Top 5 on 5: Most Anticipated Games of 2011

Or top 5 on... 6, I suppose. I'll endeavor not to be late with this in the future as it kinda defeats the gimmick in the title. Anyhow!

For this month's top 5, I'll be listing the games that show the most interesting potential coming out this year. I'll try to avoid sequels unless they're a big change from the previous game. If my predictions hold, these are the games that would in theory compose my most impressive games of 2011 list next year. As such, these are games with interesting ideas that look like they have potential to shake things up at least a little as opposed to just being a really good example of their genre.

Honorable mentions for this year include Dead Space 2 and Killzone 3, which didn't make it due to the sequel clause, and Aliens: Colonial Marines, which didn't make it due to being vaporware, despite how amazing it sounds like it may be when it theoretically comes out.

#5--BRINK
 Brink is a first-person shooter with parkour movement controls coming out this May. Mirror's Edge was a previous first-person game with excellently done parkour movement, but it heavily de-emphasized the combat aspect. If Brink manages to blend the freerunning of Mirror's Edge with a solid shooter title successfully, it has the potential to be an absolute blast to play. If it sounds so awesome, why is it number 5, then? Because if it screws it up, it'll probably be terrible. For that reason, it's also the only game on this top 5 that I don't have preordered currently(of those available for preorder)--I'd like to see and hear more about the play experience before I decide to buy it. Especially with its inclusion of bots and online co-op, I'm very interested to pick it up... if it turns out to be good. Here's hoping for a demo before release.

#4--TALES OF GRACES F
This inclusion is kind of a personal indulgence for me--the Tales series is my favorite RPG series, and quite possibly my favorite game series period, of all time. The real-time battle system of the Tales series is really what sets it apart from other RPGs in my mind, and Tales of Graces F includes an especially updated version not previously seen on these shores(though I'm given to understand that a previous Japan-only remake of Tales of Destiny had a very similar if not quite identical system). In addition to the reworked battle system being a major improvement to an already great mechanic, from what I've seen of the game the plot and characters are just as top-notch as previous titles in the series. We here in the states are even getting the updated "F" version on the PS3 as opposed to the original Wii version, so we'll have all the extra content that we missed since we never got the PS3 version of Tales of Vesperia. The main reasons that this game only comes in at number 4 are that it's a very personal thing for me instead of a more universal appeal, and that I'm not positive it'll actually be out this year.

#3--DRAGON AGE 2
You might be thinking to yourself, "What about that sequel clause?". Dragon Age 2 isn't the same kind of sequel as Killzone 3 or Dead Space 2, however. It's got a completely new plot arc, new main character, and some largely new mechanics. It's more of another story that takes place in the same world than it is an actual sequel. If you've played Mass Effect and Dragon Age both, you'll understand what I mean when I say that Dragon Age 2 looks like the best of both worlds to me. You get a Mass Effect-like conversation wheel whose choices define your personality, along with a fully-voiced main character whose role in the story is the same despite your customizations. From Dragon Age we inherit the relationship system instead of a karma meter, along with a frankly excellent fantasy world chock-full of lore and backstory. The basic plot of Dragon Age 2 takes place over an ambitious 10 in-game years, telling the story of your character's rise from a simple refugee to the most powerful person in the Dragon Age world. It's looking like an epic and fulfilling undertaking, and BioWare has shown that they can deliver powerful RPGs in the past, so this should be no exception.

#2--BULLETSTORM
The demo for this game has almost completely halted my progress in playing through Dead Space 2, even though it only has one level that takes 4-5 minutes to play through. Why? Because its over-the-top, absurd approach to combining a Shooter with old-school High Score contests is so incredibly addictive. You want to get the highest score possible, and you do that by killing the hordes of enemy mooks thrown at you in as inventive and varied ways as you can think of, as quickly as you can. Your character is almost invincible(to the regular enemies anyways--bosses will probably be a different story), because the point isn't the challenge of facing the hordes of enemy soldiers, it's to challenge your ingenuity and accuracy in pulling off crazy 'skillshots' when killing them. Everything from kicking people into live electric wires, firing an exploding shell that carries them into the air, using your energy leash to pull the enemy into friendly fire, to even flipping a switch and bringing an elevator crashing down on them--the more crazy stunts you pull off, the better. It's an excellent combination of old- and new-school flavor and gameplay, and I can't wait to unbox the full game later this month.

#1--DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION
The original Deus Ex is another of my top 5 games of all time, and one of the longest-held spots on that list. Since it's been so long since there's been a (proper) Deus Ex game, it's no surprise that Human Revolution comes in high on my list of anticipations for this year. What makes it go to the top is the sheer level of polish that's being put into it. The dev team is trying hard to make it as close to the feel of the original as possible, but with new-age graphics, controls, and innovations. The original had a near-future but still sci-fi feel that made a great backdrop to the conspiracy-riddled story, and the fact that pretty much every situation in the game can be solved multiple ways--usually more than even two different ways--made a lot of variety and interesting choice in a single-player, story driven game. Human Revolution is a prequel to the original Deus Ex, so it does suffer the risk of pulling a Star Wars, what with having prequels that look far more advanced than the originals, but assuming Human Revolution can avoid that pitfall it looks well set to be an excellent gaming experience that no two people will play exactly alike.

That's it for this installment. Tune in soon for new articles and rants, and until then, game on!

Top 5 on 5: Most Impressive Games of 2010

Welcome to a new kind of Article--the Top 5 on 5! On the 5th of every month, I'll post a top 5 list of something relevant to gaming. For this, the first top 5, I'm going to take a look back at the games I got in 2010 and list the ones that impressed me most. This isn't a list of necessarily the BEST games of 2010; just the ones that surprised me the most with how good they were. That's why you won't see Heavy Rain on this list, despite it being my second favorite game of all time--because I was EXPECTING Heavy Rain to be awesome.

#5--WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM
An odd case for two reasons. First, it's an expansion, not a full game. Second, like with Heavy Rain, I knew what to expect for Cataclysm. The reason it makes this list is because a lot of the small changes Cataclysm made that I hadn't given much thought ended up changing the game far more than I thought it would. New quest mechanics such as allowing quests to chain without going back to the questgiver, Archaeology as a new Secondary Skill, and revamped Profession mechanics allowing multiple skillups from a single crafting are all small changes that make this expansion much more worthwhile than it seems.

#4--MAG
A PS3-exclusive FPS released early in 2010, MAG is interesting in that it combines elements of MMOs and traditional FPS. While it's not a true MMO shooter a la Planetside, you do have a persistent character who levels up and gains new skills and equipment as you play. However, you jump into and out of matches and switch equipment loadouts on the fly much more like a standard shooter such as Call of Duty. Your games do contribute to something larger than yourself: winning matches helps your faction earn 'contracts', which in turn give you passive bonuses in future matches. The real key that gets this game on my list is the support it's received: the MAG team continually updates the game based on player feedback and has released two rather substantial gameplay updates including new modes and a revamp of the system in place for acquiring gear. If a game is only playable online, it needs good support, and MAG's is a shining example that was not guaranteed at launch, so I was impressed to see it followed through.

#3--BLUR
Allow me to sum up Blur for you in a single sentence: it's Mario Kart with real cars. That one statement is all it's taken for me to get almost all of my friends to try this game, and we all love playing it. The thing that made this game take the #3 spot on the list is simple--I had no expectations for it whatsoever. I picked it up completely on a whim some time after its release, and my initial single player experience was pretty mediocre--not bad, but not great. The moment we fired up the multiplayer, however, the game changed completely. A wide variety of tracks and a staggering number of cars over four speed classes, completely customizable options for powerups, laps, AI, handicap, et al, and a smooth presentation and easy-to-learn control scheme keep us all coming back to this game again and again when company is over.

#2--VANQUISH
Another game like Blur that I had no prior expectations for, Vanquish edges out the racer in this list by being something new, blending gametypes instead of being an incredibly well-done game following a previous trend. Vanquish takes high-octane, over-the-top action and combines it with a strategic cover-based shooter by giving your character a suit of powered armor with built-in jets. This leads to you speeding around the level on your kneepads screaming "WOOOOOOOO!!!!" as you gun down enemies in slow motion. When your jets are on cooldown, you hide behind cover and take potshots at enemies dumb enough to advance on you. Despite the schizophrenic nature of the gameplay, it somehow blends miraculously well and is a delight to play.

#1--ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD
I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I'll keep saying it until you all play this game: the multiplayer absolutely has to be seen(and tried) to be believed. One of the most innovative and downright thrilling games I've played in a long, long time. While it's not perfect--Alliance mode could use some work--it's so unique that it's a breath of fresh air from any other game you might be playing. The singleplayer mode is not to be scoffed at either--it continues the story of Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2 as he founds a Brotherhood of Assassins(bet you didn't see that coming!) to fight against his enemies. One of the coolest things they added with the whole 'brotherhood' bit is calling your assassin recruits to help you. Ezio lifts a hand and an assassin jumps out and kills your enemy. If you have enough recruits available, you can call an 'arrow storm', which kills every guard on screen in a hail of arrows. It's extremely fun to play and fun to watch. The singleplayer leaves the game open for Assassin's Creed 3, which will something to watch for in the future.

That's it for now, gamers. Hope you enjoyed my rundown of surprise excellent games from 2010, and look forward to more Top 5 on 5 articles in the coming months.

Until next time, game on!