With Fall upon us, the biggest shopping season of the year is about to begin. Video game companies, just like many other industries, are prepping up their biggest releases of the year. This serves as both a grand time for gamers as usually the best and most amazing games of the year are released during this time, as well as one of hardship due to too many good games being released at the same time.
One of the biggest and one already available nationwide is Gears of War 3, exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game marks the third and final installment of Marcus Phoenix's storyline. The high caliber presentation is present and accounted for, as well as the polished third person shooter and various online modes to partake in. Regarding other Xbox 360 exclusives, Forza Motorsport 4 will also makes its debut on October 11th, 2011. The critically acclaimed racing simulator will feature one of the Warthog vehicles from the famed Halo series.
Speaking of Halo, this year marks the tenth anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved, the game that launched the Xbox into wild popularity in 2001. To celebrate, developer Bungie and Microsoft will be releasing Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition. It will feature the storyline seen in the original game plus new scenes that will further evolve the Halo universe and brand new modes and maps to play in.
Fall 2011 will also be a great time for super hero themed video games. Batman: Arkham City leads the way with a sequel that will further take the Caped Crusader into the deepest and darkest corners of Gotham City. The game will have an open world and will feature Catwoman as a playable character. Marvel Comic fans will also have a couple of titles to look forward to. Spider-Man: Edge of Time takes what was established in last year's Shattered Dimensions and introduces a new storyline and new Spider-Man characters to play as. The expansion to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, will see release next November. Released just a few months after the release of the original game, this title adds even more characters and modes to keep players coming back for more.
One of the biggest western RPG series, the Elder Scrolls, will see a fifth installment in the series titled Skyrim. A fantasy fan's dream will be fulfilled in this game as they explore a huge world filled with many creatures and monsters, as well as a rich mythology and lots of spells to learn and master. If fantasy gaming isn't what most players are after, Battlefield 3 is looking like a great alternative. The beautiful graphics will once again take center stage, but will also have many competitive online modes.
If handheld gaming is more of your liking, Nintendo's 3DS handheld will finally see some worthwhile releases in the Fall of 2011. Super Mario 3-D Land hopes to mix the rich worlds of Mario's 3D platformers will the appeal and accessibility of the classic 2D titles. The seventh game in the Mario Kart franchise, appropriately titled Mario Kart 7, will add even more wacky racers, colorful locales and features that will enhance the experience courtesy of the 3DS's captivating technology.
Speaking of Nintendo, their Wii console is not so far behind. This October will see the release of Kirby's Return to Dreamland. While it may not be as experimental as last year's Epic Yarn, this game does brings Kirby back to his roots in an adventure where up to four characters can participate at a time. The biggest release for the Wii, however, is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The Wii's true Zelda title (Twilight Princess was also released for the GameCube in 2006), it will feature a colorful presentation as well as deep motion controls courtesy of the Wii MotionPlus controller.
This is but a small sample of some of the games that fans will be able to dive into this Fall. From deep racing simulators to wacky kart racers, from the imaginative realms of Hyrule to the vast universe of Halo, there is a lot of games to choose from. Of course, the problem now is being able to afford it all as well as finding all the time in the world to complete them all.
