There's a lot to be excited for in 2012, and the Shacknews staff each have five games on their radar. The editorial team at Shacknews outlines their most anticipated games of 2012 individually. Next up we've got staff writer Alice O'Connor's list of 2012 titles.

Dota 2

"That guy is permanently invisible," I explain. "No, this one bought an item that lets him teleport," I add. "And yes, that lady's spell does one-shot kill you at this point."

I've been playing an awful lot of the Dota 2 closed beta with former Shack writer Nick Breckon, trying to teach him a little of what I learned from hundreds of hours in the original DotA mod yonks ago, and it's been awkward. When you start, it's not at all clear who any of the characters are, what they do, what their items do, what your items do, why you're supposed to attack your own allies, and how you died in two seconds when three enemy heroes materialised out of thin air.

Read more: The rest of Alice's picks for 2012 »

The no-kill playthrough is a way to challenge yourself, brag to your friends, and earn some Achievements or Trophies in the process. If you're a stealth-loving challenge seeker, you may be pleased to know that Dishonored will let you sneak your way through the entire game without killing a single hapless guard. And thank goodness, because that guy was just one day from retirement.

"Our goal is to let you ghost the game. The extreme extremes are slaughter everyone, high chaos, or ghost the game. You can actually complete the game without killing anyone," said co-creative director Harvey Smith.

Read more: An assassin who doesn't kill? »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Strap yourself in! It's Gamescom 2011; we have a ton of new videos and screenshots for you to enjoy. Be warned, you might be here for longer than usual.

Read more: Check out today's Filter »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features a multiplayer trailer for Driver: San Francisco, a how-to video for Warlords, a champion spotlight for League of Legends, a launch trailer for We Dance, a question and answer session for FIFA Soccer 12, two new trailers for Star Wars: The Old Republic, new screenshots for Dishonored, and new screenshots for Wargame: European Escalation.

Read more: Check out today's Filter »

We've only known about Dishonored for a few days, so the game is still pretty mysterious -- but today we got a few more details and our first look at a screenshot, from Game Informer. The game has you take on the role of Corvo, a bodyguard imprisoned for the murder of the Empress he was supposed to protect. He's skilled in melee combat, along with powers and gadgets, to stand up against the man who set him up: Lord Regent. Yeah, that's definitely a villain name.

Read more »

Arkane Studios was working on a new game when it was acquired by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax last August, and now we finally know a little about it. The maker of Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic has been busy working on Dishonored.

Very few details are offered, with Bethesda simply describing it as "an all-new first-person action game." However, Game Informer magazine, which features Dishonored as its August cover game, elaborates a little, describing it more excitingly as a "first-person stealth/action adventure." Read more »