First introduced at a Microsoft event in Tokyo a couple of years back, Crimson Dragon has been hidden in secrecy for some time, with Yukio Futatsuki, the creator of Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series, and his team toiling away on its spiritual successor for Xbox Live Arcade.  But recently, Microsoft provided us a hands-on opportunity with the upcoming release, giving us the ability to fly around with a dragon using body motions.  And you know what?  It’s not half bad.

Every year, video game companies go all out at one specific event – the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which takes place every year in Los Angeles around June.  Here, companies like to show off what lies ahead in the next twelve to fifteen months, big projects, small uprisings, little advancements to their hardware…that sort of thing.  We’ve been to a lot of shows now, and they’ve been impressive, but E3 2012 should be an even bigger year, thanks to what the companies are bringing.

Halo 4 fans won’t have to wait until November 6th to explore the new Halo 4 universe. Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, will release the second novel in the Kilo-Five Trilogy”written by bestselling novelist and renowned game writer Karen Traviss earlier. HALO: THE THURSDAY WAR will ship in hardcover alongside a simultaneous audio edition on October 2, 2012, giving gamers a full month to explore the universe that Microsoft and 343 Industries is creating based on Bungie’s game franchise.

There are some genres where the Xbox 360 doesn’t quite match the PlayStation 3.  In this particular case, it’s brutal action.  Sure, it’s got Gears of War 3, but the console is sorely lacking a competitor that can keep up with Sony’s own God of War franchise.  Sure, Dante’s Inferno came pretty damn close, but the religious overtones stopped hardcore gamers from fully enjoying that one.  Now Climax Studios gives the genre a try with a digital downloadable title called Bloodforge, and while there’s plenty to hack and slash, there’s very little purpose to keep you from doing it for hours on end.

The countdown has begun for one of the big games of 2012. Microsoft and 343 Industries are developing Halo 4, the hotly anticipated sequel that will ship on November 6, 2012. Taking control of the franchise with Bungie developing an original franchise for Activision, 343 Industries shows what’s in store with the start of a new trilogy in the video below.

It’s great how some developers wrap their head around a tactic that’s never been done before when it comes to puzzle games.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as often as we’d like to see, with countless Bejeweled clones and a number of companies merely riding the same train to success.  That’s why it’s great to see a game like The Splatters, the latest from Microsoft Game Studios and the savvy development team at SpikySnail.  It sets out on its own path, introducing a slew of the most lovable suicidal characters since the Lemmings as they set out to defuse bombs the only way they know how – by splattering, obviously.

Capcom believes there’s a core audience of gamers who are willing to take the Kinect plunge. The Japanese publisher has enlisted developer From Software to create this sequel to the hit Xbox game, Steel Battalion. Working closely with Microsoft to take full advantage of Kinect, Steel Battalion Heavy Armor is an Xbox 360 exclusive first-person action game that promises to deliver a uniquely immersive experience and an evolution in warfare gaming.