2011 so far is turning out to be a great year for gaming, with tons of well known and unexpected games popping out here and there. For me. my gaming hype is going to skyrocket within the next couple of months, so I thought it would be nice just to jot down which games are on my hype list:
TERA (PC)
Everyone should know about this one: This game is like a sexy mix between Lineage II and Monster Hunter. It's the first true action MMORPG where combat relies on proper aim and attack spaces (unlike NCSoft's Blade & Soul where combat is based on contextual inputs) and is truly an open world experience unlike games such as Vindictus, plus the visuals in TERA are gorgeous and there's fan service everywhere!
SSX: Deadly Descents (PS3, Xbox 360)
At first, I was skeptical over this one because of the grimdark atmosphere that they showed in their debut trailer, but apparently that was only to emphasis the whole "survive it" aspect they're introducing into the game. The new SSX looks like it will be as colorful and wacky as the series has only been. Of course, I'm waiting to see some real gameplay footage, but as long as the new SSX will let me be able to pull 1440 degree spins while catching my snowboard in mid-air with my teeth, I think I'll be good.
Plan B (PC)
This game is pretty much what would happen if Team Fortress 2 was turned into an action beat 'em up. Sporting a similar visual style to TF2, Plan B lets two teams of up to four players beat the living crap out of each other as Football players, Baseball sluggers, Boxer champs, Heroic Firefighters and Rock Stars. I played in a preview test many months back and the gameplay was pretty simple, but the simplicity is also what made the game so much fun, plus it's the only game I know that lets you beat up little kids, beauty queens and fat people, all in one neat package.
Anarchy Reigns (PS3, Xbox 360)
Here's a game that convinced me that I SHOULD have a damn gaming console by now. Made by the same people behind Bayonetta, Vanquish and God Hand, this game is a ridiculously over the top fighting game featuring characters from the MadWorld universe. Not only does the action look great, but the real anarchy part of the game comes from the insane death traps that will spawn in from time to time, like huge freaking saw blades and massive tsunamis, so it's basically like Power Stone with blood and boobs. Also to add: The soundtrack sounds pretty awesome.
Brink (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
This one is one the top of my hype list because it comes out in only a couple days! This one sounds like a real ambitious title, because it supposedly takes all the crap that makes multiplayer shooters suck ass and turns into a balanced and enjoyable experience for all. The game also as a parkour mechanic ala Mirror's Edge that lets you jump, vault, mantle and slide around the battlefield. The game is also set up in a way that team cooperation is required at all times. After watching tons of gameplay videos, I think I can safely say that this game was made for me.
So today I wanted to stock up on some cores for accessory alchemy. As soon as I logged in, I was invited by Zenora to a quick run through Bafaboon's dungeon in attempt to get some Charm Cores. We failed miserably on that part, sadly.
Rock Hippo Productions just broke into the free online gaming market with a quirky third person shooter title called MicroVolts. For those that don't know: MicroVolts was developed in South Korea under the name “H.A.V.E Online”, which managed to attract tons of negative attention due to the release of a teaser trailer that looked suspiciously ripped off from one of Valve Software’s “Meet the…” character class videos for Team Fortress 2. Despite the negative claims, the developers later revealed that while the game shares a similar visual style with TF2, the gameplay proved to be a whole different story.
.