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2012: The year of Square-Enix?

2012. The year of dragon. The year of the apocalypse. An Olympic year. An election year. The year that vampires inherit the earth. Major Hollywood blockbuster. And, if your facebook friends are anything like mine, the year that everything changes and everyone gets their life together. 2012 is a pretty big year and if the rumor mill is to be trusted (PROTIP: it probably shouldn't, and pour one out for GamePro), it will see a number of new technologies to change our lives such as the iPad 3, iPhone 5, Google Nexus Android tablet, and the Apple Television. In the gaming sphere, there is a number of high profile games coming out in every genre: Mass Effect, GTA, Bioshock Infinite, Max Payne, Twisted Metal, Diablo, Assassin's Creed, Halo, SoulCalibur, Kid Icarus, Metal Gear Solid, StarCraft, the list goes on and on. And let's not forget that Sony is rolling out a whole new handheld with the PS Vita and with it comes the strongest launch lineup since the US DreamCast launch, plus the Wii-U is expected to make it's debut in the fall. As I said, 2012 is a pretty big year. But I believe that for one company in particular, 2012 is going to be more than just a big year. For one company, 2012 is going to be a break out year that will take it back from dire straits. That company is Square-Enix, and while it's had a really hard time in the last few years with the reception to Final Fantasy 14 and disappointing sales numbers, this year could get it back in the game. Let's look at why.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Final Fantasy XIII-2: sequel the highest profile JRPG on high definition consoles

I loved Final Fantasy XIII (Will didn't - ed.). And in spite of its virtual crucifixion in the court of public opinion (and Will's - ed.), the game still holds an 83 on MetaCritic and an 85.17% on GameRankings, both higher scores than any other turn-based JRPG on PS3 or Xbox 360. In fact, out of all the reviews for FFXIII by major outlets, only one was distinctly negative and I remain unconvinced that that review wasn't an attempt at trolling the internet with the reviewer's ego. FFXIII wasn't a bad game, but it had its flaws, like its very linear path and no towns. Whether you could look pass this or not more or less defined your reception to the game; I enjoyed the "keep pushing forward, don't look back, don't stop" pseudo-action movie mentality of FFXIII. FFXIII-2 picks up moments after the conclusion of FFXIII and takes a markedly darker tone than the previous game. It will also delve much further into the Fabula Nova Crystalis mythos, with major plot elements and characters referencing it directly. The game is actually much closer to Chrono Trigger than Final Fantasy in concept, with its multiple endings, one of which being the obvious canon ending, others being more "what if" fare, and a plot that has you going to multiple points in Pulse's future including one end of time-type setting. The game has been getting fantastic scores for Japanese publications, something that I expect to continue for the Western release. And yes, the game has non linear paths and towns this time around. Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes out at the end of January.

Final Fantasy Type-0

Final Fantasy Type-0: Final Fantasy + Monster Hunter + a whole lot of fun

Monster Hunter appeals to me. At least, the concept of Monster Hunter appeals to me. It's a cool idea, but I've never been able to get into playing the actual Monster Hunter games in spite of buying three of them. Ironically, I love Monster Hunter clones. Phantasy Star Portable 1 and 2, Gods Eater, even White Knight Chronicles' online mode: I will play any and every one of them. So when I heard that the game then known as Final Fantasy Agito XIII was a Monster Hunter styled game, I thought, "that sounds pretty cool." I can state empirically that this is the greatest understatement I have ever made: I have sunk nearly 40 hours into the three mission Famitsu demo for Type-0. Much like the previous game on this list, Final Fantasy Type-0 is a much darker take than that of typical Final Fantasy fare; the game takes place on a backdrop of war among countries and as students of a military academy, the protagonists soon find themselves in the middle of the battle. As you might expect in a war game, happy things do not happen to the main characters; in fact, the game opens with a pretty depressing character death. This is one of the few PSP games to ship on two UMD's, so the fact that there is going to be a PSN release is welcome. No release date has been set, but a western release has been confirmed. Here's hoping it doesn't slip into 2013.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance - Because eff you English language

Little known fact: I bought my PS3 two days before Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots came out. I bought my first 360 just prior to the second Summer of Arcade. I bought my Wii with Metroid Prime 3, my DS with Feel the Magic XY/XX, and my first PSP with Metal Gear Ac!d. The release date for Kingdom Hearts 3D is the date Nintendo will get my money for a 3DS. Everyone has their favorite game series and this one is mine. Unlike Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days and RE:coded, Dream Drop Distance is a completely new Kingdom Hearts experience. All of the Disney worlds are new and include worlds based on Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pinocchio, and Tron: Legacy. Both Sora and Riku will be outfitted in new clothes and the battle system will be once more based on the deck system used in Birth by Sleep and RE:coded. Along with the characters from the various Disney films, the game will feature the return of somebody forms of Organization XIII as well as the antagonists of the previous games Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Master Xehanort, Vanitas, and Maleficent. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is confirmed for a western release in 2012 and will lead directly in Kingdom Hearts III.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider = Lara Croft + Dirt - Age - E cups

The Tomb Raider series was always on the periphery of my gaming experiences. I had heard of lots of things about it (sexist game, nude mods, general suckage), but it wasn't until I played through Uncharted that I finally decided to Tomb Raider a shot. I figured that if I was having this much fun with the off brand "Dude Raider", I might as well give the real deal a try. The first Tomb Raider I played was Tomb Raider Legend and it is good enough to get me to buy Anniversary, Underworld, and The Guardian of Light. Early impressions of the reboot have been generally positive, and though I'm not usually a fan of the "darker and edgier" trope (see Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Bomberman: Act Zero for examples of why), I think that this game is going to be great.

Hitman Absolution

Hitman: Absolution - Completely Olyphant free

Hitman is a series that has always fascinated me. Hearing people talk about the varied ways you can go about fulfilling your missions made me really want to play these games. Now that the franchise is coming to HD consoles and with it comes a host of features to ease newbies like me into the killing game. Absolution will have an "Instinct Mode" that works very much like Batman's detective mode and Ezio's eagle vision. Instinct mode will maximize 47's disguise, allow him to see enemies through walls, show patrol routes in red, and mark vents and climbable ridges. Of course, in order to not completely break the game, instinct mode consumes a power bar that must be recharged by performing silent takedowns. The game will give you a variety of weapons with which to perform your assassinations including environmental weapons such as a shovels or chair and the ever trusty Garrote wire. Hitman: Absolution comes out sometime in 2012.

In addition to those titles, there are a number of titles without release dates that are likely to drop in 2012. While it's unlikely that Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Kingdom Hearts III, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Volume 2 will come out this year, especially considering the fact that the last two haven't been officially announced yet, this year will certainly bring new info about them. True Crime has never been a huge series, but Square-Enix must have seen something for them to have sunk so much cash into reviving the previously cancelled True Crime: Hong Kong. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy continues the SE trend of pissing all over the rules of grammar, but it's the coolest new IP from SE since The World Ends With You. Theif 4 will hopefully give the franchise the spotlight it so very much deserves and the double whammy of the Dragon Quest X and Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 MMORPG's should make this quite the year for Square-Enix.