After the clichéd games of 2010 and the somewhat slap-dash approach by developers to get games out in time for Christmas, 2011 is (hopefully) going to bring some big games to consoles and PC’s.

In my erm, crystal ball, I shooters – loads of shooters, I foresee sequels – tons of sequels, I foresee games that will open up the Kinect and Move to new levels and I see re-hashes of older games being brought up to date by the new hardware and increased player involvement.

2011 will be the battle of Heavy Hitters, but which ones should you be getting excited about? Which are the ones you should be placing on pre-order? Let’s take a look.

1.Dead Space 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? February 2011

Dead Space was widely recognised as one of the most scariest experiences to behold a console since the likes of Resident Evil and Fear. Already available for pre-order with numerous collectors’ editions, the sequel promises some truly scary moments and an updated Move compatible version of the Wii’s Dead Space: Extraction thrown into the bargain for free. Nice!

2.Batman – Arkham City (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? August – December 2011

The sequel to Arkham Asylum is coming. Rocksteady Studios have been very tight lipped about releasing any information about this upcoming title, although what I have seen is a snapshot here, a snapshot there and the occasional trailer. What they show is action, gorgeous graphics and a Joker truly gone insane – something tells me that this is going to be a game well worth waiting for.

3.Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? 15th February 2011

Yes indeed, the mother of all fighting games is coming. After over a decade of waiting, the biggest names from the Marvel Universe will clash head on with the combined might of Capcom’s best known characters. This title promises to deliver the best ever match up of legendary fighters in fighting history. Get ready for action, Valentine’s Day will never be the same again.

4.Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
When? December 2011

Hailed as a conclusion to the franchise, Gears of War 3 promises to bring as many ways as possible to kill things back into fashion. A four-player co-op and of course big and even bigger guns ensures that 360 owners have a reason to say ‘size matters’ and of course rejoice after the mourning of Halo Reach.

5.Grand Slam Tennis (PS3/Xbox 360)
When?: January – March 2011

This title was available for Wii since last year and now an updated version reworked for both the PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 Kinect is apparently in development. It remains to be seen if the Kinect control can consistently keep up with rapid movement and this just might be the game that proves its proficiency. If it does it could provide that reason to accidentally slap your granny by mistake.

6.Twisted Metal (PS3)
When? July – September 2011

A rehash of a classic PlayStation title; many remember Twisted Metal for combining hi-octane driving with insane combat action on the freeway. Good news is that Sony is bringing this to the PS3. Twisted Metal will focus heavily on multiplayer motoring tear-ups, with a rumored online play of up to 16 players or a four on one telly split-screen mode. Destruction should be on a truly epic scale – and rage late into the wee early hours – probably.

7.L.A. Noire (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? April – June 2011

Whenever Rockstar start creating a game console owners start getting excited. Billed as their next blockbuster and set in L.A in the 1940’s it’s an action adventure game that sees you behind the badge of Cole Phelps as he attempts to unravel a series of murders. I am not sure what to expect, could it be a sandbox game like Red Dead Redemption or a plot driven story like Grand Theft? One thing is for sure – Rockstar rarely fail to deliver.

8.Max Payne 3 (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
When? Late 2011

After the crap, crap movie that had me demanding my money back. I am somewhat pleased that we are going to have a return of the game that started it all. Max Payne the police detective that brought matrix style gun-fights to the PC years ago is back – although this time he’s looks more like a mix of Mitch Pileggi and Bruce Willis. I have seen scenes where he is wielding a pair of Mac 10s and taking on enemies from all corners. Guess what? He still looks angry after all these years and guess what? I don’t think those painkillers he was taking in the first game have helped him one bit.

9.Mortal Kombat 9
When? Unknown (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

At first I was very dubious over this title, and then I saw the game play. MK9 promises a return to the original style of Mortal Kombat and a welcome return of the original character list that we knew and loved make this well worth a look. Apparently there is a storyline which involves Rayden going back in time to the original Mortal Kombat tournament to right some wrong that changed history later on. Cue fatalities that will make your eyes water and those immortal words ‘Finish him!’

10.Portal 2
When? April 2011 (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

I am really pleased that we will have a puzzler and a decent puzzler at that on the way. Portal was almost universally loved and brilliantly designed. So expect more of the same – creating portals that let you negotiate obstacles and overcome various puzzles. The sequel promises to bring a new co-operative two-player mode that allows two sets of portals to be created simultaneously. How this plays out remains to be seen – but let’s face it, it is bound to be interesting.