Upcoming Shooters of 2011

2011 may just as well turn out to be the year of the shooter. This once popular genre had been put on the backburner since the past two years but in 2011, it’s back with a vengeance. You have tons of new IPs in addition to the resurrection of one very, very special one. Let the good times begin.

RAGE (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Insane clown posse

It’s the apocalypse once again and in true Mad Max or Borderlands fashion you must scour the land in your trusty buggy kicking ass, winning races and pillaging all sorts of interesting loot. This FPS cum vehicular racer with quasi RPG mechanics is also high on our “Most Wanted” list as it’ll mark the return of developer id Software after a seven year sabbatical.

Bulletstorm (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

You shall not pass

Bulletstorm may not have the best plot on the planet but it’s definitely grabbed our attention with its balls-to-the-wall, over-the-top gameplay. The demo left us with mixed feeling as there is a slight chance that gameplay could get repetitive but then again, a game that lets you shoot people in the nuts can’t go too wrong right?

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Red Faction: Armageddon (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Survival of the fittest

For reasons no one can fathom, developer Volition went ahead and introduced a survival horror element to Red Faction Armageddon. Thankfully the wanton destruction from Guerilla still exists so tearing structures apart should still be as enjoyable. Only now instead of angry soldiers, it’ll house creatures as well.

Bodycount (Xbox360 PS3)

Waka waka

A spiritual successor to the highly destructive shooter, Black, Bodycount looks to up the ante with even more destruction. The pre-alpha gameplay clip released last year wasn’t too riveting but considering it was pre-alpha code we’ll hope the developers have used this time to apply a truck load of spit and polish.

Crysis 2 (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Last action hero

After fictional, lush tropical forests, the action has now shifted to New York city where players once again must fight off nasty aliens and hostile armed forces. And hey, even if you don’t own a bazillion dollar PC you can now play the game in all its limited glory on your PS3 or Xbox360 as the franchise will now be available on consoles as well.

Duke Nukem Forever (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

I got some Morningwood in my pants

After being trapped in development hell for over a decade, the King is back to dominate the genre that is rightfully his. Expect bigger guns, bigger enemies, bigger explosions and of course, tons of gorgeous babes.

F.E.A.R. 3 (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

I come in Peace… NOT!

F.E.A.R. was an excellent shooter that was as scary as it was cathartic. Sadly, since then the franchise has been on somewhat of a downward spiral as was evident with the mediocre expansions and the sequel. Here’s hoping third time’s the charm.

Killzone 3 (PS3)

Intergalactic warfare FTW!

Killzone 2 was one of the best looking games this generation but a huge chunk of gamers weren’t too happy with the game’s heavy control scheme. Guerilla Games has now taken their feelings into consideration and Killzone 3 will now boast of revamped controls in addition to the other stuff that makes it awesome.  

Resistance 3 (PS3)

Do I look pretty?

After the rather disappointing sequel, developer Insomniac Games are back with the third iteration that’ll improve on its predecessor in multiple ways. While gameplay will remain largely similar, expect new weapons, newer enemies and most importantly, a more organized multiplayer.

Brink (Xbox360/PS3/PC

Up up and away

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Mirror’s Edge bumped uglies, Brink would probably be conceived nearly nine months later. Combining squad-based, competitive gameplay with first person Parkour, Brink is developer Splash Damage’s second foray into the multiplayer genre after their previous game, Quake Wars didn’t exactly smash box office records.