Let's face it: there are a lot of good games coming out this year. Skyrim, Battlefield, Uncharted, and Modern Warfare 3 to name a few. In fact, there has probably never been another year since the late 90's where so many AAA titles were coming out so close together. However, there are undoubtedly some which are just better than others. For this reason, I've decided to create a list of my top 5 most anticipated games of the year, and provide a little commentary on each. While I'm sure the order and selection of my picks will be different from most, do remember that this is just my personal opinion.
So, without further adieu, my top 5 most anticipated games of 2011...
#5: Battlefield 3
I was never really an early entrant into the Battlefield franchise, but that changed with the 2010 release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Bad Company 2 looked extremely good and played very well. It was a nice, more strategy-oriented compliment to the more quickly paced Call of Duty. However, while it was good, it had its flaws, namely in the area of content. Thankfully, Battlefield 3 looks to take everything that was good about Bad Company 2 and then expand and improve it. While military shooters aren't my favorite thing in the world, Battlefield 3 is going to be a very solid experience, and I'm definitely going to be picking it up.
#4: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
I really liked Oblivion. It was an interesting concept for a game. However, it had some problems, mostly in the graphical department. It was slow, it had a ton of glitches, and it suffered a lot for it. Normally, a little slow down or some graphical bugs don't hurt the gameplay too much, but in Oblivion, they were actually prevalent enough to seriously mare the experience. With Skyrim, however, Bethesda is throwing all of these problems aside and making a much more solid game. If they are able to pull it off, and the can combine the classic Oblivion gameplay with a steadier and more fluid graphical engine, they'll have a winner on their hands, and I'll be sure to prove it by purchasing a copy for myself.
#3: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
I have been an Uncharted fan since the original game. In fact, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was the first game I ever played on the Playstation 3. I have fond memories of buying the Uncharted-bundled PS3 back in 2008, and bringing it home for the first time. When I popped in the disc and started playing, I was instantly entered into a world of treasure, villains, and adventure. When Uncharted 2 came out, I was equally pleased due to its amazing graphics, story, and multiplayer component. The point being, I'm a hardcore Nathan Drake fan, and nothing would prevent me from purchasing his latest adventure. Uncharted 3 is set to be one of the best looking, best playing PS3 titles to date, and if the previous iterations of the franchise are anything to judge by, then I'll take it at face value.
#2: Resistance 3
Frankly, I never really liked the Resistance franchise. Resistance 2 had some good ideas, but a lot of awkward design decisions held it back, and the same thing goes for Resistance: Fall of Man. However, after spending a lot of time with the recently-released Resistance 3 beta, and watching many, many different previews, I can honestly say that Resistance 3 is shaping up to be not only the best game in the series, but also, quite frankly, one of the best games this year. Its beautiful, has incredibly addictive gameplay, tons of content, and smooth matchmaking services. If the real deal can come even close to what has been delivered through the beta, I'll definitely be happy to snag myself a copy when it hits shelves this coming Tuesday.
#1: Goldeneye 007 Reloaded
I know what you're thinking: "Really? Goldeneye, above Skyrim? Above Battlefield 3?". I know, it must seem crazy, but to be honest, I'm just about the biggest Bond fan out there, and my love of the franchise extends far into the gaming realm. Growing up, I played tons of Goldeneye on the N64, and as I grew older, I even enjoyed gamesl ike Quantum of Solace, Nightfire, and more. I find that Bond games are good at combining fast, responsive gunplay with stealth elements, and thats something that I really enjoy. While other games will undoubtedly be fancier and will probably receieve a lot more press attention, Goldeneye 007 Reloaded could actually become the best Bond game ever made, as it sports some very good graphics, tight controls, lots of content, and a fantastic multiplayer component- in short, everything that makes a good Bond game, well, good. There was never a doubt in my mind from the moment that I saw it on Joystiq.com that I would be picking it up, and I can say with absolute certainty that Goldeneye 007 Reloaded is my number 1 most anticipated game of the year for that reason. If you enjoy Bond, or just good shooting games in general, then be sure to check this one out.
