Every year at video game fairs and expos, the top video game producers in the world show off their latest and greatest creations. Most of the time, however, the most exciting games on the naughty or nice list won’t be available for dropping down the chimney until next year, and this can be frustrating for amateur video gamers and addicts alike. Here are some of the much-anticipated games currently gracing the bestselling list. Most of these have been promised for 2011 but still have yet to be released.

Gears of War 3

Developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 platform, Gears of War 3 will provide the finale promised in the other two installments of the game. Gears of War has followed a squadron of soldiers in a futuristic world attempting to fight off mutant and infected enemies while trying to figure out how the apocalyptic world got to the state it is in. It features a wide variety of creative weapons and armor to protect the player against a wild menagerie of foes. There is a multiplayer mode allowing up to four physical users at once as well as an online multiplayer mode.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Hoping to cash in on the success of other immense multiplayer role playing games set in vast online worlds, this latest Star Wars game has many similarities to World of Warcraft but is set against the backdrop of the Star Wars universe. Players will be able to choose from a wide range of species to play such as the Sith or the Rattataki. There will be role playing and civilization building scenarios as well as “tunnel shooter” space combat.

Portal 2

Patterned after the original Portal game, which featured a sequence of complex puzzles woven into a story, Portal 2 will features puzzles that are more complex and a storyline that is more twisted than ever. There is no violence or fighting in Portal 2, just a lot of solid brain fodder. The player is in possession of a gun that creates transportation portals or worm holes, with certain limitations, which he can use to transport himself across difficult playing fields in order to defeat an artificially intelligent foe.

Dead Space 2

In an evolving video game world composed in large part of sequels to previous successful gaming prototypes, Dead Space 2 stands out as an adrenaline pumping jewel that will keep your fingers glued to the buttons. It is essentially a third-person shooter that combines zombies and aliens to create a foe that may have once been somewhat human but is now as far from it as can be imagined. Weapons and armor are upgradable and new abilities are constantly being unlocked as the game is played.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

The latest episode in the Deus Ex series, Human Revolution takes place before the other games in a world that is slightly less technologically advanced. Upgrades allowing the user almost paranormal abilities in previous versions came with the shallow excuse of being nanotechnology, but in Human Revolution, everything is simply mechanical. Players are encouraged to rely heavily on stealth and social skills in this game and try to kill only the bosses.

Rage

Rage is the new thing from the makers of the hugely popular Doom and Quake video game series’. Taking place in the usual post-apocalyptic world, Rage features some role playing elements, some racing and car combat elements, and a whole lot of first person shooting. Apparently, after the asteroid hit bandits and mutants were practically the only thing left alive on the surface of the planet. That is, except for you and maybe a few others.
James Flaherty is a blogger and avid gamer. He believes everyone should try computer games at least once, even your grandmother. A great place to start is with free games download, like Worms 2.