Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3)
This is the fourth Assassin’s Creed game, and judging from the upward trajectory in quality of the previous entries, there’s no reason to believe it won’t be the best yet. Expect to play as Italian Renaissance man Ezio, now a ripe old geezer in his 50s, present-day Desmond and Altair from the original game. A much expanded multiplayer will furnish the adventure with extra value.
Batman Arkham City (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Developer Rocksteady surprised everyone with its brilliant imagining of the Dark Knight in Batman Arkham Asylum, producing one of 2009’s best games. Arkham City looks to expand on that game’s empowering stealth, gadgets and brawling mash-up. Look out for more gizmos, a wider play area and, of course, more villains spilling into the streets of Gotham.
Battlefield 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Brace yourself, Call of Duty; you’re in for a war. EA’s technically awesome Battlefield 3 is the greatest threat to CoD’s dominance in years. Looks staggeringly good and its expansive multiplayer, with a hint of vehicular action, should appease military man-shoot fans looking for something a little bit more involved.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
With most of the original team gone, the revamped Infinity Ward has a lot to prove with Modern Warfare 3. Love it or hate it, Call of Duty is one of the most important contemporary series, and the latest edition is guaranteed to set the charts on fire. It remains to be seen if it’ll do the same for gaming passion.
Dark Souls (Xbox 360, PS3)
Spiritual sequel to the phenomenal Demon’s Souls. With a shift to multi-platform, a more open-world approach, higher difficulty level (yes, *higher*) and improved co-op play, Dark Souls is shaping up to be one of 2011′s most exciting releases.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Serving as a prequel to the original game, Human Revolution looks set to atone for the sins of Invisible War. Offering the same kind of open-ended approach which garnered Deus Ex so much praise, Human Revolution has the potential to be something special.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Bethesda is redefining ‘epic’ with Skyrim, a huge fantasy RPG set in the snow-swept mountains of Tamriel. Should be the perfect game to lose yourself in during those cold winter nights. After it caused quite the stir at E3, its swords, sorcery and dragons could become the stuff of legend.
Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
On a tidal wave of testosterone, this arc of the Gears tale comes to a close. It’s not looking good for the COG forces, as infected Locust (known as Lambent) have taken humanity’s last city. Marcus Fenix and co. will deal with the problem as they know best, with lots of shooting, shouting and blowing things up. As well as a likely explosive finale to one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises, a more refined multiplayer and a revamped Horde mode should make this an impressive package. Hopefully Dom’s cheered up a bit too.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
It’s The Legend of Zelda’s 25th Anniversary this year, and following the magnificent remastering of Ocarina of Time, a whole new adventure hits Wii in time for Christmas. Uses Wii Motion Plus to embellish Link’s always brilliant bag of tricks. Could be the Wii’s swansong, and what a way to go.
Rage (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3)
The fathers of the FPS, John Carmack and id Software finally return with this mutant, post-apocalyptic shooter. Using the new idTech 5 engine, Rage should be a fabulous technical showcase. With a high level of customization (including personalizing your own dune buggy) and id’s enviable skill at making things dead with boomsticks, this should be a blast.
Super Mario 3D (3DS)
Its Super Mario 64 meets Super Mario Galaxy, in your pocket, and in 3D. In the words of the portly plumber himself: “Wahooooo!â€
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
Over two magnificent matinee adventures, Uncharted has become one of gamin’s biggest blockbuster franchises. Drake’s Deception looks to continue the streak, with charming hero Nathan Drake in a Lawrence of Arabia inspired trek to the desert. Look, he’s wearing a scarf and everything.
Catherine (Xbox 360, PS3)
After the will-they/won’t-they teasing from Atlus, Catherine is finally getting a UK release. It’s a psychosexual thriller puzzle game, a cross between Q*Bert and Silent Hill. It’s a game about polygamy, block pushing and really weird sheep. It’s sure to be a memorable experience.
From Dust (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Seeking to revive the God Sim genre, From Dust is a downloadable title for PC, 360 and PS3. With excellent-looking terrain deformation and the ability to control various types of matter, From Dust looks to be a creative, welcome break from the norm.
Journey (PS3)
With 2009′s Flower, Thatgamecompany created one of the most evocative games in recent memory. Journey looks set to outdo this. It tasks players with undergoing a mysterious journey across the desert. Along the way you can meet other players, with whom you cannot communicate. While it may not be the most action-oriented title of 2011, it’s surely set to be one of the most thought provoking.
Source 1, Source 2
