GameDynamo's 2012 Video Game Preview Guide

How in the world do we move past the historic year of games that 2011 brought us? Last year set the bar high, and we'll be playing many of 2011's best well into the new year. But, with plenty of new IP as well as sequels and franchise reboots, the future has never looked brighter. 

With so many great games coming out, we put together a preview guide of a majority of 2012's most anticipated games. There are plenty of other great games we'll be covering in the coming months, but this is just a taste to whet your appetite. Bon appetit… and remember to stay tuned for more comprehensive preview coverage throughout the year!

Twisted Metal (PS3)

Publisher: SCEA

Releases: Feb. 14 US, Feb. 17 Europe

Multiplayer: Online and local co-op and competitive 

This franchise has been around since the mid 1990s, but it has fallen out of the limelight as of late. David Jaffe, co-founder of Eat Sleep Play and mastermind behind Twisted Metal, has claimed that this reboot is the game that they wished they could have made from day one. On top of the white-knuckle car combat and macabre the series is known for, expect helicopters, unlockables, armed passengers and new multiplayer modes to help Twisted Metal burn some serious rubber on its road to the top of the sales charts.

UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Developer: THQ

Releases: Feb. 14 US, Feb. 17 Europe

Multiplayer: Online and local competitive 

Dodging the doldrums of merely updating rosters and announcer commentary and calling it a new sports game, UFC Undisputed 3 added new features, tweaked popular game modes and aimed for a generally more realistic experience than any MMA game on the market. The new submission system and other gameplay tweaks should take this contender to the next level of sports simulation, and MMA fans out there will appreciate  how Career mode includes WFA, UFC and Pride leagues. Head stomps and soccer kicks are included in Pride fights. These moves could be more embarrassing in online matches than getting sat on after assassinations in CoD, Halo, Battlefield, or any other multiplayer game for that matter. Heads up!

Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater (3DS)

Publisher: Konami

Releases: Feb. 21 US, March 8 Europe

Multiplayer: none

Adding a third dimension to Solid Snake may be sensory overload for MGS fans. The original Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater was a PS2 classic that set the standards for action/stealth gameplay, and we're expecting Konami's use of 3D technology to make this title feel new all over again. Some choices the developers made, however, may come with mixed results. For example, a new camouflage system in Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater requires Snake to don more war paint and colors of his surroundings; aclose-quarters melee system includes choke-outs, and pressure-sensitive controls during interrogation scenes could yield big rewards, or serious grumbles. Snake will also need to eat to refill an all-new stamina bar that affects aiming and stealth. Supposedly, Snake can be detected due to a growling stomach, so remember to feed your snake. Oh, and did we mention that there will be plenty of 3D cardboard boxes to hop in?

Syndicate (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Releases: Feb. 21 US, Feb. 24 Europe

Multiplayer: Online co-op 

Many RPGs have hacking and lock picking elements. For those of you who have to unlock every door and loot chest, Syndicate should be a veritable cornucopia of awesomeness. Going far beyond locked doors and other barriers, minds and even weapons can be hacked. (Did you just get chills too?) This is a series reboot, but unlike its top-down tactical game, you play as an agent who gets his hands very, very dirty. This may not be a popular franchise for younger audiences, but with Mass Effect's end drawing near, we could be seeing a lot more of this futuristic sci-fi shooter in the…well, future. 

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