E3 2012 kicks off June 4, just two days away, and the gaming industry's biggest event caters to every genre. One of the most popular genres is the first-person shooter, and 2012 once again promises blockbuster titles. Let's check them out.

Halo 4

Tied only with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 as the big title of 2012, 343 Industries is taking over from Bungie after the latter's departure from the series following the release of Halo: Reach. Halo 4 picks up where Halo 3 left off, five years after Master Chief and Cortana found themselves stranded in space.

343 hasn't revealed much information about the campaign, partly because the studio doesn't want to ruin the experience for players, but the stage demo at Microsoft's E3 conference on June 4 will probably show a snippet of the early moments. The new enemy Chief will face is also unknown, so there's a chance the identity will be unveiled.

Regarding multiplayer, 343 is refreshing the formula significantly after a 10-year period of titles that have functioned similarly. D Frank O'Connor has assured fans the game will still feel like Halo; however, additions such as perks and instant respawns have caused some long-term players to be worried the game is unrecognisable from its roots.

The question is whether the game manages to balance out the new elements, a flaw Halo: Reach consistently demonstrated.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

The next annual entry in the Call of Duty franchise lies with Treyarch. The company decided to follow up to 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, but is taking the game to the future and moving away from the Vietnam setting.

Criticisms against Call of Duty have been the lack of progression in terms of game mechanics, with every game since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - except Black Ops - taking place in the modern era. Bringing Call of Duty to the future brings high-tech weapons and vehicles, though few have been revealed.

Campaign does come second to multiplayer in the series, though, and most fans will be looking for the same experience found in Modern Warfare 3. Whether changing up the formula pushes away fans remains to be seen.

Crysis 3

Crytek introduce the third entry in the PC benchmark-setting franchise in 2013, but gameplay footage will likely be shown off during Microsoft's conference or on the show floor.

The third installment returns to New York, where the city has been encased by Nanodomes and transformed into distinct environments. Playing as Prophet, the aim is to stop the evil Cell Corporation that is indoctrinating New Yorkers.

Crytek said the game will blend elements from Crysis 1 and 2; the second title, released during 2011, was criticized for streamlining the campaign and removing the choice players had in Crysis 1.

Far Cry 3

The sandbox shooter returns on a tropical island that serves a backdrop the insanity of the residents and brutal action players will face. Again, little information has been revealed about the title but expected an in-depth first look during Microsoft's E3 conference as the game releases later in 2012

The shooters here are just a sample of what will be shown. Battlefield: Armored Kill, Borderlands 2 and Metro: Last Light are three others that will be grabbing attention.