New PC Games 2012

Diablo III: Standard Edition

Who hasn't heard about the legendary Diablo series? It took Blizzard over 10 years, but the sequel to the epic hack-and-slash RPG is almost here. Besides obvious improvements to the graphics, DIII also features a physics engine (allowing you to kill enemies by destroying constructions, for example), brand new classes and abilities, and amazing soundtracks by talented composers. It will continue 20 years after Diablo 2: LoD left off, and end the story that started with the original Diablo. Despite that, it's been confirmed that Diablo 3 won't be the last game of the series!

Guild Wars 2

Gamers often say that the MMORPG genre is stale and the game developer companies don't offer anything new and innovative anymore. I think that will change with GW2. It takes the best things from the first game (no reliance on gear, very balanced PvP and so on) and bring them to a persistent MMO world with dynamic events, elaborate storyline, unique class mechanics, and amazingly rich environments. Did I mention that just like the first game, Guild Wars 2 will have no subscription fee, either? GW2 is highly anticipated by gamers worldwide and I think it definitely deserves a high spot on anyone's list of best PC games in 2012, whether they are MMO fans or not.

Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is going to be the third and last game in the epic sci-fi video game series by Bioware. You will once again take control of Shepard (if he didn't die in your ME2 ending, that is) and set out on a mission to save the Earth. Since this ME title is the last one, the story is going to be even less linear than in previous games and allow for a greater freedom of choice. Shepard will finally face the strongest enemy yet, the Reapers, directly in the final part of the trilogy. Of course, he will still have help from his companions, which are returning from the previous Mass Effect games.

Release Date: 03/06/2012

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an upcoming RPG for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms. It seems to offer both fast-paced combat and an elaborate storyline, and is produced by people like Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore, and the Big Huge Games developer team.

Amalur is a fantasy world with a history that spans tens of thousands of years. In the universe of Amalur, everyone has a predetermined fate - everyone except the main character who was brought back from the dead through the Well of Souls. Carving your own destiny, you are the only person who can save the races of Amalur from destruction.

Release Date: 02/07/2012

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

The most popular PC strategy game in the last few years - Starcraft 2 - is getting a sequel. Heart of the Swarm will continue the story after the events in the Wings of Liberty, focusing on Sarah Kerrigan and the rise of a zerg empire. Blizzard says that Kerrigan will be directly controllable in almost every map, and have powerful battle abilities. From the multiplayer aspect, HotS is an expansion: it will have a separate ladder from SC2: WoL, and introduce new playable units for all three races. Heart of the Swarm might also have some new gameplay mechanics, such as destructible pillars.

Hitman: Absolution [Download]

Hitman Absolution is the fifth installment in the Hitman franchise, developed by Danish studio IO Interactive and published by Square Enix. Like the previous titles, it focuses on stealth, while allowing the players to choose how they wish to eliminate their target. It is said to feature some new gameplay mechanics, and runs on Glacier 2 graphics engine, resulting in improved visuals. In addition, Hitman 5 has more key characters and a darker story. The game will be released for PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360.

BioShock Infinite

This first-person shooter will take you to the floating city Columbia, which was launched by the US in 1900, but has become isolated to the world since then. A civil war broke out in the city, with several groups fighting for control. Furthermore, weird time rifts are occurring in Columbia, which will apparently allow the players not only to see elements from the future, but also find themselves in other time for a short while. Bioshock: Infinite is unrelated to the previous Bioshock titles story-wise, but the concepts of "upgrades" in the form of vigors or nostrums (similar to plasmids and tonics in the first game) are still there.

Release Date: 02/26/2013

Max Payne 3

This 2012 PC game continues the story of ex-detective Max Payne, who works as a bodyguard for a wealthy family in Brazil 8 years after the events in MP2. The protagonist is said to have developed a painkiller addiction (no wonder considering how many he used in the first two games...) and is also an alcoholic. So all in all, we see a very different Max Payne, with a dark story despite bright Brazilian sun. The game brings back the classic bullet time mode and shoot-dodge mechanics, and adds new cinematic cutscenes. Max Payne 3 will be released for Windows, PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms.

Release Date: 06/01/2012

The Secret World

TSW is a unique MMO title from Funcom. It features a modern world setting where conspiracies and myths all come to life, a cool character progression system where you can use any abilities from a list of ~500, as well as a variety of weapons, both melee and ranged ones, for you to wield. The game has three factions, which are sort of at war with each other, but at the same time all three are fighting the great evil that's threatening the whole world. It sure sounds interesting - but it remains to be seen whether Funcom will manage to live up to the promises with their newest MMORPG.

Release Date: 07/03/2012

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Mists of Pandaria is the fourth expansion pack for the biggest MMO in the world, World of Warcraft. It adds a new class (the Monk), new race (Pandaren), an entirely new continent for you to explore (Pandaria) and increases the maximum level cap to 90. The aforementioned continent offers quests, raids, and other content for level 85-90 players. Mists of Pandaria also introduces new gameplay elements, such as a Pet Battle system, Challenge Mode for dungeons, improved Talent trees, and Scenarios (objective-based PvE instances).