Welcome to the second part of our look at The Sequels of 2011. In part two of The Sequels we continue our look at some of the big games that will be releasing their sequels in 2011. These are titles that have already been released on today’s current-gen consoles and are making their second, third and even fourth debut on consoles this year. So take a load off, sit back, and let us take you though part two of our sequel list of titles that we are looking forward to playing in this new year of gaming.
Dragon Age II evolves around the main character, Hawke, who is known to be a survivor from the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, who rises to power throughout the story. Hawke’s tail spans for over a decade throughout the game and the player writes the history that will change the world forever. Just like we have seen in Mass Effect 2, players have the ability to to import their previous decisions from the previous title and these will be reflected in the world of Dragon Age II. Expect a new cinematic experience via an updated engine and a non-linear framed narrative story that is mostly based on the player’s decisions. New combat and spells have been added and some races have been redesigned. If you are a fan of the previous title than you don’t have long to wait until Dragon Age II strolls into stores this coming March.
Expected release date : March 2011
In this forth installment of the franchise you control the leader of a 5-man NATO special forces squad, landing in China. Throughout the 14 single player missions players will get to issue out commands to their team members, such as setting waypoints, issuing behaviours and giving squad commands via the additional aid of the game’s Command Mode, which allows the player to see tactical points of interest that cannot be seen when in normal combat mode. We all know Socom is all about multiplayer, so expect up to 32 player matches, with enough mode types and maps to keep your itchy trigger finger happy.
Expected release date : Q1 2011
It feels like it has been too long since we last took Dirt 2 for a spin. In this sequel Mr McRae’s name has been removed (R.I.P.) and DiRT 3 is the official brand name now. With an improved EGO engine, now at version 2.0 (FYI – F1 2010 was v1.5) expect much improved visuals throughout, so much so, that you might just feel the fresh mud on your face. Ken Block returns again, this time bringing the all-new gymkhana game mode, a stunt-fuelled freestyle car driving showpiece pioneered by Mr Block himself. DiRT 3 promises more cars, more locations and more routes and events than any other game in the series. With more than double the track content of Dirt 2. Petrolheads will be grinning behind their visors as they race through three continents, including all-new locations in Finland, Kenya, Norway and Michigan. DiRT 3 is said to raise the bar in off-road racing and we’ll be there ready to jump over it in our 1980’s Audi Sport Quattro.
Expected release date : Q2 2011
In Resistance 3 players return to face the Chimeran invasion four years after the events in Resistance 2. Dishonorably discharged sentinel, Joesph Capelli, has given up the fight and have taken to hiding with his wife, son and other survivors. With an opportunity to strike the Chimeran forces, Capelli leaves his family to journey between Oklahoma to New York City whilst slaying any Chimeran presence along the way. Expect a mixture of old and new upgradeable weapons, which become more powerful the more they are used, along with the return of some gameplay elements found in the first title of the franchise. Multiplayer also returns, more refined and more organised, with cooperative story mode as well as competitive modes.
Expected release date : September 2011
If you have played through Arkham Asylum then you will most likely be joining us in the excitement of what is to come in this upcoming Batman saga. One year after the events of Arkham Asylum, you slip back into the Bat Suit, taking part in primary and secondary missions in and around Arkham City; using stealth and a number of old and new gadgets in Batman’s arsenal. Arkham City is said to be one giant prison, surrounded by a guarded perimeter; think of the film Escape from New York and you’ll get the idea here. Expect an improved combat system, allowing for multiple encounters, reactions and use of your Bat gadgets. Batman’s routes through the city will also be made difficult thanks to fierce gang rivalry between villains Two-Face and the Joker. There have been a number of characters rumored to feature in the game; from the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Talia al Ghul, Two-Face, Hugo Strange, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Calendar Man and the good old Joker himself. The game will also feature a multiplayer mode, though details on whether the game will feature co-operative or competitive play has not been confirmed.
Expected release date : Q3 2011
This year Turn 10 Studios returns with their forth installment of Forza Motorsport. Featuring full support for Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral Forza 4 will widen the doors for gamers of all racing experiences, giving early adopters an easy introduction into racing. Now this might make the most hardcore racer worry in fear of a watered down Forza, and we are with you there, but we are pretty sure we will be truly covered in this department also. Being so far away from release, details on this game are pretty thin, there are no confirmed car or track lists, so we’re going to have to sit tight until around June when we are sure that we will be going to hear more from this anticipated Xbox 360 racer at this year’s gaming expos.
Expected release date : Q4 2011
It was great to see Flashpoint return in 2009, rebooted, and harnessing the power of today’s consoles. Operation Flashpoint: Red River is the second outing for Codemaster’s mass military shooter on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Just like its predecessor, players will have the option to play the campaign online, co-operatively. There will be no competitive online multiplayer modes in this game, with the sole focus of the game being built mainly around its four-player co-op online mode. Expect more single shot kills from out of nowhere, a stronger storyline, new enemies and combat scenarios that will immerse gamers into an intense war-like simulation that is promised to be as realistic as possible.
Expected release date : Q3-Q4 2011
Continuing on from the previous game’s events, players take control of Cole MacGrath once again, as he seeks new ways in enhancing his abilities to take on The Beast in Empire City. In doing so Cole flees to a new city called New Marais, loosely based on the city of New Orleans, USA. Whilst in this city Cole will combat the mutated Corrupted and the empowering Militia to learn more about himself and the Ray Sphere. Expect improved visuals and a more open world that will showcase the effects of Cole’s actions on the city and its inhabitants. Melee combat has also been redesigned for a smoother and involving experience and Cole’s powers have also been reimagined. It is rumoured that player’s ethical decisions in the first game may also carry through into this sequel.
Expected release date : Q3-Q4 2011
Drake returns in 2011 in the third installment of the series. In Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Nathan Drake and his sidekick and mentor, Victor Sullivan, embarks on more adventures around the world, to such places like Rub’al Khali desert in search of the legendary lost city – the Iram of the Pillars. Setting the game in desert landscapes has been a desire for its developers, Naughty Dog, allowing the creative team to push themselves both technologically and creatively. Expect the usual jumping, sliding and falling toils and troubles that seems to follow where ever Drake goes. Improved enemy AI is promised, as is their ability to form squads when attacking you. Online multiplayer and co-op features are also planned, in what is going to be an epic game for PlayStation 3 owners.
Expected release date : November 2011
Only just revealed at the recent 2010 Spike Video Game Awards. Skyrim is the fifth installment of The Elder Scrolls fantasy RPG series. Featuring an entirely new engine from the one used in Oblivion and Fallout 3 it is said that the team at Bethesda has invested a lot in bringing players better characters and animations into the game. Details are still thin, with only a trailer to go by and some rough magazine preview scans. So expect more to follow at this years upcoming gaming expos prior to its release much later in the year.
Expected release date: 11th November 2011
Gears of War 3 is said to be the concluding part to the trilogy. Pushed back to November, Gears of War 3 takes place 18 months after the end of Gears of War 2. Marcus, Dom, and the last of the remaining humanity must pull together to tackle a new threat that is even more terrifying than the Locust – the Lambent. Four-player co-op, the introduction of three new playable female characters, a new playable male character, new weapons, mech suits, Ice-T, swapable weapons and new executions outline the various new features coming to this game. A new multiplayer mode, called Beast mode, fronts the latest updates for the multiplayer aspect of the game, along with a few twists to existing multiplayer modes from the previous games. Expect a playable beta this year, with early access if you pick up a limited edition copy of Bulletstorm.
Expected release date : November 2011
Another title that was unveiled to gamers at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards. In this trailer we saw a futuristic London town crumbling under heavy fire from some form of alien invasion. Will Commander Shepard save them? Who knows, sadly we’ll have to wait till the tail end of the year to find out. What we do know is that Mass Effect will be the third and final game in the Mass Effect trilogy from BioWare. The game is said to follow a similar time-frame to Mass Effect 2, and like in Mass Effect 2, previous decisions from the previous two games can be imported over into the new game, which will allow continuity within the series. Over 1,000 variables from the previous two games will be used to shape how players experience the final chapter in this epic Sci-Fi RPG.
Expected release date : Q4 2011 – Q1 2012
So that wraps up our look at just a few of the 2011 sequels we are looking forward to playing this year. Stay tuned for our next article of the upcoming games of 2011 throughout the weeks, where we look at the revived franchises that will be making their return in 2011 and the new franchises too. Until then let us know your views on the games we’ve mentioned above and any other current-gen sequels that may have slipped under our radar that you are looking forward to playing.
