GamesCom 2012 in a nutshell, part 1

Matt Hawkins Contributing Writer, Video Games

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The US has both E3 and Penny Arcade Expo, Japan has Tokyo Game Show, and Europe has GamesCom, happening right now. And we have the highlights.

Thus far, not many new games have been unveiled. Instead, we’re mostly getting a closer look at stuff that was revealed at E3. Not the worst thing in the world, mind you. First up is the latest taste of The Last of Us, which keeps looking nicer and nicer…

Sticking with Sony, Until Dawn is a brand PlayStation Move title that essentially appears to be the perfect mix of Evil Dead and Alan Wake…

Some new characters have been added to Sony’s Super Smash Bros inspired, mascot brawl for all. And they all look just as awkward and out of place as everyone else…

One of the biggest complaints from E3 was the lack of any PlayStation Vita representation. Well, GamesCon fixes that. Like a brand new, portable version of Killzone. FPS fanatics are going to love constantly having to swipe the screen to seal the kill…

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified on the other hand looks far more straightforward. As well as far more generic, and something from 2003…

Then there’s Tearaway, one of the few original titles announced. Looks like a kids game, but who cares. Still looks like loads of fun to play, plus makes full use of the system (though I’m not keen on blowing and yelling at my Vita, since I mostly play portable games on the subway)…

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation looks impressive, but again, not jazzed by all the touchscreen nonsense. But hey, it’s Assassin’s Creed on the go (and not gimped, like previous smart phone iterations), but you play a hottie. Will give it a go anyway…

And finally, a closer look at its bigger brother’s navel battles. Remember: a very big part of the Revolutionary War was won on the seas, so it’s nice to see it represented in such stunning fashion…