List of games coming out in Q1 2013 - Part 1

2012 was another great year for gaming. So many great titles were released that it was actually hard to keep up. We had tons of sleeper hits, great triple A titles as usual, and indie games that killed it this year. But don't think the first few months of 2013 will be your time to catch up. Thanks to some games pushed to the first quarter of 2013, we actually have a heavy lineup of anticipated games entering the new year. 

Anarchy Reigns - January 8 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Anarchy Reigns was first released on July 5, 2012 in Japan, and an English released was planned for an October release, but was moved all the way to next year January. Why the huge push? Not too sure, but it's now just a few weeks away until we get an English version of this action beat 'em up.

DmC: Devil May Cry - January 17(PS3, Xbox 360)

Either you hate it or love it, the Devil May Cry reboot is coming on the second week of January. I've tried out the demo released a few weeks back and it surprisingly felt good gameplay-wise. I'm pretty excited now to get the game. Just forget about how they changed the look of Dante, everything made Devil May Cry great is still intact.

Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch -  January 22 ( PS3)

JRPG is a rare breed nowadays. It's sad I know, but it's good to see a title creep up every now and then. Ni No Kuni is another game already released in Japan since November of 2011. With Namco Bandai taking care of the publishing instead of Level -5, a western released was planned for January of 22 2013. Ni No Kuni is about a boy named Oliver who enters a magical world with the help of his fairy doll friend drippy in search for his recently passed mother. The gameplay has a Pokemon feel to it since you send creatures to do most of your fighting. If you're looking at a JRPG to play for next year, keep an eye out on this one.

Dead Space 3 - February 5 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Dead Space, a franchise that pretty much gave life to the horror genre, is now on it's third game, but it seems to be losing it's identity as it moves forward. For Dead Space 3, they introduce a drop-in drop-out feature, which they consider as the highlight for the third game. I have my doubts with this change since it can remove the fear and isolation of the first two games. But what intrigues me is the fact that the story is slightly different if you play the game with a friend. So I'm definitely going to play the game twice to see if there are significant changes.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time - February 05 ( PS3, PS Vita)

Sly Cooper: Thieves of Time is actually going to be the fourth game in the franchise. Sly Cooper isn't my strong suit since it's a combination of two genre's that I just hate; Stealth, and platform. But I'm sure you stealth and platform savy fans will fit right at home with this one. New to series are costumes, which when equipped, it provides Sly new abilities that helps you progress. Thieves of Time will also be part of Sony's "cross-buy" promotion, which gives you a free copy of the game for your PS Vita if you purchase the PS3 version.

Aliens: Colonial Marines - February 12 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

This is one title that has been in development for the longest time. First announced in 2008, Aliens: Colonial Marines have went through a rocky road thanks to all the delays, but is finally seeing the light of day. I'm a huge fan of the Aliens franchise (Minus Aliens 4) and I'm still looking for a really good Aliens game. Crossing my fingers that this will be it. The creepy atmosphere  seems to be in check and gives me the impression that Aliens: Colonial Marines will be worth the wait.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - February 19 ( PS3, Xbox 360)

Oh! A Metal Gear Solid game! Well, not really. It may have Raiden as the protagonist, Hideo Kojima supervising the project, and Metal Gear on the title, but Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is completely different with what we are used to in past Metal Gear Solid games. Rising is an action hack and slash game with a strong emphesis that you can slice up anything in the world. It was first developed over at Konami, but wasn't all that impressed with how it was progressing. So, instead of scrapping the project, they passed the game to Platinum Games (Bayonneta) and got a complete make over, all the way down to the title.

Click here for PART 2.

Dead Space 3 the story so far, demo incoming

EA just released a 3 minute video that serves as a recap of what happened before Dead Space 3. It's a refresher for the people who need one. But for those that haven't touched the first two games, major spoilers ahead.

A demo for Dead Space 3 is scheduled for January 22. If you own an Xbox 360 though, you can opt to get the demo a week early. Getting it a week ahead is nothing special, but if you really really want to be the first few players that have played Dead Space 3 before it hits retail on February 5, register away. 

[Source: VentureBeat]

Slender is getting a sequel, first trailer up

Slender: The Eight Pages, the free horror PC game that's considered the scariest game of 2012, is getting a sequel. The first trailer is now out, and it shows a huge visual upgrade. Aside from the improved graphics, Slender: The Arrival seems to have another character to run away from. A guy with a hoodie? Not sure what he's all about, but of course Slender will be back to show up when you least expect it.

The freaky sounds, the feeling of being isolated and alone. Hopefully they retain everything that made the first game a surprise hit.

Slender: The Arrival is planned for an early 2013 release for the PC.

If you haven't tried the first Slender, I dare you. Or make a friend try it and enjoy how he reacts when playing it.

[Source: Kotaku]

Steam Holiday Sale 2012 has begun

 

The Steam Holiday Sale has begun! It's now on day two and just like other Steam sales, we are seeing huge discounts to big titles. Right now we see titles such as Borderlands 2, Hitman: Absolution, and Dishonored at 50% off. 

It's very hard to resist. These discounts make us want a huge backlog of games just to save some cash. The Darksider 2 at $17? Ghost Recon: Future Soldier at $15? and every F.E.A.R game plus its DLC for just $13.71? Steam can be the devil with these holiday sales, and to think this will last until January 5.

Every day, until January 5, the Holiday sale will feature a whole new list of games and franchise in huge discounts that usually last for 48 hours. So make sure to check Steam regularly for the next few days to not miss out on specific discounts. Or, you can just add the game you want on your wishlist and Steam will inform you via email if a specific game in your wishlist has gone on sale. There are also flash sales which changes after a few hours in the day, and a community's choice poll which lets you vote which of the three games given gets to be discounted for just a few hours.

I'm resisting as much as I can. I still have a lot of games on my plate thanks to the Humble Bundle and I hate it when I get a load of games untouched and unfinished.

[Source: Steam store]

[UPDATED -12/22/12]Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII debut trailer leaked

First trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII has been revealed! Well, by accident really. Game Trailers released the debut trailer early by accident. Right after it went live, it was quickly taken down from the site. It was apparently planned for a weekend reveal. The damage is done though and the trailer is now roaming around the net. So far the trailer is up on youtube, but I suggest you take a peek now before it gets taken down. 

UPDATE - Sadly, Square Enix has taken down the video, but I found another one just in case anybody missed it. Take a look before Square Enix gets a hold of this one. When the debut trailer gets officially released by Square, I will then replace the old video above with the new one.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will conclude Lightning's story and from the looks of it, she's rocking a new set of attire for the third game. We also get to see actual gameplay footage of the game with Lightning going solo this time around.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is set for 2013 on Playstation 3, and Xbox 360.

[Source: Kotaku]