The 100 most anticipated games of 2011

70 - Alice: Madness Returns (PS3, 360, PC)

We’ll never understand why the original Alice didn’t hit consoles. But we’re thrilled to return to this feverishly twisted interpretation of Wonderland, so distorted and corrupt that even Tim Burton would call it spooky. If the first game’s combination of adventure, exploration and combat is preserved, we’ll be smiling like the Cheshire cat. 

69 - The 3rd Birthday (PSP)

When Aya Brea debuted as a badass NYPD detective in Parasite Eve, her decidedly no-nonsense appearance made her instantly one of our favorite game heroines. Sadly, she was needlessly objectified in PE2, and The 3rd Birthday looks to continue in that vein with Aya's clothes disintegrating down to her underwear as she loses health and even more steamy shower scenes. Still, as huge Parasite Eve fans we're excited for any new entry in the series, so let's hope that the gameplay and story make up for Aya's mistreatment.

68 - MotorStorm: Apocalypse (PS3)

The third entry in Sony’s off-road racing franchise looks to be the most ambitious yet. Set in a crumbling, San Francisco-like city, Apocalypse will feature racetracks that shift and transform as buildings fall down, bystanders and crazies who try to disrupt the races, and three storylines reflecting different levels of difficulty. Oh, and it’s in 3D, too.

67 - The Witcher 2 (PC)

What started as an expansion to the first game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has been completely overhauled to address its predecessor’s complaints game. An all new engine is being built exclusively to keep the combat fluid as your options for completing missions. “Witcher” you gonna choose?! *rimshot*

66 - Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (XBLA, PSN)

Forget the Wife Arm, this is a direct sequel to one of our favorite XBLA/PSN games of all time. Run and swing through gorgeous 2D levels, tackle huge bosses and yes, even JUMP for the first time in a classic BC game. We also expect a kickass soundtrack.

65 - Max Payne 3 (PS3, 360, PC)

There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the long-overdue return of painkiller-abusing cop Max Payne, not the least of which is whether it’ll actually ship this year. However, even though Max has been transformed from a conventionally handsome New York cop into a paunchy, middle-aged Sao Paolo mercenary, we’re still excited to see what’s next.

64 - Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (PS3, 360)

All we know about this latest edition of Namco’s flight series is that it’s touted as a “game changer.” The teaser trailer backs up this claim, with real-world locations, helicopter missions and a decidedly “Modern Warfare” approach to storytelling and action set pieces. Looks promising, even if you’ve passed before.

63 - SOCOM 4 (PS3)

In something of a departure for the traditionally dry SOCOM series, this Move-enabled shooter appears to be concentrating harder on its single-player experience, adding a sophisticated AI squad, sticky-cover shooting, regenerating health, satellite-guided airstrikes and a more dramatic, explosive presentation than we’ve seen in the past. It’s not Sony’s biggest title this year, but it still holds a lot of promise.

62 - Guild Wars 2 (PC)

It’s not the improved visuals, extra races or professions that we’re looking forward to the most. For the first time in the history of Guild Wars, players will finally be able to jump. That’s right! Guild Wars 2 players will finally be able to get their hippity hop on as they run about. If you play Guild Wars you know what we’re talking about.

61 - Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D - The Naked Sample (3DS)

MGS3: Snake Eater was a fantastic game on PS2, but that’s hardly the only reason we’re excited about a 3DS remake. The demo shown at E3 (which may or may not be turned into a full game) hinted that 3D could bring some interesting depth-based trickery to the jungle-set stealth adventure – which, given series creator/longtime prankster Hideo Kojima’s involvement, could take some extremely interesting turns.