Our staff selects the 12 most anticipated video games of the upcoming year

With 2012 in full swing, we have once again decided to put the collective minds of New Game Network together and come up with a list of our most anticipated titles for the upcoming year.



Being super-original as we are, votes from staff were tallied and the hottest games to look forward to in 2012 have been narrowed down to 12. We even took the time to reflect on how our nominations from 2011 turned out! Without further ado, here are our picks (in alphabetical order).



BioShock Infinite

The third game in the popular series, BioShock: Infinite breaks away from the underwater setting of the first two games to take players into a floating city held aloft by dirigibles. The game is set in 1912. You play as Booker DeWitt, a disgraced former private detective who's picked up a new case. Your goal is to find Elizabeth, a young woman who's gone missing and return her unharmed. The only problem is that she's being kept on this flying city. "If there was the most emotionally involving game at E3, Infinite would have to be it. Given what I saw during the demo, this is most definitely a game to look forward to," says Alex.

When: Q4, 2012

Where:

Darksiders 2

Awakened by the End of Days, Death, the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen, embarks upon a quest to restore mankind, and redeem his brother's name. Along the way, the Horseman discovers that there are far worse things than an earthly Apocalypse, and that an ancient grudge may threaten all of Creation. The sequel promises bigger action, tighter combat, and more.



When: June, 2012

Where:

Diablo 3

This world was saved twenty years prior by a handful of unnamed heroes in Diablo II. Warriors that survived the onslaught of the armies of the Burning Hells have gone mad from their ordeals and it is up to a new generation of heroes to face the forces of evil threatening the world of Sanctuary. One of the biggest RPG titles makes its return, and fans have been waiting a long time for this one.



When: Q1/Q2, 2012

Where:

Dota 2

Dota 2 is an upcoming action fantasy strategy video game and the stand-alone sequel to the popular Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients. "Valve moves into the RTS realm?" wonders Evan. "If you had told me two years ago, I would've thought it was a joke. But combining Valve's high standards of quality with a popular game franchise is the kind of mix that simply cannot hit far from the mark."

When: Q2, 2012

Where:

Far Cry 3

The upcoming sequel to the 2008 video game Far Cry 2, Far Cry 3 takes place on a tropical island found somewhere at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The main goal of the game is to escape from the islands and its crazed inhabitants. With a new setting and a bolder narrative, this could be a very high quality experience.



When: Q3/Q4, 2012

Where:

Grand Theft Auto 5

GTA V is an upcoming action-adventure open world game being developed by series creators Rockstar North. The game is to be set in fictional Los Santos in the state of San Andreas and its surrounding areas, based on modern-day Los Angeles and Southern California. A sequel to one of the best-selling and most popular franchises ever (and rightfully so), GTA V aims to reach the high bar set by the franchise.



When: Q3/Q4, 2012

Where: