Every year, gamers flock to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to ogle gaming releases for the next year -- and sometimes beyond.
There weren't a ton of hardware announcements at this year's tradeshow. However, there was certainly no shortage of video games being demoed and drooled upon during last week's events in Los Angeles, California.
After spending time on the show floor, we chose several upcoming standout games that seem extremely worthy of a big picture and big sound -- something that's very near and dear to our hearts.
Did you make it out to the show last week? Not to worry; we've compiled some of the best of the best from last week's events.
Read on for a recap of the best cinematic-inspired games announced at E3 2012.
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Disney Interactive Studios)
The sequel to the original Epic Mickey brings Mickey Mouse back to the Cartoon Wasteland, a pen and paper stylized world that's filled with "things that have been forgotten." Some of those things include scrapped Disney characters, Disneyland rides and stories. In the game, Mickey joins up with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit to repair the Wasteland, stop a vial villain, and set things right.
While the original game was developed for the Nintendo Wii, this new outing will also appear on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Max OS X and PC. In other words, Mickey Mouse has been natively rendered in HD for the very first time! Fans of the Disney universe can expect to run afoul of the Electric Light Dragon from the Disneyland parades and see old Jungle Cruise boats and other discarded items, all while journeying through the Wasteland.
The other big addition this time is that a second player -- in the role of Oswald -- can jump in and help Mickey in a two-player co-op mode. Sometimes saving the world (even a cartoon one) can be more rewarding with a friend.
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Where to Buy:
Dishonored (Bethesda)
For a bodyguard, death is often preferable to dishonor. That's sort of the point of this first-person action/sneaker-based game from Arkane Studios. In the game, players control Corvo Atano, a bodyguard framed for the murder of the beloved Empress.
Set in a fantasy world, this single-player game sends you off on a trek to seek vengeance against the Lord Regent (who just happened to frame Corvo). Presented in a series of linear missions, players travel through a steam-punk-inspired city -- although in this game, the term "whale punk" is more accurate, considering everything is powered by whale oil. As Corvo, players can utilize a number of melee and ranged weapons, as well as some supernatural powers to control objects, freeze time and even summon plague animals.
Also, while Corvo can take the direct approach, players have the ability to hide in shadows, use stealth and sneak about ala Assassin's Creed or Thief. Sometimes being subtle goes a long way.
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Where to Buy:
Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix)
This one certainly won't earn any points for the most original concept. Players take on the role of Asian-American detective Wei Shen, who is assigned to infiltrate and take down a Triad in Hong Kong. (Paging John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat, your game is ready.)
Moving past the fact that this sounds like about a dozen different Hong Kong action flicks, the game actually looks pretty intense.
By playing as an undercover cop in a den of thieves, players get to do bad guy stuff, all while being the good guy. However, the hook is that this is the first game to be set in an open-world version of Hong Kong and was originally intended to be the next game set in the True Crime franchise as True Crime: Hong Kong. However, publisher Activision dropped the project and Square Enix stepped in, rebranding the game as Sleeping Dogs. Square Enix's London Studio (Batman: Arkham Asylum) was also called in to help United Front Games tweak the combat gameplay.
This could be a loss for Activision because the game not only looks quite epic, but does a good job of blending action with intrigue. It has all the elements of a Hong Kong action film from the 1980's and 1990's, such as car chases, fist fights, plot twists, and shootouts that result in mass mayhem. We doubt anyone or anything, including a dog, will be able to sleep through this one.
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Where to Buy:
The Last of Us (Sony Computer Entertainment)
Most post-apocalyptic games feature mutants and zombies. Let's get real, though. Movies such as The Road have proven that the greatest threat isn't the undead; it's the living we really have to worry about. This doesn't mean that there aren't "changed" humans too, as it seems a fungus has infected former humans. Double threat!
In the game, players take on the role of the once "ruthless" survivor Joel. He's joined by the 14-year-old Ellie, who is too young to remember the world as it once was. The pair begin their journey in Pittsburgh, and the game features a mix of scavenging and killing. As this isn't our world (at least not yet), everything from ammunition to health packs to heal up are in very short supply.
While Sony didn't say where the pair might be headed or what the goal of the game might be, we're sure the path ahead will be quite thrilling and enjoyable -- at least as a game. Let's just hope we never have to play this one for real!
Release Date: December 31, 2012
Where to Buy:
Halo 4 (Microsoft Games Studios)
The storyline was pretty much wrapped up in Halo 3 -- or was it? We thought maybe that would be the last of Master Chief, who was lost in space in the trilogy's finale. Instead, Halo 4 picks up and spawns what is intended to be a new trilogy of games.
The question remains whether 343 Industries can deliver as much as original game developer Bungie did with the original franchise. So far, it seems like they're off to a good start, with the war against the Covenant mostly won and humanity ready to return to exploring the galaxy rather than fighting endless wars. So much for good intentions, because just as the UNSC Infinity heads out to space -- after taking two decades to build -- it crashes on the planet Requiem and awakens the Prometheans, the ancient guardians of the planet. Of course, for reasons that aren't clear, the Covenant and Flood, the two former baddies, will be back as well.
Of course, the Master Chief also returns, since he just happened to have crashed on Requiem. In other words, get ready to suit up and face another alien threat.
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Where to Buy:
