Game Preorders

buy:

• Genre:
  Shooter
• Platform:
  Xbox 360
• Release date:
  Nov 15, 2011

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is an upcoming remake of the original game that was released almost a decade ago. It features improved graphics (with an option to switch back to the classic mode), completely remastered sountrack, and support for stereoscopic 3D and Kinect.

The game includes 7 most popular multiplayer maps for use in Halo: Reach multiplayer, new achievements, and Halo 4 story teasers via the updated Terminals. It also offers both online and local (split-screen) co-op. Halo: Anniversary comes in a single disk with a modest price tag of $40.

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buy:

• Genre:
  MMORPG
• Platform:
  PC
• Release date:
  Dec 20, 2011

SWTOR is Bioware’s first attempt at an MMORPG, highly anticipated by MMO gamers and Star Wars fans alike. The game takes place 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic and approximately 3,500 years before the Star Wars movies, during a continuing conflict between the Galactic Republic and the growing Sith Empire.

Bioware is well known for their captivating RPG stories, and it looks like Star Wars: The Old Republic will inherit some elements from their single-player games. Most of the quests in this unique MMORPG can be completed in several different ways, and are tied into the overarching storyline. Similarly to Mass Effect, the players will be able to recruit NPC Companions, equip them with gear, and perform various missions as a team. It will be possible to engage in romance, but also have a falling out if the NPC does not approve of your actions.

The dialogues will be fully voiced, and that goes for the player character as well. The script of the game is said to include over 40 novels worth of content. Even more impressively, SWTOR will also be localized in French and German at launch.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Action, Shooter
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Nov 15, 2011 (US)
  Nov 18, 2011 (EU)

Saints Row: The Third is an open-world action game developed by Volition and scheduled for release on November 15th. Few years have passed after the events of Saints Row 2, and the Saints have moved to the city of Steelport where they will have to fight three rival gangs for control. You will get to meet both familiar and new characters in this game.

The last installment of the trilogy also seems to be the craziest. Saints Row 3 will offer an array of ridiculously awesome weapons like a giant dildo bat, a vehicle that shoots pedestrians, powerful airstrikes, and huge boxing gloves that make the people you punch explode. Not to mention the new VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) jet which is armed with lasers, or a cannon that fires live octopuses. The latter is actually a preorder bonus, so let’s take a look at those incentives right now.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Action RPG
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Nov 1, 2011

War in the North is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Snowblind Studios. Since the game is set in the Lord of the Rings universe, it will undoubtedly be popular among the fans of the franchise. War in the North is actually going to take place alongside the movies, but instead of following the Fellowship as they travel to destroy the One Ring, it will take you to the northern regions of Middle-earth, such as Fornost, Mount Gundabad, and the Mirkwood.

The game will offer three protagonists to choose from: Eradan, a human archer; Andriel, a female elf with magic powers; and Farin, a stout dwarf warrior. War in the North will have a single-player and a co-op mode for up to 3 players, and it will support local co-op (split screen) for 2 players as well. Furthermore, you will be able to call the Great Eagle, Beleram, to aid you in battle – however, it won’t be controllable like the other three characters.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Sandbox, Action
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Sep 6, 2011 (US)
  Sep 9, 2011 (PAL)

Dead Island is a first-person, open-world survival RPG, highly anticipated by zombie fans. The game will take place in a fictional Banoi island near Papua New Guinea. The players will start in a five-star hotel, Royal Palms Resort, where a zombie outbreak suddenly takes place.

Dead Island is going to offer four named playable characters, each with their own skill tree and upgradeable abilities. Performing an action – such as swinging a weapon or sprinting – will consume stamina, which is regenerated as you rest. The game will have a large number of ranged and melee weapons, many of which you will be able to modify and improve. These customizations will range from hammering a few nails into a baseball bat for increased damage, to more complex weapon mods.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Sports, Simulation
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Sep 27, 2011 (US)
  Sep 30, 2011 (EU)

EA comes up with a new FIFA title every year, and this one is no exception. FIFA Soccer 12, to be released on September 27th in the US, offers a variety of new features and gameplay improvements. Chief among them is the new Player Impact Engine on which EA developers have toiled away for two years. According to the official sources, it will allow for realistic results from player collisions on the pitch. This new physics engine will be able to tell whether the player was injured, and which part of their body was damaged.

Other improvements include Tactical Defending, Precision Dribbling, and better AI which considers the strengths of their teammates when making decisions. The game is said to include over 500 licensed clubs and 15.000 players, more authentic crowds and easier navigation.
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buy:

• Genre:
  RPG
• Platform:
  
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Nov 11, 2011

Skyrim is the fifth installment in the highly successful Elder Scrolls series, and possibly the most anticipated game in 2011. As the name suggests, it will take you north of Cyrodiil, to the snowy land of Skyrim which is home to the proud Nord people.

The game will take place 200 years after the events of Oblivion. Like in TES IV, players will start out in a prison, sentenced to execution for crossing the border. After escaping, they will learn that the dragons are coming back, and that the only person they fear is Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn.

TES V: Skyrim is going to use a brand new Creation Engine that will offer unprecedented graphics, improved AI, and side quests that are dynamically generated based on your character’s actions. The gameplay and combat system will also be improved. For example, you’ll be able to equip a spell or a weapon in each hand, allowing you to dual wield weapons and magic. Another new feature is Dragon Shouts – extremely powerful spells that can be obtained by defeating dragons and absorbing their souls.

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