SPOILER WARNING, of course.
Showing posts with label previews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label previews. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 May 2016
New WINDS OF WINTER chapter unveiled at Balticon
Further to George R.R. Martin's earlier confirmation of a fan theory at BaltiCon, he rounded off the day by reading a new Winds of Winter chapter for the very first time. This chapter is called "The Forsaken" and revolves around Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy. A summary after the jump.
SPOILER WARNING, of course.
SPOILER WARNING, of course.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
The Shape of Things to Come: 2014
As usual, this is not an exhaustive list but shows what's on my radar for the coming year. No doubt a lot else will come along of interest on top of what's listed below.
2014 is another year of sequels, with Brandon Sanderson kicking things off with Words of Radiance, the much-delayed second volume of his Stormlight Archive sequence. Sanderson should also be releasing Shadows of Self (the sequel to The Alloy of Law) and Firefight (the sequel to Steelheart) before the end of the year, confirming his status as SFF's most prolific author.
A former holder of that award, Steven Erikson, should grace us with Fall of Light (the middle volume of the Kharkanas Trilogy) at the end of 2014, as well as a short comic SF novel called Willful Child, which sounds like Redshirts but better. Ian Cameron Esslemont should also be giving us Assail, his final (for now) Malazan novel and the one which finally - after thirteen years - explains what happened to Silverfox and her T'lan Imass followers after the end of Memories of Ice.
Another prolific author is Dan Abnett, who kicks off 2014 with Unremembered Empire, Book 627 of The Horus Heresy (seriously, Black Library, it's probably time to start thinking about wrapping this one up) before delivering the next Gaunt's Ghosts novel, The Warmaster in the summer. The second Bequin Trilogy novel may also scrape out in late 2014, but that's more likely to be a 2015 release. However, his next two non-Warhammer 40,000 novels, Monstercide and Triumff: The Double Falsehood remain MIA.
For the other biggest fantasy hitters, 2014 will likely be a quiet year. George R.R. Martin fans should be momentarily sated by the release of The World of Ice and Fire in November (attempts to bring this forwards to April seem to have failed, sadly). This huge tome about the history and geography of Westeros and Essos already looks excellent, with some terrific artwork accompanying information that people have been dying to learn for two decades. The Winds of Winter, however, looks like a late 2015 release at the earliest. European and South American Song of Ice and Fire fans may also be interested by the release of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the omnibus edition of the Dun k and Egg stories, which will be released in 2014. Bizarrely, UK and possibly American fans will have to wait until early-to-mid 2015 to see it appear.
Patrick Rothfuss is also MIA, recently admitting that he had to delay The Doors of Stone by an additional year from his previously hoped-for 2014 release date. That puts the conclusion of the Kingkiller Chronicle back to some time in 2015. Joe Abercrombie will be back in 2014, releasing the first novel in a new world for a new publisher, Half a King in the middle of the year.
Meanwhile, Scott Lynch will be releasing two books in 2014. The Bastards and the Knives is a novella collection which will act as a (non-essential) bridge between The Republic of Thieves and The Thorn of Emberlain. Emberlain itself remains tentatively scheduled for October/November 2014. R. Scott Bakker's eagerly-awaited The Unholy Consult is starting to look like a 2015 release, but could still just slip out at the end of the year if he gets the revisions to the book done quickly.
Other long-awaited books include Destiny's Conflict by Janny Wurts, the penultimate volume of her massive Wars of Light and Shadow mega-series. Kate Elliott is starting a new series with The Black Wolves, whilst Steph Swainston is returning with a new Castle (aka Fourlands) novel. N.K. Jemisin is also starting a new series with The Fifth Season. Col Buchanan made quite a big splash with his first two novels, Farlander and Stands a Shadow, but has been MIA ever since. Fortunately, the third Heart of the World novel should be with us in 2014. Similarly, David Keck's The King in Cobwebs has been missing release date after release date, but the news that the first draft is (just about) complete and he is now working on rewrites means that a late 2014 release date is possible (though not confirmed). Tad Williams concludes (for now) his Bobby Dollar series with Sleeping Late on Judgement Day, due late in the year, whilst for many SF readers the return of Peter Watts with Echopraxia (a 'side-quel' to his well-regarded novel Blindsight) is also a major highlight. Unfortunately, J.V. Jones remains MIA with no word on her next Sword of Shadows novel, despite it now being almost five years since the previous book in the series was published.
For newer authors, Mark Lawrence kicks off a new series with Prince of Fools, whilst Michael J. Sullivan moves to SF with his Kickstarter-funded novel Hollow World. Anne Leckie will be hoping to make the same kind of splash Ancillary Justice did with her sequel, Ancillary Sword, whilst Lauren Beukes also releases a new novel, Broken Monsters. Daniel Abraham continues his conquest of the publishing world with the penultimate Dagger and the Coin novel, The Widow's House, whilst his SF alter-ego James S.A. Corey will be releasing the fourth Expanse novel, Cibola Burn. Corey will also be working on a TV project (not the Expanse TV adaptation), which sounds interesting.
Elsewhere in SF, Chris Beckett will be releasing Mother of Eden, a companion novel to his superb Dark Eden of a few years ago. David Wingrove publishes the eighth Chung Kuo novel, The White Mountain, but disappointing sales means that a hiatus for that series is likely. However, Wingrove will also be releasing a new SF trilogy, Roads to Moscow, starting with The Empire of Time. Peter F. Hamilton will be releasing the first novel in The Chronicle of the Fallers, a new duology in the Commonwealth universe, at the end of the year as well as his children's series The Book of the Realms.
January
Unremembered Empire (The Horus Heresy #27) by Dan Abnett
The Queen of Dreams (Book of the Realms #1) by Peter F. Hamilton
March
Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson
Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth #1) by Jon Sprunk
The White Mountain (Chung Kuo #8) by David Wingrove
April
Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan
King of Ashes (The War of Five Crowns #1) by Raymond E. Feist
The Empire of Time (Roads to Moscow #1) by David Wingrove
May
Terra's World (Terra #2) by Mitch Benn
June
Cibola Burn (The Expanse #4) by James S.A. Corey
Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence
July
The Warmaster (Gaunt's Ghosts #14) by Dan Abnett
Half a King (YA Grimdark Thing #1) by Joe Abercrombie
Seal of the Worm (Shadows of the Apt #10) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London #5) by Ben Aaronovitch
Assail (Malazan Empire #6) by Ian Cameron Esslemont
August
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K. Jemisin
Echopraxia (Blindsight companion novel) by Peter Watts
The Dark Defiles (A Land Fit For Heroes #3) by Richard Morgan
September
Bête by Adam Roberts
The Knight: A Tale from the High Kingdom by Pierre Pevel
Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
Fall of Light (Kharkhanas Trilogy #2) by Steven Erikson
October
Destiny's Conflict (Sword of the Canon #2/Wars of Light and Shadow #10) by Janny Wurts
November
The Black Wolves (Black Wolves Trilogy #1) by Kate Elliott
The World of Ice and Fire (A Song of Ice and Fire companion volume) by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson
December
Willful Child by Steven Erikson
Late 2014
Sword of the North (Grim Company #2) by Luke Scull
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Mother of Eden: Gela's Ring (Dark Eden #2) by Chris Beckett
Heart of the World #3 by Col Buchanan
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day (Bobby Dollar #3) by Tad Williams
Old Venus edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
Ancilliary Sword (Ancilliary Justice #2) by Anne Leckie
The Bastards and the Knives (Gentleman Bastard novellas) by Scott Lynch
The Thorn of Emberlain (The Gentleman Bastard #4) by Scott Lynch
Castle #5 by Steph Swainston
Chronicle of the Fallers #1 by Peter F. Hamilton
2014-2015
The Unholy Consult (The Aspect-Emperor #3/The Second Apocalypse #6) by R. Scott Bakker
The King in Cobwebs (Durand Col #3) by David Keck
2014 is looking like a good year for games, with a mixture of big-budget, triple-A releases, indie games and Kickstarted titles.
For big-budget games, Thief (which everyone is calling Thief 4 regardless of it's a reboot or not) is resurrecting the classic PC series for the next generation. Unfortunately, early previews and trailers have not been hopeful, suggesting a more generic action title than the stealth-oriented earlier games in the series. However, the developers have good form and hopefully they can deliver something worthwhile. This will be quickly followed up on by Titanfall, the new first-person action game by the creators of the Call of Duty franchise. It may just turn out to be CoD-with-mechs, but it's looking interesting so far.
Watch_Dogs is an open-world action, stealth and hacking game in which players will be able to use hacking to influence their environment. It's looking good, but how good will depend on how much the hacking is an integral part of gameplay and how much of it is a gimmick.
Although still not formally announced, the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V (the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry) should land in the summer with superior graphics and intriguing modding potential. The modding scene is still keeping GTA4 in the public eye - and crucially, selling - on PC six years after release, so it's hoped that Rockstar will include some superior modding support for the game this time around. Open world driving will also play a part in the new Mad Max game, which ordinarily would not attract much attention apart from the fact it's being made by the same team behind the bananas (but awesome) Just Cause 2.
Whilst not technically on the same level of budget, The Witcher III is for many people the RPG of 2014. Having previously seized BioWare's crown as kings of the single-player, linear RPG, CDProjekt Red are now targeting Bethesda's position as masters of the open-world fantasy game. CDPR's ambition cannot be faulted and the early previews of the game are jaw-dropping. That's more than can be said for BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition, which looks rather more tired and redundant with every passing preview. More old-skool RPG fans will be catered for by the tile-based Might and Magic X: Legacy and the Legend of Grimrock sequel.
For indie games, The Banner Saga opens the year with its turn-based, fantasy-meets-Vikings-meets-XCOM-by-way-of-The-Oregon-Trail gameplay looking pretty solid. However, early previews have been cool on the game, citing problems with a lack of a tutorial and random story turns. No Man's Sky, a stunning open-world, procedurally-generated space game, was also looking good until the developers' studio was recently flooded. Hopefully they can get back on track to deliver a good game. Later in the year we should also get the already-controversial Hotline Miami 2, whilst a new, expanded edition of FTL launches later in the year.
2014 will be the first big test of Kickstarter as a games development platform. Pillars of Eternity looks absolutely stunning and will be the game to finally make or break Obsidian Entertainment's reputation as the heirs to Black Isle. Wasteland 2 will come out before that, however, and is looking quite impressive as well. Dragonfall, the first major expansion for Shadowrun Returns, is promising more open-world gameplay, player choice and - finally! - a proper save system. Broken Age, Tim Schafer's adventure game, has run into more problems and is launching as two parts, with the second half potentially not out until 2015. Note: Torment: Tides of Numenera won't be out until 2015.
Kickstarter has also resurrected the space flight sim, with Elite: Dangerous being first out of the gate in the spring. Late in the year we should - hopefully - get Squadron 42, the single-player, combat-focused part of Star Citizen, but to be frank Elite is looking a lot more interesting at the moment with its focus on using real astronomy and procedural generation being used to populate a realistic galaxy of billions of star systems. Late in the year we should also get Satellite Reign, the spiritual successor to the Syndicate games.
MMORPGs have, unexpectedly, taken a turn for the more interesting in 2014. The Elder Scrolls Online brings the most detailed, beloved single-player RPG universe into the multiplayer sphere with lots of rich lore and gameplay that is more derived from the single-player games than comparable titles like World of WarCraft. More fascinating is EverQuest Next, which will allow players to both destroy chunks of the landscape and create entire new universes accessible via portals. If SOE can pull off their desire to marry MMORPG mechanics to Minecraft, the results could be amazing. Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous will also be attempting to bring MMORPG elements into space combat and trading without turning into EVE Online.
If one company looks set to dominate 2014, it's Telltale Games. They start the year with both The Wolf Among Us and the second season of The Walking Dead already underway, and will launch both Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones later in the year. Hopefully they haven't overextended themselves.
Strategy fans have a few things to look forwards to this year: the Kickstarted Planetary Annihilation should hit the market, whilst Age of Wonders III unexpectedly resurrects the classic RTS/RPG crossbreed series. Galactic Civilizations III should also launch towards the end of the year. A larger Rome II expansion may also launch this year, which hopefully will solve the base game's ongoing bugs and technical issues. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void will almost certainly be a 2015 - if not 2016 - release.
January
The Banner Saga
Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall
Might and Magic X: Legacy
Broken Age: Part I
Wasteland 2
February
Thief
March
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Dark Souls II
Titanfall
April
Pillars of Eternity
Elite: Dangerous
The Elder Scrolls Online
Watch_Dogs
Mid-2014
Grand Theft Auto 5: PC Edition
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
EverQuest Next
The Wolf Among Us
The Walking Dead: Season 2
Game of Thrones: A Telltale Adventure Game
September
Destiny
Late 2014
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey
Star Citizen: Squadron 42
Mad Max
Age of Wonders III
EVE: Valkyrie
Galactica Civilizations III
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Satellite Reign
TV looks like it'll be interesting in 2014, with both Orphan Black and The Returned looking to prove that their excellent first seasons weren't just flukes (that said, The Returned likely will not air in the UK and USA until 2015). However, Agents of SHIELD and Under the Dome both need to see rapid improvement after initial outings that can be best described as 'disappointing'.
Game of Thrones enters its fourth season, which will cover the latter half of A Storm of Swords, as well as introducing multiple characters and storylines from the later books. After this season, the TV show will be about two years from overtaking George R.R. Martin, hopefully providing the impetus for the final two novels to be published soon. However, in the meantime the show should give us a whole host of classic moments from the novels which should make this season easily as popular and as memorable as the last one. Personally, I'm most looking forward to the introduction of the Dornish characters.
Doctor Who returns for its 34th season with the arrival of a new Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi. Hopefully Steven Moffat will jettison the confusing and contradictory continuity of the previous three seasons and start with a clean slate, but we'll see. Meanwhile, BSG veteran Ronald D. Moore is launching an SF show, Helix, and a time-travelling romance epic, Outlander, based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling novels. Guillermo Del Toro is also giving us his first proper TV project, The Strain, based on his novels of the same name. Elsewhere, The Walking Dead and The Legend of Korra are set to return for new seasons.
For films for next year, superheroes are again - tiresomely - dominating everything in sight. Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is intriguing, however, and the new Godzilla movie is starting to build a lot of momentum after a genuinely impressive, atmospheric trailer and actors like Bryan Cranston (late of Breaking Bad, so he knows good writing when he sees it) praising the unusually good script. At the other end of the budget scale is the Veronica Mars theatrical film, funded by fans via Kickstarter.
For superhero movies, Guardians of the Galaxy will be a litmus test of how successfully Marvel can bring even really obscure comic characters (to the general public) to the screen. The second Captain America movie is also promising, as it will apparently feature a much darker take on SHIELD. X-Men: Days of Future Past will be either amazing or an incoherent mess featuring too many characters. Later in the year, the third Hobbit movie will make or break the trilogy, and it'll be interesting to see if The Hunger Games can maintain the momentum of the well-received second film through its final two parts.
Elsewhere, a RoboCop remake, a 300 sequel/prequel and a fourth Transformers movie are all things that inspire only despair in the soul. However, there is a small chance they might be good, or lacking that, brainlessly entertaining.
February
RoboCop
March
300: Rise of an Empire
Veronica Mars
Books
2014 is another year of sequels, with Brandon Sanderson kicking things off with Words of Radiance, the much-delayed second volume of his Stormlight Archive sequence. Sanderson should also be releasing Shadows of Self (the sequel to The Alloy of Law) and Firefight (the sequel to Steelheart) before the end of the year, confirming his status as SFF's most prolific author.
A former holder of that award, Steven Erikson, should grace us with Fall of Light (the middle volume of the Kharkanas Trilogy) at the end of 2014, as well as a short comic SF novel called Willful Child, which sounds like Redshirts but better. Ian Cameron Esslemont should also be giving us Assail, his final (for now) Malazan novel and the one which finally - after thirteen years - explains what happened to Silverfox and her T'lan Imass followers after the end of Memories of Ice.
Another prolific author is Dan Abnett, who kicks off 2014 with Unremembered Empire, Book 627 of The Horus Heresy (seriously, Black Library, it's probably time to start thinking about wrapping this one up) before delivering the next Gaunt's Ghosts novel, The Warmaster in the summer. The second Bequin Trilogy novel may also scrape out in late 2014, but that's more likely to be a 2015 release. However, his next two non-Warhammer 40,000 novels, Monstercide and Triumff: The Double Falsehood remain MIA.
For the other biggest fantasy hitters, 2014 will likely be a quiet year. George R.R. Martin fans should be momentarily sated by the release of The World of Ice and Fire in November (attempts to bring this forwards to April seem to have failed, sadly). This huge tome about the history and geography of Westeros and Essos already looks excellent, with some terrific artwork accompanying information that people have been dying to learn for two decades. The Winds of Winter, however, looks like a late 2015 release at the earliest. European and South American Song of Ice and Fire fans may also be interested by the release of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the omnibus edition of the Dun k and Egg stories, which will be released in 2014. Bizarrely, UK and possibly American fans will have to wait until early-to-mid 2015 to see it appear.
Patrick Rothfuss is also MIA, recently admitting that he had to delay The Doors of Stone by an additional year from his previously hoped-for 2014 release date. That puts the conclusion of the Kingkiller Chronicle back to some time in 2015. Joe Abercrombie will be back in 2014, releasing the first novel in a new world for a new publisher, Half a King in the middle of the year.
Meanwhile, Scott Lynch will be releasing two books in 2014. The Bastards and the Knives is a novella collection which will act as a (non-essential) bridge between The Republic of Thieves and The Thorn of Emberlain. Emberlain itself remains tentatively scheduled for October/November 2014. R. Scott Bakker's eagerly-awaited The Unholy Consult is starting to look like a 2015 release, but could still just slip out at the end of the year if he gets the revisions to the book done quickly.
Other long-awaited books include Destiny's Conflict by Janny Wurts, the penultimate volume of her massive Wars of Light and Shadow mega-series. Kate Elliott is starting a new series with The Black Wolves, whilst Steph Swainston is returning with a new Castle (aka Fourlands) novel. N.K. Jemisin is also starting a new series with The Fifth Season. Col Buchanan made quite a big splash with his first two novels, Farlander and Stands a Shadow, but has been MIA ever since. Fortunately, the third Heart of the World novel should be with us in 2014. Similarly, David Keck's The King in Cobwebs has been missing release date after release date, but the news that the first draft is (just about) complete and he is now working on rewrites means that a late 2014 release date is possible (though not confirmed). Tad Williams concludes (for now) his Bobby Dollar series with Sleeping Late on Judgement Day, due late in the year, whilst for many SF readers the return of Peter Watts with Echopraxia (a 'side-quel' to his well-regarded novel Blindsight) is also a major highlight. Unfortunately, J.V. Jones remains MIA with no word on her next Sword of Shadows novel, despite it now being almost five years since the previous book in the series was published.
For newer authors, Mark Lawrence kicks off a new series with Prince of Fools, whilst Michael J. Sullivan moves to SF with his Kickstarter-funded novel Hollow World. Anne Leckie will be hoping to make the same kind of splash Ancillary Justice did with her sequel, Ancillary Sword, whilst Lauren Beukes also releases a new novel, Broken Monsters. Daniel Abraham continues his conquest of the publishing world with the penultimate Dagger and the Coin novel, The Widow's House, whilst his SF alter-ego James S.A. Corey will be releasing the fourth Expanse novel, Cibola Burn. Corey will also be working on a TV project (not the Expanse TV adaptation), which sounds interesting.
Elsewhere in SF, Chris Beckett will be releasing Mother of Eden, a companion novel to his superb Dark Eden of a few years ago. David Wingrove publishes the eighth Chung Kuo novel, The White Mountain, but disappointing sales means that a hiatus for that series is likely. However, Wingrove will also be releasing a new SF trilogy, Roads to Moscow, starting with The Empire of Time. Peter F. Hamilton will be releasing the first novel in The Chronicle of the Fallers, a new duology in the Commonwealth universe, at the end of the year as well as his children's series The Book of the Realms.
January
Unremembered Empire (The Horus Heresy #27) by Dan Abnett
The Queen of Dreams (Book of the Realms #1) by Peter F. Hamilton
March
Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson
Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth #1) by Jon Sprunk
The White Mountain (Chung Kuo #8) by David Wingrove
April
Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan
King of Ashes (The War of Five Crowns #1) by Raymond E. Feist
The Empire of Time (Roads to Moscow #1) by David Wingrove
May
Terra's World (Terra #2) by Mitch Benn
June
Cibola Burn (The Expanse #4) by James S.A. Corey
Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence
July
The Warmaster (Gaunt's Ghosts #14) by Dan Abnett
Half a King (YA Grimdark Thing #1) by Joe Abercrombie
Seal of the Worm (Shadows of the Apt #10) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London #5) by Ben Aaronovitch
Assail (Malazan Empire #6) by Ian Cameron Esslemont
August
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K. Jemisin
Echopraxia (Blindsight companion novel) by Peter Watts
The Dark Defiles (A Land Fit For Heroes #3) by Richard Morgan
September
Bête by Adam Roberts
The Knight: A Tale from the High Kingdom by Pierre Pevel
Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
Fall of Light (Kharkhanas Trilogy #2) by Steven Erikson
October
Destiny's Conflict (Sword of the Canon #2/Wars of Light and Shadow #10) by Janny Wurts
November
The Black Wolves (Black Wolves Trilogy #1) by Kate Elliott
The World of Ice and Fire (A Song of Ice and Fire companion volume) by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson
December
Willful Child by Steven Erikson
Late 2014
Sword of the North (Grim Company #2) by Luke Scull
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Mother of Eden: Gela's Ring (Dark Eden #2) by Chris Beckett
Heart of the World #3 by Col Buchanan
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day (Bobby Dollar #3) by Tad Williams
Old Venus edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
Ancilliary Sword (Ancilliary Justice #2) by Anne Leckie
The Bastards and the Knives (Gentleman Bastard novellas) by Scott Lynch
The Thorn of Emberlain (The Gentleman Bastard #4) by Scott Lynch
Castle #5 by Steph Swainston
Chronicle of the Fallers #1 by Peter F. Hamilton
2014-2015
The Unholy Consult (The Aspect-Emperor #3/The Second Apocalypse #6) by R. Scott Bakker
The King in Cobwebs (Durand Col #3) by David Keck
Games
2014 is looking like a good year for games, with a mixture of big-budget, triple-A releases, indie games and Kickstarted titles.
For big-budget games, Thief (which everyone is calling Thief 4 regardless of it's a reboot or not) is resurrecting the classic PC series for the next generation. Unfortunately, early previews and trailers have not been hopeful, suggesting a more generic action title than the stealth-oriented earlier games in the series. However, the developers have good form and hopefully they can deliver something worthwhile. This will be quickly followed up on by Titanfall, the new first-person action game by the creators of the Call of Duty franchise. It may just turn out to be CoD-with-mechs, but it's looking interesting so far.
Watch_Dogs is an open-world action, stealth and hacking game in which players will be able to use hacking to influence their environment. It's looking good, but how good will depend on how much the hacking is an integral part of gameplay and how much of it is a gimmick.
Although still not formally announced, the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V (the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry) should land in the summer with superior graphics and intriguing modding potential. The modding scene is still keeping GTA4 in the public eye - and crucially, selling - on PC six years after release, so it's hoped that Rockstar will include some superior modding support for the game this time around. Open world driving will also play a part in the new Mad Max game, which ordinarily would not attract much attention apart from the fact it's being made by the same team behind the bananas (but awesome) Just Cause 2.
Whilst not technically on the same level of budget, The Witcher III is for many people the RPG of 2014. Having previously seized BioWare's crown as kings of the single-player, linear RPG, CDProjekt Red are now targeting Bethesda's position as masters of the open-world fantasy game. CDPR's ambition cannot be faulted and the early previews of the game are jaw-dropping. That's more than can be said for BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition, which looks rather more tired and redundant with every passing preview. More old-skool RPG fans will be catered for by the tile-based Might and Magic X: Legacy and the Legend of Grimrock sequel.
For indie games, The Banner Saga opens the year with its turn-based, fantasy-meets-Vikings-meets-XCOM-by-way-of-The-Oregon-Trail gameplay looking pretty solid. However, early previews have been cool on the game, citing problems with a lack of a tutorial and random story turns. No Man's Sky, a stunning open-world, procedurally-generated space game, was also looking good until the developers' studio was recently flooded. Hopefully they can get back on track to deliver a good game. Later in the year we should also get the already-controversial Hotline Miami 2, whilst a new, expanded edition of FTL launches later in the year.
2014 will be the first big test of Kickstarter as a games development platform. Pillars of Eternity looks absolutely stunning and will be the game to finally make or break Obsidian Entertainment's reputation as the heirs to Black Isle. Wasteland 2 will come out before that, however, and is looking quite impressive as well. Dragonfall, the first major expansion for Shadowrun Returns, is promising more open-world gameplay, player choice and - finally! - a proper save system. Broken Age, Tim Schafer's adventure game, has run into more problems and is launching as two parts, with the second half potentially not out until 2015. Note: Torment: Tides of Numenera won't be out until 2015.
Kickstarter has also resurrected the space flight sim, with Elite: Dangerous being first out of the gate in the spring. Late in the year we should - hopefully - get Squadron 42, the single-player, combat-focused part of Star Citizen, but to be frank Elite is looking a lot more interesting at the moment with its focus on using real astronomy and procedural generation being used to populate a realistic galaxy of billions of star systems. Late in the year we should also get Satellite Reign, the spiritual successor to the Syndicate games.
MMORPGs have, unexpectedly, taken a turn for the more interesting in 2014. The Elder Scrolls Online brings the most detailed, beloved single-player RPG universe into the multiplayer sphere with lots of rich lore and gameplay that is more derived from the single-player games than comparable titles like World of WarCraft. More fascinating is EverQuest Next, which will allow players to both destroy chunks of the landscape and create entire new universes accessible via portals. If SOE can pull off their desire to marry MMORPG mechanics to Minecraft, the results could be amazing. Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous will also be attempting to bring MMORPG elements into space combat and trading without turning into EVE Online.
If one company looks set to dominate 2014, it's Telltale Games. They start the year with both The Wolf Among Us and the second season of The Walking Dead already underway, and will launch both Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones later in the year. Hopefully they haven't overextended themselves.
Strategy fans have a few things to look forwards to this year: the Kickstarted Planetary Annihilation should hit the market, whilst Age of Wonders III unexpectedly resurrects the classic RTS/RPG crossbreed series. Galactic Civilizations III should also launch towards the end of the year. A larger Rome II expansion may also launch this year, which hopefully will solve the base game's ongoing bugs and technical issues. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void will almost certainly be a 2015 - if not 2016 - release.
January
The Banner Saga
Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall
Might and Magic X: Legacy
Broken Age: Part I
Wasteland 2
February
Thief
March
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Dark Souls II
Titanfall
April
Pillars of Eternity
Elite: Dangerous
The Elder Scrolls Online
Watch_Dogs
Mid-2014
Grand Theft Auto 5: PC Edition
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
EverQuest Next
The Wolf Among Us
The Walking Dead: Season 2
Game of Thrones: A Telltale Adventure Game
September
Destiny
Late 2014
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey
Star Citizen: Squadron 42
Mad Max
Age of Wonders III
EVE: Valkyrie
Galactica Civilizations III
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Satellite Reign
TV
TV looks like it'll be interesting in 2014, with both Orphan Black and The Returned looking to prove that their excellent first seasons weren't just flukes (that said, The Returned likely will not air in the UK and USA until 2015). However, Agents of SHIELD and Under the Dome both need to see rapid improvement after initial outings that can be best described as 'disappointing'.
Game of Thrones enters its fourth season, which will cover the latter half of A Storm of Swords, as well as introducing multiple characters and storylines from the later books. After this season, the TV show will be about two years from overtaking George R.R. Martin, hopefully providing the impetus for the final two novels to be published soon. However, in the meantime the show should give us a whole host of classic moments from the novels which should make this season easily as popular and as memorable as the last one. Personally, I'm most looking forward to the introduction of the Dornish characters.
Doctor Who returns for its 34th season with the arrival of a new Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi. Hopefully Steven Moffat will jettison the confusing and contradictory continuity of the previous three seasons and start with a clean slate, but we'll see. Meanwhile, BSG veteran Ronald D. Moore is launching an SF show, Helix, and a time-travelling romance epic, Outlander, based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling novels. Guillermo Del Toro is also giving us his first proper TV project, The Strain, based on his novels of the same name. Elsewhere, The Walking Dead and The Legend of Korra are set to return for new seasons.
Movies
For films for next year, superheroes are again - tiresomely - dominating everything in sight. Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is intriguing, however, and the new Godzilla movie is starting to build a lot of momentum after a genuinely impressive, atmospheric trailer and actors like Bryan Cranston (late of Breaking Bad, so he knows good writing when he sees it) praising the unusually good script. At the other end of the budget scale is the Veronica Mars theatrical film, funded by fans via Kickstarter.
For superhero movies, Guardians of the Galaxy will be a litmus test of how successfully Marvel can bring even really obscure comic characters (to the general public) to the screen. The second Captain America movie is also promising, as it will apparently feature a much darker take on SHIELD. X-Men: Days of Future Past will be either amazing or an incoherent mess featuring too many characters. Later in the year, the third Hobbit movie will make or break the trilogy, and it'll be interesting to see if The Hunger Games can maintain the momentum of the well-received second film through its final two parts.
Elsewhere, a RoboCop remake, a 300 sequel/prequel and a fourth Transformers movie are all things that inspire only despair in the soul. However, there is a small chance they might be good, or lacking that, brainlessly entertaining.
February
RoboCop
March
300: Rise of an Empire
Veronica Mars
April
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
May
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Godzilla
X-Men: Days of Future Past
June
Edge of Tomorrow
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Transformers: Edge of Extinction
July
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Jupiter Ascending
August
Guardians of the Galaxy
November
Interstellar
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I
December
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
Thursday, 31 January 2013
The Shape of Things to Come: 2013
I decided to roll all of my normal 'looking ahead' posts into one this year. It's a bit late, so January is missing from these lists and thus it's a list looking forwards to the next eleven months, rather than twelve.
2013 looks set to be an interesting year. At the more literary end of the spectrum we have new novels by Graham Joyce and Christopher Priest (two novels in three years is, by his standards, astonishingly productive). At the diametric opposite end of the scale we have Raymond E. Feist's last-ever Riftwar novel, which is being published to a reception of stone-cold indifference by most SFF readers. Inbetween we have the ongoing re-release of David Wingrove's Chung Kuo series (set to expand by four volumes this year) and the resumption of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series, which reaches its ninth and penultimate volume. Neil Gaiman also presents us with his first adult-oriented, full-length novel in eight years, which should be worth a look.
Sadly, we have to bid farewell to Chris Wooding's splendid Tales of the Ketty Jay series, which is wrapping up after four volumes. Peter Brett's Daylight War has some hard work to do to make up for the deficiencies of the second volume, whilst Daniel Abraham hits us with another fantasy/SF double-whammy with The Tyrant's Law and Abaddon's Gate. Richard Morgan's divisive Land Fit For Heroes trilogy (no word yet on if it is indeed expanding to four books) also reaches its third volume with The Dark Defiles.
In the area of SF, Alastair Reynolds has the sequel to his Blue Remembered Earth coming out, whilst Stephen Baxter returns to interstellar exploration and colonisation with Proxima.
Undated, but pretty certain to hit in 2013, is Ian Cameron Esslemont's Assail (working title). Easily the most eagerly-awaited of Esslemont's novels, this book takes us to the much-dreaded continent of Assail. Expect to see a showdown involving the T'lan Imass, Silverfox, the Crimson Guard and much more besides. Less certain for 2013 is Fall of Light, Steven Erikson's middle volume in his Kharkanas Trilogy, which might still just sneak out before the end of the year The ever-fecund. Brandon Sanderson, meanwhile, has severaldozen novels due out, with his second Stormlight novel being the most eagerly-awaited (but also one of the most likely to slip to 2014). Stephen Donaldson is also tentatively scheduled to publish the tenth and final Thomas Covenant novel (thirty-six years after the first), The Last Dark, before the end of the year.
That's about it for the epic fantasy big-hitters. No Rothfuss, and Lynch's Republic of Thieves remains MIA. Martin fans will get some more Song of Ice and Fire morsels in the form of a narrative history of the Dance of Dragons, which will appear in Dangerous Women, and then a big coffee-table guidebook to the world with The World of Ice and Fire, which is tentatively scheduled for November (but again delays are possible).
At this stage my most eagerly-awaited novel of the year is River of Stars, a semi-follow-up to Guy Gavriel Kay's excellent Under Heaven.
February
Books
2013 looks set to be an interesting year. At the more literary end of the spectrum we have new novels by Graham Joyce and Christopher Priest (two novels in three years is, by his standards, astonishingly productive). At the diametric opposite end of the scale we have Raymond E. Feist's last-ever Riftwar novel, which is being published to a reception of stone-cold indifference by most SFF readers. Inbetween we have the ongoing re-release of David Wingrove's Chung Kuo series (set to expand by four volumes this year) and the resumption of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series, which reaches its ninth and penultimate volume. Neil Gaiman also presents us with his first adult-oriented, full-length novel in eight years, which should be worth a look.
Sadly, we have to bid farewell to Chris Wooding's splendid Tales of the Ketty Jay series, which is wrapping up after four volumes. Peter Brett's Daylight War has some hard work to do to make up for the deficiencies of the second volume, whilst Daniel Abraham hits us with another fantasy/SF double-whammy with The Tyrant's Law and Abaddon's Gate. Richard Morgan's divisive Land Fit For Heroes trilogy (no word yet on if it is indeed expanding to four books) also reaches its third volume with The Dark Defiles.
In the area of SF, Alastair Reynolds has the sequel to his Blue Remembered Earth coming out, whilst Stephen Baxter returns to interstellar exploration and colonisation with Proxima.
Undated, but pretty certain to hit in 2013, is Ian Cameron Esslemont's Assail (working title). Easily the most eagerly-awaited of Esslemont's novels, this book takes us to the much-dreaded continent of Assail. Expect to see a showdown involving the T'lan Imass, Silverfox, the Crimson Guard and much more besides. Less certain for 2013 is Fall of Light, Steven Erikson's middle volume in his Kharkanas Trilogy, which might still just sneak out before the end of the year The ever-fecund. Brandon Sanderson, meanwhile, has several
That's about it for the epic fantasy big-hitters. No Rothfuss, and Lynch's Republic of Thieves remains MIA. Martin fans will get some more Song of Ice and Fire morsels in the form of a narrative history of the Dance of Dragons, which will appear in Dangerous Women, and then a big coffee-table guidebook to the world with The World of Ice and Fire, which is tentatively scheduled for November (but again delays are possible).
At this stage my most eagerly-awaited novel of the year is River of Stars, a semi-follow-up to Guy Gavriel Kay's excellent Under Heaven.
February
The Daylight War by Peter Brett
Jimmy and the Crawler by Raymond E. Feist
Dreams and Shadows by Robert Cargill
March
The Art of War by David Wingrove
The High Kingdom
by Pierre Pevel
April
The God Tattoo by Tom Lloyd
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Abominable by Dan Simmons
River of Stars
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Son of the Morning by Mark Alder (MD Lachlan)
May
The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham
Magician's End by Raymond E. Feist
Dangerous Women by George R.R. Martin and Gardner
Dozois (ed.)
The Year of the Ladybird by Graham Joyce
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
June
Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck)
The City by Stella Gemmell
On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Cold Steel by Kate Elliott
The Dragon Queen by Stephen Deas
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A Discourse in Steel by Paul S. Kemp
An Inch of Ashes by David Wingrove
Requiem by Ken Scholes
July
Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea by Adam Roberts
The Glass God by Kate Griffin
Gallow: The Crimson Shield by Nathan Hawke (Stephen Deas)
August
Shadows of the New Sun: Stories in Honour of Gene Wolfe by
Bill Fawcett (ed)
The Adjacent by Christopher Priest
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
War Master's Gate by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Dark Defiles by Richard Morgan
The Ace of Skulls by Chris Wooding
Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik
Gallow: Cold Redemption by Nathan Hawke (Stephen Deas)
September
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Broken Wheel by David Wingrove
Shaman: A Novel of the Ice Age by Kim Stanley Robinson
Gallow: The Last Bastion by Nathan Hawke (Stephen Deas)
Proxima by Stephen Baxter
October
October
Drakenfield by Mark Charan Newton
November
The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia
and Linda Antonsson
Moon's Artifice by Tom Lloyd
December
The White Mountain by David Wingrove
Undated
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
The Last Dark by Stephen Donaldson
Happy Hour in Hell by Tad Williams
Assail by Ian Cameron Esslemont
New Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett
King of Cobwebs by David Keck
Possible For 2013 But Uncertain
Fall of Light by Steven Erikson
The Free by Brian Ruckley
Seal of the Worm by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Spellbreaker by Blake Charlton
Stormlight Archive #2 by Brandon Sanderson
Next Gaunt's Ghosts novel by Dan Abnett
Dresden Files
#15 by Jim Butcher
The Unholy Consult by R. Scott Bakker
The Sea Beggars by Paul Kearney
The Republic of Thieves
by Scott Lynch
Endlords by J.V. Jones
Triumff: The Double Falsehood by Dan Abnett
The Wheel of Time Encyclopedia by Harriet McDougal
Games
In terms of games, 2013 is looking reasonably good at this point, though (thankfully for my wallet) not as jam-packed as last year. There's a lot of much-delayed games coming out in 2013, such as Aliens: Colonial Marines (which somehow looks less interesting with every trailer that appears) and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, which is arriving a full two years behind schedule. I expect both will be playable, but will be surprised if either is outstanding (in particular, Blizzard really need to hire some new writers).
Also long-awaited is SimCity 5: A Truckload of DRM (or just SimCity as we now have to call it). Long-term fans of the venerable city management series have seen increasing disappointment as they learned of the always-on internet connection and the fact that the biggest cities you can build in the game are disappointingly small.
Looking much more interesting is BioShock Infinite. Whilst I was somewhat underwhelmed by the original BioShock's gameplay, certainly the art direction and visuals were striking and the sequel is following up on that end of things in spades. Hopefully the gameplay will match up this time.
Unfortunately, the dissolution of THQ has left the release dates for Company of Heroes 2, Metro: Last Light and South Park: The Stick of Truth all up in the air. Though the three games have all been rescued (by Sega, Deep Silver and Ubisoft respectively), their transition has left final release dates in some doubt. In particular, there is a legal tussle over South Park that could delay it indefinitely, which is a shame as it was looking like a particularly interesting take on the RPG genre.
Also suffering a delay is Grand Theft Auto V, which slips back four months to September, but only with the console versions confirmed. We all know there will be a PC version - given they released GTA4 on PC at a time when PC sales were rock-bottom and still sold shedloads, they'd be completely idiotic not to now the PC format is back on top of its game - so Rockstar's refusal to confirm it is just tiresome.
Arriving at the end of the year will be the new consoles, and with them the first 'next-gen' titles, such as Star Wars 1313 (likely a launch title for them). However, potentially more interesting is the arrival of the first batch of bigger games funded through Kickstarter (a few, like FTL, have already come out). Wasteland 2, Double Fine Adventure and Carmageddon: Reincarnation should prove whether the concept has legs. 2014 promises even more Kickstarted goodness, with Project: Eternity, Star Citizen and Elite 4 (hopefully) all arriving in force.
For me, the most promising game of the year is easily Rome II: Total War (or Total War: Rome II under Creative Assembly's new naming scheme). There hasn't been a really good Total War game for me since 2006's Medieval II, but Rome II looks like being both more epic and more fun than the last few games in the series.
February
Dead Space 3
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Crysis 3
March
SimCity
Tomb Raider
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
BioShock Infinite
Spring/Summer
Company of Heroes 2
ARMA 3
Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse
Metro: Last Light
South Park:
The Stick of Truth
September
Grand Theft Auto V
Late 2013
Rome 2: Total
War
Uncheduled
The Elder Scrolls Online
Star Wars 1313
Wasteland 2
X: Rebirth
Carmageddon: Reincarnation
Double Fine Adventure
Films
Film-wise, 2013 looks a bit same-old, with a strong focus on superhero movies (even if these are some of the more interesting ones). We'll have to wait and see if Zack Snyder can resurrect the Superman movies (I'm not holding my breath), but Thor, Iron Man and a Japanese-influenced Wolverine should at least be fun.
The trailers are also suggesting that Into Darkness will be a more interesting, larger-scaled movie than J.J. Abrams's first Star Trek movie (which I was underwhelmed by: all the right ingredients, but not mixed together quite well). Benedict Cumberbatch certainly looks like a far more compelling villain than Eric Bana, at any rate. Also packed full of CGI and large explosions is Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim, which initially looks like a Michael Bay Transformers movie with added Idris Elba (which is in itself quite a good idea, actually). However, Del Toro's trademark weirdness could make this a bit more interesting than it appears.
Later in the year we have sequel city, with the second Hunger Games movie hoping to repeat the better-than-the-book trick of the first one. There's also the second Hobbit movie. I'm hoping against hope that Peter Jackson learns the art of editing so we can get a lean 90-minute (okay, two hours max) action movie, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. What is likely to be a lot shorter and a lot funnier is The World's End, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's long-awaited conclusion to their thematic Three Colours of Cornetto trilogy (following Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).
For me, the movie I'm most interested in is, perhaps unexpectedly, Riddick. The third film to feature Vin Diesel's titular character, we've been promised a picture that jettisons most of the excesses of the second film in favour of a tighter scope and more condensed storytelling. With Katee Sackhoff on board to provide support and Karl Urban resuming his role from the second film, this could be a bit of a dark horse.
April
Oblivion
May
Star Trek: Into Darkness
Iron Man 3
June
Man of Steel
World War Z
Kick-Ass 2
July
Pacific Rim
The Wolverine
September
Riddick
October
The World's End
November
Thor: The Dark World
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
December
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
TV
Crimson Nuptials. Does more need to be said?
Community Season 4
Game of Thrones: Season 3
Doctor Who: Season 33.5
Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary Special
The Walking Dead Season 3.5/4.0
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
The Shape of Things to Come: Games for 2012
Some games that I'm looking forwards to this year. As always, release dates are tentative (and don't be surprised to see some of these slip to 2013).
Crusader Kings II
Paradox Interactive: 7 February
Paradox, the kings of turn-based strategy, release a sequel to one of their most popular titles. Crusader Kings II mixes the traditional features of a medieval simulator (economic issues, warfare) with a focus on dynastic matters, such as political alliances, marriages and inheritance issues. The original was excellent for such unpredictable random acts as allowing your mighty empire to be toppled by the revelation your heir had inadvertently fathered a bastard on his sister. Needless to say, a Song of Ice and Fire mod is already in the planning stages.
Syndicate
Electronic Arts/Starbreeze Studios: 21 February
The classic 1993 isometric corporate strategy/action game is remade as a fairly predictable first-person shooter. However, hopes remain high for a strong game with the revelation that nine missions are based on iconic locations from the first game (including the infamous Atlantic Accelerator platform), the return of the Persuadatron and Starbreeze's excellent pedigree.
XCOM
2K Marin/2K: 6 March
The classic 1994 isometric strategy game is remade as a fairly predictable first-person shoo...hang on, this sounds familiar. 2K's resurrection of the X-COM franchise (now missing its hyphen, which itself has proven controversial) at least retains some strategic components, and the game has a fascinating 'weird' feel to it which seems to be genuinely trying to make the aliens alien. The revelation that a faithful remake of the original strategy game is also in progress has done much to warm the fanbase's attitude to this game.
Mass Effect 3
Electronic Arts/BioWare: 6 March
BioWare's iconic science fiction RPG trilogy reaches its conclusion. Earth is under alien attack and it falls to the crew of the Normandy to once again save the day. New multiplayer components should enhance the replay value of the game.
Max Payne 3
Rockstar: March
It's Payne! The most tortured soul in video gaming returns. Rockstar Games have taken over development duties from Remedy and have moved the action to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The move away from the iconic night-time New York locations of the first two games has provoked debate amongst fans, but Rockstar seem keen to open a new chapter in Max's life and make more of a break with the past. The classic gunplay seems intact and bullet-time will return.
Shogun 2: Total War - Fall of the Samurai
Sega/Creative Assembly: March
Shogun 2's expansion moves the action forwards several centuries to the end of the samurai era, with European and American influence in Japan growing and firearms and cannon transforming the military tactics of the setting. Tom Cruise is not expected to appear.
Game of Thrones: The RPG
Atlus/Focus Home Interactive/Cyanide: April 2012
Given that Game of Thrones: Genesis did not set the world on fire, enthusiasm is hard to muster for the roleplaying game based on George R.R. Martin's books, especially given the terrible dialogue evidenced in the trailer. However, a strong focus on the characters and a decent graphics engine should ensure at the very least a more enjoyable game than Genesis.
Alan Wake PC
Microsoft/Remedy: early 2012
The Max Payne creators have been busy for the last few years with their new character, novelist Alan Wake who becomes embroiled in a nightmare existence. Having (rather snottily, it has to be said) refused to develop a PC version for several years, Microsoft Games have finally relented and allowed Remedy to port the game. The PC version will come with the console DLC included. Meanwhile, the X-Box 360 version of the game will get a major expansion with the release of Alan Wake's American Nightmare later in the year.
Diablo III
Blizzard: early-to-mid 2012
Blizzard return to their third major franchise with the long-awaited Diablo III, thirteen years after the previous game in the series was released. Whilst some of its thunder has been lessened by the release of the well-received Torchlight (and Torchlight II is also due in 2012), excitement for this game remains high.
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission
Bohemia Interactive: mid-2012
1987 strategy title Carrier Command, which allowed a player to conquer an entire island archipelago with an aircraft carrier and its attendant aircraft and amphibious assault vehicles, was way ahead of its time. In 2001 it got a sterling tribute with the brilliant Hostile Waters, but this year it gets a formal remake from the makers of the ARMA series. The new game hews close to the original, but with a much stronger interface and far superior graphics. The most faithful of the three major franchise resurrections this year, though also the lowest in profile.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Sega/Gearbox: mid-2012
A timely release, with the Alien quasi-prequel Prometheus due in cinemas around the same time. Colonial Marines is a sequel to Aliens, focusing on a squad of marines who find the USS Sulaco abandoned in space after Ripley and company's escape pods bailed out (at the start of Alien 3) and eventually returning to (a now partially irradiated) LV-426 and the 'space jockey' spacecraft that started the whole thing rolling. Gearbox have a brilliant pedigree in first-person shooters (well, Duke Nukem Forever excepted, but they didn't actually make that) and the premise is very strong, with enough time passing since the last Aliens game to make this a more interesting prospect than it would have been a few years ago.
Dishonored
Bethesda/Arkane: mid-2012
The year's dark horse. Dishonored is set in a semi-steampunk world where past, present and future technologies collide. The art direction looks stunning, the pedigree is impressive (the game's designers have worked on the Deus Ex and Thief franchises as well as Arx Fatalis) and the game's New Weird-like feel is original and fresh. This could be something genuinely different.
Metro: Last Light
THQ/4A: mid-2012
The sequel to the well-received Metro 2033, intriguingly assuming that the 'bad' ending to the original game took place and seeing your character trying to sort out the resulting chaos.
Prey 2
Bethesda/Human Head: mid-2012
The original Prey was an intriguing title, with gravity-bending and portal-based gameplay made more intriguing by the presence of a Native American protagonist and some interesting gameplay ideas. Prey 2 moves to an open-world design, with your character (a passenger on the aircraft you see crash into the Sphere from the original game) winding up on an alien planet with no memory of what's happened in the meantime.
South Park: The RPG
THQ/Obsidian: mid-2012
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, long unimpressed with the quality of South Park tie-in games, have co-developed this new RPG with the experienced designers at Obsidian. Taking cues from Japanese games (particularly Paper Mario and Final Fantasy VII), South Park: The Game will feature turn-based combat and a 2D art design indistinguishable from the TV series. This could be either terrible or genius.
Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar: late 2012
Rockstar's signature series celebrates its fifteenth birthday with the arrival of the biggest game so far in the series. Grand Theft Auto V returns to San Andreas State (the setting of the 2004 game of the same name), though this time only a vastly larger version of Los Santos (the GTA world's equivalent of Los Angeles) and a large stretch of surrounding countryside will be featured. Rumours suggest the cities of San Fierro and Las Venturas will return in DLC, though I'd take that with a pinch of salt. The first trailer is graphically stunning and hints at multiple protagonists and more RPG-like activities, though hard info is thin on the ground at the moment. At a rough guess, expect violence and car-jacking.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Blizzard: late 2012
The first expansion to StarCraft II arrives (rather later than anyone, including Blizzard, was expecting) this year with a strong focus on the Zerg. The game will feature an RPG-like mechanic as Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, is upgraded from mission to mission as she leads the Swarm into battle against the Protoss and Terrans and, it's rumoured, the returning Xel'Naga.
Skyrim expansion pack
Bethesda: late 2012
To be frank, Skyrim is so vast that the idea of an expansion for it seems ludicrous. Nevertheless, Bethesda have indicated that a full expansion (similar to Shivering Isles for Oblivion) is in development, as well as a number of small DLC releases. I suspect hitting monsters in the face with swords and/or magic will feature.
Planetside 2
Sony: late 2012
Another game that was way ahead of its time was Planetside, that allowed three factions to fight for control of a planet. Arguably the only truly successful massively multiplayer first-person shooter yet developed, an update/sequel is a no-brainer. Expect lots of, "You had to have been there man!"-style stories from players of the game in years to come.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
2K/Firaxis: late 2012
The makers of the Civilization series are remaking the iconic X-Com: Enemy Unknown (again, dehyphenated) and it's still a turn-based strategy game featuring scientific research and base-building. Firaxis employees have reportedly found it hard to get into work due to the scrum of teary-eyed people outside begging them to take their money.
X-Rebirth
Deep Silver/Egosoft: late 2012
The most successful single-player space-trading game since Elite gets its latest version in 2012, with a focus on winning over new players and showing that space games are still awesome. The fact it looks a lot like CGI from the new Battlestar Galactica doesn't hurt either.
BioShock Infinite
2K/Irrational Games: late 2012
The BioShock franchise returns, though this game requires no foreknowledge of the first two titles. Set in a parallel universe on a flying steampunk city at the start of the 20th Century, the player has to become the guardian of a young girl who has the ability to open portals into other dimensions (a geek-pleasing video showing the characters travelling to an alternate 1983 where Return of the Jedi is playing in theatres under its original title, Revenge of the Jedi, is quite amusing). A fascinating high concept, with the screenshots showing a stunning art design and a unique atmosphere. A highly promising game.
Company of Heroes 2
THQ/Relic: unconfirmed but heavily rumoured for 2012/13
It's been rumoured for a while that Relic were considering a sequel to their popular 2006 WWII RTS Company of Heroes, but those rumours gained more credence last year. Nothing is known about CoH 2, not even its setting (with a Modern Warfare-style update quite possible), but the fact that the best RTS of the 2000s is going to get a sequel is exciting enough.
STALKER 2
Details to be confirmed
STALKER 2 was in development at GSC Game World when that company was shut down at the end of 2011. Developers are continuing work on the game privately and shopping the title to other publishers and teams in the hope of saving the game from fading into obscurity.
Half-Life 3
Valve: details unconfirmed
The chances of Half-Life 3 coming out in 2012 could have been dismissed as non-existent until a few weeks ago, when Valve employees allegedly turned up at a developer conference sporting HL3 T-shirts. Combined with some newly-released Portal 2 videos featuring odd references to the number '3', fans are suddenly bristling with hope that Half-Life 3 is now in active develoment at Valve. It's been strongly rumoured for years that the original Half-Life 2: Episode 3 had been canned in favour of a full third game in the sequence, but this is the first clue that this is indeed the case. Unless Valve are of course just messing with us, which is entirely possible. But five years on from the release of Episode 2, it's more than past time we caught up with the adventures of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance.
Crusader Kings II
Paradox Interactive: 7 February
Paradox, the kings of turn-based strategy, release a sequel to one of their most popular titles. Crusader Kings II mixes the traditional features of a medieval simulator (economic issues, warfare) with a focus on dynastic matters, such as political alliances, marriages and inheritance issues. The original was excellent for such unpredictable random acts as allowing your mighty empire to be toppled by the revelation your heir had inadvertently fathered a bastard on his sister. Needless to say, a Song of Ice and Fire mod is already in the planning stages.
Syndicate
Electronic Arts/Starbreeze Studios: 21 February
The classic 1993 isometric corporate strategy/action game is remade as a fairly predictable first-person shooter. However, hopes remain high for a strong game with the revelation that nine missions are based on iconic locations from the first game (including the infamous Atlantic Accelerator platform), the return of the Persuadatron and Starbreeze's excellent pedigree.
XCOM
2K Marin/2K: 6 March
The classic 1994 isometric strategy game is remade as a fairly predictable first-person shoo...hang on, this sounds familiar. 2K's resurrection of the X-COM franchise (now missing its hyphen, which itself has proven controversial) at least retains some strategic components, and the game has a fascinating 'weird' feel to it which seems to be genuinely trying to make the aliens alien. The revelation that a faithful remake of the original strategy game is also in progress has done much to warm the fanbase's attitude to this game.
Mass Effect 3
Electronic Arts/BioWare: 6 March
BioWare's iconic science fiction RPG trilogy reaches its conclusion. Earth is under alien attack and it falls to the crew of the Normandy to once again save the day. New multiplayer components should enhance the replay value of the game.
Max Payne 3
Rockstar: March
It's Payne! The most tortured soul in video gaming returns. Rockstar Games have taken over development duties from Remedy and have moved the action to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The move away from the iconic night-time New York locations of the first two games has provoked debate amongst fans, but Rockstar seem keen to open a new chapter in Max's life and make more of a break with the past. The classic gunplay seems intact and bullet-time will return.
Shogun 2: Total War - Fall of the Samurai
Sega/Creative Assembly: March
Shogun 2's expansion moves the action forwards several centuries to the end of the samurai era, with European and American influence in Japan growing and firearms and cannon transforming the military tactics of the setting. Tom Cruise is not expected to appear.
Game of Thrones: The RPG
Atlus/Focus Home Interactive/Cyanide: April 2012
Given that Game of Thrones: Genesis did not set the world on fire, enthusiasm is hard to muster for the roleplaying game based on George R.R. Martin's books, especially given the terrible dialogue evidenced in the trailer. However, a strong focus on the characters and a decent graphics engine should ensure at the very least a more enjoyable game than Genesis.
Alan Wake PC
Microsoft/Remedy: early 2012
The Max Payne creators have been busy for the last few years with their new character, novelist Alan Wake who becomes embroiled in a nightmare existence. Having (rather snottily, it has to be said) refused to develop a PC version for several years, Microsoft Games have finally relented and allowed Remedy to port the game. The PC version will come with the console DLC included. Meanwhile, the X-Box 360 version of the game will get a major expansion with the release of Alan Wake's American Nightmare later in the year.
Diablo III
Blizzard: early-to-mid 2012
Blizzard return to their third major franchise with the long-awaited Diablo III, thirteen years after the previous game in the series was released. Whilst some of its thunder has been lessened by the release of the well-received Torchlight (and Torchlight II is also due in 2012), excitement for this game remains high.
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission
Bohemia Interactive: mid-2012
1987 strategy title Carrier Command, which allowed a player to conquer an entire island archipelago with an aircraft carrier and its attendant aircraft and amphibious assault vehicles, was way ahead of its time. In 2001 it got a sterling tribute with the brilliant Hostile Waters, but this year it gets a formal remake from the makers of the ARMA series. The new game hews close to the original, but with a much stronger interface and far superior graphics. The most faithful of the three major franchise resurrections this year, though also the lowest in profile.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Sega/Gearbox: mid-2012
A timely release, with the Alien quasi-prequel Prometheus due in cinemas around the same time. Colonial Marines is a sequel to Aliens, focusing on a squad of marines who find the USS Sulaco abandoned in space after Ripley and company's escape pods bailed out (at the start of Alien 3) and eventually returning to (a now partially irradiated) LV-426 and the 'space jockey' spacecraft that started the whole thing rolling. Gearbox have a brilliant pedigree in first-person shooters (well, Duke Nukem Forever excepted, but they didn't actually make that) and the premise is very strong, with enough time passing since the last Aliens game to make this a more interesting prospect than it would have been a few years ago.
Dishonored
Bethesda/Arkane: mid-2012
The year's dark horse. Dishonored is set in a semi-steampunk world where past, present and future technologies collide. The art direction looks stunning, the pedigree is impressive (the game's designers have worked on the Deus Ex and Thief franchises as well as Arx Fatalis) and the game's New Weird-like feel is original and fresh. This could be something genuinely different.
Metro: Last Light
THQ/4A: mid-2012
The sequel to the well-received Metro 2033, intriguingly assuming that the 'bad' ending to the original game took place and seeing your character trying to sort out the resulting chaos.
Prey 2
Bethesda/Human Head: mid-2012
The original Prey was an intriguing title, with gravity-bending and portal-based gameplay made more intriguing by the presence of a Native American protagonist and some interesting gameplay ideas. Prey 2 moves to an open-world design, with your character (a passenger on the aircraft you see crash into the Sphere from the original game) winding up on an alien planet with no memory of what's happened in the meantime.
South Park: The RPG
THQ/Obsidian: mid-2012
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, long unimpressed with the quality of South Park tie-in games, have co-developed this new RPG with the experienced designers at Obsidian. Taking cues from Japanese games (particularly Paper Mario and Final Fantasy VII), South Park: The Game will feature turn-based combat and a 2D art design indistinguishable from the TV series. This could be either terrible or genius.
Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar: late 2012
Rockstar's signature series celebrates its fifteenth birthday with the arrival of the biggest game so far in the series. Grand Theft Auto V returns to San Andreas State (the setting of the 2004 game of the same name), though this time only a vastly larger version of Los Santos (the GTA world's equivalent of Los Angeles) and a large stretch of surrounding countryside will be featured. Rumours suggest the cities of San Fierro and Las Venturas will return in DLC, though I'd take that with a pinch of salt. The first trailer is graphically stunning and hints at multiple protagonists and more RPG-like activities, though hard info is thin on the ground at the moment. At a rough guess, expect violence and car-jacking.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Blizzard: late 2012
The first expansion to StarCraft II arrives (rather later than anyone, including Blizzard, was expecting) this year with a strong focus on the Zerg. The game will feature an RPG-like mechanic as Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, is upgraded from mission to mission as she leads the Swarm into battle against the Protoss and Terrans and, it's rumoured, the returning Xel'Naga.
Skyrim expansion pack
Bethesda: late 2012
To be frank, Skyrim is so vast that the idea of an expansion for it seems ludicrous. Nevertheless, Bethesda have indicated that a full expansion (similar to Shivering Isles for Oblivion) is in development, as well as a number of small DLC releases. I suspect hitting monsters in the face with swords and/or magic will feature.
Planetside 2
Sony: late 2012
Another game that was way ahead of its time was Planetside, that allowed three factions to fight for control of a planet. Arguably the only truly successful massively multiplayer first-person shooter yet developed, an update/sequel is a no-brainer. Expect lots of, "You had to have been there man!"-style stories from players of the game in years to come.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
2K/Firaxis: late 2012
The makers of the Civilization series are remaking the iconic X-Com: Enemy Unknown (again, dehyphenated) and it's still a turn-based strategy game featuring scientific research and base-building. Firaxis employees have reportedly found it hard to get into work due to the scrum of teary-eyed people outside begging them to take their money.
X-Rebirth
Deep Silver/Egosoft: late 2012
The most successful single-player space-trading game since Elite gets its latest version in 2012, with a focus on winning over new players and showing that space games are still awesome. The fact it looks a lot like CGI from the new Battlestar Galactica doesn't hurt either.
BioShock Infinite
2K/Irrational Games: late 2012
The BioShock franchise returns, though this game requires no foreknowledge of the first two titles. Set in a parallel universe on a flying steampunk city at the start of the 20th Century, the player has to become the guardian of a young girl who has the ability to open portals into other dimensions (a geek-pleasing video showing the characters travelling to an alternate 1983 where Return of the Jedi is playing in theatres under its original title, Revenge of the Jedi, is quite amusing). A fascinating high concept, with the screenshots showing a stunning art design and a unique atmosphere. A highly promising game.
Company of Heroes 2
THQ/Relic: unconfirmed but heavily rumoured for 2012/13
It's been rumoured for a while that Relic were considering a sequel to their popular 2006 WWII RTS Company of Heroes, but those rumours gained more credence last year. Nothing is known about CoH 2, not even its setting (with a Modern Warfare-style update quite possible), but the fact that the best RTS of the 2000s is going to get a sequel is exciting enough.
STALKER 2
Details to be confirmed
STALKER 2 was in development at GSC Game World when that company was shut down at the end of 2011. Developers are continuing work on the game privately and shopping the title to other publishers and teams in the hope of saving the game from fading into obscurity.
Half-Life 3
Valve: details unconfirmed
The chances of Half-Life 3 coming out in 2012 could have been dismissed as non-existent until a few weeks ago, when Valve employees allegedly turned up at a developer conference sporting HL3 T-shirts. Combined with some newly-released Portal 2 videos featuring odd references to the number '3', fans are suddenly bristling with hope that Half-Life 3 is now in active develoment at Valve. It's been strongly rumoured for years that the original Half-Life 2: Episode 3 had been canned in favour of a full third game in the sequence, but this is the first clue that this is indeed the case. Unless Valve are of course just messing with us, which is entirely possible. But five years on from the release of Episode 2, it's more than past time we caught up with the adventures of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
The Shape of Things to Come: Books for 2012
Some books to look out for this year. As always, cover art and release dates are not finalised and believe nothing before you see it on the shelves :-)
A Path to the Coldness of Heart by Glen Cook
Night Shade Books (UK & USA): 10 January
The eighth and apparently final book in the Dread Empire sequence, delayed by twenty years after the manuscript for the original book was stolen. Eagerly awaited by Cook's numerous fans.
Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds
Gollancz (UK): 19 January
Ace (USA): 15 June
The first novel in the Poseidon's Children sequence, which will chronicle the next eleven thousand years of human history as man evolves from a colonised Solar system to a galaxy-spanning civilisation (probably). A new Reynolds is always an exciting prospect, and this being the first in a 'sequence' (don't mention the word 'trilogy'...damn!), his first series book (but not really) since Absolution Gap nine years ago, makes it all the more interesting.
Orb, Sceptre, Throne by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Bantam (UK): 19 January
Tor (USA): 22 May
The main Malazan sequence may be concluded, but the world goes on. Orb, Sceptre, Throne takes us back to Darujhistan, city of blue fires, and reunites us with the surviving Bridgeburners and Kruppe as a new (or old) threat descends on the city). Expect lots of Seguleh and some answers to some long-standing questions.
A Crown Imperilled by Raymond E. Feist
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 30 January
HarperCollins Voyager (USA): 13 March
The middle volume of the Chaoswar Saga is the penultimate-ever Riftwar sequence. Twenty-eight books in, and it's fair to say that a new Feist novel is not the big event it used to be, but nevertheless it's good to see him drawing his massive saga to a close after thirty years and preparing to move on to new pastures.
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
DAW Books (USA): 7 February
An epic fantasy inspired by The Arabian Nights, complete with genies, ghouls and a master thief called the Falcon Prince. Sounds fun.
City of Dragons by Robin Hobb
HarperCollins Voyager (USA): 7 February
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 23 April
The third and penultimate book in the Rain Wild Chronicles (which is odd, as I thought this series was one book split in two due to length). American Amazon Vine customers already have had a preview of the book and the early reception has not been great, but Hobb's legions of fans will snap it up anyway.
Know No Fear by Dan Abnett
Black Library (UK & USA): 28 February
The nineteenth volume in The Horus Heresy series sees Dan Abnett describing a particularly iconic battle of the lengthy civil war, as the rival Astartes chapters known as the Word Bearers and the Ultramarines clash over the planet Calth.
Kings of Morning by Paul Kearney
Solaris (UK & USA): 1 March
Delayed several times, Kearney's Mach Trilogy finally reaches its epic conclusion.
Shadow's Master by Jon Sprunk
Gollancz (UK): 19 July
Pyr (USA): 27 March
The Shadow Saga reaches its conclusion.
The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Hodder & Stoughton (UK): 24 April
Scribner (USA): 24 April
King returns to his Dark Tower sequence to fill in a blank bit between volumes 4 and 5. Should be worth a look for fans of the series.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Gollancz (UK): 1 May
Dial (USA): 1 May
The third book in the Graceling sequence continues the story begun in Graceling and focuses on the secondary character of Bitterblue from that novel.
The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham
Orbit UK: 3 May
Orbit USA: 22 May
The second volume in the Dagger and the Coin sequence sees the stories of Mercus, Cithrin and Geder continue, as war and intrigue seethes around them.
Jack Glass by Adam Roberts
Gollancz (UK): 9 May
Three murders are committed by Jack Glass. Yet how he performs each murder, and why, is a surprise. Adam Roberts seems to be getting better with every book, so it'll be interesting to see how this fusion of SF and the crime thriller works out.
Railsea by China Mieville
Macmillan (UK): 10 May
Del Rey (USA): 15 May
Mieville returns with a steampunk Moby Dick, a tale of moldywarpes and moletrains, vengeance and obsession.
The Black Mausoleum by Stephen Deas
Gollancz (UK): 17 May
Roc (USA): 2013
The sequel to the Memory of Flames trilogy is a semi-stand-alone setting up further books set in the Dragon Realms. Essentially, the Realms are in chaos as dragons continue hatching free. A small group of people set out to put the genie back in the bottle and re-enslave the dragons, if they can before humanity is wiped out.
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Orbit UK: 24 May
Orbit USA: 22 May
Robinson returns to epic, futuristic SF. In the city of Terminator on Mercury, a discovery is made that will change the history of humanity, forever.
Black Opera by Mary Gentle
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Night Shade (USA): 5 June
A major new novel from Gentle, set in a world where music has tremendous magical power. An atheist musician, Conrad, creates an opera which unleashes miracles, to the fury of the Church which claims all such magic comes from God. Conrad is recruited by the King of the Two Sicilies to create more miracles at his command. An interesting concept from the writer of Ash: A Secret History.
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck)
Orbit UK: 7 June
Orbit USA: 26 June
The second volume in The Expanse and the sequel to the very popular Leviathan Wakes sees Jim Holden back in the thick of the action as war again threatens the Solar system and the alien protomolecule continues to do something on the surface of Venus.
Existence by David Brin
Orbit UK: 7 June
Tor (USA): 29 June
David Brin's first novel in eleven years should be an interesting read, though the plot at the moment is being kept under wraps.
Lord of Slaughter by M.D. Lachlan
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Lachlan's third Wolfsangel novel takes us to Constantinople in the 10th Century.
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Del Rey (USA): 29 May
The third volume in Aaronovitch's enjoyable Rivers of London series sees magic-using cop Peter Grant teaming up with a born-again Christian FBI agent to solve a crime with international repercussions. Expect a culture and religious clash as well as the normal magical shenanigans.
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Doubleday (USA): 10 July
A new Graham Joyce is always intriguing, and this sounds no different. A long-lost girl returns home after twenty years, sparking the beginnings of a story about woodlands and folk tales.
The Hammer and the Blade by Paul S. Kemp
Angry Robot (UK & USA): 26 June
Popular tie-in author Paul S. Kemp launches his first original series, featuring the adventuring duo Egil and Nix. Expect old-school, fast-paced fun.
The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis
Orbit UK: February 2013
Tor (USA): 17 July
The long, long-delayed middle volume of The Milkweed Triptych, Tregillis' account of an alternate Second World War and Cold War where the opposing powers have access to superhumans. One beneficial side-effect of the long delay is that Tregillis has already completed the final volume, Necessary Evil, which will be simultaneously published in the UK and USA in April 2013.
Sharps by K.J. Parker
Orbit (UK & USA): 17 July
Two warring kingdoms forge a new peace. Fencers from the two kingdoms fight an honorable and sportsmanlike competition to celebrate this peace, but things rapidly take a turn for the bloody. Parker returns to where her career began, with fencing and swords (the focus of her debut 1997 novel Colours in the Steel) and, it should be suspected, bloody mayhem.
The Air War by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Macmillan (UK): August
Pyr (USA): tbc
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt sequence reaches its eighth volume, which is also the first in the final arc of the series (which will take things up to the tenth and final book). Expect a resumption of hostilities as the Wasp Empire makes good on new technological innovations and discoveries.
The Middle Kingdom by David Wingrove
Corvus (UK): 1 August 2012
Expect bibliographical confusion as Wingrove's twenty-volume recasting of his Chung Kuo sequence catches up with the beginnings of the original series. The 'new' Middle Kingdom is the third volume of the 'new' Chung Kuo but shares the name and much of is material from the first volume of the 'old' Chung Kuo. With the series due to kick into a much more ambitious schedule in 2013 (with six novels planned for publication that year), this is the calm before the storm and presumably a good jumping-on point for new readers.
Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson
Bantam (UK): 2 August
Tor (USA): tbc
Hundreds of thousands of years before the events of Gardens of the Moon, the Tiste Andii of Kharkanas - including Anomander Rake - are forced to confront a moment of crisis. The first in an epic trilogy that details some of the mythic underpinning of the Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence.
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 16 August
Ace (USA): 7 August
The middle volume of The Broken Empire trilogy furthers the adventures of Jorg and his post-apocalyptic world.
Night of the Swarm by Robert V.S. Redick
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Del Rey (USA): tbc
The Chanthrand Voyage sequence reaches its epic conclusion.
Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Finally! After almost three years of delays, Polish superstar Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher sequence resumes with the publication of the second in five novels featuring Geralt, the witcher.
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Ballantine (USA): 28 August
Orion (UK): 30 August
The sequel to the critically-acclaimed and mega-selling The Passage. The survivors of The Passage go on the offensive and launch the Second Viral War, determined to destroy the Twelve, the leaders of the viral infection, and free the world from their shadow.
The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi
Gollancz (UK): 20 September
Tor (USA): 4 September
The sequel to the well-received Quantum Thief, seeing posthuman con artist Jean le Flambeur having to break into the mind of a living god. Expect weirdness.
The Three Prince War by Pierre Pevel
Gollancz (UK): 20 September
Following up on his Cardinal's Blades trilogy, this is an epic fantasy featuring a conflict that erupts between brothers feuding for the throne of a kingdom.
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
Gollancz (UK): 18 October
Bantam Spectra (USA): tbc
We may have gotten A Dance with Dragons and The Wise Man's Fear last year, but the third of the long-awaited fantasy novels remains MIA. Hopes were high that Lynch would have been able to deliver the novel before Christmas for a rapid release in the Spring, but this has clearly not happened, with Gollancz now listing a very late 2012 release. Hardcore fantasy fans remain eager for the new book, but with the fifth anniversary of the publication of Red Seas Under Red Skies approaching, this is one series that's going to need some re-establishing to get more casual readers fired up about it.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Macmillan (UK): October
Del Rey (USA): tbc
Hamilton's new novel is his longest in some time - the longest since The Naked God, in fact - but is a stand-alone, set in a brand new universe and features shenanigans and whatnot in the year 2143 on a colony planet.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
Orbit UK: November
Tor (USA): November
By far the highest-profile speculative fiction release of 2012, A Memory of Light brings the massive Wheel of Time sequence to a close, fourteen volumes and almost twenty-three years after it began. If Sanderson can close the story with the aplomb he showed in The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, this book should be a triumph.
Legends of the Red Sun #4 by Mark Charan Newton
Macmillan (UK): Late 2012
Del Rey (USA): tbc
Mark Charan Newton's Legends of the Red Sun reaches its conclusion this year. Interesting what to see Newton has in store for us given the fairly apocalyptic ending to The Book of Transformations.
Dangerous Women, edited by Gardner Dozois & George R.R. Martin
Tor Books (USA): Late 2012
Martin and Dozois' latest collection of short fiction from some of the biggest names in fantasy. A key highlight will be the fourth Dunk 'n' Egg novella, The She-Wolves (working title), which takes them to Winterfell some eighty years before the events of A Game of Thrones.
A Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
Gollancz (UK): Late 2012
Orbit USA: Late 2012
Joe Abercrombie's third semi-stand-alone, set in the world of The First Law trilogy. This is Abercrombie's homage to Westerns, filtered through the lens of fantasy. If there isn't at least one grizzled gunslinger riding into a dustbowl town on unicorn-back, I'll be disappointed.
Godborn by Paul S. Kemp
Wizards of the Coast (UK & USA): Late 2012
After a lengthy break tackling Star Wars and his own original fiction, Kemp returns to the character who made him famous, Erevis Cale, and the Forgotten Realms setting for the first volume of the Cycle of Night trilogy.
Requiem by Ken Scholes
Tor (USA): Late 2012
Delayed by the author's unfortunate illness, the penultimate volume of the Psalms of Isaak series is eagerly awaited by fans of the first three books.
Endlords by J.V. Jones
Orbit UK: Late 2012
Tor Books: Late 2012
The fifth and penultimate volume of the Sword of Shadows sequence, which from the title sounds like it will be concentrating a lot on the main enemies of the sequence.
The Sea-Beggars by Paul Kearney
Solaris (UK & USA): Late 2012
Paul Kearney's Sea-Beggars sequence was almost left unfinished forever when it was abruptly cancelled after the second volume, but the original publishers refused to let go of the publication rights. Following a lengthy struggle, the author and Solaris managed to regain the rights. All three books - including the never-before-seen grand finale, Storm of the Dead - will now be published in a new omnibus edition at the end of 2012.
The Adjacent by Christopher Priest
Gollancz: Late 2012
Typical. You spend ten years waiting for a Christopher Priest novel and then two turn up in rapid succession. Following on from the success of The Islanders last year, Priest's new novel should be interesting. Although we so far don't know a thing about it.
The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia & Linda Antonsson
Bantam (USA): Late 2012
Companion books are usually so much filler, but this looks like being something special. Written over a long period by Westeros.org webmasters Garcia and Antonsson, using new information from George R.R. Martin (who is also providing editing and some new material for the book), this book will feature new, never-before-seen maps (including a 'world map' showcasing all the locations seen in the series), an extremely detailed history of the Seven Kingdoms and significant amounts of new artwork (including some additional Ted Nasmith castle pictures that haven't been seen so far). It's not The Winds of Winter, but should help make the wait a little more bearable.
The Unholy Consult by R. Scott Bakker
Overlook (USA): Late 2012
Orbit UK: Late 2012
Orbit seem to be adamant this will be published in 2012, though I suspect it may slip into 2013. The Unholy Consult will bring The Aspect-Emperor, the second movement of the massive Second Apocalypse series, to a monumental and epic conclusion.
Pariah by Dan Abnett
Black Library (UK & USA): Late 2012
Abnett unleashes the third and final trilogy in his Inquisitors sequence, following on from the excellent Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies. This final series - The Bequin Trilogy - focuses on Inquisitor Bequin and the confrontation between Ravenor and his former mentor, Eisenhorn.
2013 releases:
City in the Jungle by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Highprince of War by Brandon Sanderson (likely to have a title change)
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
Ketty Jay Book 4 by Chris Wooding
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
Gaunt's Ghosts #14 by Dan Abnett
Cold Days by Jim Butcher (apparently a delay from mid-2012, but not confirmed yet)
Tales of Dunk & Egg by George R.R. Martin (collects the first four prequel novellas)
A Path to the Coldness of Heart by Glen Cook
Night Shade Books (UK & USA): 10 January
The eighth and apparently final book in the Dread Empire sequence, delayed by twenty years after the manuscript for the original book was stolen. Eagerly awaited by Cook's numerous fans.
Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds
Gollancz (UK): 19 January
Ace (USA): 15 June
The first novel in the Poseidon's Children sequence, which will chronicle the next eleven thousand years of human history as man evolves from a colonised Solar system to a galaxy-spanning civilisation (probably). A new Reynolds is always an exciting prospect, and this being the first in a 'sequence' (don't mention the word 'trilogy'...damn!), his first series book (but not really) since Absolution Gap nine years ago, makes it all the more interesting.
Orb, Sceptre, Throne by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Bantam (UK): 19 January
Tor (USA): 22 May
The main Malazan sequence may be concluded, but the world goes on. Orb, Sceptre, Throne takes us back to Darujhistan, city of blue fires, and reunites us with the surviving Bridgeburners and Kruppe as a new (or old) threat descends on the city). Expect lots of Seguleh and some answers to some long-standing questions.
A Crown Imperilled by Raymond E. Feist
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 30 January
HarperCollins Voyager (USA): 13 March
The middle volume of the Chaoswar Saga is the penultimate-ever Riftwar sequence. Twenty-eight books in, and it's fair to say that a new Feist novel is not the big event it used to be, but nevertheless it's good to see him drawing his massive saga to a close after thirty years and preparing to move on to new pastures.
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
DAW Books (USA): 7 February
An epic fantasy inspired by The Arabian Nights, complete with genies, ghouls and a master thief called the Falcon Prince. Sounds fun.
City of Dragons by Robin Hobb
HarperCollins Voyager (USA): 7 February
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 23 April
The third and penultimate book in the Rain Wild Chronicles (which is odd, as I thought this series was one book split in two due to length). American Amazon Vine customers already have had a preview of the book and the early reception has not been great, but Hobb's legions of fans will snap it up anyway.
Know No Fear by Dan Abnett
Black Library (UK & USA): 28 February
The nineteenth volume in The Horus Heresy series sees Dan Abnett describing a particularly iconic battle of the lengthy civil war, as the rival Astartes chapters known as the Word Bearers and the Ultramarines clash over the planet Calth.
Kings of Morning by Paul Kearney
Solaris (UK & USA): 1 March
Delayed several times, Kearney's Mach Trilogy finally reaches its epic conclusion.
Shadow's Master by Jon Sprunk
Gollancz (UK): 19 July
Pyr (USA): 27 March
The Shadow Saga reaches its conclusion.
The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Hodder & Stoughton (UK): 24 April
Scribner (USA): 24 April
King returns to his Dark Tower sequence to fill in a blank bit between volumes 4 and 5. Should be worth a look for fans of the series.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Gollancz (UK): 1 May
Dial (USA): 1 May
The third book in the Graceling sequence continues the story begun in Graceling and focuses on the secondary character of Bitterblue from that novel.
The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham
Orbit UK: 3 May
Orbit USA: 22 May
The second volume in the Dagger and the Coin sequence sees the stories of Mercus, Cithrin and Geder continue, as war and intrigue seethes around them.
Jack Glass by Adam Roberts
Gollancz (UK): 9 May
Three murders are committed by Jack Glass. Yet how he performs each murder, and why, is a surprise. Adam Roberts seems to be getting better with every book, so it'll be interesting to see how this fusion of SF and the crime thriller works out.
Railsea by China Mieville
Macmillan (UK): 10 May
Del Rey (USA): 15 May
Mieville returns with a steampunk Moby Dick, a tale of moldywarpes and moletrains, vengeance and obsession.
The Black Mausoleum by Stephen Deas
Gollancz (UK): 17 May
Roc (USA): 2013
The sequel to the Memory of Flames trilogy is a semi-stand-alone setting up further books set in the Dragon Realms. Essentially, the Realms are in chaos as dragons continue hatching free. A small group of people set out to put the genie back in the bottle and re-enslave the dragons, if they can before humanity is wiped out.
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Orbit UK: 24 May
Orbit USA: 22 May
Robinson returns to epic, futuristic SF. In the city of Terminator on Mercury, a discovery is made that will change the history of humanity, forever.
Black Opera by Mary Gentle
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Night Shade (USA): 5 June
A major new novel from Gentle, set in a world where music has tremendous magical power. An atheist musician, Conrad, creates an opera which unleashes miracles, to the fury of the Church which claims all such magic comes from God. Conrad is recruited by the King of the Two Sicilies to create more miracles at his command. An interesting concept from the writer of Ash: A Secret History.
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck)
Orbit UK: 7 June
Orbit USA: 26 June
The second volume in The Expanse and the sequel to the very popular Leviathan Wakes sees Jim Holden back in the thick of the action as war again threatens the Solar system and the alien protomolecule continues to do something on the surface of Venus.
Existence by David Brin
Orbit UK: 7 June
Tor (USA): 29 June
David Brin's first novel in eleven years should be an interesting read, though the plot at the moment is being kept under wraps.
Lord of Slaughter by M.D. Lachlan
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Lachlan's third Wolfsangel novel takes us to Constantinople in the 10th Century.
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Del Rey (USA): 29 May
The third volume in Aaronovitch's enjoyable Rivers of London series sees magic-using cop Peter Grant teaming up with a born-again Christian FBI agent to solve a crime with international repercussions. Expect a culture and religious clash as well as the normal magical shenanigans.
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce
Gollancz (UK): 21 June
Doubleday (USA): 10 July
A new Graham Joyce is always intriguing, and this sounds no different. A long-lost girl returns home after twenty years, sparking the beginnings of a story about woodlands and folk tales.
The Hammer and the Blade by Paul S. Kemp
Angry Robot (UK & USA): 26 June
Popular tie-in author Paul S. Kemp launches his first original series, featuring the adventuring duo Egil and Nix. Expect old-school, fast-paced fun.
The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis
Orbit UK: February 2013
Tor (USA): 17 July
The long, long-delayed middle volume of The Milkweed Triptych, Tregillis' account of an alternate Second World War and Cold War where the opposing powers have access to superhumans. One beneficial side-effect of the long delay is that Tregillis has already completed the final volume, Necessary Evil, which will be simultaneously published in the UK and USA in April 2013.
Sharps by K.J. Parker
Orbit (UK & USA): 17 July
Two warring kingdoms forge a new peace. Fencers from the two kingdoms fight an honorable and sportsmanlike competition to celebrate this peace, but things rapidly take a turn for the bloody. Parker returns to where her career began, with fencing and swords (the focus of her debut 1997 novel Colours in the Steel) and, it should be suspected, bloody mayhem.
The Air War by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Macmillan (UK): August
Pyr (USA): tbc
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt sequence reaches its eighth volume, which is also the first in the final arc of the series (which will take things up to the tenth and final book). Expect a resumption of hostilities as the Wasp Empire makes good on new technological innovations and discoveries.
The Middle Kingdom by David Wingrove
Corvus (UK): 1 August 2012
Expect bibliographical confusion as Wingrove's twenty-volume recasting of his Chung Kuo sequence catches up with the beginnings of the original series. The 'new' Middle Kingdom is the third volume of the 'new' Chung Kuo but shares the name and much of is material from the first volume of the 'old' Chung Kuo. With the series due to kick into a much more ambitious schedule in 2013 (with six novels planned for publication that year), this is the calm before the storm and presumably a good jumping-on point for new readers.
Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson
Bantam (UK): 2 August
Tor (USA): tbc
Hundreds of thousands of years before the events of Gardens of the Moon, the Tiste Andii of Kharkanas - including Anomander Rake - are forced to confront a moment of crisis. The first in an epic trilogy that details some of the mythic underpinning of the Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence.
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
HarperCollins Voyager (UK): 16 August
Ace (USA): 7 August
The middle volume of The Broken Empire trilogy furthers the adventures of Jorg and his post-apocalyptic world.
Night of the Swarm by Robert V.S. Redick
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Del Rey (USA): tbc
The Chanthrand Voyage sequence reaches its epic conclusion.
Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Gollancz (UK): 16 August
Finally! After almost three years of delays, Polish superstar Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher sequence resumes with the publication of the second in five novels featuring Geralt, the witcher.
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Ballantine (USA): 28 August
Orion (UK): 30 August
The sequel to the critically-acclaimed and mega-selling The Passage. The survivors of The Passage go on the offensive and launch the Second Viral War, determined to destroy the Twelve, the leaders of the viral infection, and free the world from their shadow.
The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi
Gollancz (UK): 20 September
Tor (USA): 4 September
The sequel to the well-received Quantum Thief, seeing posthuman con artist Jean le Flambeur having to break into the mind of a living god. Expect weirdness.
The Three Prince War by Pierre Pevel
Gollancz (UK): 20 September
Following up on his Cardinal's Blades trilogy, this is an epic fantasy featuring a conflict that erupts between brothers feuding for the throne of a kingdom.
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
Gollancz (UK): 18 October
Bantam Spectra (USA): tbc
We may have gotten A Dance with Dragons and The Wise Man's Fear last year, but the third of the long-awaited fantasy novels remains MIA. Hopes were high that Lynch would have been able to deliver the novel before Christmas for a rapid release in the Spring, but this has clearly not happened, with Gollancz now listing a very late 2012 release. Hardcore fantasy fans remain eager for the new book, but with the fifth anniversary of the publication of Red Seas Under Red Skies approaching, this is one series that's going to need some re-establishing to get more casual readers fired up about it.
Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Macmillan (UK): October
Del Rey (USA): tbc
Hamilton's new novel is his longest in some time - the longest since The Naked God, in fact - but is a stand-alone, set in a brand new universe and features shenanigans and whatnot in the year 2143 on a colony planet.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
Orbit UK: November
Tor (USA): November
By far the highest-profile speculative fiction release of 2012, A Memory of Light brings the massive Wheel of Time sequence to a close, fourteen volumes and almost twenty-three years after it began. If Sanderson can close the story with the aplomb he showed in The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, this book should be a triumph.
Legends of the Red Sun #4 by Mark Charan Newton
Macmillan (UK): Late 2012
Del Rey (USA): tbc
Mark Charan Newton's Legends of the Red Sun reaches its conclusion this year. Interesting what to see Newton has in store for us given the fairly apocalyptic ending to The Book of Transformations.
Dangerous Women, edited by Gardner Dozois & George R.R. Martin
Tor Books (USA): Late 2012
Martin and Dozois' latest collection of short fiction from some of the biggest names in fantasy. A key highlight will be the fourth Dunk 'n' Egg novella, The She-Wolves (working title), which takes them to Winterfell some eighty years before the events of A Game of Thrones.
A Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
Gollancz (UK): Late 2012
Orbit USA: Late 2012
Joe Abercrombie's third semi-stand-alone, set in the world of The First Law trilogy. This is Abercrombie's homage to Westerns, filtered through the lens of fantasy. If there isn't at least one grizzled gunslinger riding into a dustbowl town on unicorn-back, I'll be disappointed.
Godborn by Paul S. Kemp
Wizards of the Coast (UK & USA): Late 2012
After a lengthy break tackling Star Wars and his own original fiction, Kemp returns to the character who made him famous, Erevis Cale, and the Forgotten Realms setting for the first volume of the Cycle of Night trilogy.
Requiem by Ken Scholes
Tor (USA): Late 2012
Delayed by the author's unfortunate illness, the penultimate volume of the Psalms of Isaak series is eagerly awaited by fans of the first three books.
Endlords by J.V. Jones
Orbit UK: Late 2012
Tor Books: Late 2012
The fifth and penultimate volume of the Sword of Shadows sequence, which from the title sounds like it will be concentrating a lot on the main enemies of the sequence.
The Sea-Beggars by Paul Kearney
Solaris (UK & USA): Late 2012
Paul Kearney's Sea-Beggars sequence was almost left unfinished forever when it was abruptly cancelled after the second volume, but the original publishers refused to let go of the publication rights. Following a lengthy struggle, the author and Solaris managed to regain the rights. All three books - including the never-before-seen grand finale, Storm of the Dead - will now be published in a new omnibus edition at the end of 2012.
The Adjacent by Christopher Priest
Gollancz: Late 2012
Typical. You spend ten years waiting for a Christopher Priest novel and then two turn up in rapid succession. Following on from the success of The Islanders last year, Priest's new novel should be interesting. Although we so far don't know a thing about it.
The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia & Linda Antonsson
Bantam (USA): Late 2012
Companion books are usually so much filler, but this looks like being something special. Written over a long period by Westeros.org webmasters Garcia and Antonsson, using new information from George R.R. Martin (who is also providing editing and some new material for the book), this book will feature new, never-before-seen maps (including a 'world map' showcasing all the locations seen in the series), an extremely detailed history of the Seven Kingdoms and significant amounts of new artwork (including some additional Ted Nasmith castle pictures that haven't been seen so far). It's not The Winds of Winter, but should help make the wait a little more bearable.
The Unholy Consult by R. Scott Bakker
Overlook (USA): Late 2012
Orbit UK: Late 2012
Orbit seem to be adamant this will be published in 2012, though I suspect it may slip into 2013. The Unholy Consult will bring The Aspect-Emperor, the second movement of the massive Second Apocalypse series, to a monumental and epic conclusion.
Pariah by Dan Abnett
Black Library (UK & USA): Late 2012
Abnett unleashes the third and final trilogy in his Inquisitors sequence, following on from the excellent Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies. This final series - The Bequin Trilogy - focuses on Inquisitor Bequin and the confrontation between Ravenor and his former mentor, Eisenhorn.
2013 releases:
City in the Jungle by Ian Cameron Esslemont
Highprince of War by Brandon Sanderson (likely to have a title change)
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
Ketty Jay Book 4 by Chris Wooding
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
Gaunt's Ghosts #14 by Dan Abnett
Cold Days by Jim Butcher (apparently a delay from mid-2012, but not confirmed yet)
Tales of Dunk & Egg by George R.R. Martin (collects the first four prequel novellas)
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