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Best games from Gamescom '12

Looking forward

Best games from Gamescom '12
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Gamescom is over for another year, so it's about time we sat down to run through the best games we saw at this year's show.

If you're wondering why no 3DS games have made it into this year's round-up, it's because we didn't see any.

Nintendo's absence from the show may not have scared off the massive crowds of eager gamers, but it did, apparently, frighten publishers into now showing off any new titles for the 3DS.

Never mind that, though. If you're a mobile or Vita gamer, here's a list of the games you should be looking out for in the coming months.

Assassin's Creed III Liberation - PS Vita

I'm not going to beat about the bush here: Assassin's Creed III Liberation really is looking like the full console experience on a handheld.

Yes, Uncharted: Golden Abyss got close to achieving a similar feat earlier in the year, but Liberation is increasingly looking like it's retaining the epic size and scale of its bigger cousins, without sacrificing anything in regards to the gameplay.

In fact, with the newly announced disguises, it's even going down routes the console series hasn't really attempted before. There's a multiplayer mode from the word go, too, which - if the main franchise is anything to go by - will be incredible.

KickBeat - PS Vita

Zen Studios is more known for its pinball games than anything else, but that's likely to change once KickBeat bashes its way onto PSN later this year.

Combining slick combat with finely tuned rhythm-action fare, KickBeat was so frenetic it even managed to stir me from my early-morning half-awake state.

Add in user-generated levels that tap into your music library and various difficulty levels that increasingly hammer home the link between beat and button press, and you have an attractive, fast, and rhythmically kicking game.

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Anomaly Korea
- iOS and Android

It's no secret that I really like Anomaly Warzone Earth. So, 11 bit studios could have just shown me a logo of Anomaly Korea and I'd have still slapped it on this list.

Thankfully, it also showed off some of the new mission types and powers making their debut in this tower offence sequel, which means I can write a bit more about it than just 'more Anomaly!'

Except, er, that's exactly what it is - new missions, one new enemy, and one new power. Make no bones about it: this is a standalone expansion rather than a full-blown sequel.

But, well, 'more Anomaly!'

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Endless Road
- iOS

It may not have been attracting as much attention over on the EA Mobile area as titles like FIFA 13 and Need For Speed, but Endless Road is looking like a really interesting new take on the already creaking endless-something genre.

Viewed from an isometric angle, this unique little indie title combines the stark colours of cult hit Forever Drive with the gameplay of an LCD handheld.

The road builds and destroys itself in front and behind you, respectively, meaning you have to not only dodge obstacles like other cars (and massive gaping holes in the road), but also manage your speed by not hitting speed-ups.

Heroes of Order & Chaos - iOS

Yes, Gameloft's copied PC darling DOTA - it was bound to happen at some point, though, wasn't it?

Still, I can't deny that the French mobile giant has done a rather good job of it. During my hands-on with Heroes of Order & Chaos, I discovered a slickly put-together package that barely strays from the established formula.

Even the 'monetisation' (yuck) method shouldn't annoy too many people, mainly because it's an almost exact copy of League of Legends.

I'd be surprised if this one didn't turn out to be a surprise hit, even among those who'd normally shun Gameloft titles, when it launches later in the year.

Wild Blood - iOS

Thankfully, Wild Blood isn't so much a copy of any particular game, but more a genre-based hack 'n' slasher (albeit one made with the Unreal Engine instead of Gameloft's in-house engine).

It's slick and easy to control thanks to some very forgiving auto-targeting, while the various combinations of special moves (each assigned to a particular weapon) and huge range of upgrade options mean there's some depth lurking behind the pretty graphics.

I'm quietly confident about this one, although the presence of quick-buy health potions and the like may rankle with the hardcore out there (you don't need to buy them, mind - this is a paid game).

Tearaway - PS Vita

Media Molecule's Tearaway is the first title from the company that isn't related to LittleBigPlanet. You can still certainly see the 'homemade' influence in the art design in this new eye-catching title, mind.

This game is one of the few announced thus far to take advantage of all of the Vita's unique control methods, so everything from the back panel, microphone, camera, gyro, and touchscreen are employed to help your little paper man overcome obstacles.

I hate to use the following 'c' word, as it's very overused, but Tearaway really does look utterly charming.

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Let's pass over to Jon Jordan... Real Boxing - iOS

Using the Unreal Engine 3, Polish developer Vivid is looking to fill the high-end boxing sim gap on iOS with its highly realistic take on Queensbury Rules.

All the animations have been motion captured, with hints of Infinity Blade in terms of the dodge and move controls.

There will be a quick fight option included, while the main career mode has three gym-based mini-games for building up your boxer's stats, including stamina.

Customisation comes via various brands of clothing and training equipment. There's no news yet on multiplayer, though.

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Greedy Grub - iOS, Android

Pixowl's Greedy Grub won't rewrite the rulebook in terms of gameplay innovation, but this free-to-play forest builder - in which you play the mouthy worm - is already shaping up to be one of the best-looking games in the space.

You'll need to nurture your trees with the usual time-based growing cycles and trips to the well to keep everything watered.

But, there should be plenty of creativity in terms of how you personalise your forest. For example, if you mix a standard tree with a fish, you'll end up with a sushi tree.

There'll also be a mission-based story thread: an option for those who get bored of standard forest maintenance.

DrawPets - Android (Samsung exclusive)

The reason for highlighting DrawPets isn't so much the game itself but the technology that enables it.

This tech allows you to draw any 2D character, from which a skeleton is automatically generated so it can be animated. You can also delve in, tweaking the skeleton and creating your own movements.

Of course, sharing is a big part of the game. So, you will be able to swap your created characters with your friends within FarmVille-style gameplay.

Exclusive to Samsung for six months, DrawPets will feature heavily on the firm's new stylus-based tablets and Galaxy Notes for obvious reasons.

Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).