PRINTFall Video Game Preview
Get your thumbs moving with these new fall releases
September 20, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
DESIGN BY RACHEL KRAUSEA series of high-profile video games come out this fall, including the fourth installment of the Halo franchise and the second Call of Duty: Black Ops game, both of which promise something of a transformation from previous chapters.
Darksiders 2
Release date: 8/14
Gamers can play as Death, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in this adventure game that centers on a battle between Heaven and Hell. Slash your way through the melee with a scythe in each hand.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Release date: 8/19
The new iteration of the Mario franchise is more of the same: gold coins, 2-D graphics and the classic Mario soundtrack, which is never easy to get out of one’s head. The game emphasizes the collection of one million gold coins as its chief achievement.
Guild Wars 2
Release date: 8/28
Guild Wars was a step in a new direction for the massive multiplayer online format. In the sequel, friends can play together regardless of level, and there will be no subscription fee. These two features have raised questions about the game’s potential success, though gamers have given it rave reviews to date.
Borderlands 2
Release date: 9/18
Console: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows
A sleeper hit when first released, the Borderlands franchise is known for its distinctive, cartoonish art style. This game offers the chance to play with friends and defeat a new enemy, Handsome Jack, who has ruthlessly seized power in Pandora, the planet where the game is set. This sequel, with its inimitable backdrop and slew of original characters, promises a departure from the original, new guns and new foes, without discarding what made the first iteration a smash hit.
NBA 2K13
Release date: 10/2
Console: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Gamers can play with the original 1992 ‘Dream Team,’ which, after a brief controversy, will feature Scottie Pippen after all. The legendary defender will appear alongside fellow basketball icons such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The debate over which Olympic team – 1992 or 2012 – would win in a head-to-head matchup can finally be settled.
Resident Evil 6
Release date: 10/2
Console: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Set 10 years after the previous installment, Resident Evil 6 boasts an online stat-tracker to keep up with friends and to track progress. This slasher game is centered on the threat of a worldwide bioterrorist attack and maintains the horror movie elements that originally popularized the game.
Dance Central 3
Release date: 10/16
Console: Xbox 360 with Kinect
Dance Central 3 features a storyline, which is new to this edition. Gamers – er, dancers – will travel through time, exploring dance moves from eras past. Additionally the game features a slew of new songs, both new (“Moves Like Jagger”) and old (“Y.M.C.A.”).
Assassin’s Creed 3
Release date: 10/30
Console: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows
The popular series returns with its third installment, set in the Revolutionary War era, complete with a Native American main character and British and American foes. There have been questions about the series’ ability to create something new, but the decision to set the game in the distant past could potentially attract gamers with an inclination toward American history – also, those with an inclination toward being a virtual assassin.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Release date: 11/11
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Mario is a 2-D character in a 3-D world, collecting stickers and battling enemies in this visual twist on the classic Mario franchise. Unique to this version is the lack of experience points, which places a premium on finding power-ups.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Release date: 11/13
Console: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows
Call of Duty is challenged to develop fresh gimmicks and gameplay to persuade devoted fans to purchase the new edition. This time around, gameplay has been set in near future. Call of Duty is known for its portrayal of realistic warfare—this leap into the future will certainly test the series’ commitment to that idea while simultaneously taking gamers to a time they haven’t yet been.
Halo 4
Release date: 11/6
Console: Xbox 360
The renowned series returns with its fourth installment, in which players can expect the traditional Halo fireworks: first player, co-op and multiplayer modes in a series of original settings. As always, customization in the Halo universe is eminently available—maps, weapons and gameplay options are modified at the player’s leisure. New to this edition is the ‘Spartan Op’ mode, in which short online clips advance the story.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Release date: 11/20
Console: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Vita, Wii U, Microsoft Windows
The popular blue hedgehog returns in this action-packed racing game. The game features four returning locations as well as 16 new tracks, and gamers can play with a variety of characters, including Danica Patrick and Ralph, the John C. Reilly-voiced character from the upcoming Disney movie Wreck-It Ralph.
Pokémon Black and White 2
Release date: 10/7
Console: Nintendo DS
If you thought you had caught them all, think again. The wildly popular video game series returns the player to an old region, but with new places, people and mysterious Pokémon. This game also connects with Pokémon Dream Radar, so you can transfer your caught Pokémon between games.
