Top 100 of 2012: 35-31 – SSX, Little Deviants and Future Soldier

We draw ever closer to that tantalising number one spot with another five games, including the only game on this list to focus around a vacuum cleaner. What more could you ask for really? As always, if yesterday’s game slipped by you then why not take a look over here? It’s ok, I’ll wait for you.

35 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Much has changed on the FPS front since GRAW2. No one could have predicted that, just several months after its 2007 release, it would be tailed by the most ground-breaking online shooter of the current console generation, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Needless to say it changed everything, multiplayer becoming such a huge focus for developers that it has steadily permeated its way into the most unlikely of genres; Modern Warfare 3 reaching the $1bn milestone quicker than even James Cameron’s 3D epic, Avatar.

A few years down the line and Ubisoft is ready to gun its way back up the FPS ladder, Future Soldier leading the way with Rainbow Six: Patriots bringing up the rear. Sporting the same innovative hybrid perspective as Advanced Warfighter, the upcoming Tom Clancy shooter will also carrying with it a number of revisions. Bleeding edge tech is the must have for any Future Soldier, the game’s elite squad of fighters each having access to instant-camo suits and an array of new weapons and gadgetry.

The gizmo influence doesn’t end there either; at this year’s E3 we got a quick glimpse at the game’s Kinect functionality, allowing players to customise their weapons in real-time using a number of simple gestures. Though the actual Kinect gameplay left much to be desired, it had a few of us here at TSA Towers nodding with approval.

Future Soldier is due for next March with Ubisoft yet to screen a multiplayer reveal, an element which will undoubtedly be either its greatest triumph or ultimate undoing.

34 Luigi’s Mansion 2

Somewhat of a surprise sequel for many, Luigi’s Mansion 2 made a good impression at its official E3 reveal earlier this year. Developed by the talented Next Level Games (Punch Out!!, Captain America) Luigi’s solo debut for Nintendo’s latest handheld has been pegged for early 2012. In his second Mansion based, outing the lanky green Mario brother will be sent to explore a number of haunted mansions by Professor E. Gadd. His task? To capture a variety of ghosts using his specialised vacuum cleaner, the Poltergust 5000.

The sequel, which was originally planned for the Gamecube, will feature some 3DS-specific functionalities such as the platform’s gyroscope and accelerometer, though their implementation has yet to be fully detailed. Aside from the return of a few familiar faces, Mr. Miyamoto himself has promised that Luigi’s Mansion 2 will be much more puzzle-focused than its predecessor. With Super Mario 3D Land out in the open, we suspect a degree of 3DS sibling rivalry in 2012.

33 Little Deviants

With a new Sony handheld on the way, we guessed that it wouldn’t take long for BigBig Studios to reveal another high-octane handheld racer in the vein of Pursuit Force and the more recent MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Therefore you can imagine how stumped we were when the dev’s upcoming project turned out to be cuddly action-puzzler, Little Deviants. The plot surrounding the game is unsurprisingly thin on the ground, BigBig main focus being the Vita-specific gameplay.

Little Deviants is best described as a compilation of mini-games, all of which use one or more of the platform’s innovative features including the front/rear cameras, touchpads and more. To add more depth to the experience, there are also a number of collectibles spread throughout in-game environments, presumably giving you a reason to come back to earlier mini-games. As for online functionality, players can post high scores and participate in multiplayer.

Inevitably, it will be deemed as a demo, much like Sports Champions for the PlayStation Move, showcasing the capabilities of the Vita’s new tech though as we’ve seen with the aforementioned motion title it still has the potential to be amazing. Little Deviants will launch alongside the console next February and is already being priced at under £20.

32 Darksiders II

Despite some rough edges and areas of monotony and repetition, Vigil’s Darksiders was a succinct addition to the action adventure genre, dishing up a meaty hack n’ slash brawler with plenty of platform sections and puzzles to wade through. A sequel may have seemed unlikely but with THQ strapped for unlicensed gems, Darksiders II is completely justified.

Unlike most sequels, the game will retread the same timeline as the original though players will now take control Death, with Darksiders II said to also feature the Horsemen Stife and Fury. Following the pre-emptive apocalypse, Death suspects foul play as his brother War is tried for the atrocity, embarking on his own quest to discover the truth.

For the most part we can expect similarities between Darksiders and its sequel, especially in terms of gameplay. Combat will still be combo focused, though Death will supposedly be much quicker and more agile than his beefy counterpart, with a scythe being his weapon of choice. Vigil will also be giving more attention to the game’s open world design; zones will be punctuated by handfuls of cities that yield sub-quests and hidden dungeons.

Death’s journey will begin sometime next year, releasing for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, and the Wii U.

31 SSX: Deadly Descents

Over the past few years we haven’t exactly been spoilt for choice when it comes to snowboarding video games, especially decent ones. Shaun White, Amped, and Stoked have all had a crack, but deep down we were eagerly been awaiting an SSX-proportioned avalanche to wipe these mediocre exhibits from memory.

When it debuted at last years VGAs, the Deadly Descents immediately caused a rift, substituting the fictional OTT arcade vibe with a much more perilous, dark, authentic experience (or so it seemed.) Since then we’ve seen a return to the SSX we all know and love; wacky tricks, wackier environments and a pulsing soundtrack and visual feed to match.

Using data obtained from NASA, EA Canada has recreated planet Earth’s biggest mountain ranges, environments now being much broader than they were in previous games. These huge environments means you’re not just going up against other racers, you’ll also go toe to toe with mother nature herself.

Every avalanche triggered in Deadly Descents will be entirely unique and completely physics-driven, the upcoming extreme sports title featuring a survival mode dedicated to outrunning them.