2011: The Year of Video Games

I was perusing through my GameInformer magazine when my brain finally put some of the dates that I'd been looking at together. Some of the games you should be most excited about will be coming out in the next year! The next year is going to be one of the most exciting and (hopefully) fulfilling year in video games since the current-gen consoles first released! Why? Follow along after the break and I'll give you ten good reasons why 2011 will be bringing us some of the best video games -- ever!

10. Dragon Age II

BioWare's next installment in its Dragon Age franchise, Dragon Age II follows the story of Hawke, the hero of Kirkwall. Dragon Age II ditches the customizable main character in favor of a fully-voiced protagonist. The game will also feature Mass Effect-like dialogue system and a redesigned visual style. 

Dragon Age II is set to be released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 8, 2011 in North America and March 11, 2011 in Europe.

9. Gears of War 3

Epic Games continues its Gears of War series with its third game. Gears of War 3 features four-player co-op and exciting new multiplayer modes, like Beast mode, which is the opposite of Horde mode from Gears of War 2, putting players in the shoes of the Locust. Gears of War 3 also features playable female characters and an armory of new weapons to take the war to the next level.

Gears of War 3 will be hitting the Xbox 360 in the fall of 2011.

8. Portal 2

Valve's sequel to the critically-acclaimed Portal returns players to Chell's shoes after several hundred years of stasis and forces her to contend (yet again) with the psychopathic AI, GLaDOS, as it rebuilds the Aperture Science facility. With even more mind-bending platforming puzzles, Portal 2 is sure to eat up any gamer's time. Portal 2 also includes a two-player cooperative mode with its own standalone story and characters.

Portal 2 will be hitting the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac in April 18, 2011.

7. L.A. Noire

Rockstar is bringing us a revolutionary game that will be upping the facial animation tech that we expect from video games. These characters vault right over Uncanny Valley and display emotion so realistic you'll slap yourself a couple times to make sure you're still playing a game. Don't believe me? Check out their tech trailer below.

L.A. Noire will be hitting the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime in the second quarter of 2011.

6. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

A remake of the game of the same name released in 1995 for the Super Famicom in Japan, which later found its way to the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is the spiritual older brother to the hit strategy game Final Fantasy Tactics. With battles twice as large as the ones found in Final Fantasy Tactics and a richly intricate storyline, Tactics Ogre will be worthy investment of time and money for any strategy fan.

Square Enix will be releasing Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together on the PSP on February 11, 2011.

5. Brink

Splash Damage's first-person shooter, Brink, features team-based multiplayer missions with persistent, fully customizable player characters. The game follows the story of The Ark, a floating utopian city on a flooded Earth, whose inhabitants are fighting over the limited supplies.The most exciting part of Brink is its revolutionary SMART (Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain) System, which allows players to easily navigate its environment with a push of a button.

Brink is scheduled to release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in the spring of 2011.

4. Batman: Arkham City

In Rocksteady's sequel to the celebrated Batman: Arkham Asylum, players will once again be assuming the mantle of the Dark Knight. Batman: Arkham City puts the Caped Crusader toe-to-toe with his rogues gallery once again, with an uneasy relationship with Catwoman thrown into the mix, and the formidable psychiatrist, Hugo Strange, in the shadows.

Batman: Arkham City is due out on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in late 2011.

3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Eidos Montreal is developing the third installment in the Deus Ex franchise. In Human Revolution, you will be taking the role of Adam Jensen, a private security officer with mechanical augmentations. The first-person roleplaying game, which is a prequel to the other two, tackles the theory of transhumanism and features a cyberpunk world with its own distinct style.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be hitting Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2011, though Square Enix has announced that the game may be pushed back as late as 2012.

2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda's fifth installment in their Elder Scrolls franchise and the direct sequel to Oblivion, the game is set in the northern province of Skyrim, home to the hearty, adventurous Nords. Skyrim will feature a new engine boasts significantly improved characters and animation from its predecessors.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is scheduled to be released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on November 11, 2011.

1. Mass Effect 3

BioWare's third installment in the Mass Effect series and the final episode of Commander Shepard's saga. Humanity's greatest hero will be forced to fight the galaxy-destroying Reapers on Earth itself in what is sure to be the crowning game of 2011.

Mass Effect 3 will be hitting the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in the holiday season of 2011.