2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year. Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, Killzone 3, and many other threes will cap off their relative trilogies, while The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and The Last Guardian mark the return of beloved franchises that have too long been absent from our home consoles.
Late last year the PALGN staff gave their personal lists for 2010's best and worst, and now we give you our most hyped games for 2011. Read on to discover what pushes the buttons of these good chosen few.
The Last Guardian
Fumito Ueda, like compatriot Hideo Kojima, is one of the true auteurs of gaming. A visionary and a poet, Ueda has produced two of gaming's most adored and venerable classics, ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, so it is rather difficult for me to be anything other than gut-bustingly enthused for his latest opus, the enigmatic The Last Guardian, scheduled for release sometime (not soon enough) this year. Will the epic journey of a boy and his genetic mutant grab-bag cat-dog-bird creature move me to tears? Will it be a heavyweight in the ongoing debate as to whether games are art? Whatever transpires, I have a feeling that The Last Guardian is going to be one of the most unique and discussed titles of 2011.
Batman: Arkham City
It may be just another sequel, but when its predecessor was arguably the greatest game of 2009, who could help but be excited for Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham City? Featuring an intricate, detailed recreation of Gotham City's darkest corners, and promising a bevy of Batman's most devious rogues, refined combat mechanics and improvements across the board, this is shoe-in for 2011's Game of the Year provided Rocksteady delivers on its considerable promise and sticks the landing.
Drake? Drake?! DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
You don't need me to explain this one to you. It's the latest globe-trotting adventure of Nolan Nor- er, Nathan Filli-, um, Nathan Drake and his moustachioed mentor, Victor "God-Damn" Sullivan; it's the latest game from Amy Hennig and her supremely talented team at Naughty Dog; it's the sequel to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which is the best action movie I have ever played. Yes, Drake's Deception is coming in November of this year and, truth be told, it can lie to me any time it feels like.
Marvel vs Capcom 3
These past two years have been amazing for fighting game fans, especially fans of two dimensional fighting. The genre seems to have returned to its former days of glory and so far we experienced the amazing Street Fighter IV and BlazBlue, but the fighting game lineup of 2011 looks to top both them both with games like Marvel vs Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat and possibly The King of Fighters XIII. Marvel vs Capcom 3 is obviously the biggest one because of its dream cast of characters and slick comic book aesthetic.
The writer who cried wolf.
Dead or Alive Dimensions
I’ll come clean here, I adore the Dead or Alive series and not just for the ummm…‘obvious’ reasons. Dead or Alive 3, Dead or Alive Ultimate and Dead or Alive 4 are among my most played video games. I loved the open, multi-tiered and interactive 3D arenas, the fluid ,extremely accessible and fun combat mechanics and of course the beautiful DOA girls and their ummm…’attention to detail’. Can’t wait to experience a proper DOA game, this time in portable form.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The original Deus Ex is among my favourite RPGs and videos games of all time. I consider it to be the greatest RPG to have ever come out of the West. It was ahead of it's time back in the day and there are a few games in this era that surpass its level of depth and scope. Deus Ex had a world that you could literally live in, a world where there were consequences for every single decision you made. It set a benchmark so high the sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War could barely come close. Deus Ex: Human Revolution looks stunning and I’m really excited about it, but part of me knows that I will be a little disappointed.
Dead Space 2
I'm a sequel boy this year... all my titles had strong showings previously and the improvements on the new ones excite me to no end. The first Dead Space created an unmatched fear and atmosphere in an abandoned space station; the soundtrack was one of the most effective and intense I've heard, the gameplay was unique and well thought out, and the game created more shocks than any other current generation horror title to date. The sequel is set to seriously expand on this with new weapons, a deeper story and what looks to be a really fun multiplayer component - sign me up!
Gears of War 3
Since getting my Seriously... achievement on the first Gears of War, no other game franchise has held my attention quite like this Epic series. The first title was revolutionary in my opinion, the second one expanded on this with some positives and negatives, and the third one looks to be fixing any grievances from the second title and finishing off the trilogy in a really positive way. Revamped multiplayer, the end of the story, and finally a female Gear to hang with the boys; if this isn't THE biggest game this year, then I don't know what is!
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune...
Guild Wars 2
Admittedly, half the reason I'm so excited about Guild Wars 2 is that I sort of missed the bandwagon for the first Guild Wars and realized quite late in the piece what a fun MMO it was. The second title promises to offer dynamic world events so that quests just 'happen' rather than forcing you to go out searching for them. There is also an entirely new game engine with new modes of PvP combat, and the whole thing, to be frank, looks gorgeous. It could just be enough to drag everyone away from WoW for a while and play what will hopefully be a revolutionary experience for the genre.
The Last Guardian
This one to me is an absolute no brainer and is almost certainly my most anticipated game ever at this point in time. Ueda's previous masterworks, Shadow of the Colossus and ICO are my favourite games of all time and ones I have played to absolute death, so I anxiously await the release of his third piece and am confident it'll sit right alongside his two other works as one of my favourite and most beloved games. Though it looks to most likely slip into the realms of 2012, one can only hope that it comes out sometime at the end of this year.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
The first Witcher was an utterly amazing, mature and polished game and easily my favourite RPG, so it's no surprise then that I'm frothing at the mouth to continue the journeys of Geralt of Rivia in Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. From the visuals to the gameplay, everything looks to be kicked up a few notches in polish and depth, and the developers look to be keeping the non-linearity of the original and expanded upon it even further. I'm saving up annual leave and building a whole new PC setup for the month of May, and I'm guaranteeing I won't be seen for days when this beast is unleashed.
What are you?! How do I understand you?!
Killzone 3
I'm a big fan of Killzone, as most of you know. I was also a highly competitive Killzone 2 player, as many of the PALGN community knows. So Killzone 3 not being on this list would be blasphemy. From what I've played and seen so far, Killzone 3 looks to be improving upon the flaws of Killzone 2 in every way, particularly in the single player department. Visually it's looking freaking ridiculous, and the Multiplayer is looking to be even more balanced than the first. I've already got my Helghast Edition ordered, and will most certainly be on the front lines online on launch day. For Helghan!
Uncharted 3
It's Uncharted 2, but with more 3.
Portal 2
The game I was most impressed with at E3 2010, despite it not being in a playable state. Not satisfied with just providing more portal powered puzzles for players, Valve are creating a huge campaign with a lot more inventive tricks, challenges, weird characters and awesome plot points. Add to that a hilarious looking co-op, and you have yourself a winrar.
PALGN group therapy is always a treat.
Mass Effect 3
I hate to be the one who picks three sequels instead of choosing anything original, but Mass Effect 3 has to make the list. Mass Effect 2 improved so much on the formula and raised my expectations for the closing chapter of the trilogy sky-high. The apocalyptic trailer that's been released does a superb job of setting the tone for this climactic chapter, which is dark, gritty, and epic.
LA Noire
Whether its in gaming or film, I've long been a sucker for a good hard-boiled detective yarn. While the Rockstar open-world template and the title's capitalisation of the film noir style is admittedly what had first drawn me to the game, the promise of good old-fashioned detective work is what keeps the title on my radar - as I haven't experienced a title which capitalised on this feature since my point-and-click adventure gaming days spent with the likes of Blade Runner, Police Quest and Under a Killing Moon.
Kim patrols the empty staffer hallways, lost in the thought of a half remembered dream.
Dragon Age II
So compelling was its story, Dragon Age was a title which crept up on me to the point that I couldn't put it away until I had exhausted every quest on my hands. With its vast fantasy world coupled with a solid role-playing mechanic from BioWare the game generated much kudos, proving that I wasn't alone in my thoughts. This time around, BioWare are hoping to deliver a game that's far more engaging, accessible and even prettier than its predecessor. If those thoughts transition into reality, Dragon Age II is sure to be one of the best role-playing titles of 2011.
Uncharted 3
Ah, Nathan Drake - you swashbuckling badass. What else is there to say about this wise-cracking rogue that hasn't already been said? Like many gamers, I've been burnt before by a sequel that doesn't live up to the sheer brilliance of its originator. With that in mind, I loaded the disc of Uncharted 2 into my PlayStation 3 with much trepidation. But, from the minute that opening scene loaded up, all of my scepticism of the title washed away as I was again treated to one of the best cinematic video games out on the market. If Naughty Dog's third entry into the series has more action, breathtaking landscapes and fun gameplay Mr Drake and his five o'clock shadow is sure to be bandied about in the game of the year stakes.
Halfway there! Make sure to check back tomorrow to find out what the rest of PALGN's staff are looking forward to throughout 2011.
Loading...
