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An annual tradition here at the Black Panel, New Horizons provides you with a sneak peak at the year ahead. Entirely bereft of sequels and spin-offs, this article is devoted to the promise of new ideas, bold and inventive.

Former baseball star Cur Schilling is driving the development of action oriented RPG KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING. The former baseball star has turned to some high profile talent to help realise his vision. Designer Ken Rolston (The Elder Scrolls IV), novelist R.A. Salvatore (Forgotten Realms) and comic artist Todd McFarlane (Spawn) are all contributing to a game that, at least thus far, looks like a fairly typical fantasy adventure. Kingdom’s of Amalur: Reckoning is due for release on 360, PS3 and PC in spring 2011. REVIEW

It seems the widely reported death of chivalry may have been slightly exaggerated. Every second screen from cooperative fantasy action game KNIGHTS CONTRACT has lazy witch Gretchen being carried about by hulking executioner Heinrich. Truth be told, the latter has been spellbound by the former and effectively has no choice in the matter. However, unless they can work together, the villainous Dr. Faust will win the day. Publisher Namco Bandai is bringing Knights Contract to both 360 and PS3 later this year. REVIEW

Though more than six years have passed since the formation of Australia’s Team Bondi, the studio is yet to release its debut title. Brendan McNamara and his team have somehow retained the confidence of publisher Rockstar Games and as a result we may finally get to play L.A. NOIRE on 360 and PS3 in 2011. A stylish police drama set in the 1940s, L.A. Noire makes extensive use motion capture technology. The game certainly looks the goods and, barring yet another delay, we’ll find out how it plays in autumn. REVIEW

With a back catalogue boasting two of most acclaimed titles of the past decade, Sony’s Team Ico is under intense pressure to deliver something special for its PS3 debut. THE LAST GUARDIAN invites you to assume the role of a young boy as he befriends a beautifully realised feathered beast. Together you’ll explore a network of ruins and overcome obstacles that neither of you could best alone. Look for The Last Guardian to revive the intense emotions of youth in late 2011.

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An annual tradition here at the Black Panel, New Horizons provides you with a sneak peak at the year ahead. Entirely bereft of sequels and spin-offs, this article is devoted to the promise of new ideas, bold and inventive.

The creators of Frontlines: Fuel of War are preparing another assault on the first person shooter market. This time around, THQ and Kaos Studios have an ace up their sleeve.  HOMEFRONT will feature a paranoid near future scenario penned by Red Dawn director John Milius. The Greater Korean Republic has conquered the United States and as a member of the resistance, it will be up to you to send them packing. Freedom ain’t free, etc. This unlikeliest of invasions begins on 360, PS3 and PC on Thursday 10 March 2011. REVIEW

A cooperative fantasy action game, HUNTED: THE DEMON’S FORGE is the first major project from inXile Entertainment since the cancelation of HEI$T. Your perilous quest occurs during a dark age of murder, slavery and corruption (no, not the 90s). You’ll need to combine with your partner to unravel potentially lethal puzzles and execute devastating special attacks. According to publisher Bethesda Softworks, this 360, PS3 and PC game is set to arrive in May. REVIEW

If you wagered that 5^th Cell’s next game would be an online multiplayer shooter, you should probably board the next plane to Vegas. The post apocalyptic HYBRID marks a radical change for a studio known best known for DS hits Drawn Together and Scribblenauts. Will this rather generic looking third person shooter turn out to be as daring and imaginative as those games? We certainly hope so, but we’ll have to wait until later this year to be sure. Hybrid is, at least for the moment, an XBLA exclusive.

Having mesmerised some (and infuriated others) with the highly experimental Flower, thatgamecompany is preparing to release JOURNEY, another title likely to test the boundaries of our favourite medium. You’ll be transported to vast expanse of sand dunes. As you walk towards a distant peak, you’ll explore the ruins of a lost civilisation and encounter other players trying to understand the world around them. This is a game about landscape, interaction and (conversely) introspection. Sony is yet to announce a precise release date for what promises to be one the year’s most intriguing PSN exclusives. REVIEW

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An annual tradition here at the Black Panel, New Horizons provides you with a sneak peak at the year ahead. Entirely bereft of sequels and spin-offs, this article is devoted to the promise of new ideas, bold and inventive.

It may sound like a self-help book authored by L. Ron Hubbard, but EL SHADDAI: ASCENSION OF THE METATRON is in fact a gorgeous 3D action game from UTV Ignition Entertainment. Inspired by Judeo-Christian legend, the game thrusts you into the role of Enoch, a man charged with rounding up a host of rebellious angels. Imagine if the cover of a 1970’s sci-fi paperback was created using traditional Japanese watercolours. That should give you some idea of just how aesthetically adventurous this game is. El Shaddai is due for release on 360 and PS3 in Q2. REVIEW

You’re always being told to take control of your life, but why stop there when you can control an entire civilisation? An ambitious revival of the god genre, FROM DUST is the brainchild of Another World creator Eric Chahi. As the deity in question, it will be your job to forge a suitable home for a small population of primitive humans. The environment will then evolve dynamically and you’ll need to work fast in order protect your flock from natural disasters such as tidal waves and volcanic eruptions. From Dust is expected to arrive on XBLA, PSN and PC in Q2. REVIEW

Role playing specialists Square Enix are about to go against type with GUN LOCO, a fast paced third person shooter set on a savage prison planet. With guns, knives and novelty headwear seemingly in plentiful supply, it’s clear that all thoughts of rehabilitation have been shelved. Described by the publisher as a “black comedy”, the game features some truly demented character designs, including a gun toting psychopath dressed as a cartoon rabbit. Gun Loco is exclusive to the 360. Look for it in Q1. CANCELLED

The studio responsible for PaRappa the Rapper is bringing its quirky sensibilities to the Kinect. NanaOn-Sha’s HAUNT will see you attempting to evict some disorderly (and most likely deceased) tenants from a mansion that also happens to be jam packed with diabolical traps. Haunt may be dark and atmospheric, but its almost comical art style suggests that it could be suitable for a younger audience. Publisher Microsoft is yet to narrow its release date further than ‘2011’.

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An annual tradition here at the Black Panel, New Horizons provides you with a sneak peak at the year ahead. Entirely bereft of sequels and spin-offs, this article is devoted to the promise of new ideas, bold and inventive.

Recent Epic Games acquisition People Can Fly is preparing to unleash sci-fi first person shooter BULLETSTORM. The developer has described the otherworldly setting as a “paradise”, which it may well be for the rampant populations of mutants and cannibals. As outcast mercenary Grayson Hunt, you’re quite understandably not as keen on the place. In order to survive, you’ll need to develop a repertoire of creative attacks known as “skillshots”. An unabashed orgy of violence and profanity, Bulletstorm will arrive on 360, PS3 and PC on Thursday 24 February. REVIEW

Q Entertainment founder Tetsuya Mizuguchi is bringing his celebrated brand of seizure inducing insanity to a new generation of gamers.  Featuring a mesmeric blend of abstract images and sounds, CHILD OF EDEN challenges you to defend a computer archive from a debilitating virus. Publisher Ubisoft has announced the game for 360 and PS3, with the latter version featuring Kinect compatibility for even more immersive play. The latest mind bending experience from the creator of Rez and Lumines is due in March. REVIEW

Even as the Wii vanished beneath an avalanche of family friendly shovelware, Grasshopper Manufacture defied the trend with the deliriously violent No More Heroes. Suda 51’s acclaimed studio is now hard at work on CODENAME D, an action horror release that could well do the same for Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral. Though few details have yet emerged, it appears that you’ll be using pyrokinetic powers to battle the anthropomorphic inhabitants of an abandoned amusement park (just as you do in Kinectimals).

After the first three crusades ended up in a file marked “seemed like a good idea at the time”, the ironically named Pope Innocent III elected to take another crack at it. The fallout from this decision is explored in THE CURSED CRUSADE, a co-op focused third person combat game from Kylotonn Entertainment. You’ll play as Denz, a blood drenched crusader desperate to rid himself of a mystical illness. The Cursed Crusade is slated for release on 360, PS3 and PC in winter 2011.

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Listen to our New Horizons PODCAST discussion.