Fall Arts Preview: Games

Make no mistake, 2012 is the Year of the Sequel.

The first half of 2012 gave us the conclusion to Bioware's epic space-opera trilogy (Mass Effect 3), the return of Rockstar's noir antihero (Max Payne 3), and the end of a decadelong wait for Blizzard's dungeon-crawler (Diablo 3). Whether you were psyched about arcade-style fighters (Soulcalibur V), world slaughter (Prototype II), or game adaptations of your favorite graphic novels (The Darkness II), there was a sequel for everyone.

And the second half of 2012? No different. Here are four sequels to get psyched about.

Far Cry 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC; $59.99; Sept. 4)

When Ubisoft released Far Cry 2, it unleashed a game-changer. While most first-person shooters take you along the rails, Far Cry 2 was an open-world, sandbox-style game, allowing you to explore its world as you saw fit. The game put you in a terrifying landscape with realistic mechanics, from cars that broke down to guns that malfunctioned. The enemies were smart, and reacted to the weather and the game's real-time day/night cycle.

Far Cry 3 moves from the African savanna and drops us on a patch of islands somewhere between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, introducing gamers to a new protagonist, Jason Brody, a lost tourist thrust into the middle of a local conflict.

Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC; $59.99 to $99.99; release Sept. 18)

Claptrap returns with even sweeter dance moves this fall when Gearbox releases the sequel to its sleeper hit Borderlands. The first-person shooter captured the hearts of gamers everywhere with a wild space-western setting, clever dialogue, and RPG-style character- and weapon-upgrading mechanics. Gearbox took the loot-gathering from dungeon-crawlers like Diablo and put it in a first-person shooter. The result was addictive.

The sequel takes place five years after the first game and introduces a new antagonist, Handsome Jack, who's on a mission to exterminate the inhabitants of Pandora. (Of course, you can't let this happen.) Borderlands 2 promises to bring back all the elements that made gamers fall in love with the first one.

Assassin's Creed 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC; $59.99 to $119.99; Oct. 30)

Thanks to the Assassin's Creed series, gamers have been taken on quite the historic ride. Through the eyes of Desmond Miles, we've gone through the Crusades to the Renaissance, experiencing these worlds through the memories of Miles' ancestors. And Ubisoft has managed to deliver stunning graphics, enthralling gameplay, and a story that is utterly gripping.

In Assassin's Creed 3, we are introduced to Connor Kenway, a half-English, half-Indian American in the middle of the American Revolution. You'll be able to interact with figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, but the only cities (as of now) you'll be able to explore are Boston and New York. The people of Philadelphia will have to cross their fingers for some added, much deserved, DLC (downloadable content). Seriously, how are we not in this?

Halo 4 (Xbox 360; $59.99 to $99.99; Nov. 6)

When Bungie released its final title in the Halo series, Halo: Reach, we took a break from the game's protagonist Master Chief. Bungie took us on an emotional roller-coaster ride with Noble Six, a close-knit crew of super soldiers, letting us experience the fall of Reach through their eyes. It was a fantastic goodbye from a studio that gave the Xbox 360 its "killer app."

So when Microsoft announced that Halo 4 was in development by another studio, 343 Industries, gamers were skeptical. But 343, with developers from Bungie and Pandemic Studios, has an impressive resumé.

Halo 4 is the first title in what 343 calls the Reclaimer Trilogy. Master Chief and Cortana find themselves on a strange Forerunner planet called Requiem. Just as a series of novels expanded on the Gears of War series between 2 and 3, the Forerunner Saga novels Halo: Primordium and Halo: Glasslands expand on the new trilogy's lore.

Bonus level: With the holidays approaching, game publishers are of course releasing potential hits. Among the notable sequels: Dead or Alive 5; Resident Evil 6; Pokemon Black and White 2; Call of Duty: Black Ops II; Metal Gear Solid: Rising; the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion; and the return of the XCOM series with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

   - Eric Smith