2012 In Video Games Part II: January

So, after much toiling over how to even attack the video gaming medium, I decided that I should do a post at the beginning of every month, and discuss the games going to be released that month (at least the big ones). Every now and then, an additional post will be created for a big event (Wii U launch, E3, etc), but for the most part, there will be 12 monthly installments. At the end of each post, I’ll state what I predict will be game of the month, and give a few reasons as to why. So, let’s start off with January!

January is an awkward month for the entertainment industry. The holiday buzz is over, we’re far off from summer blockbusters, and there’s no holiday (Valentine’s Day, Easter) for the industry to latch upon. January is notorious for being the month when the year’s worst movies are released, with this year’s likely nominee being the ridiculously titled Man on a Ledge. Yep. That man is Sam Worthington. And the movie is about him being on a ledge. It’s almost a joke. I sat in the theater, watching the trailer, and I said to my good friend David “Ah. It’s probably called something stupid, like, A Man standing on a ledge”. Their title is only marginally better than that. As for video games however, January is the month for lesser known titles. For games that are the first in the series. Saying that, however, it seems we may have some hits early on in 2012.

The Bats vs. The Clowns. Who side will you take?

On the 10th of January, Batman infused first person shooter, Gotham City Impostors, becomes available for digital download on Xbox Live, Playstation Network and for the PC! Warner Brothers has hired development studio Monolith Productions, famous for the first two F.E.A.R games, to create this online only first person shooter. Labelled by many as somewhat of a Team Fortress 2 copy cat, Gotham City Impostors pits two teams equipped with guns and gadgets against each other. Sound just like TF2, right? The only difference really is the fact that one team takes on the mantle of Batman, and the other the Joker. Now, some of these gadgets seem really fun. Boots with springs on the bottom to let you jump higher, a slingshot with explosives for ammunition, and a glider that allows short periods of flight around the map. For only 15 dollars, this may be one to check out!

With an intriguing health system, will Never Dead be 2012's first hit game?

At the end of the month, a brand new video game hits the market. January 31st sees the release of Neverdead, a third person shooter published by the legendary Konami, but created by the not so well known Rebellion Developments. This company’s last release was Rogue Warrior, a stealth game that was panned by critics everywhere for it’s boring gameplay and short campaign, with the title hitting the proverbial bargain bin almost immediately. But, Rebellion has promised that Neverdead will not follow the same path, and has created an intriguing premise to entice gamers. The player controls Bryce Boltzmann: a centuries old demon hunter still recovering from the loss of his wife at the hands of the demon king. Cursed with immortality, Bryce now hunts demons for either money or revenge, using his ability to remove and reattach limbs to his advantage. Wait… immortal you say? Yep. That’s right. You’re character is immortal, and cannot take damage from enemies. That’s where your human, mortal sidekick Arcadia comes into the mix. Bryce will have to continually get in the way of attacks aimed at Arcadia, not allowing her to die. Or? You guessed it. Game over. It seems a bit pointless to have a human sidekick join you in your quest to kill a demon king, but it it turns out Bryce was never a good detective, and brings along Arcadia to help him hunt for clues. It’s an intriguing premise, and from what I’ve seen in trailers, could turn out to be a promising game.

Nope! This isn't a new Assassin's Creed, but that is Ezio!

Also on January 31st is the release of the fifth (technically sixth, but let’s not get into that) installment in the Soulcalibur series. Adding new features, such as knocking an opponent out of the ring causing both players to fall into another arena, as well as the removal of critical finishes and soul gauges, justifies the reason as to why we need another Soulcalibur. With improvements added to the character creation system, and the chance to play as Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore de Firenze, I’m sure fans of the series will not regret venturing into this unique fighting experience one more time.

Tom’s GotM prediction: Gotham City Imposters

• Low price point
• Well established gameplay
• Cool gadgets
• It’s fucking Batman

What will be your game of the month? Vote down below, where the complete list of games released this month is found, as well as their launch date!

Tags: Assassin's Creed, Batman, Gotham City Impostors, Monolith Productions, Neverdead, Soul Calibur