But if 2010 was a satisfying year, with a couple of mountainous peaks, 2011 is shaping up to be – checks tatty copy of Hype for Dummies - One of the Most Promising of All-TimeTM. Yeah, we said it and we’re actually shaking with anticipation. Here’s a snapshot of some of the titles getting us excited about the next 12 months of gaming.
The original Dead Space came out of nowhere with an impact of a meteorite, going from a curiosity into one of 2009’s finest gaming experiences. Garnering lavish praise and selling well over a million copies, a sequel was inevitable and at the end of January we’ll find out if a new franchise is ready to dominate the survival horror genre for the next few years or whether the debut was a startling one-hit wonder. For the return Visceral Games have included a multiplayer mode, but the core game, if the hot off the press demo is anything to go by, promises to remain a tense and terrifying single-player experience. Once again you guide the hapless, and now vocal, Isaac Clarke through the dimly-lit-and-Necromorph-packed corridors of ‘The Sprawl’, a densely-populated space colony a few parsecs from Saturn. Densely-populated? That’s just an all-you-can-eat buffet for Necromorphs. Best charge the plasma cutter and keep an eye on the shad-...wait...what in the blue hell is that? Oh. Dear. God.
Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Multi)
Okay, so the handling in TDU wasn’t always comparable to Gran Turismo or Forza, sometimes not even Mario Kart, but the pleasure derived from the game wasn’t all about realistic torque or accurate suspension modelling: it was the sheer joy of driving along beautiful, sun-kissed roads in gorgeous cars with like-minded players, hooking up for challenges, spontaneous races or simply a leisurely cruise. If Black was gun porn, TDU was a XXX glossy spread of some of the world’s most desirable automobiles and TDU2, thankfully, looks to be offering more of the same albeit it with a few tweaks. The major change is the sequel’s initial location, with Ibiza the new playground for drivers explore. Eden Games is also touting dynamic weather, damage modelling and day/night cycles as improvements, along with the addition of off-road SUVs. Pleasingly, a return to Hawaii is also promised later in the game, doubling the potential for automotive indulgence. Come February our minds will be elsewhere, dreaming of fast-cars and hot climes: escapism gaming at its finest.
The Last Guardian (PS3)
We’ll go out on a limb: The Last Guardian won’t trouble sales charts for a long period, but it will be heavily referenced when ‘Games of 2011’ lists are compiled next December. Team ICO specialise in thoughtful, enigmatic titles and if The Last Guardian taps into that certain something that made Ico and Shadow of the Colossus so special then PS3 owners willing to step away from guns and fast cars will be well-rewarded. Not much is known beyond the simple premise of this being about an as-of-yet unnamed boy and his relationship with the griffin-like, Trico. Director Fumito Ueda has alluded to Trico’s animal instincts being key to solving the game’s puzzles, suggesting the relationship between boy and creature will be a compelling one. Sure to carry an emotional heft all too rare in games, The Last Guardian should be a thinker’s delight and the perfect counter to 2011’s more bombastic offerings.
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
Uncharted and its sequel are perhaps the two best reasons to own a PS3. Combining an engaging plot with a fine, often knowing, script, excellent gun-play and graphics so beautiful they should be worshipped twice a day, the Uncharted franchise has been amongst the most rewarding of the current generation. Completing the trilogy will be an Arabian-themed adventure that will hopefully further the thrills and let gamers come as close to being Indiana Jones as they can possibly get without being a whip-cracking Oxford professor with an awesome fedora. Little is currently known about the plot, but expect Nathan Drake to be cracking-wise with Sully and Elena not far behind, and a fiendish gang of villains not far ahead. When we say we can’t wait, we mean our fingers are already numb from hitting refresh on online stores waiting for pre-order options to open up.
Mass Effect 3 (Multi)
SOS Capt. Shepherd, Earth just sailed up number two creek and the paddle’s long gone. The VGA-debuted trailer for the follow-up to many people’s game of 2010 shows Earth being ravaged by gigantic war-bringing robotic biopeds. Just what is behind the crisis, and how you can prevent all-out devestation will be revealed come the 2011 holiday season. Book some time off, clear a spot on your sofa and stock up on bags of tasty snack treats: this one is going rip epic’s head off and crap awesomeness down its neck hole.
L.A. Noire (Multi)
After debuting a trailer that had the general reaction of, ‘Sweet Jesus, would you look at the facial animation,’ L.A. Noire promises a multi-strand detective story where character’s action say as much as their voices, with subtle clues offered by characters’ discreet tics and mannerisms. Couple this innovative tech with an atmosphere Raymond Chandler would be proud of and you have a title many are pegging as their must-have for 2011.
Gears of War 3 (360)
If bench-presses and protein shakes could join forces to program a game, the GOW franchise would be the end result. But Gears is more than just a muscular FPS... okay, it isn’t, but it is at the front-end of action gaming with brilliant set-pieces that demand repeat performance. Part III will include a four-player co-op mode, with an attempt to pump in some oestrogen in the form of new female characters. Also add in new weapons such as the One Shot and Digger Launcher, and even more brutal enemies to shoot, stomp and execute, and you sense an already beefy package is going to be vein-burstingly pumped. Multiplayer matches will include old favourites as well as several new modes. Most intriguing is ‘Beast’, which affords players the chance to go on the rampage as Locusts, tearing up COG members in the process. All in all, Gears 3 won’t expand your mind but it will provide many hours of unashamedly macho gameplay. And who are we to argue? Sometimes you just need to be able to shoot big ugly space creatures all up in the face.
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
An MMO set in the Star Wars universe; is that the sound of a million sci-fi fans suddenly needing to change their trousers? Users will have the option to play as members of either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire, with several classes, all supporting on-the-fly customisation, available on each side. Player actions will dictate the way in which the game’s branching storyline unfolds. A wide variety of races will make up the available NPC options, with deep relationships attainable throughout the game, maybe even romance for the more silver-tongued devils among you. Dialogue is reminiscent of the system used in Mass Effect, and if other aspects of the game match that franchise then this could not only be a title Star Wars fans can be proud to lose many, many hours to, but also an MMO to stand alongside genre behemoth World of Warcraft.
Batman: Arkham City (Multi)
The Bat is back and out of the nuthouse, along with a host of villains once again led by the manipulative, vengeful Joker. Two-Face and Catwoman are expected to appear in a plot that sees Gotham’s criminals relocated to the city’s slums, now converted into a sprawling prison. Riding high on the wave of positive reviews that carried Batman: Arkham Asylum to the top of many people’s Game of 2009 lists, Arkham City will possess more moves, more weapons and an updated ‘detective mode’ to assist the Bat with uncovering even more secrets as he dishes out his non-lethal, but still heavy-handed justice. A multiplayer mode is also touted as Rocksteady looks to expand on the arcade action that made the original so damn enjoyable.
Crysis 2 (Multi)
Getting ready to melt graphic cards in March is Crytek’s follow up to, go on, guess...yep, Crysis. Set three years after its predecessor, the action takes place both inside and outside ravaged New York skyscrapers, with destructible environments at every turn. The hyper-advanced Nanosuit has been given an overhaul and alien foes have been beefed up to provide an even more intense challenge. And if there are many better-looking games in 2011 then our eyes might just have to sit down with a stiff drink and gather their composure for a moment or two.
Killzone 3 (PS3)
Continuing on from where Killzone 2 left off, the third instalment of Sony’s flagship FPS sees the bruised and battered Helghast Empire in disarray. Promising both Move compatibility and 3D visuals, Killzone 3 also has smaller tweaks such as a revamped melee system and a multitude of locations, rather than just the ruined cityscape locales that dominated Killzone 2. If the leap in quality from game two to three is on a par with the improvements from part one to two, then Killzone 3 could be a blockbuster in every sense of the word. We only have to wait until the end of February to find out.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
Nintendo’s iconic action adventure series returns for time sixteenth time and its second Wii outing following 2006's Twilight Princess. Given the Wii's development since then, this will be the first game of the series to make use of the Wii’s MotionPlus system, allowing for 1:1 sword swinging combat and a whole host of other motion-controlled interactivity sure to set wannabe adventurers' hearts all a-flutter. Plot details remain thin but we do know Skyward Sword will be a prequel to Ocarina of Time, with a story that reverts between Skyloft, a group of islands floating above the clouds and the land below, where evil forces run the show with the kind of carefree arrogance that is just begging to be taught a Link-shaped lesson. No official date has been confirmed beyond ‘2011’ but whenever it arrives Skyward Sword should be a further reminder of just what makes Nintendo in developer mode so revered.
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)
Cheeky little Sackboy bounds back for further adventures in January as Sony plays one of its key 2011 cards early. The game’s story is largely superfluous: the real appeal of LBP2 is the improved level customisation tools, now expanded to include not just platforming options, but also puzzle, racing and role-playing aspects. Cut-scenes and sound effects can be added to creations, along with licensed and custom music. LBP showed its followers possessed a depth of creative talent that made the Marina Trench look like a paddling pool. With Media Molecule planning regular updates to the wealth of options already available at release, the sequel will only be limited by its players’ imagination.
Portal 2 (Multi)
Originally bundled with The Orange Box, thanks to its creative, taxing puzzles and quirky sense of humour, Portal stood out on its own merits and soon became one of 2007’s most cherished titles. For the sequel, players resume control of Chell, who is once-again tested by a reawakened, and still-peeved, GLaDOS with a whole host of new devices to assist in solving the mean machine’s mind-bending mysteries. As well as an expansion to the original concepts that tickled the minds of so many, Portal 2 adds a two-player co-operative mode where even trickier conundrums await solution. With a voiceover from Stephen Merchant confirmed, the game’s humour also appears intact. Portal 2 won’t take as many gamers by surprise when it appears in April, but it’s shaping up to be a worthy, crowd-pleasing sequel.
Nintendo 3DS
Okay, so it’s not a game, but Nintendo’s newest handheld is an enticing proposition. 3D gaming without the Buddy Holly glasses? Couple bleeding-edge tech with a mouth-watering line-up of launch titles, including a new Mario Kart, and you have several reasons to be very, very excited. This is either going to be another game-changer that swells Ninty’s coffers to breaking point and has its rivals scrambling to catch-up or we’ll be wandering around with crossed-eyes and hating on The Big N like they were Navin R Johnson having invented the gaming equivalent of the Opti-Grab. Please oh please let it be the former, if only for the chance to experience red-shelling someone in glorious, glasses-free 3D.
The best thing about 2011 is the above is merely an appetiser of what’s to come. So, what’s at the top of your 2011 pre-order list? And what did we overlook that deserves a mention? Hit us up with comments below or sign-in to the Gamestyle forum’s 2011 games thread to discuss what already looks like shaping up to be a vintage year, the kind we’ll look back on from our creaky rocking chairs and wistfully tell the grandkids about.
