Editor’s Note: Welcome to part 2 of our twenty-five most anticipated games of 2012. After culminating a comprehensive list of the confirmed games for next year, the MediaKick team voted on the games they are most looking forward to for next year, and after processing the results through a methodical algorithm we’re here to bring you the results. Taking a closer look at both what we know so far and why the team are excited for each game, we’ll have an article at midday everyday until Christmas – when we’ll reveal our most anticipated game of 2012. Be sure to check out #25 if you haven’t already.

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the MCM Expo in London for a taster of up and coming titles in 2012. Tucked away in a little corner, Tecmo Koei Community Manager Chin Soon Sun had the privilege of holding down a booth dedicated to Ninja Gaiden 3 – one of my most anticipated titles for 2012. Naturally with lightning fast reflexes that even Ryu Hayabusa himself would have been proud of, I jumped in line ready to get my hands on the third installment of this critically acclaimed series.

For those of you not familiar with modern Ninja Gaiden, the magic began all the way back in 2004 on the original Xbox. Developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo, Ninja Gaiden set new standards for action-adventure titles – scoring critical acclaim due to diverse and intricate combat mechanics, a thoroughly challenging difficulty curve with excellent visual and technical presentation rounding it all up nicely. Unfortunately the second installment in the series didn’t have quite the same impact – 2008 saw the release of Ninja Gaiden II which rode off the success of its predecessor but failed to progress the series forward and consequentially, left fans disappointed.

2012 however, will be the year of redemption for the Hayabusa Ninja Clan as Ryu returns in spectacular fashion in what is described by director Yosuke Hayashi as an exploration of the “real Ryu Hayabusa” and his subsequent unmasking. They wanted to make him “less of a killing machine, more of a person.” Once again thrusting sword in hand, it will be up to the gamer to wade through hordes of enemies in brutal fashion, exploring Ryu’s new demonic side thanks to the poison left running in his veins from Ninja Gaiden II.

Ninja Gaiden 3 will feature a whole bunch of new mechanics and changes that I am hoping will evolve the franchise. A new Kunai Climb has been added that will allow Ryu to climb non-reachable areas and eliminate enemies from above. From my time with the demo at MCM I could also see that enemies seemed more intelligent as they began barking commands to control the battlefield and surround me. Controversially, Ninja Gaiden has always been known for gruesome amounts of blood and dismemberment – while blood remains, limb dicing is a thing of the past with the developers suggesting “people don’t want to see that anymore.” I’m not going to ruin all the surprises in store but judging from my time with Ninja Gaiden 3, fans will be more than happy with the changes made.

One major issue that has always crept up in conversations surrounding Ninja Gaiden is the punishing difficulty curve. The series has never been for the weak hearted but Ninja Gaiden 3 ensures it will be entry-level friendly with two different difficulty settings, allowing hardcore fans and newcomers alike to enjoy the game.

Editor of MediaKick David Howard, who happens to fall under the newcomer category for the series, also had an opportunity to play Ninja Gaiden 3 at Eurogamer Expo this year. “I’ve never played a Ninja Gaiden game before, but the fast-paced hugely-satisfying hack’n'slash gameplay was good fun. There was an issue with repetitiveness in the twenty-minute demo but overall it was solid. It’s certainly something I’m interested in playing more of and getting stuck in with the incredibly bloody and brutal swordplay.”

I believe there has always been an air of excitement surrounding Ninja Gaiden because as far as modern remakes are concerned, the series transformed into something that no one really envisioned – a true master class in action-adventure. When a game is that good, it’s always difficult to make changes to core mechanics, Assassins’ Creed is an excellent example of a franchise suffering from the same issues. With the addition of PlayStation Move controls and the launch of the Wii U, perhaps the next installment in Ryu’s adventure can bring a few interesting twists to an already successful formula.

Ultimately, prepare to enjoy what Ninja Gaiden 3 does best, immensely satisfying and engaging action-packed combat – even if the game doesn’t change dramatically, it is still thoroughly entertaining and easily one of my most anticipated titles for 2012.