Top 20 Xbox 360 Exclusives of 2012
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2011 was a huge year for Xbox 360 gamers, and 2012 could be even bigger. Check out why.
Last year was simply enormous for Xbox 360 fans. The system celebrated record sales numbers for hardware, massive cross-platform games, and huge exclusives like Gears of War 3, Forza Motorsport 4, and Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary. With all of those successes, Microsoft would have a tough time topping itself the following year. However, looking over some of the awesome games set to release exclusively on the console this year, you can see how it just might be able to pull it off.
Here's a look at some of the great exclusives that Xbox 360 owners can look forward to this year.
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Halo 4
It's been five years in the making, but Master Chief will finally grace us yet again in the proper sequel to 2007's Halo 3. In the hands of a new development team at 343 Industries, everything we've seen out of Halo 4 has been telling of a crew that not only understands the Halo franchise, but is poised to create the most personal and compelling story the series has to offer. Its darker approach to established characters like Chief and Cortana, as well as some awesome new multiplayer features. The separate four-player co-op campaign dubbed Spartan Ops and customized loadouts will undoubtedly make for an experience that Halo fanatics won't be able to wait for, if they could already. -
Forza Horizon
Not much is known about Forza Horizon yet. A teaser trailer with a desert setting and club-party vibe are all we have to go on. What little else we've learned is cause enough to get excited. Horizon is the first title being developed by UK racing developer Playground Games, a supergroup of sorts composed of Codemasters and Bizarre Creations vets. Horizon will be a more arcade-style spin-off of the series rather than a proper sim entry to the series. -
Fez
A project several years in the making, Fez is a visual and aural treat unlike anything you've likely experienced. The game's perspective-shifting puzzle mechanic is only the tip of the iceberg that makes Fez such a standout experience. The fully realized world, beautiful aesthetic and amazing soundtrack all speak to the full experience. The game is brimming over with personality, rife with detail, and forces you to think outside the boundaries of the game itself to solve its ingenious puzzles. Fez is a long-time coming, but lives up to the hype; it's a gaming experience no one should miss this year. -
Minecraft
Okay, so it might not technically be an exclusive, having made itself a household name on PC, but if you want to play developer Mojang's uber-hit on a console, Xbox 360 is the only way to go. Building your own world is a blast in Minecraft, and the Xbox LIVE Arcade version will offer some brand new features like four-player split-screen co-op. If you missed the boat on PC, then Minecraft on XBLA will definitely be a fantastic chance to let your imagination run wild. -
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
This spin-off shines a brand new light on the titular author. Combining a more action-oriented approach in lieu of the suspense and terror of the first game, American Nightmare's pulpy take on the franchise is probably not what you'd be expecting on the heels of the original Alan Wake. However, more adventurous types will find the experience entertaining as hell, with slick controls and exciting combat, and a really addictive arcade mode in "Fight Till Dawn". The story might not dazzle you and you won't be terrified to the edge of your seat, but good times will be had in this trip to Night Springs. -
Akai Katana
CAVE has been making its name in Japan with an insane brand of bullet hell shmups, but is just now starting to get some attention in the west. Awesome shmups like Deathsmiles are available on Xbox 360, and there are even more on iOS (crafty importers can even get their hands on region-free versions of some of their hits), and Akai Katana will bring even more intense bullet hell action to Xbox 360. CAVE fans know what they like, and Akai Katana is poised to deliver. -
Sine Mora
The project of coveted Japanese dev Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality, Sine Mora is an awesome shoot 'em up with a great story, unique time shifting gameplay mechanic, and some gorgeous design. The game's art direction is sublime, and ranks up there with anything released on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Simply check out the game's concept art and compare it to the final look of the game and you'll see just what makes Sine Mora such a fantastic game to see in action. -
Trials: Evolution
The original Trials HD ranks as one of the best XBLA games available on the platform, and arguably one of the best on the Xbox 360. Now, the long-awaited sequel is finally set to launch, and is set to offer even more insane stunts and trick-based gameplay. Everything in Trials Evolution is bigger and better than the original, and thanks to an awesome new track editor you'll be able to turn the game into your own personal playground with seemingly limitless customization options. Trials HD was a phenomenal game, but Trials: Evolution looks to outpace it at every turn. -
Steel Battalion Heavy Armor
Foregoing the dauntingly huge controllers of past Steel Battalion games in favor of a Kinect/standard controller hybrid scheme, Heavy Armor is probably the most wholly unique mech game ever created. Going beyond simply putting you in control of a combat mech as you carve your way through enemies and their vehicles, you'll find yourself engulfed in the minutia of commanding your crew and maintaining your mech's internal integrity. You'll put out fires, give your crew water when they're in danger of dehydrating, examine other mechs for supplies and so on. Keeping control over the smaller scale emergencies is key to your survival in Heavy Armor, making for a unique and compelling experience as you're likely to find in the mech combat genre. -
Fable: The Journey
Fable: The Journey's ultimate aim is to challenge the way you look at games and the way you approach them. A completely Kinect-powered experience, Fable: The Journey doesn't waste precious gameplay time holding your hand through a tutorial. It instead relyies on your own intuition to learn what you should be doing to take care of your horse and command it, fend off attackers using magic, and even shout to power up your attacks. Fable: The Journey attempts to not only to redefine Kinect as a gaming peripheral, but change the way that we look at games and become immersed in them. -
Crimson Dragon
Formerly known as Project Draco, Crimson Dragon, Capcom's Kinect-infused dragon action game, is finally coming. The game bears more than a passing resemblance to the beloved Panzer Dragoon series, boasting some fantastic art direction and action-packed dragon-based combat. While it remains to be seen how much of a benefit the Kinect will be to the gameplay (and vice versa), there are plenty of reasons to be excited for this lush XBLA game. -
Charlie Murder
Keeping with tradition while changing up the tone, Ska Studios' next brawler trades the darker vampire themes from The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai for punk rock humor. The side-scrolling Charlie Murder is as violent as creator James Silva's past work, of course, with ? punches, shotgunnery, vehicular homicide, and bar-room brawls with katanas. And, because it wouldn't be a Ska game without nutty stuff, you'll ride on brooms to shoot witches, belt out ? ' guitar solos, and ride beasts with drum sets on their backs. Why not? This indie studio doesn't just like 2D brawlers, it fully grasps what makes them tick. Its past games indicate a deep respect and understanding for wicked, twisted fun, and Charlie Murder is definitely cut from a familiar cloth. -
Deadlight
This 2D platformer, set in a post-apocalyptic Seattle, brings some heavy stuff to the table. It's unapologetically morose, and the depressing atmosphere weighs on the player as they make their way through abandoned buildings and discover long-dead lost souls. Its element of threat is the undead. Hordes of zombies shamble through the rainy streets and around bleak-looking buildings just waiting for something to eat. Specifically, you. Using the environment to either ? or evade the enemy is clutch here. Deadlight doesn't want to empower players. This is a thriller where vulnerability takes precedent over action, and it carries an immense amount of potential. Look for it in summer 2012. -
Fable Heroes
Heroes is an adorable offshoot from the Fable we know and love, and it does a great job of retaining the core while doing plenty of new stuff. The board-game stage select and leveling system, puppet doll characters, and familiar Fable bad guys work really well together in the context of a Gauntlet-esque hack-and-slash. Fable Heroes is more of an interesting experiment for Lionhead Studios than its next big thing, and it's nice to see a major Microsoft developer bringing important franchises to XBLA. The cartoony graphics may turn off fans of the often-dark story of the Fable games, but just embrace the whimsical charm, would you? Truly, that's always been the heart and soul of what made the series great, and now it's presented in a simpler, made-for-fun form. -
Wreckateer
Great Kinect games are in short supply, but Wreckateer understands how to use motion for fun rather than exhausting input. The XBLA-exclusive isn't about complex or repetitive gestures. It gives you a simple task: smash castles by flinging bombs. Players can manipulate projectiles mid-air, steer bombs with wing attachments, and detonate explosives early using appropriate inputs. It's a simple game with an addictive flair and variety reminiscent of Angry Birds -- blowing stuff up rules, and playing an active, physical role in bringing down buildings should make for one of the more entertaining Kinect experiences in 2012. -
Hybrid
After Scribblenauts, Lock's Quest, Run Roo Run, and Drawn to Life established 5TH Cell as a creative team with truckloads of charm, Hybrid looks like...a departure for the developer. Originality and innovation are key to the studio's vision, so expect this sci-fi shooter to play a bit unlike what we're used to. It's heavily jetpack based, with combat occurring in the air, on-the-move, and upside down. Cover is prominent but rarely effective -- if you're relying on it rather than using it for moments at a time, you're doing it wrong. Although it uses a future-apocalypse story for its backdrop, the draw will definitely be the intimate 3v3 multiplayer. The multiplayer beta starts this month. -
Spelunky
Randomly generated dungeons, exploration, explosions, Indiana Jones, treasure, rescue...these are all great chunks of Spelunky's greater whole. The upgraded HD version of the indie PC darling is coming to Live Arcade with multiplayer, both co-op and competitive. This should make Spelunky all the more challenging and chaotic than its side-scrolling action-y platforming already was. Making your way deep into the world is a difficult proposition because this is similar to a roguelike -- players bring just one life into the underground, and dying means they're done. Failure sends you back to the start, which would be frustrating if not for the addictive rewards. Like most awesome XBLA games lookin' good this year, Spelunky's hitting summer 2012. -
BattleBlock Theater
Man, Castle Crashers was super-good, wasn't it? It also super-came-out-in-2008, which was fully four years ago. It's about time The Behemoth brought something new to the table -- fans have been getting hungry for Battleblock Theater for a couple years at this point. The co-op platformer requires players to work together to throw each other up high ledges, use traps and enemies to your advantage, and solve the puzzle that is each world. Also, you can grief each other (say, with an ice-cube gun that'll freeze anything it hits) until your friendship implodes. -
Bloodforge
The most interesting thing about Bloodforge has little to do with the way it plays -- having a third-person action game (a la Devil May Cry or ? of War) on Xbox Live Arcade is certainly welcome -- but with its presentation. It's a weird world, almost dreamlike, inspired by the darkest side of Viking lore and its own original ideas. The hero is a ruthless warrior who disembowels and decapitates bizarre enemies. This comes from ? , the developer behind Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Silent Hill: Origins, two decidedly grim games with fascinating themes throughout. With any luck, the dev will capture some of that essence here, too. -
Mark of the Ninja
Klei Entertainment, the developer behind Shank and its superior sequel, is taking a sneaky side-step with Mark of the Ninja. Set for release this summer, the stealth game aims to nail the feel of becoming a ninja. Rather than fulfill power fantasies, Mark of the Ninja makes players feel in control. Guards in the modern-day city setting patrol with machine-guns, which would give them a significant advantage if not for the ninja protagonist's deep skills. Traps, distractions, stealth kills, and the art of evading altercations altogether lend an interesting pace to an atypical side-scroller. The gorgeous art, serious story, and thoughtful, slower-paced gameplay should give gamers a deeper understanding of Klei's capabilities. -
some quality games there
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I download alan wake's american nightmare ? was pretty decent
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Not gonna lie, I'm salty that Minecraft is on the 360 and not PS3.
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Bloodforge and akai katana look interesting. Another Halo year it looks like.
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Coppin...
Forza Horizon
Fez
Minecraft
Sine Mora
Trials: Evolution
Deadlight
Hybrid
BloodForge
BattleBlock Theater
Mark of a Ninja
