3. Uncharted 3: Drake%26rsquo;s Deception
The first Uncharted was a really good spin on the type of game Tomb Raider made famous, but Uncharted 2 is probably the best action movie gaming has ever seen. Overflowing with action-packed setpieces that put every competitor to shame, and honest to god quality acting and dialogue that made the characters seem real despite their extreme circumstances, Uncharted 2 was arguably the first undeniably must-own exclusive for the PS3. And players were left with one important question after they beat finished Uncharted 2, “How are they going to top this?”
The first Uncharted was a really good spin on the type of game Tomb Raider made famous, but Uncharted 2 is probably the best action movie gaming has ever seen. Overflowing with action-packed setpieces that put every competitor to shame, and honest to god quality acting and dialogue that made the characters seem real despite their extreme circumstances, Uncharted 2 was arguably the first undeniably must-own exclusive for the PS3. And players were left with one important question after they beat finished Uncharted 2, “How are they going to top this?”
Even with expectations so high, we think Naughty Dog is up to the challenge. We’ve seen precious little so far: a Chateau battle here, a Helen Mirren-esque villain there, and most recently a multiplayer demo.But we must know more. Where will Drake go? What will he be chasing after? How many goons will he shoot in the face? We are dying to have some concrete details on the single-player campaign for Uncharted 3, and Sony will undoubtedly reveal some new details during their June 6 press conference.
2. BioShock Infinite
BioShock might just be the most important game of the last five years, and since Ken Levine and his team at Irrational dropped such a huge title on us, we’ve been waiting quite a while to see what’s next. After a very fine sequel to the original BioShock (which Levine wasn’t involved in), it looks like Irrational is out to shake things up all over again. BioShock Infinite has dazzled just about everyone that’s seen it, with many already calling it E3’s game of the show. Just what’s so special?
BioShock might just be the most important game of the last five years, and since Ken Levine and his team at Irrational dropped such a huge title on us, we’ve been waiting quite a while to see what’s next. After a very fine sequel to the original BioShock (which Levine wasn’t involved in), it looks like Irrational is out to shake things up all over again. BioShock Infinite has dazzled just about everyone that’s seen it, with many already calling it E3’s game of the show. Just what’s so special?
Despite being a mature shooter based with an ideological battle happening in the background, perhaps the most interesting aspect of Infinite is all the ways it’s different from the first BioShock. Instead of a the dark recesses of the sea, the sun is always shining in Columbia, a city that flies above the clouds. The hero has much more of a personality this time, society is in the midst of crumbling instead of being dormant for years, and your companion Elizabeth has literally world-altering abilities. After seeing her briefly transport the protagonist from the early 1900s into what seems to be the mid-1980s, the possibilities of will happen in Infinite look to be, well, infinite. Unlike even the most anticipated sequels at E3, Infinite looks like something truly unique and unpredictable being done by game makers at the height of their abilities. How could we not be excited?
1. Wii 2/Project Cafe
Above: Well what would you use to represent such a known unknown?
Perhaps this is a cheat, but it’s our list so I don’t care. Out of everything included in this feature, what we’ve been waiting the longest for is the any new info on the next console from Nintendo. We’re not saying we hate the Wii, but we sure are sick of it, especially with what looks to be completely empty 2011 save for Zelda: Skyward Sword. So the promise of a new Nintendo console is too big, too important, too industry-changing to ignore. With the very real chance that Nintendo will stop favoring casual BS and leave waggle to wannabes like Kinect and Move, it’s enough to give a Nintendo fanboy-or-girl a heart attack.
Above: Have we seen our last lifestyle photo?
Of course we’re all dreaming big because we know so little about it. Maybe the controllers will have screens. Is it as graphically capable as a PS3/360, or will it be even more powerful? Will the games be on physical media? Are we setting ourselves up for huge disappointment, building up something in our minds that Nintendo can’t possibly match? Will any new games from all the big Ninty franchise make an appearance? Even if you don’t care all that much for Nintendo games, this is the first major hardware reveal in forever, and that alone easily makes Project Café/Wii 2 our most anticipated known entity of E3.
We miss anything essential? Let us know in the comments what games you're most looking forward to at E3.
And special thanks to Eric Bratcher for his contribution.
May 26, 2011
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Clear your calendar. Prepare your wallet
The Preemptive 2011 Game Awards
What's wrong with giving games awards before we play them? Don't answer that
The Top 7... Games we want announced in 2011
Developers, please make these a reality ASAP
