call of Duty games. Battlefield 3 will support up to 64 players per server on the PC, but only 24 on consoles due to hardware limitations. Multiplayer is, of course, the main focus of Battlefield games, but BF3 will still have a single-player campaign, which is going to take place in year 2014.

Battlefield 3 Pre-Order Bonuses →
Stronghold 3 Box Art
  • Genre
    Strategy
  • Platform
    PC
  • Release date
    Oct 25, 2011

Stronghold 3 Pre-order Info

Firefly Studios seems to be going back to the roots of the franchise with Stronghold 3, taking more inspiration from the first game than from the not-so-successful Stronghold 2. Sure, there are major improvements in the graphics and physics departments, as well as in enemy AI. However, the game should play more like Stronghold 1 – meaning less micromanagement, and more castle-building (and attacking) fun. Even the single-player campaign is a sequel to the original, featuring a return of the Wolf.

The game does offer a number of new features and improvements. For example, the building system will give you a lot more control than before, and the map editor should be powerful enough to create detailed replicas of real castles. The online aspect of Stronghold 3 (which uses Steamworks platform) will include a global, as well as local, ranking system. Finally, for some medieval fun, you will be able to chuck a wider variety of diseased animals at your enemies – including the fan-voted badgers.

Stronghold 3 Pre-order Info Pre-Order Bonuses →
Batman: Arkham City Box Art

Batman: Arkham City Preorder Bonus List

Batman: Arkham City is a highly anticipated sequel to Arkham Asylum. It picks up one year after the events of the first game, which left both the Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison damaged and unfit for use.

In the upcoming game, Quincy Sharp runs for the mayor of Gotham and wins the election. His first decision is to isolate a notorious slum district and move all inmates to this new “Arkham City”. The criminals are left to their own devices, as long as they do not attempt to escape. The situation, however, quickly gets out of hand as Two-Face plots to publicly execute Catwoman, and Batman is forced to enter the Arkham City to save her.

Like its predecessor, Batman: Arkham City is an open-word action game, with even more side missions and challenges. The game world is larger, and divided into turf zones owned by different gangs. You start with all the gadgets you’ve obtained in the previous game; there also are new ones in your arsenal, such as smoke bombs. Finally, Arkham City gives you more skill upgrade choices (33 as opposed to 20 in Arkham Asylum).

Batman: Arkham City Preorder Bonus List Pre-Order Bonuses →
RAGE Box Art

RAGE Pre-Order Bonuses

RAGE is an upcoming post-apocalyptic game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda. It is going to be primarily a first-person shooter, but it will also have some extreme dune buggy racing thrown into the mix.

The players will be able to upgrade their vehicles using the money won from races – and these upgrades are going to offer not only more durability and speed, but some serious firepower in the form of chaingun and rocket launcher turrets, too. Likewise, it will be possible to upgrade your own weapons with things like clip extenders and aim stabilizers.

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FIFA 12 Box Art
  • Genre
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Sep 27, 2011 (US)
    Sep 30, 2011 (EU)

FIFA 12

EA comes up with a new FIFA title every year, and this one is no exception. FIFA Soccer 12, to be released on September 27th in the US, offers a variety of new features and gameplay improvements. Chief among them is the new Player Impact Engine on which EA developers have toiled away for two years. According to the official sources, it will allow for realistic results from player collisions on the pitch. This new physics engine will be able to tell whether the player was injured, and which part of their body was damaged.

Other improvements include Tactical Defending, Precision Dribbling, and better AI which considers the strengths of their teammates when making decisions. The game is said to include over 500 licensed clubs and 15.000 players, more authentic crowds and easier navigation.

FIFA 12 Pre-Order Bonuses →
Dead Island Box Art

Dead Island

Dead Island is a first-person, open-world survival RPG, highly anticipated by zombie fans. The game will take place in a fictional Banoi island near Papua New Guinea. The players will start in a five-star hotel, Royal Palms Resort, where a zombie outbreak suddenly takes place.

Dead Island is going to offer four named playable characters, each with their own skill tree and upgradeable abilities. Performing an action – such as swinging a weapon or sprinting – will consume stamina, which is regenerated as you rest. The game will have a large number of ranged and melee weapons, many of which you will be able to modify and improve. These customizations will range from hammering a few nails into a baseball bat for increased damage, to more complex weapon mods.

Dead Island Pre-Order Bonuses →