Feature | Warner Bros. show off blockbuster holiday season line-up

Despite being one of the newest gaming publishers in the industry, Warner Bros. has been able to establish an identity extremely quickly.

On the back of some judicious IP acquisitions and a readily built group of powerhouse licenses, Warner Brothers is positioned to become a gaming powerhouse thanks to its film and TV connections that include Harry Potter, Batman and Lord of the Rings.

Having already released AAA blockbusters Fear 3 and Mortal Kombat in 2011, Warners moves into the final quarter of the year with not only momentum but the biggest games in their short history ahead of them.

Batman: Arkham City

First and most anticipated is the follow-up to surprise smash Batman Arkham Asylum, Batman Arkham City. Despite being incorrectly labeled as simply a licensed-property tie-in, the original Batman game was the most successful comic-based title ever and set the standard for all licensed games that followed it.

A brilliant combination of violence, stealth, puzzle-solving and all out action, Batman Arkham Asylum was a stunning ode to the dark knight and one which garnered a enormous following eagerly awaiting the sequel.

With an E3 presentation that highlighted numerous improvements including the new playable character of Catwoman, the massively expanded world of Arkham City and the astonishing new art design, the developers at Rocksteady looked to have delivered a blockbuster title that improves on the already amazing original in every way.

With more surprises being unleashed on a seemingly weekly basis, Batman Arkham City sits firmly at the top of 2011′s blockbusters, sure to join Uncharted 3, Rage, Skyrim and Battlefield as contenders for the game of the year. But for those who can’t wait until October to step into the shoes of the bat and haven’t played the original, now is as perfect a time as ever!

The Lord of the Rings: The War in the North

Leaving its former home at EA, the Lord of the Rings series now returns home to Warner Bros with the release of Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Bar the family-oriented Aragorn’s Quest, this will be Warner’s first real stab at creating the world that, thanks to Peter Jackson, New Line and co, they now have so much control over.

Especially relevant in New Zealand homes, the EA film adaptions were certified blockbusters; packing in action by the bucketload; while not exactly breaking the boundaries of action/adventure games, the series will be fondly remembered by many as movie tie-ins that actually worked.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North takes place simultaneous to the film trilogy but focuses on the Northern battles and new characters to give the game  a freedom that previous games lacked. Couple this with a more mature focused core game, ie it’s MOR E VIOLENT, and War in the North is the most promising LOTR title in years. With The Hobbit adaptions just around the corner, War in the North looks to kickstart a whole new generation of Tolkien inspired awesomeness.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7

As the Harry Potter universe winds down following the filmic conclusion to the series, so does the video game universe follow suit. With EA’s Harry Potter film adaptations ending with a whimper rather than a bang, it’s been left to the Lego franchise to carry to torch for JK Rowlings’s true believers instead.

Always a great fit for the Lego-style gameplay and humour, Lego Harry Potter – Years 1-4 was a perfect family game that didn’t stress the synapses but instead moved through the books with charm and exquisite homage. With the books and films becoming decidedly more adult in tone as they progressed, so has Years 5-7 had to slightly change itself to compensate. While still retaining what makes Lego games, well, Lego games, this sequel has ramped up the action and slightly increased in difficulty as it expects more for its’ players.

Potentially (although, Warners’ is sure to milk Harry for as much as he’s worth) one of the last entries in the Harry Potter universe, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 seems like the perfect farewell that the EA Deathly Hallows Part 2 denied us.

Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster

Okay, stay with me on this one. Yes, Once Upon A Monster is actually a kids title; yes, you will look like a complete knobend if your mates catch you playing it; yes, it is a Kinect game; but Once Upon A Monster comes from the genius/twisted mind of Tim Schafer, creator of Psychonauts and Grim Fandango!

While undeniably popular, the Kinect system hasn’t exactly been blessed with a ton of fantastic content so far, and in fact the majority of the game released are appallingly terrible. Once Upon A Monster could be the PERFECT compliment for the camera, as one of the most creative use of the peripheral combines with a the time-honoured tradition of Sesame Street to create the ideal children’s title for Xmas.

Part rhythm game, part educational game and part co-op puzzle game, Once Upon A Monster could only ever be a Double Fine game and represents one of the first original and appealing applications of the Kinect to actually come out on the system so far.

Lollipop Chainsaw

Announced just last month and scheduled for a 2012 release, Lollipop Chainsaw not only holds the honour of “Best Videogame Name Ever’ but also comes from Suda 51′s Grasshopper Studios, the developers behind Shadows of the Damned, Killer 7 and No More Heroes.

With a pedigree of insanely simple and simply insane titles, Lollipop Chainsaw is a bold publishing move by the fledgling Warner Bros who are showing that they’re not afraid to take risks on games, even with titles that kick all sorts of ass.

With a cheerleading chainsawing protagonist, Lollipop Chainsaw is already one of the most intriguing games due to release in 2012 and will be just one of a number of exciting titles to come out of Warner Bros over the next twelve months, can’t wait!