My 7 Most Anticipated Games - Kirk

The Last of Us

A chilling tale of survival, set against the backdrop of a fungal-induced apocalypse. The fight for self-preservation against the infected masses, with no hope. The tainted themselves, only a minor threat - the true adversary is human nature. Desperation is a compelling catalyst to commit the atrocious, and judging by what we've seen so far, the game won't hold back. With Naughty Dog's proven flair for storytelling, I fully expect them to nail the tone of this oppressive landscape, and make you question just how you would react, if faced with a similar nightmare.

We have been shown how Joel can use stealth to his advantage, conserving precious ammunition. Ammo will be scarce in this desolate land, so you had better make each shot count when an inevitable firefight ensues. When you do run out of ammunition, you can expect to make improvised weapons, like Molotov Cocktails; and you can also expect to partake in some brutal, uncompromising fisticuffs. The combat looks barbaric and cinematic, but only time will tell how interactive it actually is. You can sense the presence of Uncharted's DNA , with a focus on the filmic, rather than 100 hit combos.

Multiplayer has been confirmed, and if Uncharted 2 and 3 are anything to go by, it will be a welcome addition that doesn't detract from the main experience. It's hard to believe that this is coming from the studio that brought us Crash Bandicoot, with its lovable art style, as this game is looking so gritty that you could scatter it on the road and give traction to vehicles during the winter. A stark contrast indeed. Yes, it looks gritty, but so does sand, and sand is beautiful, right? Remember how gorgeous Uncharted was? Well, expect Naughty Dog to squeeze every last ounce of power out of the PS3 this time around. One last hurrah if you will, before this generation of consoles bows out, gracefully.

God Of War: Ascension

Everyone's favourite bald dude is back (no, not you 47, you've had your chance) and he's presumptively furious. His face is locked in a perpetual grimace, a handy attribute for someone who punches Gods in the face. GOW: Ascension charts the rise of Kratos, or the fall; it all depends on perspective. The game is a prequel to the main trilogy and tells the happy tale of Kratos accidentally slaughtering his whole family. Cheery, huh? Well, it's a good job he does kill his family, because that makes him angry, and you will like him when he's angry. Plus God Of War: Family Life, just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Kratos, to be fair, is the most calamitous protagonist ever seen in a game; he would cast you into the void, just for causing minor incovenience . With this title being a prequel however, we may even see a flicker of humanity break through, before his soul is completely consumed by guilt and sorrow. Or, you know, they could just ignore character progression and make him tear out loads of guts and solve the odd puzzle. Even if they do just stick to the angry-egg template, it's ok, that is what we love him for, after all.

Multiplayer is in, too. You choose an allegiance to one of four Gods, each granting different skills to your murderous avatar. You then take part in online, arena battles, trying to gain control of specific objectives in a stage; like, for example, stabbing an ogre in the eye. The mode looks interesting, and at least offers something different in the stagnated online space. It is shaping up to be one to watch, and if it can stand up to the quality of the previous installments, it can't fail, can it? The ghost of Sparta is back.

Tomb Raider

Reboots are in vogue, so are bows, and if you like either, you're in for one hell of a treat. Lara Croft, has undergone some drastic changes, and she now resembles something that could actually pass as a real woman. The series is being taken in a more mature direction, which also seems to be popular at the moment. Tomb Raider looks to taking buckets of inspiration from a certain Naughty Dog franchise, which could be good or bad, it depends how much freedom is given to the player; it is a game about exploration, after all.

It looks like there will be a focus on gunplay too, I just hope that they get the balance right between "tomb raiding" and "shooty, shooty, gun gun". The shooting sections in Uncharted weren't bad, but the highlights came from traversing beautiful environments and inflicting you with a jaw-dropping sense of vertigo. The emphasis seems to be on survival and mystery, and if they pull it off, it could be special. The new "adult" direction could either be a benefit, or a hindrance, only time will tell.

Since we're ticking the "gaming trend" boxes, we may as well mention the (recently announced) multiplayer. Not much is known about this, but multiplayer seems like a strange fit for a game of this type, and sparks further worry about the gunplay/exploration balance. The game looks fantastic, aesthetically, let's just hope the cosmetic beauty is more than skin-deep.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Daddy's back, bitches! The most anticipated game of this generation, for many, GTA:5 looks to set a new benchmark in quality for the open-world genre. Rockstar are throwing everything they have at this sequel, and they have a lot: animals, planes, jets, bicycles, submarines, scuba-diving, golf, tennis, boats, cars, motorbikes, helicopters, parachuting, well known rappers, dogs in cars...the list goes on and on.

For the first time in GTA history, we will see events unfold from the eyes of three separate protagonists, each with their own speciality and distinctive personality. Their stories intertwine throughout the campaign, and you can switch between them at any point outside of missions. How or if this affects the story is speculation, but each will go about their own routine when not controlled by the player. Then there is the map. Rockstar claims that your playground will be bigger than GTA:San Andreas, GTA:4 and Red Dead Redemption COMBINED! That is big, if there were any doubt.

On top of all this, yes, there is multiplayer. Expect more of an online effort from Rockstar this time, as their online focus has grown in scope through their more recent games, culminating in the online "crews" of Max Payne 3. As an incentive to buy Max Payne, no doubt, Rockstar stated that your "crew" from Max Payne could carry over into GTA:5, showing that they have had big multiplayer plans all along. I can't see this being anything less than brilliant.

Bioshock: Infinite

From the depths of Rapture, to the skies of Columbia; Bioshock: Infinite provides the perfect contrast in setting. Whereas you visited Rapture after its fall, this time you witness the revolution firsthand. You are on a mission to rescue a girl, named Elizabeth - yet, she is no ordinary girl. You see, Elizabeth can rip holes in space and time, creating tears into other dimensions and aiding you in your engagement with the enemy. This certainly won't be an "escort mission", as your AI companion can seemingly pull her own weight, helping out as needed. As Booker DeWitt, you will also have an array of powers, upgradable by using Vigors and Nostrums, and unlike Bioshock's Plasmids, these are permanent. It seems this time there will be more emphasis on player choice.

If, "would you kindly" means anything to you, then this statement from Ken Levine talking about the ending will get you very excited, "it's like nothing you've actually experienced in a videogame before". A confident statement indeed, and one I'm inclined to believe, as nothing yet has matched Bioshock's uber-twist. The highlight of this game will undoubtedly be the story, but the gameplay looks like it's shaping up nicely. With different enemy types requiring you to change tactics on-the-fly, and Sky Rails providing opportunities for flanking - combine all this with Elizabeth and Booker's powers, and you have the recipe for some intelligent skirmishes.

Multiplayer was considered during the design process, but was taken out, as it didn't fit with the lore, or add anything to the game. So far, it's looking like the strongest, pure single-player game of the year and a true GOTY contender. Early previews have been overwhelmingly positive and I can't help but believe that their enthusiasm is warranted.

Dead Space 3

Necromorphs, yay! Ice planets, yay! Helmets, yay! Co-op, yay? Yep, the multiplayer trend just keeps on rolling. In space, no one can hear you scream - unless you have a headset and then they will. To be fair, you can play it as a singleplayer game, but the developers insist that you will be missing some cool content...sigh. It's hard to imagine any tension, when your co-op buddy dances around during the tense moments, crying down their headset.

Expect a similar experience to the last two games, but this time there is also cover shooting, and enemies with guns. The game looks like it is going for the Aliens approach to horror. They have already done tense, cramped spaceships and now they are going to try insurmountable odds and scale. It could work, if they get the balance right, but in my opinion, the strength of the previous games was during the quiet moments, when you knew there was something lurking in the shadows, just out of sight  - this will be hard to replicate in co-op.

The multiplayer found in Dead Space 2 has gone, and it was poor, so good riddance. If this means the singleplayer is more fleshed out, it can't be a bad thing. This one could go either way, and I hope my worries turn out to be unfounded, as I'm a big fan of the previous installments.

Crysis 3

Crysis 3 has bows. I just thought I'd get that in first, as it seems to be the focal point this year. Damn you, The Hunger Games, damn you to hell! Anyway, the game looks stunning and will push consoles to the max, in terms of graphical fidelity. You can also expect it to look beyond impressive, if you have a PC that cost the same as a car. Talking about cars, you can probably use them as weapons, like you could in Crysis 2's New York. This time, however, New York has been taken back by nature, mixing the jungle aspects of the first game and the verticality of the second.

The story has never been a strong point in the Crysis series, and this time it seems to have taken inspiration from The Simpsons, by encasing New York in a Nanodome. Expect a linear narrative, but with sandbox elements to the gameplay. Hopefully, the jungle/city mix will provide plenty of tactical opportunities and make you feel quite the badass, as you throw enemies around, utilising the power of your Nanosuit.

Multiplayer is back! And leading the charge is, Hunter Mode. In this mode, two players spawn as permanently cloaked, hunters. Their objective is to kill all 14 of the standard CELL troopers on the opposing team. Each CELL member killed, then spawns as a Hunter - do you see where this is going? This mode sounds very interesting and hopefully brings some tactical nuance to the bloated online-shooter space. Come for the singleplayer, stay to hunt your friends whilst roleplaying the Predator.