Under the radar: Five games easily overlooked at E3 2012

A look at some of the titles showcases at this year's E3 that might have passed you by.

With all the noise about bows, arrows, gravel voiced soldiers in the not too distant future, and special work out classes designed to be performed in the comfort of your spacious, modern living room, it’s quite possible you might have missed some exciting games at E3. Here’s a look at some of the titles, from indie developers as well as more mainstream companies, that slipped under the radar at the LA-based event.

Project P-100
Developer: Platinum Games

Platinum had two titles at the show – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the high profile hacking, slashing, hyper violent futuristic murder-fest starring everyone’s favourite ninja cyborg Raiden, and this cute little offering for the Wii U. In it, you control a herd of super heroes who have to literally band together to save the world from an alien invasion. The not-so-catchy name is thankfully just a working title, and alongside Nintendo’s own offerings, this looks like one of the most exciting titles coming out for the first next-gen console in its launch window. With cute cartoon visuals and a smart line in huge, crowd performed special moves, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

The Moonlighters
Developer: Rad Dragon

There are quite a few heist-based games coming out in the not too distant future, but this isometric, fifties set caper looks like an interesting addition to the genre. Essentially a puzzle game, yet with J-RPG overtones, your team of thieves have to work their way through the security at a variety of different events, stealing as much as you can along the way. There’s a swinging soundtrack and plenty of class-based head scratchers to solve, with developer Rad Dragon targeting console users via XBLA and PSN, with the game also heading to PC and Mac.

Sound Shapes
Developer: Queasy Games

A musically focused platformer from the people behind Everyday Shooter, Sound Shapes has actually been around since before the Vita was called the Vita. Now scheduled for a PS3 and PS Vita release in August, the game is all about solving puzzles and creating music. It looks gorgeous, and ships with a level editor that will let you build your own confounding sonic contraptions. It also features musical contributions from Deadmau5 and Jim Guthrie.

The Cave
Developer: Double Fine Productions

The latest game from Double Fine, this time from the mind of Ron Gilbert, is a “metroidvania” style puzzling platformer that sees you picking three characters from a roster of seven and trying to escape from the titular cavern. There’s plenty of replayability too, with different characters being able to access different parts of the cavern. And with Ron Gilbert attached, you can be sure that the mix of platforming and adventuring is not only going to be something pretty special, but laugh out loud funny too.

Hawken
Developer: Adhesive Games

A free to play, online multiplayer title where you play as a giant mech, smashing up opponents in a futuristic city scape. What’s not to like? As much about building the right machine for the job as it is your twitchy shooting skills, Hawken lets players spend their cash on upgrading their stompy robot frames, creating the ultimate bipedal tank in the process. It enters beta in December, so anyone with a passing fancy for the likes of Mechwarrior or Chromehounds should make sure the date is added to their diary.