My ridiculous list of games to buy in 2011

With already a month down for 2011, the games that are coming out are starting to pick up in terms of my want list.
�
While I played a ton of games in 2010, 2011 is shaping up to have a never-ending stream of new games to play. I went through some of the lists of what is supposed to be out this year and I took an inventory of what I will probably be picking up this year as of right now. Of course, the list will grow as new things are announced and I still have a ton of old stuff that I want to pick up as well but this list is strictly dealing with new stuff coming out this year for systems that I currently own.
�
The vast majority of these will be played on the Xbox but the PS3 and the Wii will also see a bit of use as well.
�
Here is the list in no particular order:
�
Catherine: Up until playing the demo I had little interest in this game. Sure, it�s weird, but I live in Japan, I�m used to that. However, when I was playing the demo, the person I was with at the time kept saying �hey that character is just like you!� and by god I saw it too. Not that I look like anyone in the game but personality-wise we matched up pretty well. I guess I was actually sold on the story. The crazy weirdness is just a bonus.
�
Child of Eden: Not only am I looking forward to a Rez sequel, I am looking forward to making further use of the Kinect. Yeah, I have every type of motion control but the Kinect is the most fun.
�
Silent Hill: Downpour: I love me some horror games. That being said, I don�t think I�ve played a Silent Hill game since Silent Hill 3. This one seems like it�s headed in the right direction though.
�
Saints Row 3: I think this is probably going to be delayed until 2012 but if not I�m looking forward to hosing down neighborhoods in sewage and bouncing off of ridiculous chains of cars in ragdoll mode to score points. Oh yeah, an all new story might be cool too. Saints Row is goofy, juvenile fun for sure and I�m looking forward to more of it.
�
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon: The best thing about EDF is that it�s simple to play and easy to jump into for a short period. It�s also perfect for playing with friends, especially non-skilled non-gamer types. Another one with more weapons and more options is all I really want.
�
Deus Ex: Human Revolution: This looks amazing in so many ways. I am not really a fan of FPSs but having played the original Deus Ex and having fond memories of it I�m sure it will be good. Not only that, the whole cyberpunk rpg shooter thing, if done correctly (like this appears to be doing) is going to be a blast to play.
�
Batman: Arkham City: Like most people, I don�t feel it�s hard to say that Arkham Asylum was easily one of the best comic book games ever. I spent a lot of time playing it and never felt bored, even while collecting all of the Riddler question marks. Even if Arkham City is just more of the same on a bigger map, I will be super happy with it.
�
Rage: Again, not an FPS fan. However, this looks like it could be a lot of fun. It�s only tentatively on my buy list unless everyone I know buys it and demands I join in on multiplayer (which is exactly how I�ve come into possession of every single FPS I own).
�
Captain America: Super Soldier: To be honest, I think this game will probably be mediocre at best and probably crap in actuality. However, Captain America was the first comic book I ever bought. Actually, that meant that my intro to comics had more M.O.D.O.K than most people had, but I digress. However, I have a soft spot for Cap (and to a lesser extent US Agent who was briefly Cap when I was getting into it)
�
Shadows of the Damned: Suda 51 and Shinji Mikami doing probably goofy action horror?!? Sign me up. I like to imagine this will be akin to No More Heroes plus horror that oozes cool.
�
L.A. Noir: Rockstar doesn�t usually disappoint and this seems like an interesting concept. I�m sure that it will be good. Frankly, I can see it being one of the biggest games of the year.
�
Dragon Age 2: I only recently played the first Dragon Age and I thought it was kind of ugly but generally fun in that Bioware RPG type of way. I played through it 2 and half times plus all of the origin stories. Didn�t play any of the DLC but I think I�m OK with that. Probably won�t pick up DA2 at release but I�ll definitely get it at some point.
�
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Remember the above stuff about Captain America and M.O.D.O.K? They are totally in this game! I like to think that all the demanding for M.O.D.O.K that I did on message boards when the game was first announced is absolutely why he is in the game. Pre-ordered this and can�t wait to get my hands on it next week.
�
Mass Effect 3: When all is said and done, I played through the first ME 6 times. I played through ME2 4 times. I�m sure this one will get an equal amount of play time. ME is easily my favorite Bioware game but it�s also one of my favorite games overall. A third one is something I will definitely be buying.
�
Elder Scrolls: Skyrim: I�ve never actually played an Elder Scrolls game. I�m not averse to the idea I just haven�t gotten around to it. Considering that Oblivion can be had for less than $10 at this point I will eventually get around to it. I do like these kinds of RPGs though so once I get around to playing Oblivion I�ll pick this up too.
�
Asura�s Wrath: As a guy who studied Japanese Buddhist art in college, this game is like a ridiculous dream for me. Just watching the trailers I find myself nerding out over fighting renditions of famous statues that I studied. This is almost totally a game directed squarely at me. I doubt it will sell a lot but it looks over-the-top crazy and that is exactly what I want it to be.
�
Devil May Cry: I know most people seem to be hating on the DmC reboot but I am really enjoying what I have seen so far. Ninja Theory makes good games and unlike most, I was not much of a fan of the original Dante design. I have high hopes for this one.
�
Codename D: Again Suda 51 so at least you know that the game will be quirky and interesting. Also, more use of my Kinect!
�
Michael Jackson Experience: What? Don�t judge me! If this is anything close to the quality of Dance Central it should be good. Since I was like 5 years old I�ve always wanted to do the dance from Thriller and Billy Jean. Maybe now that will be a reality! Probably not but I�m still buying it, for the Kinect obviously.
�
Dark Souls: Interested in this in a kind of �masochistic gamer� kind of way. Looks good but I won�t pick it up immediately.
�
Infamous 2: I liked InFamous. It was a fun game to play. I�m not super excited for part two but I�m excited enough to buy it when it comes out. Hopefully the climbing will be more fast paced this time. That was the thing that Prototype got better than InFamous. Running up the sides of buildings was tons of fun.
�
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus: I know these are the darling games of so many people but I�ve never actually played either. The HD re-release is the perfect chance to play both.
�
Yakuza: Of the End: I still think of the Yakuza series as a kind of gameplay inheritor of Shenmue. Doing that with zombies seems like it would be fun. Not to mention that it�s essentially like running around in places that I actually go to on a regular basis so that makes it just that much more fun.
�
Night of the Sacrifice: Yeah, I have a balance board. I used to use Wii fit in my old apartment but when I moved I didn�t have enough space to use it anymore so it�s been essentially gathering dust for years now. However, I recently rearranged my place so that I could use the Kinect and that in turn freed up balance board space. Not that I want to use wii fit anymore but Night of the Sacrifice seems like a solid winner in terms of horror games so I�ll give it a shot.
�
�
Beyond these I�m sure there will be others. I wasn�t interested in Dead Space 2 but the reviews have made me think it over so that might get added. Anything else I should be looking