Before 2012 ended, Crystal Dynamics revealed via OXM that the Tomb Raider reboot is getting multiplayer. In the fourth episode of the Behind-The-Scenes developer video hosted by Chuck( Zachary Levi), we get to see actual footage of the multiplayer in action.
This is a first for the series. A full-blown multiplayer mode with matchmaking and everything. I'm still not too keen about the idea, but the fact that Crystal Dynamics passed the multiplayer onto a Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution) to focus on the single player gave me some hope, hope in a sense that I won't see the single player campaign suffer because of them splitting resources. While watching the gameplay footage shown on the video, it had a strong resemblance of Uncharted's multiplayer, which I can dig if done right.
Tomb Raider is set to be released on March 5 on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
2012 was a great year for gaming. Triple A titles like Mass Effect 3, Max Payne 3, Assassin's Creed 3, Black Ops 2, Borderlands 2, Halo 4, Resident Evil 6, and many more flooded last year's lineup. But there were games that literally came out of no where and made a great impression, and there were games that were considered great games, but did not get the attention it deserved. Here are five sleeper hits from 2012.
The Walking Dead
I'm going to start with The Walking Dead. People might go "what? But that's well known". true, we all know The Walking Dead from either the crazy famous TV series, or from the graphic novel were it was originated, but we never thought that Telltale's The Walking Dead Game would come out as one of the best story driven title in this generation, or even be considered best game of 2012. People were aware by the game's creation at Telltale Games, but I believe many were blown away how they knocked this out of the park. From episode 1, all the way to the finale, the game just got better and better. Telltale's masterpiece. You can check out my full review here.
The Legend of Grimrock
Old school dungeon crawling for today's gamers. A game greatly inspired by Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder, this is one type of RPG has been absent for years it seems. It was released in April of 2012 but I only gave it a try months after. When I gave it a chance and soon realize that I was missing out. A game filled with smart puzzles and gameplay that's quite unique in my eyes since I wasn't exposed to the classic dungeon crawlers released back in the late 80s or early 90s.
Spec Ops: The Line
At first glance it did look like the typical shooter. Another game that would easily get consumed by the shadows of games such such as Halo 4, Black Ops 2, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter, all planned for release at the end of he year. But it turned out to be a good game worth mentioning. The biggest praise the game got was not because of its gameplay, nor its online component, but for it's narrative, which is rare for a games like this. A story that impressed players and urged others to give the campaign a chance. Months after its release I did caught up with all the talk about its story and tried I myself quickly noticed that its indeed under appreciated.
Slender: The Eight Pages
I just had to include this. Where did this game come from? A free PC game, that's fairly simple by design, is considered one of the most scariest game of 2012, possibly of all time. When it was released last June, it quickly grew in popularity. It soon spread like wildfire with many streamers and Youtubers making videos of them playing the game. is it really that scary? Yes! I tried it myself and while it only takes half 10 minutes to play one session, I've never felt so isolated and freaked out in a game. It became a hit that spawned games similar to Slender. It's sequel, Slender: The Arrrival that was just announced recently.
Kingdoms of Alamur: Reckoning
This was one game I did not expect to be really good. An action RPG that had a combo-heavy gameplay that made me think of Devil May Cry, and quick time events seen in games like God of War. This game was also massive, which gave an Elder Scrolls impression in terms of how much content there is in this game. I never heard or did research on the game, but after trying demo, I just had to get it, and I did not regret the buy one bit. Sadly, the creators of Alamur, 38 Studios went bankrupt thanks to a fraud lawsuit and was closed down. My dreams of a sequel will never happen now.
Any other sleepers worth mentioning? Hit the comments below.
A sad day for Playstation 2 fans. Sony just announced that they will be ending all production of the most successful console to date.
It was first announced that all production will cease in Japan, but Sony confirms to Guardian that they will be ending the PS2 reign worldwide.
Can you believe it? The console was in production for 12 years and since it's launch in 2000, Sony sold over 150m consoles worldwide. I still remember the day I got my Playstation 2, I was in 2nd year high school, I came from the mall and I couldn't wait to set it up at home. My first games were Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy X, and Metal Gear Solid 2.
It's definitely the most successful console to date. To survive more than a decade, living side by side with its successor the PS3 for years? But good things must come to an end.
To end 2012, another franchise that doesn't need multiplayer gets one anyway. Official Xbox Magazine confirms that the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot will have multiplayer.
Official Xbox Magazine revealed their February 2013 cover and confirms that Tomb Raider will come with multiplayer when it ships on March 5. Shocked? Not really.
I'm not fond with games dumping multiplayer just to add more appeal. Some titles that are not fit to have multiplayer, makes one anyway, and the final product turns out to be content that can be forgotten in one sitting. Such games like Bioshock 2, and Dead Space 2, tried adding a new twist of competitive multiplayer, but fell flat in the end. This is what I think is going to happen to Tomb Raider's multiplayer. But some games that tried have proved me wrong.
Assassin's Creed, one franchise that added multiplayer in Brotherhood, ended up with a unique mode that turned out to be a lot of fun. Another one is Uncharted, who added their own multiplayer on the second game, provided a great third person competitive shooter that made good use of Uncharted's simple climbing mechanic to make it stand out from the rest.
My first reaction towards Tomb Raider now having multiplayer is not a happy one, but I'll give it a chance because you never know, they might have something good. Not much info has been given too, so when they say multiplayer, it could mean coop, or both. In a Tomb Raider blog, they mention that the multiplayer was inspired by Lara Croft and the Guardian of the Light coop. So who knows, We'll just have to see what Crystal Dynamics has to show in the coming days.
Here's PART 2. Just in case you missed it, Click here for PART 1.
Crysis 3 -February 19 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
I say this a lot whenever Crysis 3 is brought up, but this is one game that feels like an extension of the second game rather than an actual sequel. The changes are quite minimal that I can easily say it seems like Crysis 2.5. But it doesn't mean it won't be a great game though. Crysis 2 is still one of the most visually demanding titles out there and the added abilities the suit gives you makes it a fun shooter. The multiplayer from the second game proved it could work with all those nano suit abilities at the players disposal, so I'm curious on the improvements for the competitive side.
Tomb Raider - March 5 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
When I first heard that a reboot of the franchise is underway with a more serious tone, I didn't pay much attention to it. When the first screenshots and gameplay was released, they weren't kidding. This is an origins story that shows players how Lara Croft becomes the iconic badass heroine we all know. The Tomb Raider reboot is different gameplay-wise compared to past titles, but it's a good change to push the franchise into a more modern feel we are now familiar with when it comes to action adventure.
Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm- March 12 (PC)
The long-awaited expansion for the most successful RTS game out there is finally coming out. The expansion continues were Wings of Liberty left off, and is pretty much the Zerg campaign, where you control the now human Kerrigan and her swarm of Zerg forces as she attempts to get revenge over Arcturus Mengsk. The expansion will have 20 Zerg campaign missions and new units for each race. A lot of changes will also be made for the uber popular multiplayer for balancing purposes. I've played my share of Starcraft 2, and I'm eager to see how the story plays out. Hopefully by the time we are done with Heart of the Swarm, it won't take long for Blizzard to release the third expansion that will include the Protoss campaign.
God of War: Ascension - March 13 (PS3)
You'd think after the events of God of War 3, you will never see another God of War game again. But here we are, yet another God of War. Yes, it is hard to move forward in the story, so they tapped on how it all started. God of War: Ascension is set six months after Kratos was tricked into murdering his wife and child, and 10 years before the events of the first God of War. But with how the game is being marketed, the added multiplayer mode is getting all the love since that's all were seeing really.
Gears of War: Judgement - March 19 (Xbox 360)
I'm sure you've figured that Gears of War: Judgment is a prequel. For the first time, you have Marcus Fenix out of the spotlight. Damon Baird and Augustus Cole are the protagonist and is set 30 days after Emergence Day and follows Baird and Cole who faces trial for stealing secret COG technology. In the multiplayer side, Judgement will introduce two new game modes; OverRun, and Free-for-All.
Bioshock: Infinite - March 26 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
This is THE game I can't wait to get my hands on. So far, everything I've seen about Bioshock: Infinite makes the wait a lot harder. From the amazing floating city of Columbia, the smart interaction between Booker and Elizabeth, and the gameplay that stays true to the Bioshock name. Man, I just want to play it already. This title has felt a good amount of delays. It was planned for a 2012 release, but was pushed back all the way to 2013 for the developers to polish the hell out of this game. This is a single player campaign only, so don't expect any multiplayer to go with the game.
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel -March 26 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Equipped with the Frostbite 2 engine ( Battlefield 3), a new pair of protagonists, and an overkill feature that lets you destroy everything, Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel is turning out to be a coop game that should not be missed if you're looking for a coop game. I've always liked Army of Two. I agree that 40th day was phorrible compared to the first game, but the coop features make it tolerable enough to get a few laughs.
Well there you have it, I think. The first three months of 2013 is pretty packed with big titles. I'm already convinced that I'll be getting DmC, Tomb Raider, and Bioshock: Infinite, but what about you? With all the games listed, what are you excited for?
Or maybe I missed something? If I miss a title worth mentioning, by all means hit the comments.
Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Video Game reviews, news, previews, videos, and gaming podcasts.
Before 2012 ended, Crystal Dynamics revealed via OXM that the Tomb Raider reboot is getting multiplayer. In the fourth episode of the Behind-The-Scenes developer video hosted by Chuck( Zachary Levi), we get to see actual footage of the multiplayer in action. 
