Forget the Year of The Rabbit, 2011 is shaping up to be the Year of The Game. Dead Space 2, and LittleBigPlanet 2 are perfect precursors to the games to come. Both of which received better-than-exeptional scores, with DS2 getting a 9, and LPB2 getting a 9.5.
I bought LBP2 about a week ago, and so far I'm really happy with it. Not having played LBP1, I didn't notice what was improved upon (as far as platforming goes), but it really didn't matter. The story design, and the music accompanying it is absolutely brilliant. The only problems I have noticed are within the realms of multiplayer. Disconnects seem to be a pretty big problem, and I'm hoping that those problems are patched fairly quick.
I have /not/ played Dead Space 2 yet, though people have said it's amazing, so I've taken their word, and I'm going to try and pick it up this week.
Now there are quite a few games that I'm looking forward to this year, so I'll go through my top five most anticipated games of the Year of The Game!
(Number 5)
Portal 2
Portal 2 is looking awesome. The original Portal had me and my brother staying up til midnight, just trying to finish one more puzzle. Portal isn't just a puzzle game, though. It has its own unique sense of humor, a line that's just now getting old (No, that's NOT a lie. Get it??), and, as of April 18th, co-operative multiplayer.
The Portal series, I think, is going to boom in popularity. And the only thing I'm worried about, is the inevitable series of spin-offs. You can look at even the most obscure game developers, and if their games become popular, they'll capitalize on that, and make as many spin-offs as possible. I don't see how this is a good strategy. But that's another conversation entirely. I have high expectations for Portal 2, and I really hope it lives up to the hype.
(Number 4)
Killzone 3
Killzone. It has had its ups and downs. Technologically speaking, it's amazing. I mean, just look at any screen of Killzone 2 (or 3), and you'll be blown away. The graphics, the sounds, everything aesthetic is amazing. The gameplay is, really, the only thing holding this series down. People have said the responsiveness in KZ2 was subject to question, the player having too much weight. Guerrilla Games hopes to remedy this problem in the upcoming FPS. And, having played the beta, it does feel smooth. The player still feels like he has weight, but not too much weight.
I have pretty high hopes for Killzone 3. Just because I'm hoping it won't be a CoD clone. And so far, the Metacritic average is, I believe, at a B+. B+ isn't a bad score, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
(Number 3)
Assassin's Creed III(?)
Ubisoft has already announced another AC game this year, but no other details have been released as of now. I have mixed feelings about this decision. On one side, I cannot WAIT to get back into the AC story. It's been one of my favorite game franchises, and Brotherhood didn't disappoint. On the other side, I do wish they would spend more time smoothing out some gameplay issues, and multiplayer. Gameplay didn't have any major issues, but the PS3 version (what I play) has widely-known framerate problems. It doesn't affect me too much, but it's still there.
Multiplayer is awesome in AC. And I really hope they put a good amount of focus on it, but not more than single-player. I really want them to smooth out matchmaking, and maybe add a pre-game lobby. Just a few small details that all add up to a more complete experience.
(Number 2)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
The Uncharted series is the best PS3-exclusive series, by far. Anyone who plays on PS3 will tell you that. From the amazing graphics, to the splendid gameplay, to the spectacular voice-acting, Uncharted is the epitome of awesome. It's Indy Jones, mixed with Tomb Raider. Awesome. Now the first Uncharted wasn't rated all that great, but it was still a great step forward for the PS3.
Naughty Dog has always pushed itself to create the best game possible. Uncharted 2 is a great example of this. It's amazing how far the PS3 has come. With mediocre launch sales, and common problems with hardware, it wasn't the system to have. Now, about 3 years later, it definitely IS the system to have.
(Number 1)
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls series IS my favorite series. I put over 300 hours in Oblivion, and I really want to do another playthrough again, just to get used to gameplay again. When Skyrim was announced at the Spike Video Game awards, I jumped up and down whilst screaming like a little girl for about 15 minutes. I am so psyched about it, I go to Bethesda's website every day to see if an update was posted. And, while I am really excited about it, I do have a few lingering doubts.
For one, terrain movement. In Oblivion, and Fallout 3, the movement really looked stiff. When walking up the side of a hill, you move the same speed (and have the same animations) as when you move on flat ground. With the new engine, I am fairly sure these 'problems' will be solved, but I still have that doubt in the back of my mind. All the things I'm worried about are purely aesthetic. I want to have pretty animations. I'm not worried at all about combat/speech.
The new combat system reminds me a lot of Bioshock, and I like the combat system in Bioshock. It gives me a reason to put more of a focus on magic, something I've never even thought about using in Oblivion. That, and the new physics system for how magic looks. From how Todd Howard explained it in GI's special edition podcast, it sounds fantastic. I have extremely high expectations for this, and I already nominate it for GOTY 2011.
This went on way longer than I wanted, and it's way late, but I just had to get this out there.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the Year of The Game.