A Lookback at 2011

 Now that 2011 is almost drawn to a close, in terms of the gaming world, we can reminisce over hits and misses, surprises, exciting announcements and a busy period at the tail end of a promising year in gaming. New heroes were created, some were recreated in new titles and some were merely classic games, re-released with HD graphics. Now, let’s take a look back to the start of the year which started off brightly… Or Dark I mean.

Dead Space 2

  The sequel to the popular Xbox 360, PS3 and PC title arrived in January of 2011. To be honest, this was a title I had been anticipating for a while. The first game encapsulates you in this surreal world which, sometimes, frightening you into switching the game off as it gives you the sense that you are never safe and it was the same in the second game. The setting for the game was completely different to that of the first, which some were disappointed in, but the game maintained the creepy and dark style throughout the sequel. With multiplayer added, which this game did not need at all. It seemed as though Dead Space 2 had everything anyone could ask for.

Those who were new to the game and had not played the first, were immediately intrigued to find out more about the storyline and also played the first game.

The story of the game itself makes the game worthwhile on so many levels. The demise of the main character Isaac, the struggle to survive in a crazy world and the excitement as you plough through enemies with the Plasma Cutter. A third Dead Space has been announced and I for one cannot wait.

LA Noire

  As soon as this game was announced, the public eye could see that this game wore the Rockstar Games badge, which usually spells success for any game title. These people know how to make games. The setting of the game takes place in an era when America, like the rest of the world, is recovering after WW2 (1947).

  A “successful” war veteran who had gained medals in the war for bravery and serving his country becomes a LA cop who works his way up within the LAPD. Investigating murders, arson cases, theft and drug charges, lead character Cole Phelps has to endure them all.

  But this open world game opens out to be more than about crime-fighting, Phelps’ personal battle to overcome the memories of the war and also his own personal actions immerse the player into the game, like a book or a movie would. The slick and unusual gameplay makes LA Noire stand out from the crowd, where it belongs.

 In addition to the standard edition being released earlier this year, LA Noire: Complete Edition is out now for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. This includes the full game as well as all DLC content that was released.

E3

 The yearly event which gets the whole of the industry talking and speculating, E3 once again caused much excitement and applause from fans and the media alike. New games were revealed, new franchises were introduced and one announced made everyone look ahead to the future.

Wii U

  The major announcement of the event was the next generation of gaming for Nintendo. After a stuttering start to the 3DS’ lifespan, Nintendo followed up the release of the handheld device with the announcement of the next major console, the Wii U.

 Many have criticised Nintendo however over the release of the Wii U and the idea of it’s new controller. Many argue that this is “not as innovative as the original Wii remote” and “may be too expensive for the average person to own”. Nintendo seem unfazed by this however and have already announced launch titles in the shape of Super Smash Bros, Pikmin 3 and Lego City Stories.

 A huge relief for all of those gamers who owned a Wii and all of its peripherals, all of the Wii hardware will be functional with the Wii U. This means that the remote, nun-chuck, classic controller and the Wii balance board that would have been used during the Wii Fit-Mania.

 It will be interesting to see how development and the build up to the console’s release will play out. I’m sure that one way or another, it will be a huge success… just as long as it isn’t rivalling Microsoft and Sony price wise.

Microsoft Reveals…Halo?

 With many Xbox fans/ members craving for more exclusives coming to Xbox, I don’t know if this is what many had predicted. Master Chief will be back in another trilogy of games. The production of the game has now been handed down from Bungie to 343 Industries. The first glimpse we would see (or have seen) of their potential is the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was released earlier this month. New HD graphics show how the fantastic campaign would look today and it plays like it did 10 years ago.

 Back to 4 though, a trailer was revealed and it shows Master Chief and Cortana escaping the crashing ship which was the end of Halo 3. We can only hope that 343 can maintain the Halo franchise for what it should be remembered for and not ODST. Halo 4 will be released November 2012.

 Kinect exclusives were revealed by Microsoft as well, which many feel let down by but one announcement they made, which is out next week, is the new dashboard update. Released on the 6^th of December looks very pretty and reminds me of my Windows 7 Phone. I hope that Kinect is integrated well into the system.

Sony Gets Vita

  As well as Nintendo unveiling their latest console, Sony too revealed their follow up to the mediocre PSP, the Playstation Vita. The handheld gaming device has been slated for a 22^nd February 2012 release date and comes with a price tag of £229.99, which seems pretty steep. The Vita has a 5 inch screen with multi touch, twin cameras, twin speakers, a microphone and the battery lasts from 4-5 hours. The rear of the console also features a touch sensitive back which means you can control the on screen action without obstructing the screens view. Even more unbelievable, you can play PS3 games on the Vita. Very impressive.

 Vita also includes GPS which means you can communicate to other Vita users nearby and prompt them to location related games. God only knows what that means. The graphics on the Vita seem very promising as they feature a lot of colour, very sharp and bubbly colours. Should be one to watch… Maybe after the price drop.

Games which have already been confirmed are Modnation Racers, Assassin’s Creed, Street Fighter X Tekken and Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

Busy, Busy, Busy Fall

The time of year was once again upon us and the lead up to the busiest period in gaming of the year, every year! This year was no exception with title after title after title severely draining our bank balances. Literally, a great game would come out every week. The fall period began with one of the highest anticipated releases of the year with Gears of War 3.

The final game in the highly popular trilogy was well received by media and fans alike. Rounding the story off well and building on a solid multiplayer which was featured in Gears of War 2. Horde mode, nonetheless, was the big hit in the new game, as it proved so popular in the last instalment. With new upgrades to the solid gameplay, this is one I personally cannot put down. Beast mode was introduced to the game as well which sees you control the Locust and try to defeat waves of humans. One of my favourite games of the year.

 The football season at this point is not long underway and this gets better when you realise that the yearly release of EA Sports’ Fifa is about to hit shelves, Fifa 12. This year builds on a platform from Fifa 11 which seen it claim multiple awards for Sports game of the year.  Ultimate Team, an all-new Career mode and an online function entitled ‘head 2 Head’ seasons which pits players of similar ability, with similar teams to overall see which team is best and making you a better player in the process (see my review on this also in my blog).

 The big hitters were up against each other this year. Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had been battling for months over who would take the first person shooter crown. To be honest, judging by history, there would only be one winner. And there was.

 Call of Duty MW3 broke all sorts of records with $775 million sold in just 5 days. Unbelievable. Gameplay for the game hasn’t changed since Call of Duty 4 and it seems millions of people cannot get enough of the franchise.

 Battlefield 3 did sell a few copies also but it wasn’t even close to reaching the heights of the COD Rocket. Battlefield broke EA’s records by recording $300 million sales in its first week. It was a great rivalry but in essence there was only going to be one winner and COD has officially walked away with the crown (Not that I am a fan of the series).

 Another series which I am not a fan of is Elder Scrolls. They have never been my type of game. However, Skyrim seems to have taken the world by storm, Even though it was released just after MW3. The game has been seen as game of the year by many fans of the game who claim that the 5 year wait was well worth it. With so many quests, challenges and puzzles to solve. It seems as though Elder Scrolls fans patience has finally paid off.

  Saints Row the Third has been given rave reviews as well by the media who like the games ‘arcade’ feel and the freedom you have, as any sandbox game should let you have. Even the advertising campaign behind this speaks volumes to the effort the producers and developers have put into the game. Freedom to fly helicopters, planes, tanks and drive all sorts of vehicles, it seems as though Saints Row the Third has it all. This is a great fun game to break up all of the serious war/ roleplaying games.

 On top of the ground-breaking games, the following games have been released:

Forza Motorsport 4, Assassins Creed Revelations, Uncharted 3, Batman Arkham City, Rage, Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, Mario Kart 3D and WWE 12.

From what has been a busy year in gaming, we can only hope that promises made at E3 can be fulfilled and that next year can be a good a year as this one. Whether or not these promises can be kept, only time will tell. But it is looking as though 2012 can be as strong, or stronger than this years effort.