For E3 2011 to be a success I need to play these games. Really, it’s that simple.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PC, PS3, Xbox 360): Resident Evil enters bold new territory! Sort of! The Call of Duty-ization of the gaming world continues, and Resident Evil is its latest victim. Or is it? Maybe this team-based shooter from the developers of SOCOM is exactly what the series needs to escape stagnation.

Mega Man Legends 3: Prototype Version (3DS): I don’t have a 3DS yet (or probably for the foreseeable future) and I need to see how Capcom’s gamble is going. Mega Man Legends deserves to return, and if this demo/prologue (think Dead Rising 2: Case Zero) succeeds the fickle dev will finally officially greenlight Mega Man’s return to Earth.

Max Payne 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360): The Max Payne games are known for their hardboiled, New York-based noir style — maudlin, melodramatic and goofy. They were good, simple fun. Can Max Payne 3′s move to Brazil provide the same thrill? After seeing Fast Five, which was set in Rio, I’m inclined to think so. It was a fun and interesting locale to see on film, it should be even better to play through as an aging, self-narrating New York detective.

Phantasy Star Online 2 (PC): SEGA’s probably not going to show off their decade-in-the-waiting sequel to the granddaddy of online gaming at E3. It’s more of a TGS thing, I’d say, but us Yanks thirst for more Rappy-slaying, MAG-feeding, Dark Falz-defeating cooperative action, especially if it now includes jumping, third-person-shooting, and randomized events. So give us a taste this year, SEGA. With this, you could potentially wrest the four-player cooperative action-RPG crown from Capcom’s monster hunting clutches.

NGP/Project Cafe games: New hardware and the software that shows off the possibilities of the new tech — always makes for a memorable E3. With two officially announced new systems from Sony and Nintendo, that means plenty of new versions of our favorite franchises. We know Uncharted and WipeOut will be on NGP, but the Cafe’s a mystery. But it’s also Nintnedo, so we can hope for new Mario, Zelda, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, and something new from Retro Studios — perhaps a new Smash Bros. or maybe another glorious Metroid reboot.

Metal Gear Solid 3 3D (3DS): A lot of threequels at E3 this year (Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3 and plenty more) but besides MML3, the one I’m anticipating most is the 3D remake of Hideo Kojima’s snake-eating masterpiece. I. Love. That. Game. And to have it on the go, maybe with Peace Walker’s portable improvements (multiplayer, optional missions), dual-screen support (easier camo and weapon selection) and 3D effects (snakes and soldiers coming right for you!) sounds like something I could really sink my teeth into. Ought to taste better than tree frogs, anyway.

Dark Souls (PS3): Demon’s Souls murdered me. It murdered me so much I couldn’t even finish it. And its “spiritual successor” (c’mon, it’s a full-fledged sequel) is supposed to be even more relentless. But, I recently enjoyed the Berserk anime on YouTube, and this game looks so more like Guts’ grueling dark fantasy I need to get my hands on it. Only to have them chomped off by a terrifying hellbeast from the darkest recesses of mankind’s nightmares. Shivers.

A new Monster Hunter announcement (PS3 hopefully): Capcom, you have American Monster Hunter fans, and we demand an HD, online-ready (as in, infrastructure, no more of this AdHoc baloney) brand-new adventure that pushes the series forward, dammit. Your PSP Remaster of MHP3rd sounds interesting, especially the part where you can take your save file with you on the PSP and then continue it on the PS3. That’s pretty cool, and probably should’ve been possible from the beginning. So, we can we have something like that? Please?

Brand-new surprises (Everything): Remember when E3 surprised you? Yeah, it’s tough to recall, with everything getting leaked on the Internet weeks before the show itself. So it’d be nice to see some honest-to-goodness NEW things at the show, not just stuff we’ve known about for the past year, or years in Metal Gear Solid Rising’s and Final Fantasy Versus XIII’s case. (Fat chance seeing the latter at E3.) And fan-favorite franchises are really cool and all, but after a while, fatigue sets in. Let’s see some new characters, new worlds, new styles, new ideas. Maybe non-violent games, maybe games that explore the complexities of the human condition in more ways than shooting, ducking then reloading behind a chest-high wall. Let’s be surprising, E3. Let’s be bold.

Tim Torres  (186 Posts)

Senior Reviews Editor Tim Torres loves video games and loves to write about them. He also loves movies, comics, animation and acting. He does not hate Final Fantasy VII.