2011 may be young, but it’s already shaping up to be a truly memorable year for gamers. Huge sequels to some of the strongest franchises around finally arrive — and a few impressive newcomers hope to grab a piece of the pie. Here are the ones we simply can’t wait to play. Scroll down to see count down list of top ten games of 2011.
10. Dragon Age II
The epic fantasy world of Ferelden enraptured role-playing gamers — and everyone at Yahoo! Games — back in 2009, but that was just the beginning. The sequel to Dragon Age: Origins ups the ante everywhere, taking place across a full decade as players battle the Darkspawn and bring a hero to power.
9. L.A. Noire
The hitmakers at Rockstar Games don’t like to play it safe, and with Game of the Year winners like Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption under their belt, they don’t have to. Their next open-world outing takes place in the seedy streets of 1940s Los Angeles, an environment rife with sex, crime, and what sure looks like a lot of dark, gritty fun.
8. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Set thousands of years before the Star Wars films, this massively-multiplayer game turns players into smugglers, troopers, bounty hunters, and naturally, Sith and Jedi Knights battling for control of the galaxy far, far away. Better still, it’s created by Bioware (Mass Effect, Dragon Age) and features voice-acting for every single character you encounter. That’s some serious Force power.
7. Rage
Love the Fallout games but wish they were more action-packed? We’ve got your next must-have. Developed by shooter pros id Software (Doom, Quake), this post-apocalyptic romp aims to blend action, shooting, racing and role-playing into one delicious — and ambitious — package. Judging by early looks, they just might pull it off.
6. Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Clearly tired of fighting one another, some of the toughest heroes and villains from the Marvel universe have in the past found success by taking on characters from game maker Capcom’s stable. They’ll taste success again in the long-awaited third iteration, which packs quite a punch with impressive visuals and hordes of crazy moves. Excelsior!
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Do we really need to explain why the next Zelda game is bound to be awesome? How about this: it’s the prequel to Ocarina of Time, one of the best games ever made, features a unique, impressionist art style, and is being crafted by design legend Shigeru Miyamoto. Consider it pre-ordered.
4. Mass Effect 3
All good things must come to an end, including the spectacular space opera that is Mass Effect. The final game in the trilogy will complete the tale of Commander Shepard as he tries to save humanity from a seemingly unstoppable race of evil machines. Decisions made in past titles will play a part in the experience, too, so you might want to use the time before its release to play catch-up. Trust us, it’s worth it.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Sorry, Indy. No offense, Lara. But when it comes to seat-of-your-pants adventure, none can currently hold a candle to the wry star of Uncharted, Nathan Drake. The intrepid explorer returns in this sequel, which sees Drake knee-deep in the swirling sands of a lost Arabian kingdom.
2. Gears of War 3
The third installment in the hard-hitting shooter series from Epic Games has suffered a few delays, but it’s on track to arrive just in time to blow up your fall gaming budget. Big action? Check. New weapons? Check? Insane multiplayer? Check.If you own an Xbox 360, you’re going to want to put a check next to this one on the calendar.
1. Batman: Arkham City
How do you create a follow-up to what’s widely considered the best superhero game of all time? Carefully, that’s how. The good news is that Batman: Arkham City is being built by Rocksteady Studios — the same team behind the effortlessly awesome Batman: Arkham Asylum — and trades the confined corridors of the asylum for the darkened slums of Gotham. Expect tons of bat -villains, plenty of bat-brawling, and enough bat-gadgets to keep you busy for weeks.
0 comments:
Post a Comment