Critical Hit: Most Anticipated Games of 2011

With another year comes another wave of great games. Much like 2010, I am very much anticipating a handful of awesome games that cover a wide range of genres. Let's take a look at the 2011 video games that I personally think will bring something great, unique, and awesome to the table.

WWE All-Stars

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PSP, Playstation 2 Release: March 29, 2011

Developer: THQ San Diego Publisher: THQ

Being the huge wrestling fan that I am, I never really kept up with any of the WWE games. The first few wrestling games I owned and played the crap out of were Wrestlemania 2000 for Nintendo 64 and WWF Smackdown! for the Playstation. Ever since then I've played various wrestling games such as WWE Day of Reckoning along with various entries in the Smackown! vs. Raw series. With WWE All-Stars, it would appear that THQ is taking the wrestling genre back to the over-the-top roots we haven't experienced in real wrestling since the Attitude era. With action-figure like character models to over the top signature and special moves, All-Stars looks to be much more NBA Jam than Smackown! vs. Raw. Gameplay mechanics that rely on health bars rather than body damage is an awesome throwback to all of the 90's wrestling games that I grew up on. With all of the superstars of past and present and not to mention air combos and grabs WWE All-Stars looks to be the wrestling game I've been waiting for all these years.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Release: February 15, 2011

Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom

It's been over ten years since Marvel vs. Capcom 2 hit shelves which allowed people to Maximum Spider and Sentinel Force their friends for years to come. With MvC2 appearing on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network in 2009, Marvel vs Capcom 3 was announced just a year later which had people wondering for months which Capcom legends or Marvel heroes would make the cut. It's safe to say that MvC3 has a great balance of classic Capcom/Marvel characters as well as newer fighters that brought the series up to date in its ten year absence. Yes, I know the game came out last week but since I haven't received my copy from Capcom's wonderful online store I'm still anticipating the damn game. All I can say from the previews is that graphically this game looks fantastic and the voice acting is superb. If the game is just as well done as the aesthetics and fan service then we've got a game worthy of the ten year wait.

L.A. Noire

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Release: May 17, 2011

Developer: Team Bondi Publisher: Rockstar Games

Coming off the success of 2010 game of the year Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games is looking to keep the streak alive in 2011 with L.A. Noire. What makes L.A. Noire stand out to me are the life-like facial animations powered by MotionScan. I can't speak enough about the graphics and animation; the game looks gorgeous. But of course, I'd be naive to buy a game based on looks alone. The gameplay shown in the trailers doesn't disappoint either. It blends fire-fighting and brawling with investigative detective work and open world exploration to achieve a better appreciation of 1947's crime infested Los Angeles. A mixture of Heavy Rain and Grand Theft Auto with a extra bit of noire pulp is what I get out of L.A. Noire. If Rockstar can blend all of these elements in a way that gives the player a gameplay and cinematic experience like I know Rockstar can, then we have a sure-fire Game of the Year in L.A. Noire.

Batman: Arkham City

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows Release: Q3 2011

Developer: Rocksteady Studios Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive

The greatest Batman game ever made gets a sequel this year. The unfortunately named Arkham City takes the madhouse from the asylum to Gotham. This time around Quincy Sharp and Hugo Strange created a small section of Gotham to better house asylum inmates. However, Two-Face decides to publicly execute Catwoman in order to prove his superiority over his fellow inmates. This is where The Dark Knight straps on his utility belt and takes on the dark depths of Arkham once again. Of course, a wounded Joker is hiding menacingly and enigmatically behind the scenes. I can't wait to see what Bats has in store for gamers this fall.

Journey

Platform: Playstation 3 Release: 2011

Developer: thatgamecompany Publisher: Sony

From the people who brought you Flower, which focused on the beauty of wind and nature, bring an emphasis on the beauty of sand and solitude in Journey. The entire point of the game is to take a cloaked woman across an endless desert towards a giant luminous mountain. During the journey, you may encounter anonmyous PSN players who may help you out with certain puzzles. Eventually, the people you encounter will go their separate ways as no two players' goals are in the same location. The game, much like Flower, already feels like pure poetry and will no doubt add a greater layer of depth and wonder to an enigmatic adventure.

The Last Guardian

Platforms: Playstation 3 Release: Q4 2011

Developer: Team Ico Publisher: Sony

Team Ico's much anticipate successor to Shadow of the Colossus and Ico provides much of the same atmosphere experienced in those two classics. Unlike SotC and Ico, the boy protagonist of The Last Guardian is not trying to rescue a dainty princess. The boy must escape a royal army with the help of a giant griffin named Trico. The boy must complete puzzles and utilize Trico to overcome obstacles in order to continue their journey. The relationship between the boy and Trico mirrors the relationships of Ico & Yorda, and Wander & Aggro. The Last Guardian appears to be very story and atmosphere driven game which will defnitely be another artistic wonder from the minds of Team Ico.

The Last Story

Platform: Wii Release: TBA

Publisher: Mistwalker Publisher: Nintendo

With the downfall of JRPGs in the past couple years, there hasn't been much on the horizon for lovers of the genre. The Last Story hopes to change that. Nintendo and Mistwalker bring an action packed RPG that turns away from turn based combat and embraces free roaming combat with third person shooting and close quarters swordplay much like Demon's Souls but with an increased pace. The story could be a hit or miss as most JRPGs are but a great combat style could make up for a lackluster storyline. Although I trust that The Last Story will bring great cinematic story telling. The game was released last month in Japan to rave reviews which just makes the wait for an American release that much more unbearable.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Platforms: Wii Release: 2011

Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo

I haven't missed a major Zelda release since I can remember and I don't plan on skipping Skyward Sword. Not much has been revealed about the game yet except for the beautiful Wind Waker/Twilight Princess hybrid graphics. Apparently, Skyward Sword will be a rather different 3D Zelda experience with WiiMotionPlus swordplay, a stamina meter, and a departure from the traditional dungeon-to-overworld gameplay. I'm not too too sure what they plan to do for the latest Zelda entry but I know it will be another great experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS Release: TBA

Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo

Ocarina of Time port, with better graphics, in 3D. Need I say more. The greatest masterpiece in gaming history will now be portable with a few enhancements. I don't know about you but that's enough for a first day buy.

Catherine

Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Release: NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Developer: Atlus Persona Team Publisher: Atlus

What else can I say about Catherine other than "What the hell!?!?!" Catherine is a puzzle/adventure game blended with pure Japanese anime weirdness. I have no idea if it's going to be a good game, bad game or even what kind of game it's going to end up being. All I know is that I want to play it. It's got a lot of sex, a lot of puzzles, and whole lot of Japan. Editor's Note: Oh, and Atlus just announced that Catherine will NOT be coming out anywhere outside of Japan. What the hell Fatlus!!!!?!?!?!?!?

Other games I want but don't have much time to talk about:

Duke Nukem Forever

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Mass Effect 3

Kid Icarus: Uprising

There you have it. Awesome games equals an awesome year. So whatever you like, go out and buy it, play it and enjoy it!

Critical Hit: Death of a Dynasty

It was announced a couple of days ago that Activision had pulled the plug on the Guitar Hero franchise due to a decline in sales. It's widely believed to be the cause Activision's poor handling of another great series (The fate of Tony Hawk comes to mind). For five years, the Guitar Hero series changed the way many people played and looked at video games. While its end may seem like a blessing to some and a burden to others, there's no ignoring the impact it has brought in its wake. In remembrance of this fantastic franchise, I want to take a look back at the first four games in the series which I believe to be the most important and defining entries.

Guitar Hero, 2005

It was the game that started off an iconic franchise and revived and propelled the rhythm/music genre to never before seen popularity. Released for the Playstation 2, Guitar Hero came packaged with the tool that would have millions of hands strumming and hitting those five famous colored fret buttons for years to come, the Gibson SG. The game's 47 songs contained an all-star cast of rock legends including Pantera, Queen, Motorhead, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix. The fact that all of the career songs were covers made by WaveGroup (which varied in quality from song to song) didn't stop gamers from five starring every song possible. The game allowed for a 1-player career mode which had the player select any one of the memorable and genre oriented rockers and set off in search for fame. A second player could join in and compete against the other as they take turns playing certain sections of a song. Although the game did suffer from an uneventful multiplayer mode and a broken hammer-on and pull off system, these obvious flaws were ignored by most reviewers as they did not affect its great scores. From hitting the first few notes of 'I Love Rock N Roll' on easy to shredding Zack Wylde's insane solo in 'Bark at the Moon' on expert, it was easy to tell how much potential this series had. Harmonix and Red Octane created a rhythm experience like never before and the future looked absolutely rockin' from here on out.

Guitar Hero II, 2006

If the first Guitar Hero started the legendary franchise then Guiar Hero II certainly perfected it. Guitar Hero II came bundled with a red Gibson SG for the PS2 and a wired Gibson Xplorer for the Xbox 360. On disc, the game came packed full with an unbelievably awesome setlist that covered nearly every decade and every genre of rock. GHII was the first to have a big name band give an actual master track to the game (Primus's John the Fisherman) with the 360 version expanding on that. The career remained largely the same but multiplayer improved greatly. Two-players could now team up and complete a song like a real band with one player being lead guitar while the other performing bass or rhythm guitar. Pro-Face off was introduced which allowed both competitors to actually play an entire song, competing for the better score, instead of boringly playing certain sections. GHII's multiplayer set up the building blocks for future games in both the GH and Rock Band series to become the all around party games that they are today. The gameplay mechanics were tweaked to near perfection as the hammer-on/pull-off system ACTUALLY WORKED! Now you were able to solo and FC a song like a pro. But just because this mechanic was much easier to perform didn't mean the rest of the game was. Guitar Hero II was much more difficult than the first by offering insanely complex guitar riffs/solos from songs such as 'Free Bird' and 'Jordan'. Yes, the Guitar Hero mechanics were fine-tuned and perfected. The future indeed held many more Guitar Hero titles but with perfection already at hand, where would the franchise head now?

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's, 2007

Rocks the 80's marks the final entry in the series Harmonix would have the opportunity to develop. Harmonix had been purchased by MTV Games and would go on to create the Rock Band series but not before leaving their mark with one last Guitar Hero game. Being more of a Guitar Hero II expansion than a full-fledged game, Rocks the 80's would be the first of many genre/subject oriented titles of the series. Everything went back 25 years when hair metal and New Wave ruled the radio. The game itself stayed the same other than the cosmetics being 80's-ized. The game included great songs but it was obvious the 80's setlist would have a much more limited appeal than the setlists of the past two games. Rocks the 80's offered half the songs and half the characters at full retail price. It definitely wasn't the last hoorah that Harmonix could have hoped for.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, 2007

Activision's bleak manning of the Guitar Hero franchise started innocently enough with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The first obvious difference in Activision's Guitar Hero was the fugliness of the characters. The weird muppet look of the characters (let alone the horrifying transformation of the lead singer) brought an unsettling feeling to GH fans everywhere. Fortunately the rest of the game felt like the same Guitar Hero that they all fell in love with years prior and that was what mattered the most. Boss battles with Slash and Tom Morello were accompanied with the new battle mode which had one player attempting to make the other fail a song and vice versa. They were considerably more master tracks than there were covers bringing more authenticity never before felt in the franchise. With more characters, master tracks, downloadable songs, and venues, Guitar Hero III was definitely the biggest Guitar Hero game to date.

Unfortunately, the franchise would head downhill from there. With Harmonix's Rock Band seemingly overshadowing its rival, Activision's milking of the franchise, lack of innovation, and a decline in music/rhythm games, Guitar Hero met an unfortunate but perhaps necessary death. Guitar Hero: World Tour attempted to compete with Rock Band by adding drums and vocals but by the time Guitar Hero V came around it was obvious that Red Octane and Activision could not match the incredible innovation that Harmonix injected into its new franchise. The over-saturation of the series was evident in 2008 but reached an incredibly ridiculous high in 2009 when Activision released an overwhelmingly seven titles (1 being DJ Hero). By 2010 people had enough of Guitar Hero seeing as how Guitar Hero V had trouble competing with The Beatles: Rock Band. The final entry in the series, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock put an emphasis on character driven story elements. It was, however, overshadowed by the innovative Rock Band 3.

Despite plans on making a Red Hot Chili Peppers oriented band title and a PSP edition, Activision pulled the plug citing a decline in franchise sales. Guitar Hero's downfall is a sad tale of an icon that changed video game history falling from grace. Guitar Hero shouldn't be remembered as Activision's money puppet but as the game series that offered gamers so much in its prime. It's five year run was something great and will hopefully be revived in much more caring hands.