Well, I was planning on putting all of these on a single post but the length was getting ridiculous so I decided to split it up into two parts. And now here's part 2 of the games that I'm most excited for.
#7. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the greatest games of this console generation, with some of the most awesome set-pieces ever put into a video game. I really have no idea how they are possibly going to follow it up but that's one of the reasons I have such high anticipation for this game.
The Uncharted games are known for their combination of Gears of War shooting with Tomb Raider platforming and puzzles. They are also known for having compelling and storylines that make you care about what's going to happen and keep you going. Nathan Drake has been one of the most likable characters in recent years and I'm very interested in seeing how he develops in this game.
If Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception lives up to the incredible standard set by the second game in the series, we can expect a well-written narrative, excellent gameplay and action scenarios, colorful visuals that push the incredible limits of the PS3, outstanding voice acting and just an all-around enjoyable experience. The multiplayer from UC2, was also great and if they can improve on that and the single-player, count me in.
#6. LA Noire
After making the greatness that was Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games is returning to the grim and gritty urban area as seen in the GTA series, but with a twist in LA Noire. Rather than playing a criminal, players will take the role of a detective who needs to solve a series of murders.
The game will therefore rely on methodical detective work rather than non-stop action which is a concept that has been tried before but hasn't really worked very well (see the AVGN's review of the NES Dick Tracy). Rockstar Games has enough reputation behind them that I feel they can pull it off and I trust them and the developer Team Bondi to deliver a memorable and unique experience. The game will focus on subtleties which the player will have to find such as how a suspect reacts during interrogation.
I really like the look of 1947 Los Angeles from the trailer and the screenshots so far. It really feels like a great callback to the old noir and detective films from decades ago. Rockstar just recently tackled the Old West so I'm very anxious to see how they handle this.
#5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
It's been five years since we've had a Zelda game released on a console. Yeah we've had some games on handhelds but no console game since Twilight Princess in 2006. Well the new one, Skyward Sword will finally be released to serve as a prequel (as if the series timeline wasn't F'ed up enough already).
Twilight Princess was a great showcase as to the potential the Wii had for games involving swordplay and for launch game that was great. But Nintendo is now attempting to make the Wiimote fully connected with the in-game sword, as opposed to moving the Wiimote in a certain way to pull off a special move.
The is will create a much more strategic use of the sword. Think of it in the way Zelda II on the NES changed it up from the first Zelda. I don't know if that's fully accurate but it's going to be a change-up. Given the credibility behind this series, we can expect something great, excellent gameplay and level design, colorful environments and great music. It's one to watch for.
#4. The Last Guardian
After being in development for five years, hopefully this is the year The Last Guardian will finally be released on the PS3. So why is this on the list? Well first of all, it's being developed by Team ICO the developers behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, which are both among the best games on the PS2 and of last gen. Shadow of the Colossus in particular stands in my mind as one of the great artistic achievements of the medium.
Second, there's so much mystery behind what the game is about and what the gameplay will entail. We know it's probably going to look visually outstanding and be unique but beyond a few sparse trailers, we know barely anything.
The ICO Collection, containing both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus updated in HD for the PS3 will also be released later this year and will be a great appetizer if the game finally hits shelves this year. But I'm still impatiently waiting for any more news about what the game will be about and I can't wait.
#3. Batman: Arkham City
In 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum shocked everyone, even those who thought it was going to be good, by being so awesome and well crafted that it actually won Game of the Year awards from some major publications. It was well-designed, had a great story, excellent voice acting, and was a blast to play from beginning to end.
Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind Arkham Asylum, have said that the first was their idea of a tech-demo to see if they could really make a great Batman game. They succeeded and now they intend to do everything that they've wanted to do since the beginning. Rather than a small island (if spacious), we'll have an entire section of Gotham City to explore and beat the crap out of criminals in.
There will be more Batman villains, more devices (and we keep all the tools from last game), deeper combat and gameplay, and the story will be even darker which is saying quite a bit when you consider how dark Arkham Asylum was. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin will all reprise their roles including many other voice actors to come in as the many villains in the game.
We haven't seen any gameplay so far, but if it is anywhere near as well done as Arkham Asylum we've got another thing to look forward to this year.
#2. Portal 2
2007's Portal was a remarkably original and fun game that had only one striking flaw. Now the follow-up to Valve's masterpiece promises to rectify that and expand on the ingenious mechanics and puzzles found in the first game.
Portal 2 will be around 4x as long as the first Portal. It will contain new environmental set-ups such as vents, blue repulsion gel, and orange propulsion gel. From the previews that I've seen it will have the same great tongue-in-cheek humor that the first game did, and from those previews alone, I've seen some outstanding looking level design.
Finally, Portal 2 will now have co-op multiplayer and I am very curious to see what kind of puzzle opportunities this will open up to friends. One could say about Portal what Rocksteady Studios said about Arkham Asylum: It was a demo. Valve, now it's time to see what this game is really capable of. GLaDOS, it's time to make your return.
BioWare's Mass Effect series is currently in the process of telling one of the greatest science-fiction stories ever written. Sure, it's a story that we've seen many times before, but the way that it's told, the strength of the writing, and the power that it gives the player over the outcomes is what sets it apart.
Mass Effect 2 was my 2010 Game of the Year, improving on its predecessor in almost every way imaginable. Better combat, better dialogue, expanded universe, better characters etc. And it all comes down to this. We've been waiting for the Reaper invasion and their attempted genocide on organic races for two games and it's almost here. Every choice made in the first two games will culminate in this one and this why I'm so excited about it, even in this year of big releases.
How will the war against the Reapers end and how will Shepard stop them? Depending on my choices will s/he survive? What will be the outcome to the different romance subplots throughout the series both genders? What is Martin Sheen planning now? How will the different, brilliant characters arcs conclude? So many questions I want answered and the promise of at least one more "bridging" DLC for Mass Effect 2 hasn't quelled my excitement.
Being a BioWare game, we can expect an excellent conclusion to an outstanding story, amazing character development, some of the best voice acting in gaming (seriously Jennifer Hale, Martin Sheen, Yvonne Strahovski, etc. were freaking amazing last year), and an incredible scale. There's no question that Mass Effect 3 is my game to buy in 2011.
Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind Arkham Asylum, have said that the first was their idea of a tech-demo to see if they could really make a great Batman game. They succeeded and now they intend to do everything that they've wanted to do since the beginning. Rather than a small island (if spacious), we'll have an entire section of Gotham City to explore and beat the crap out of criminals in.
There will be more Batman villains, more devices (and we keep all the tools from last game), deeper combat and gameplay, and the story will be even darker which is saying quite a bit when you consider how dark Arkham Asylum was. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin will all reprise their roles including many other voice actors to come in as the many villains in the game.
We haven't seen any gameplay so far, but if it is anywhere near as well done as Arkham Asylum we've got another thing to look forward to this year.
#2. Portal 2
2007's Portal was a remarkably original and fun game that had only one striking flaw. Now the follow-up to Valve's masterpiece promises to rectify that and expand on the ingenious mechanics and puzzles found in the first game.
Portal 2 will be around 4x as long as the first Portal. It will contain new environmental set-ups such as vents, blue repulsion gel, and orange propulsion gel. From the previews that I've seen it will have the same great tongue-in-cheek humor that the first game did, and from those previews alone, I've seen some outstanding looking level design.
Finally, Portal 2 will now have co-op multiplayer and I am very curious to see what kind of puzzle opportunities this will open up to friends. One could say about Portal what Rocksteady Studios said about Arkham Asylum: It was a demo. Valve, now it's time to see what this game is really capable of. GLaDOS, it's time to make your return.
#1. Mass Effect 3
BioWare's Mass Effect series is currently in the process of telling one of the greatest science-fiction stories ever written. Sure, it's a story that we've seen many times before, but the way that it's told, the strength of the writing, and the power that it gives the player over the outcomes is what sets it apart.
Mass Effect 2 was my 2010 Game of the Year, improving on its predecessor in almost every way imaginable. Better combat, better dialogue, expanded universe, better characters etc. And it all comes down to this. We've been waiting for the Reaper invasion and their attempted genocide on organic races for two games and it's almost here. Every choice made in the first two games will culminate in this one and this why I'm so excited about it, even in this year of big releases.
How will the war against the Reapers end and how will Shepard stop them? Depending on my choices will s/he survive? What will be the outcome to the different romance subplots throughout the series both genders? What is Martin Sheen planning now? How will the different, brilliant characters arcs conclude? So many questions I want answered and the promise of at least one more "bridging" DLC for Mass Effect 2 hasn't quelled my excitement.
Being a BioWare game, we can expect an excellent conclusion to an outstanding story, amazing character development, some of the best voice acting in gaming (seriously Jennifer Hale, Martin Sheen, Yvonne Strahovski, etc. were freaking amazing last year), and an incredible scale. There's no question that Mass Effect 3 is my game to buy in 2011.
And those are the 2011 games that I'm most excited about. I will continue to regularly update this blog with news reactions and thoughts on both films and games and their respective industries. It's a big year for both and I can't wait.
NERDGASM defined as Jack seeing Mass Effect 3 Trailer
ReplyDeleteXD Though Portal 2 and Arkham City were also in real heavy contention. I can't freaking wait for those two.
ReplyDeleteThat and I expect ME3 to be delayed to 2012.