Spring is now upon us and there’s fortunately more to look forward to than just flowers and the chirping of birds; the next few months are jam-packed with great games. We here at PlanetXbox360 are hoping to make life a bit easier for you by narrowing down the must-play games to a manageable five. The following titles are the ones worth looking out for over the next few months.
5. Mortal Kombat – You’ll be hard pressed to find someone who won’t deny the fact that the Mortal Kombat franchise has been on a rapid decline over the past several years. The originals have a charm that recent installments simply haven’t been able to capture. Fortunately, it looks like the latest title is taking the series back to its roots. Fatalities are back and more brutal than ever. It’s clear that NetherRealm Studios has been hard at work creating a reboot that will satisfy the diehard fan. Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like hearing Scorpion roar, “Get over here” as you spear your opponent and drag him towards you.
4. Alice: Madness Returns – If you never got a chance to play American McGee’s Alice when it was released over ten years ago, you missed out. Fortunately, you’ll get a taste of this twisted fairytale when Alice: Madness Returns launches in June. If you’ve seen screens of the game, then you know this isn’t a title catered toward kids. Madness Returns is a third person action game that puts you in the shoes of the one and only Alice, tasked with uncovering the mystery behind who is responsible for the death of her family. The gore fest can’t come soon enough.
3. Child of Eden – Do you have a Kinect? Are you looking for something to play other than Dance Central? If you’ve answered yes to both of those questions, then Child of Eden should be on your radar. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the mastermind behind Rez is back for another creative go around with Child of Eden. To put it simply, the game is essentially a marriage between techno tunes and flashy visuals. With Kinect, players will be able to navigate the world and shoot down enemies by using their body to dictate what happens onscreen. It’s a fresh, unique concept that actually works well with Microsoft’s motion sensing hardware.
2. LA Noire – The fact that Rockstar Games is behind this title should be reason enough to give LA Noire a look. Although Team Bondi is mainly responsible for developing the game, it bears many of the great qualities found in any Rockstar game. From the fleshed out and genuinely interesting characters to the compelling cityscape based off of 1940s LA, Team Bondi has created a living, breathing world worth exploring. You control Cole Phelps, a war hero and current employee of the LAPD who is tasked with solving a myriad of crimes. The unique approach to gameplay and character interaction has me excited, and I’m sure you feel the same way.
1. Portal 2 – Remember when Portal blew your mind back in 2007 when it launched with the Orange Box? Well get ready to be blown away again because Valve’s fully fledged sequel is launching in just a couple of weeks. Portal 2 is going to be much bigger than its predecessor, boasting a campaign that is over twice as long the original. Plus, it contains a cooperative mode that features an entirely different story and set of puzzles. Valve is notorious for providing gamers with quality products that redefine the way we play games; expect nothing less from Portal 2.
Well, that’s it guys. The fact that there are many more than just these five worth mentioning should be a testament to how great a year 2011 will be for gamers. As the months go on, the quantity of quality titles is bound to increase at a rapid rate, so get ready gamers, there’s going to be plenty of great content to keep you busy this year - stay tuned to PlanetXbox360.com for the latest Xbox 360 news and game reviews.
