Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | Rocksteady
An even better version of the best Batman game to date, but now
taking place across a large chunk of Gotham City rather than just
Arkham Asylum? Of course we're into that -- even if the new trailer
that premiered at the Spike VGAs showed no gameplay. For fans not
familiar with that trailer's villain Dr. Hugo Strange, here's a
quick primer: Strange is a psychologist who becomes obsessed with
Batman, deduces his true identity, and takes to dressing as the
caped crusader. This follow-up seems huge if both Strange and
Two-Face have major roles, in addition to other classic villains
like Joker and Mr. Freeze.
Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm
Epic Games | People Can Fly
First, the crazy fellows over at People Can Fly (a subsidiary of
Epic Games) told us about skillshots, and then exploding trashcans,
and then, "Fire in the [ass]hole," and then the quadruple-barreled
shotgun, and then, well, you get the point. Not only does the list
of creative and rewarding skillshots you can pull off with your
crazy weapons and your special leash in Bulletstorm keep growing,
but so does our demand for it. The tropical setting and
intentionally cheesy dialogue of Grayson Hunt should prove to be
quite the violent (and distinct, compared to most other shooters
which focus on straightforward mechanics in drab arenas) adventure
when it releases next year.
Child of Eden
Child of Eden
Ubisoft | Q Entertainment
Ask developer Q Entertainment, and they'll tell you this isn't a
follow-up to the PS2 and Dreamcast music/shooter fusion Rez. But
ask anyone else, and they'll tell you Q is just being cute and
doesn't want to put that label on it. This is Rez 2, just without
the name, and it's one of the prettiest, most unusual-looking games
slated for next year. The Kinect controls were rough at a recent
preview event, but with a controller this seems like far and away
the safest bet around for hardcore rail-shooter fans.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos | Eidos-Montreal
It's odd to think that a team composed mostly of members of the
Rainbow Six Vegas development team will be making the next Deus Ex
installment, but from what we've seen so far, they actually have a
damn good handle on it. Wise decisions such as, "be inspired by the
first game while largely ignoring the disappointing second game,"
and, "maintain the multiple play-style design approach," help a lot
in that regard. Plus, it just plain looks great, and seeing every
mission so far finished in a variety of ways gives us confidence.
This is easily an action-RPG that we can't wait to sneak/shoot/talk
through.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Softworks | Bethesda Game Studios
It's hard to get excited about a game when all we really have to go
on is a title and a brief trailer that shows cavern wall. But when
the game has Elder Scrolls in its title, goose bumps start to form.
While it's not clear if Skyrim will be powered by a new graphics
engine or not, this is still one of the best fantasy franchises of
all time -- every entry has been remarkable dating all the way back
to Arena. With so many lessons learned from Fallout 3, Bethesda has
a lot to live up to and we expect Skyrim to be one of our
game-of-the-year contenders this time next year.
Gears of War 3
Microsoft | Epic Games
Someone must have walked into Epic Games and shouted, "make it
better!" (we're assuming design director Cliff Bleszinski). Oh, and
they listened! There are a lot of welcome improvements to Gears of
War 3 so far -- such as four-player campaign co-op, and dedicated
servers for multiplayer. We haven't even seen the real campaign
itself yet; we're hoping that we'll get a chance to finally meeting
Adam Fenix (protagonist Marcus Fenix's father) and fighting the new
Lambent (along with the familiar Locust). More is better, and Gears
of War 3 knows this. Besides, curbstomping (whether online or on an
unlucky A.I. Locust) never gets old.
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire
Rockstar Games | Team Bondi
What's most refreshing about Rockstar's next game is how decidedly
"un-Rockstar" it is (likely a by-product of being developed by Team
Bondi instead of internally). Rather than another sprawling
open-world criminal action game in a satirical fake city, we're
getting a more focused graphic adventure game where you play a cop
in real-world Los Angeles. The MotionScan technology which makes
digital actors look eerily like actual actors is pretty slick, but
we're more intrigued by the blend of shooting, driving,
puzzle-solving, and just plain talking. Plus, it's neat how every
case is based on a real-life mystery, and we're looking forward to
being better detectives than the original fellows who investigated
the real version.
Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3
Electronic Arts | BioWare
If you've played Mass Effect 2, then there's probably no need to
explain why we think Mass Effect 3 is one of our most sought-after
games of 2011. The universe that BioWare has created is just as
detailed as any established science fiction property, and it's
amazing they've been able to craft a story as compelling as it
already is. We're looking forward to more hybrid shooter/RPG action
(hopefully, with a bit more RPG added back in now that the shooting
is damn good), and more importantly, another jaunt through the
galaxy (and Earth!) with Commander Shepard and crew as they fight
to save pretty much everyone from the invading Reapers.
Portal 2
Electronic Arts | Valve Software
Valve's buddy cop platform puzzler, starring two speechless
robo-protagonists, seems as though it could have come from the
minds of Pixar -- masters of making lifeless things full of
emotion. With Portal 2's new co-op dynamic, the challenging
platforming puzzles you loved in the first game will now require
two portal guns to solve. And while you may feel the urge to murder
your partner from time to time, each level will need both
participants to successfully complete. And all this is on top of a
longer single-player puzzle campaign featuring more GLaDOS.
Finally, of course, one can only imagine what next big Internet
meme will explode out of Portal 2.
Project Draco
Project Draco
Microsoft | Grounding Inc
A spiritual successor to Panzer Dragoon, from one of the main
people behind Panzer Dragoon, featuring a weird Panzer Dragoon-like
art style...there might be a theme here. We don't know a lot about
Draco yet, but according to Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, the game
has more to do with what it feels like to ride on a dragon than a
typical rail shooter would. So maybe it won't even be a rail
shooter. But it's pretty and has a great track record behind it.
Anna Chakvetadze Wallpapers
Profile of Anna Chakvetadze Wallpapers
Profile of Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
