By Katey Khaos

If you missed all the game releases showcased at this year’s PAX East ~ don’t worry! Here’s a recap for some awesome games coming out this year. I have three words for you: sequels and threequels!

Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 builds upon the fun gameplay elements introduced in its predecessor. Fans of the first installment will be happy to see that the same cartoon-eqsue graphics as well as the four player online co-op modes are still there. New features in the game include a much more expansive weapon system, re-worked physics elements, and a much more dynamic quest system. Gearbox has also done a rework on the game’s AI ~ non-enemies will populate the world on a more frequent basis, and enemy AI will now encourage teamwork, interact with each other, and take cover when wounded. Release Date: September 18, 2012

Max Payne 3
Rockstar is at it again with another shoot-‘em-up style game. This time, it’s the latest installment of the Max Payne Series. This time around, Rockstar has reworked some of Max Payne‘s best features, giving the series a new look with the same game you know and love. For starters, the notable bullet-time action sequences are still alive and well (although your enemies may not be). Players will also be equipped with more realistic weaponry as well as an intelligent cover system, which comes in handy during gun fights. In addition to the expansive single-player campaign, Max Payne will also be featuring a multiplayer experience, which is completely new to the series. Release Date: May 15, 2012

Assassin’s Creed III:
The developers at Ubisoft have made some serious improvements to the series, making gameplay more realistic than ever. The entire terrain has been reworked ~ that not only goes for the visual aspect, but also for what players can do with it. Players can now climb through trees, scale walls in anything but a linear fashion, and sneak through brush, allowing them to go undetected when needed. Another awesome addition is the fact that during battles, up to 2,500 AI can be shown on screen at a time without lagging the game out. (I mean, it is the Revolutionary War after all, there was more than a few people at a time fighting.) Release Date: October 30, 2012

If you don’t want to miss out on next year’s PAX East, be sure to check out east.paxsite.com!