Top 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2011
It’s that time of year again when sites start listing the best games of the year and what they look forward to next year. I don’t do the ‘Best of’ yearly lists, but anticipating what the PC platform has to offer is always a good way to remind ourselves that yes, there are good games for the PC on the horizon.
If there is one thing that sticks out in my 2011 most anticipated list of games, it’s that there’s a lot of 2’s in them. SEQUELS! 2011 is the year of sequels. Please keep in mind that these are my most anticipated game and I’m sure there are other games other people would be eagerly anticipating next year (that are missing on my list, do not fret).
10) XCOM
2K caused a bit of a storm when they first announced they were making XCOM as a first person shooter. While we still await the next real X-COM sequel, XCOM is still a unique game on its own right. Its not just a run and gun first person shooter and will incorporate some of the things that made the X-COM games great. You’ll still have a HQ and a research department where you assign research projects to your scientists. There’s not much known about other stuff like are there random missions(where the missions are generated), or does the game feature more linear gameplay. Certainly a more unique take on first person shooters, which is why it makes it into my list of most anticipated games for next year.
9) Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
Tripwire Interactives Red Orchestra managed to capture a group of loyal hardcore following. Red Orchestra is a multiplayer focused first person shooter that puts a lot of emphasis on realism. You’ll die a lot in this game. In Red Orchestra 2, they’re really upping the ante by bringing in vehicles and tanks that have to be manned by multiple people! I mean you actually sit inside a tank reloading shells or steering it. There’s an all new cover system too. Red Orchestra 2 is turning out to be like an awesome alternative to the arcadey Modern Warfare/Call of Duty games.
8) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
I didn't quite like The Witchers combat system which was a mix of action RPG with different attack stances. But The Witcher II is shaping out to be a more mature, adult take on RPG’s that is looking to better than the first. It’s looking like it’s going to be an RPG that has multiple ways the story could end up with multiple branches. It helps that the game also looks stunning.
7) Crysis 2
I’ve always been a big fan of Cryteks games since FarCry. While Crysis was marred by the poor alien levels(they didn’t really learn from the mistake they made with the mutants in FarCry), it’s still is a great game in my book. There a big sand box levels where you get to pick your strategy of tackling an enemy base. That’s always been the strength of Cryteks design. Crysis 2 is set in New York, away from the jungle of the tropical islands and into the concrete jungle of an urban city. There are some worries that Crysis 2 might become more scripted and more of a corridor shooter( we all know how popular those are these days), but we’ll have to wait for release day to make any conclusions on that.
6) Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex has a big place in the hearts and minds of PC gamers. Unless of course you are Mr. Tom Chick (which I’m not bitter about). Deus Ex was a game where you had multiple ways to upgrade yourself and play the game in completely different ways(stealth, gun slinger, hacker etc). The story was very Matrix like and humans have now discovered cybernetics and have been using it to augment security forces. Deus Ex: Human Revolution while not under the tutelage of Warren Spector, looks to carry on with the essence of what made this such a memorable game. The trailer and gameplay footage have been really impressive so far but it remains to be seen if Eidos Montreal manages to hit a home run with this. Also I’ve not seen how the PC version is shaping up.
5) RAGE
Id Softwares been taking their time with Rage. First officially revealed at QuakeCon 2007, it’s finally been given a firm release date of September 13th 2011. While Ids been hyping up its Id Tech 5 and its mega textures capability, much was not known about Rage other than the fact that it would be a lot more ‘open’ than the previous Id games. We’ve been seeing more of Rage this year and we’ve seen that there is a dune buggy/vehicle sections in the game and hub world which is structured like the world in Borderlands.
4) Men of War: Assault Squad
Men Of War was one the surprise games(surprisingly good that is) of 2010. It came out of nowhere and was a bit buggy. But with the crazy Steam deals and more people buying it, I discovered that Men of War(which is an extremely challenging game) offered one of the best coop experience in any strategy game. With Men of War Assault Squad, DMS has realised that this is a major feature in MoW and have decided to polish the game, the AI and the engine to make it a great coop experience. Currently at beta, it doesn’t have a firm release date other than just 2011.
3) Torchlight II
I really enjoyed Torchlight. Despite it being a single player only action RPG. It does the Diablo thing very, very well. Well that’s no surprise since it is from Runic Games. They are basically the guys that did Diablo. Torchlight didn’t have co-op. All of you complained! Well Runic Games listened and Torchlight 2 will feature co-op. With more time and resource invested into Torchlight 2, it’s looking way better, levels more varied, new characters, bigger more expansive over world, the random level generation made better and of course, the inclusion of multiplayer. What more can you ask for? Runic Games are trying to release this for the same USD$20 price point. Awesome!
2) Total War: Shogun 2
I’ve always been a fan(or sucker) for Total War games even if they don’t end up being all that great. Certainly the Total War series is one of the major PC franchises needing a major overhaul the most. Perhaps its formula is getting a little stale. Their attempts of making a huge, more epic game has been mired by way too many bugs that I think they should scale down back a little bit. Which was why I liked Napoleon Total War (a more focused campaign). Shogun 2: Total War looks to be doing just that with it’s focus on Japan and a more streamlined number of troops. I only wished they’d stop focusing on the tech and graphics so much. Creative Assembly continues to put the focus on graphics(in many of the previews). It’s hard to judge what I think about the addition of more role playing elements like leveling up assassin’s and hero units until I’ve got proper hands on on the game.
1) Portal 2
Glados is back! It’s hard not to make Portal the most anticipated game of 2011. Portal was a brilliant game from start to finish. It was short but I think the overall experience of Portal outweighed its briefness. It was just right. It’s certainly a very unique game. For Portal 2, Valve roped in the team behind the indie game, Tag: The Power of Paint to make more elaborate puzzles. Portal 2 also makes use of way more physics, from vacuum tubes that sucks things in to deflecting lasers on cubes. It’s certainly shaping up to be a gem of game. Plus! COOP! It will be interesting to see how Portal 2 stacks up as a much longer game and exactly how much Valve are going to price this at considering Portal was a short game and was part of The Orange Box.
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