12. Syndicate
Starbreeze Studios is not a developer that I am fond of, the only game from them that I’ve spent much time with is The Darkness and I didn’t care for it, but Syndicate is looking great. The game takes place in the not too distant future with a very cyper-punk sort of feel that reminds me a lot of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. When playing Deus Ex I constantly wanted to be able to take out all the bad guys thanks to my augmentations but was forced to sneak around most of the time. However in Syndicate you get to use all these cybernetic upgrades to slaughter everyone on screen, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.
11. Asura’s Wrath
I’ve had my eye on this game for a while now due to the fact that I love Capcom and the game has an awesome art style; however, it wasn’t going to be on this list, but after playing the demo I had to add it. The game is so over the top and epic that it leaves you in awe constantly. The two boss battles in the demo were great, but are mainly comprised of quick time events. These were cool, but it didn’t let me see how the game controls in regular combat. If I had gotten to see how the game handles outside of boss battles it might have been higher on this list, but I will play this game just to see more of those incredible boss battles that make you feel like you’re playing one of the coolest animes ever.
10. Final Fantasy XIII-2
A lot of people were disappointed in FFXIII many of which didn’t give the game a fair chance and wrote it off for its linear level design. I was not one of those people and I really enjoyed XIII. Unfortunately in this sequel you don’t get to play as the same characters from the first one. The game looks great and has done a lot to open the environments up and deliver more side quests and gameplay variety, but without those same characters to draw me in and the fact that last year I put 60+ hours into both FFXIII & Skyrim I’m not too eager to jump into another massive RPG despite the fact that I know it will be quite good.
9. Tomb Raider
The reboot of Tomb Raider takes the series in an entirely new direction that has got me, someone who has never played a Tomb Raider game before, excited about this series for the very first time. Lara Croft is no longer a highly skilled individual who can handle any situation, instead she is a young woman stranded on an island and struggling to survive. So many games try to empower the player, so I like trying out games where you have no power because of the tension that it brings to many situations. The E3 footage looked amazing and I’m excited to see more.
8. Diablo 3
I’ve been waiting for so long to get this game it is ridiculous. Which might lead one to wonder why it isn’t higher on this list, well the answer is that I don’t play on the PC much anymore and my excitement has somewhat waned over the past few years. I still have such fond memories of playing Diablo II: Lord of Destruction that I can’t wait to jump back into the series that made me a loot whore so many moons ago.
7. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
I love Transformers, I always have and I always will. Since I was a kid I enjoyed the TV shows, the toys, the movies, but never the games, until I played War for Cybertron. It was not only a good game but it was a good Transformers game from developers who clearly cared about the series. Their passion and love for Transformers is shining even brighter this time around with all the incredible stuff they have planned. Hopefully this time they won’t forget about local multiplayer.
6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengence
This game has been in development for a few years now and, while I am concerned about the game changing studios from Kojima Productions to Platinum Games I still think that it will be a great deal of fun. The action seems fast and intense plus I imagine that Kojima came up with a pretty interesting story, although I’m not sure how much of that will change now that it has switched studios as well as point in the series. Also I know a lot of people hate it but I think that “Revengence” sounds badass.
5. Ninja Gaiden 3
Like MGR this game is filled with fast paced action and swords, but unlike MGR I’ve played Ninja Gaiden before and so I know how it plays. There will obviously be some changes but I feel I pretty much know what to expect gameplay wise. Hopefully the game will be a little easier this time around since I never finished any of the previous games and now that it seems like it has a good story I would like to see it through. Speaking of the story, the reason I’m so excited for this game is that the arm that hungers for blood and hurts Ryu seems just like the blade in Shinobi on the PS2, which is the best game about a ninja ever, and so the fact that Ninja Gaiden 3 is borrowing from Shinobi just excites me. Also if that thing with his arm is not a gameplay mechanic I will be pissed.
4. Bioshock: Infinite
This game looks incredible and I don’t just mean graphically. The world of Columbia is gorgeous, the fact that it is sectioned off onto different floating machines and that you can ride between them at anytime in order to explore different routes and get behind enemies is really cool. I also love that you get to have someone with you the whole time to talk to and build a connection with, which can be a really powerful story device when used effectively. The combat also seems much faster and more fluid than in the first game plus the strategic placement of tears in the battlefield adds to the strategy.
3. Halo 4
It’s Halo freaking 4! I adore the Halo series and I wanted to put this game at the top of this list but I don’t know much about the game and while I have a great deal of confidence in 343 I don’t like the idea of Halo as an annual game. The last thing I want is to get tired of Halo but I am concerned that this new trilogy will burn me out. Hopefully they will take a break after this one, but I’m also worried about the new story in Halo 4 and if it will feel natural, as if it was always meant to go there, or forced as if they just want more money. No matter what, it will be a day 1 buy for me because I have to know how it turns out.
2. Resident Evil 6
The announcement of this game took me by complete surprise. Not because I didn’t expect a 6th game, but because I didn’t expect it in the same year as Operation Raccoon City or for it to be announced with a trailer showing off gameplay footage and unveiling the release date. I love that it will feature Leon and Chris and that it seems to be going back to the creepy vibe of number 4, not to mention the fact that the stakes have been raised now that the virus is going global. The footage looks amazing and as a huge fan of RE4 & 5 I can’t wait for this game.
1. Mass Effect 3
Here it is the game that I am dying to play the most, the conclusion to Bioware’s masterful trilogy, Mass Effect 3. After playing through two amazing games with some of the greatest stories in video games, this March I get to see how it all ends and how my many choices throughout the series will affect the outcome that I get. The combat appears to be enhanced and more fluid than in previous games, the Reapers are invading and look to be culminating in some amazing boss battles. Also I can’t wait to see what kind of choices I’m going to get to make when the world is crumbling around me and the whole galaxy is at risk. My only concern at this point is if this game can live up to my ridiculously high expectations.
