E3

X-Play is looking at the heavy hitters of E3 2012. In part 2, we're taking a look at Dishonored, Far Cry 3, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Resident Evil 6.

So far, everything we've seen about Dishonored has made it look pretty awesome, so it's perfectly understandable to hope for more at E3. I mean, come on, it's Bioshock meets steampunk by Bethesda. How can that NOT be awesome?

Speaking of Bethesda, we can only hope to see more of Elder Scrolls Online next week. Perhaps a look at the story? Maybe some screenshots? Or heck, just a release date would be fine.

We've already seen quite a bit of Far Cry 3, but we're greedy bastards and are always looking to get our hands on as much as we can get. Here's hoping we can see even more at E3 2012.

And finally, Resident Evil 6 has already got the fanboys whipped up into a frenzy. The latest installment of the classic zombie franchise already looks like it will be a good one, but we hope to see plenty more of it in the coming days.

Check out part one of our heavy hitters preview here.

This Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time gameplay video demos Sly and the gang sneaking their way onto PS3 and PS Vita later this year, ready to steal the limelight from other platform games. Lead designer Mat Kraemer explained that one of the ways Sony is going to pull off this attention-stealing heist is by giving you access to long-time foe and Sly Cooper love interest Carmelita.

A playable Carmelita is only one Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time surprise. Kraemer also said the game will feature epic boss battles, a time-traveling story and a colorful cast of playable Sly ancestors. You'll be able to assume the role of Sly, Carmelita and his thieving family tree this fall.

The God of War: Ascension official gameplay video preview features brutal multiplayer action, promising God of War fans more bloody combat for the franchise, with devasting specials, magical perks, and unlockable weapon and armor types specific to players' allegiance to either Zeus, Aries, Poseidon, or Hades.

God of War: Ascension includes large-scale combat characteristic of the franchise, including a fight with a giant cyclops. 

Although Sony says God of War: Ascension will encourage competition among teams, lead combat designer Jason McDonald says single-player mode has not suffered: "We didn't want to sacrifice single-player for multiplayer, neither did we want to tack [the latter] on," he said. "We're definitely going full force with both."

Natsume have announced Project Happiness, a new IP being developed by Yasuhiro Wada, the Father of Harvest Moon, and his studio, Toybox Inc. Project Happiness is the working title of the IP, but other than announcing the game's existence, Natsume didn't  share much else about the game, opting to wait until E3 to do so.

The publisher did mention that Project Happiness is, "Filled with adventure, discovery, and wonder," and that it will, "warm the hearts of gamers both young and old! It's an experience that will fill you with motivation and magical memories!"

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E3 2012 is just around the corner and this X-List counts down our five most anticipated sequels coming to the video game convention. Of course we've got Grand Theft Auto 5, Halo 4, and Borderlands 2 covered, but you'll have to watch the video to see what else we can't wait to get our hands on.

A Lord of the Rings multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game titled Guardians of Middle-earth has been announced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The battle will be coming to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network in fall 2012 and will feature tie-ins to the upcoming Hobbit movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

“The MOBA genre is wildly popular with PC players and we are excited to bring it to consoles through the lore of Middle-earth,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development at WBIE. “The heroes and villains of Middle-earth are crafted in a way that perfectly intersects with MOBA game features, allowing the development team to create guardians with deep skills and abilities for gamers to master.”

In Guardians of Middle-earth, players will be able to choose from more than 20 guardians including Gandalf, Sauron, Gollum, Thráin and many more to help them battle for Middle-earth. WBIE hasn't detailed the maps or game's modes yet, but we're assuming one team will be trying to destroy the other's base. The game will also include in-game chat and a comprehensive online leader board system.

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Cyberpunk, a futuristic RPG, was just announced by CD Projekt Red at a pre-E3 2012 press conference. Based on the 1988 pen-and-paper game of the same name, Cyberpunk is a role-playing game for mature audiences, and will feature realistic, brutal violence and be set in a rich, futuristic world.

Although it uses the same engine, this isn't The Witcher 2 with a future skin; Red would like to set a new standard in the futuristic RPG genre with an exceptional gaming experience featuring a varied selection of different classes, customizable characters, a full arsenal of weapons, upgrades, implants, and cool high-tech toys.

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Far Cry 3 now has a E3 teaser trailer! The video shows glimpses, both visual and audio, of Ubisoft's open-world shooter. The full trailer will be revealed next Monday, June 4th, during Ubisoft's E3 2012 press conference. Following in the great tradition that is teaser trailers, this trailer doesn't really reveal anything.

• NEWS: Far Cry 3 Multiplayer Beta Details -- Coming This Summer

Far Cry 3 will be released on September 4, 2012.

It’s Thursday, and that only means one thing: It’s time for The MMO Report! On this very special Pre-E3 episode, Casey breaks down the factions of The Elder Scrolls Online, gets some brand new scoop on Defiance straight from Trion World’s pre-E3 event, and scores us an exclusive look at the awesome MAX suits of PlanetSide 2. So I guess the only question I have is who the hell are you to resist hitting that play button?

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G4 is counting down the top 100 video games of all time with five 1-hour specials all week long starting Monday, June 11 at 8/7c.

What began in arcades, pizza parlors and shag carpeted living rooms has grown into a multi-billion dollar business that dominates the entertainment landscape. Whether it’s addictive Facebook games, iPad apps, MMOs, or console blockbusters, everyone is a gamer. 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin can’t put down Words with Friends, and the New York Jets’ Tim Tebow is the master of Madden.

Don’t miss G4’s highly anticipated, and sure to be controversial, countdown of gaming’s most defining moments. Celebrities, athletes, rock stars and game designers will join the X-Play experts to weigh in on which video games broke the mold and ultimately crown one landmark title the greatest of all time. 

From Mario to Master Chief, 8-bit to hi-def, Angry Birds to Zelda - the battle is on to count down the top 100 video games of all time... will your favorite make the list?

Find out when G4 airs The Top 100 Video Games of All Time - June 11-15, all week at 8/7c!

Now that you know when it airs on G4, check out our full length trailer of highlights featuring Aisha Tyler, Jake Johnson, Daequan Cook, Kumail Nanjiani, Soulja Boy, Jack Black, Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Tony Hawk, Andrew Luck, Morgan Webb, Richard Hammond, Janina Gavankar, Slash, Brian Posehn, Chris Parnell, Danny Pudi, Paul Scheer, Cliff Bleszinski, Felicia Day, Geoff Johns, Matthew Perry and Scott Porter!

Skyrim's DLC will be called "Dawnguard." Bethesda dropped the title, the image you see above on their blog, but they gave very little other information. Although we do know that it's coming this summer to Xbox 360. Bethesda promises more details about the downloadable content at E3 2012.

• NEWS: Skyrim DLC To Include Snow Elves?

Because we have so little information to go on, it's the perfect time to wax philosophical in our comment section. Tell us what you'd like to see this summer when Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC is released.

According to Nintendo Power magazine, Pikmin 2 is coming out for the Wii in North America... finally. You Pikmin 2 fans have been waiting for a long time -- Pikmin 2 was originally announced for the Wii way back in 2009, and folks in Europe have been playing since then. So if you need a reason to blow the dust off your Wii, you'll have it soon.

It's not known if anything new is planned for the North American release of Pikmin 2, a game that was originally a GameCube title.

• NEWS: Pikmin 3 Wii U Game Set For E3 Reveal

If you need a reason for the supposed release, consider this: Nintendo has said it's showing off Pikmin 3 for the Wii U at E3 this year, and if there's a better way to remind gamers why they love this important series of games, the realease of the second game in the series will do it.

Speaking of E3 2012, allow me to hype G4's coverage for a moment. We will be all over E3 2012, bringing you game previews, news, videos and all kinds of surprises and great stuff.

Microsoft and Sony have confirmed their E3 Press Conference dates. Both companies will be introducing the world to their latest and greatest video games and other tech innovations on June 4, 2012.

Microsoft will hold their press conference first, at 10:00 AM PDT. Last year, the Kinect took center stage during MS' presser, with demos for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Mass Effect 3, and Fable: The Journey.

• NEWS: Mario For Wii U To Be Shown At E3

Sony's press conference will take place at 6:00 PM PDT at the Memorial Sports Arena. Last year, Sony gave us tons of PlayStation Vita details, as well as demos from Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, and BioShock Infinite's PlayStation Move support.

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The Sony PlayStation Vita (or as I like to call it, the PSV) was given its proper name and unveiling at E3 2011, so we had Jessica Chobot scope out the system for herself in a hands-on preview. Until you've actually held the thing, you're only getting half the story. So while we can't magically make the Vita appear in your home - I volunteer to test out the new technology when it arrives! - we can show you a glimpse as to what our hands-on time was like. Check it out below.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a game that drops marines onto LV-426 after the events of James Cameron's classic Aliens to fend off a xenomorph horde with pulse rifles, power loaders, and just about anything our heroes can get their hands on. But if this sounds like mumbo jumbo for franchise fans only, don't worry: we scoped out the game at E3 and it looks to be just as heart-racing as any top-notch shooter.

"In one sequence, the player can  set up sentry guns to hold off an oncoming horde, lovingly lifted from a deleted scene in the film, and of course, there are Power Loaders, the giant exoskeletons used to transport heavy cargo and swat away at alien Queens. Even better, these Power Loaders are armed to the teeth with guns and flamethrowers. Most interesting though was the four-player drop-in/drop-out that allows you to take on the xenos with three of your buddies instead of only AI jarheads."

I don't know if you knew this, but I have an Alien tattoo on the back of my neck. Sorry you had to find out this way, Dad. I'm pretty pumped to load up my M56 Smart Gun and put these beasts down. And if that doesn't work, I've got my trusty shotgun handy... in case of close encounters.

Still, don't take my word for it! Read all of Eric Eckstein's Aliens: Colonial Marines E3 2011 preview and judge for yourself!