2012 In Entertainment: Gaming Preview (Part 1)

We as gamers have been a little spoilt for choice this year, especially with the wealth of high-profile releases coming out in the Autumn and Winter, but that's certainly not to say that 2012 is lacking in big name titles- quite the opposite! In fact, some of the biggest franchises around are making their anticipated returns in the upcoming twelve months, and if you take a look below you can get a good look at what's coming up...
SPRING
JANUARY
PLAYSTATION VITA- Sony's much anticipated handheld console will finally debut in UK stores early on- keep an eye on the blog for full coverage of the launch line-up!
SSX- EA's snowboarding franchise gets a reboot with daring new boss battles taking place down a treacherous mountain!
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2- RPG fans are hoping that this sequel can right the wrongs of the original FFXIII. A huge new story and refined control system should help it along the way.
FEBRUARY
THE DARKNESS II- 2K Games return to the terrifying world of their 2007 title- now, Jackie must use his powers to save his friends and escape his worst enemies...
RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS- A Resident Evil game on Nintendo 3DS is something to get excited about for sure- expect scares and thrills galore!
TWISTED METAL- Another reboot, this time of the epic PS3-exclusive racing franchise.
SYNDICATE- And another reboot- Syndicate opened a shooter franchise in 1994, and now it's an FPS at the height of its potential.
MARCH
STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN- The first of two compilation games mixing Capcom and Namco's big fighting series, Street Fighter X Tekken takes us on a whirlwind tour through the companies' best moments.
GHOST RECON: FUTURE SOLDIER- This has been constantly delayed by Ubisoft, but with Kinect support and ace graphics Future Soldier is a big shooter to watch in 2012.
XCOM- A bizarre sci-fi reboot taking place in 1930s USA.
DRAGON'S DOGMA- An absolutely massive roleplaying game, Dragon's Dogma looks to rival Elder Scrolls: Skyrim in terms of fantasy action, scale and ambition!
MASS EFFECT 3- Definitely the biggest release of the first quarter of the year, Mass Effect 3 finally brings BioWare's grand science-fiction trilogy to a close, and features Kinect integration and co-op modes too...
TRUE CRIME- This project was originally dropped, but Square Enix have got the publishing rights, so we'll see this vintage free-roaming shooter hit stores with a bang next year!
APRIL
PROTOTYPE 2- Get ready to go crazy with super powers as Alex Mercer roams New York Zero bent on destruction and revenge in a thrilling action RPG.
SUMMER
NINTENDO WiiU- Batman: Arkham City; Battlefield 3; Marvel Pinball; LEGO City Stories; Assassin's Creed; Darksiders; Aliens; Sonic- they're all coming to Nintendo's new console, the first hardware in the next generation of video gaming. Now, isn't that an enticing thought?
KINECT STAR WARS- Finally, a true reason to own Kinect: battle through the biggest events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, fighting droids, Sith and the evil Darth Vader in your quest to save the galaxy using your own body!
ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES- Another biggie, Gearbox are hoping to provide us with a full Aliens sequel in gaming format, and based on what we've seen so far the signs are very promising!
BIOSHOCK: INFINITE- And another biggie- BioShock: Infinite looks like the one to beat in the first half of 2012, so get ready for a psychedelic trip through alternate realities and timelines!