Xbox 360, PC~~~Release TBA 2011
XCOM is one of the most beloved franchises in game design, composed of turned-based tactical action on the PC in the 1990s. 2K Marin's reboot is nothing like those games, but features similar themes while re-imagining the game as a first-person shooter in the BioShock mold. 2K Marin's first game was the surprisingly good BioShock 2, with which the studio proved it could handle an established franchise and add to it. The game was shown off at E3 2010 but has remained mostly dormant since; however, from what we have seen, it looks like 2K Marin is looking to evoke a similar sense of conspiracy and eeriness as what made BioShock so memorable.
E3 2010 Trailer
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac~~~Releases April 21, 2011
Valve's breakout puzzler from the 2007 The Orange Box compilation is getting upgraded to a full-fledged retail title for its sequel. Don't think that Valve is selling you short though; the mind-bending puzzler with witty writing is going all out this time, both back inside the Aperture Science facilities and outside in a jungle-looking environment. GlaDoS is back as the antagonist as well, meaning laughs are sure to follow around every turn. On top of the lengthy new single-player adventure, Valve has also developed an entirely separate (but just as meaty) co-op tale starring two Aperture Science test robots. If you don't know what all the fuss is about, go check out the original Portal for cheap on Steam or Xbox Live right now. Few games can claim such an entertaining combination of charm and humor while also making you think.
IGN Video Preview
PC~~~~Release TBA 2011
Look familiar? That's because this game also appeared on last year's list... before it slipped into a 2011 release. The game looks on track to hit sometime in the middle of the year though, and all the things we said last year only ring even more true now. First and foremost, this is a BioWare game, which guarantees a certain level of quality. It's also Star Wars, and in the Knights of the Old Republic part of the timeline (some 1000 years before the movies when Sith and Jedi are both still prevalent). Each class looks diversified enough and interesting enough to stand on its own, and most importantly, BioWare is attempting to infuse an important sense of story progression into the highly-personalized (per class) missions that bring a level of detail usually associated with single-player campaigns, not MMOs. This might be the strongest contender yet to World of Warcraft's MMO crown.
The Old Republic Action Trailer
Xbox 360~~~Releases Fall 2011
Originally set for an April release date, Microsoft instead pushed it back to anchor its pivotal holiday lineup. The extra 6 months of development is on top of what was already 6 extra months compared to the development time on Gears of War 2. A talented studio like Epic will not let all that extra time go to waste, and considering how good the first two entries in the franchise were, one can only imagine what Epic will be bringing to the third. For the story, the humans are even more desperate than last time now that their last city has been sunk, and they are scattered in small pockets with even women and children bearing arms. Meanwhile, a third "army" called the Lambent (mutated Locust) is now in the fold, promising some thrilling 3-way firefights. On top of that, Epic is looking to beef up an already wildly-popular multiplayer suite.
Interview with Lead Designer Cliff Bleszinski
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases February 22, 2011
Epic's other game coming out this year is a brand new IP from their recent acquisition People Can Fly. The game is billed as a "shooter with style" and takes place on some alien planet. Unlike Gears, it is shooter in the first-person perspective, but your arsenal is made up of all sorts of ridiculous concoctions like quadruple-barreled shotguns. On top of that you get a lasso-esque whip and the ability to kick enemies backward, both of which are encouraged to be used in combination with various weapons to create some memorable results. You get extra points for style and from what we've seen it looks like you'll be getting some good laughs along the ride. At the very least its a very interesting take on the genre, and we'll find out just how good it is in February.
IGN Video Preview
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Release Q2 2011
Human Revolution is a prequel to the original groundbreaking Deus Ex, which was one of the first shooters to incorporate aspects of other genres. Puzzle solving and RPG character building are just as important to Deus Ex as the shooting, and Human Revolution adds in other augmented abilities (you play as a cyborg) that spice up the action even further. Visually, the game resembles a kind of mash-up between Blade Runner and Perfect Dark as it oozes heavy themes amid its dark, in-the-future-but-not-too-distant sci-fi setting. Putting it all together is a story of mystery and conspiracy that promises to keep the player enthralled throughout. We'll see if Eidos Montreal delivers on this promise later this year.
IGN Video Preview
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases November 11, 2011
After a fantastic trip to the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3, Bethesda is going back to their signature franchise in The Elder Scrolls. Skyrim follows up 2006's Oblivion and takes place in the northern region of the continent Tamriel, called--you guessed it--Skyrim. Little is known about the game so far, but given Bethesda's track record (especially under director Todd Howard) there is little reason to doubt the draw of this game. What is known is that the events of Oblivion have caused the return of a legendary dragon that has ravaged the mountainous, snow-covered land of Skyrim, which is populated by a people called the Norse. Furthermore, according to the dragons' lore, they fear a human who in their language is called "Dragonborn"... who just so happens to be your character.
Debut Teaser
PlayStation 3~~~Releases November 1, 2011
Naughty Dog made their name with the Jak and Daxter series on PS2 before making their current generation debut with the fun-but-flawed Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Then, in 2009, the studio released a follow up in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which wowed anyone who got to play it. More of the same is expected in this third installment, which takes Indiana Jones/Lara Croft-like protagonist Nathan Drake to the Arabian Desert in search of the mythical Atlantis of the Sands. Among Thieves was one of the best examples of how to combine a great narrative with engaging gameplay and wrap it in a polished cinematic presentation. Here's hoping Drake's Deception ups the ante even further.
First Gameplay Footage
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Fall 2011
The sequel to the game that beat out Uncharted 2 for the 2009 PSB Game of the Year is developer Rocksteady's follow up. Something's happened on Arkham Island and new mayor Warren Sharp (the Arkham warden in the last game) has relocated the inmates to a closed off section of Gotham. Confirmed Bat-cameos include the Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Catwoman, but the villainous headliner is none other than Dr. Hugo Strange, who in the comics deduces Batman's alter ego and threatens to sell the identity to the highest bidder. It'll be interesting to see how all these personalities are juggled, and if Rocksteady can maintain the outstanding pacing in a game that is reportedly four times the size of its predecessor. Arkham Asylum was great, but this fall we'll find out if Rocksteady is truly an elite studio or merely a one-hit wonder.
VGA Reveal Trailer
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Q2 2011
L.A. Noire is a landmark on many fronts. It's the latest game from acclaimed company Rockstar, best known for Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Unlike those games, L.A. Noire puts you on the law's side in a recreation of 1940s Los Angeles. Shady killings, gangsters, and police corruption are prevalent, so the detective aspect of the game actually takes the forefront from any gunplay you'll be doing. Team Bondi has also utilized some state-of-the-art face-scanning technology and put it to use with real Hollywood actors...a feature that not only gives the game a striking sense of realism, but is actually incorporated into the gameplay as you'll have to pick up on physical cues and decide if a suspect is lying. The premise is incredibly intriguing, now all that remains to be seen is whether Team Bondi and Rockstar can succesfully balance the difficulty of this player-based detective work (after all, there's a reason most players aren't actually homicide detectives).
2010 "Debut" Trailer
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Fall 2011
Given the series' pedigree, it should come as no surprise that the final installment in BioWare's carefully orchestrated and pre-planned trilogy lands at #1 on this list. Everything you've done so far in the first two games comes down to this. The Reapers have somehow found their way to Earth and are assaulting humanity's homeworld (how the hell did these guys do this after I already foiled their plan twice??). Now its up to the galaxy's greatest hero, Commander Shepard, to rally the divided civilizations together for their defining moment. We saw how well BioWare was able to refine the original Mass Effect into Mass Effect 2, and only our future selves know what tweaks will be in store for the finale. BioWare and EA have promised that the franchise will likely continue past this installment, but as far as the main, three-part story arc of Commander Shepard...well, this is it. That's all there really is to say since--either than our own guesswork--all we have to go on at this point is the trailer below:
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