The lights are on
After a week of game reveals, tech demonstrations, Cirque du Soleil freakshows, and a weekend of the deepest sleep us GI editors have ever had, E3 is over. Now that we've taken some time to separate ourselves from the madness, we've come up with our picks for the best that E3 had to offer.
Portal 2
Navigating through the crowded show floor, one can expect to be assaulted by military shooters, big-budget crime games, and other flashy franchises both gratuitous and gory in nature. This truth makes it that much more impressive, then, that the sequel to Valve’s surprise critical darling garnered our vote for Best of Show. Intelligent, innovative, and massively entertaining, Portal 2 is easily one of our top anticipated games of 2011.
Infamous 2
In the original Infamous, you assumed control of a ridiculously powerful electric superhero that could throw lightning grenades and summon thunderstorms. We didn't think it could get much cooler than that, but Sucker Punch proved us wrong with Infamous 2. With a sweet new locale, an assortment of new powers (electric tornadoes!), and an intriguing story, we can't wait to see what's next for the electric man.
Gears of War 3
Bulletstorm may be the new kid on Epic's block, but that doesn't mean we don't have plenty to look forward to in the Locust-slaying Gears series. With more variety in its campaign, visuals that top even the series high standards, four-player co-op, and the new Beast mode, Gears is looking better than ever.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Everyone knew we'd be seeing a new Zelda title this year, but that didn't take away any of our excitement for it. After some unfortunate technical hiccups during the Nintendo presser, we were thrilled to find that the game handled like a dream. Considering the only other Zelda on the system is essentially a Gamecube port, it's great to see a built-from-the-ground-up adventure made just for the Wii.
While disappointed by the delay of Portal 2 to an undisclosed window in 2011, the announcement that Valve is rescinding their ban on PlayStation 3 development nearly made up for the agonizing wait. The time already invested into the game shows – improvements to the graphics, level design, and music were immediately apparent. Now that the PlayStation 3 is on the platform roster, more gamers than ever before will be able to enjoy Portal 2 come launch day.