This year promises to be another packed full of monster hits for the videogaming industry, with a host of massive titles expected to hit the shelves over the next 12 months.
There are plenty of big-name sequels to look forward to, including the likes of Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Crysis 2, Dead Space 2, Forza 4, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and a reboot of Tomb Raider.
That’s without mentioning games that have yet to be announced, such as an inevitable Call of Duty sequel. Then, there are the new franchises such as Epic’s Bulletstorm, Bethesda’s Brink and THQ’s Homefront. TechCentral entertainment critic Lance Harris lines up TechCentral’s 10 most anticipated titles for the year.
Batman: Arkham City (Windows PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best Batman simulator yet created and one of the best games ever made about a comic book character. Initial trailers and screens suggest that the production values, story and gameplay of Arkham City are set to be even better than those of its predecessor. Expect the same mixture of punchy predator stealth, puzzle-solving and gadgetry that made Arkham Asylum so compelling, wrapped up in a narrative that stays true to the grittier Batman of Frank Miller’s comics and Batman: the Animated Series.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Windows PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Although the creative minds behind the classic Deus Ex are not involved in Human Revolution, the development team handling the new game seems determined to be faithful to the original’s aesthetics and pioneering, open-ended gameplay. Initial screenshots and trailers look promising, though it’s too early to be sure that Human Revolution will capture the magic of Deus Ex.
Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
Gears of War 3 is set to be Microsoft’s flagship exclusive game for the Xbox 360 this year. As a showcase for Epic’s Unreal Engine, it’s likely to be one of the most attractive games of 2011. It will also boast four-player cooperative play (earlier games in the series only offered two-player co-op), a range of new multiplayer modes and options, and a more than generous helping of blood, gore and testosterone.
Journey (PS3)
Indie studio, Thatgamecompany, creates games that defy easy categorisation and that straddle the line between interactive art and videogames. Journey looks likely to be every bit as innovative as the studio’s mesmerising Flower, which was one of the best games of 2009. With its emphasis on relaxed gameplay, freeform exploration and haunting atmosphere, Journey promises to be completely different from anything else you will play this year.
The Last Guardian (PS3)
Legendary game designer Fumito Ueda and his Team Ico are scheduled to release their first PlayStation 3 game during 2011, although this is one title on this list that may slip into early 2012. The Last Guardian focuses on the relationship between a young boy and a strange griffon-like creature as they try to negotiate a treacherous world together. This game is likely to tug on the heartstrings as heavily as Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, the pair of poignant Team Ico PS2 classics that many critics rank among the best games of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPpCKjFrXzE
LA Noire (PS3, Xbox 360)
Rockstar’s big game for the first of half of 2011 is LA Noire from the Team Bondi studio. The game has been in development for at least six years, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the time has been well spent. With its setting in Los Angeles circa 1947, LA Noire has strong echoes of James Ellroy’s gritty crime novel LA Confidential and its film adaptation. Word is that the game, which focuses on crime-solving and gunfights, will set a new benchmark for facial animation in videogames.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LfZq_OdU80
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
Apart from the disastrous Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS, the Zelda franchise has an unrivalled track record for producing quality titles. Skyward Sword will be the big Wii hardcore game for the year. It’s safe to say that it will not depart from the series’ signature action-adventure gameplay in any way and that it will be excellent despite a lack of any real innovation besides some tacked on motion controls.
Mass Effect 3 (Windows PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Bioware has a busy year ahead, with plans to release a sequel to high-fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Dragon Age as well as its first massively multiplayer online RPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. But the studio’s most eagerly anticipated game for the year is the concluding chapter of its Mass Effect space-opera trilogy. Publisher Electronic Arts hasn’t yet disclosed much information about Mass Effect 3, but it will be fascinating to see how the saga wraps up after Mass Effect 2’s explosive climax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr0OG8GVwMY
Portal 2 (Windows PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Portal, Valve’s witty, mind-bending first-person puzzler, gets a fully fledged sequel this year. Unlike the relatively brief original, Portal 2 will be a full retail game with a lengthy campaign and cooperative gameplay modes. It’s likely to be propped full of devious brainteasers as well as the trademark humour that made the first game such a treat. Glados, the sinister, sentient computer that was the villain of the first game, will return.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)
Uncharted 2 remains one of the most critically acclaimed games of the current console generation, so anticipation is naturally running high for the next game in the series. Developer Naughty Dog has promised to focus even more heavily on the multiplayer side of the game so that it can be a credible competitor to the likes of Call of Duty and Gears of War. The single-player game is likely to be crammed as full of vertigo-inducing platforming, dramatic set pieces and sparkling writing as Uncharted 2.
And the studio’s technical prowess means that Uncharted 3 will probably also be one of the most visually impressive games of the year. Since much of the game will be set in the deserts of Arabia, we can expect to see sand visuals and physics that are every bit as impressive as the jungle foliage and snow in Nathan Drake’s earlier adventures.
- PS3 controller image credit: artwork_rebel
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