With E3 through and a few of my previously most anticipated games released ALL kicked ass by the way, especially Super Mario Galaxy 2), figured I'd do another one of these. Figured I'd keep tradition and make it top 6 again :P.
6. Halo Reach
Never actually owned a Halo game but the multiplayer is so damn fun and all my friends are getting it, so I figured I might as well actually get it this time around instead of just playing it at people's houses. One of the most fun online FPSs there are, looking forward to it.
5. The Last Guardian
CMON TEAM ICO REALLY? NO INFO AT E3??? Well my rage over no info about this game being released isn't enough to stop my hyping. Cannot wait to see where they go with this one.
4. Kirby's Epic Yarn
The sleeper hit of the show, this game earned its spot as Gamespot's Game of the Show with its beautiful artistic graphics and smooth gameplay. Wasn't expecting a Kirby game to be announced, and had I known I wouldn't have expected to get hyped about it. But this is something to get excited about.
3. Epic Mickey
The first batch of images that came out for Epic Mickey disappointed many, including me. It still looked like it could be fun, but it wasn't looking like the brilliant experience that was promised. That'll teach me to doubt Warren Spector! I mean the guy only made System Shock and Deus Ex, two of the greatest games ever made, I don't know what made me doubt him for a second. The 3-D levels and the painting mechanic were absolutely brilliant, but what totally blew me away was the 2-D transport level inspired by Steamboat Willie. The art $tyle was the best of any game shown at E3 in my opinion and I'm very very hyped.
2. Portal 2
Surprised? You shouldn't be. The first Portal was absolutely brilliant, a unique new portal based shooting puzzle game with a hilarious dark sense of humor from the geniuses at Valve, accompanied by some talented indie designers. What wasn't revealed: Portal 1, much like what happens in the game itself, was just an experiment. They played it safe with a nice brief 6 hour game given as an add on to Half-Life 2 Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2. This is the full fledged game they had in mind. Tons and tons of new puzzle elements such as the Propulsion and Bouncing Gels, which are my personal favorites of the additions. GLaDOS looks just as hilarious this time around as she was last time and the puzzles look much more intricate, deep, and challenging. I absolutely cannot wait, it looks so much better than the first, an amazing achievement, and they said it's 3-4 times as long as the first. GOTY 2011? Oh we shall see, it has some major competition in my #1. The gap between #1 and #2 is tiny on this list, which is astounding considering my love for my #1 series is well documented.
1. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
What is there to say? It's frickin Legend of Zelda. Gameplay looks as sharp as ever and the Wii Motiin + swordplay looks amazing. The new art $tyle, a mix between Wind Waker and Twilight Princess is beautiful, reminds me a tiny bit of Little King's Story, which I absolutely loved, but more technically proficient and detailed. I honestly don't know what else to say, if you don't understand why this is #1 you need to play Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time ASAP.
Honorable Mentions:
Killzone 3 (will definitely be getting Move for this, hopefully I win a 3-D TV in some sweepstakes thing or something cuz I'd love to play this in 3-D but there's no way in hell I'm buying one :P)
Although the gunmetal grey of KZ2 got annoying, the gunplay was fantastic and the graphics were excellent. Adding white may not be a huge difference but I'm a sucker for snow in video games, and just that honestly makes me want the game that much more.
Gears of War 3
Didn't like Gears 1 or 2 too much, but it wasn't the gameplay, which I could tell was far above adequate and even went into the awesome range, it was the art direction. All grey and brown, I couldn't take it. It was hard to distinguish one thing from another and it hurt my eyes after an hour or so.
Donkey Kong Country Returns
The return of one of the best platforming series of the 16-bit era, the golden age of platforming? Done by Retro Studios, the geniuses behind Metroid Prime? YES PLEASE.
2011 is gonna be a big year for gaming, and I'm sure it'll be one of my favorites this gen. The lineup is looking amazing, and we're still waiting on some more announcements. Just these 8 games would keep me happy, and there's still more to come!
Discuss, name your most anticipated, whatever. Enjoy.