Best Xbox 360 Games For 2011

The Xbox 360 console has been going from strength to strength and in 2010 we saw an unprecedented amount of really good games released, what follows is the list of the best Xbox 360 games for 2011.There is always a buzz when it comes to looking at the new releases for the following year and this time is no exception, there are two games that I am particularly looking forward to and I shall share with you these a bit later. The new releases for the following year are usually announced in December and since they were announced I have been bubbling with excitement as I know that at least two or three of them will be the best Xbox 360 games of the year. So do you know of all of them or have you heard of none of them? You are about to find out what they are.

Gear of War 3

Following on from the hugely successful gears of war one and two this third installment see's a lot of changes, firstly the introduction of 3 playable female characters and another male playable character who had a brief mention in the last game. There are obviously the new weapons and weapon upgrades which include a new shotgun. There will also be new gun turrets available and new heavy weapons. Epic who make the game have also said there will be a few new moves available for your character and going hand in hand with that some new kill moves which is always a favorite.　There will also be a different mode available in multi-player too. Release is said to be middle of the year.

Dead Space 2

This is the follow up to the surprisingly popular dead space which was a survival horror 3rd person shooter. You play engineer Isaac Clarke and you wake up on a massive space city and must survive both haunting visions of past events and the horrific onslaught of the necromorphs,　battling on with new weapons including a plasma cutter, the terror returns. Scheduled for release January 25th 2011.

Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is the game with which I'm probably most excited about, the previous 2 have been great games but there has always been something missing and I'm not quite sure what but i am definitely hoping that it is in the 3rd installment due out end of 2011.The 3rd installment is set primarily on earth as it is being attacked by a group of beings not yet identified or clear in the trailer available below, but what is known by watching the trailer is that this game is going to be brilliant, the graphics have moved forward another step and hopefully the storyline moves on with it as it seemed to stall somewhat between 1 and 2.,It does seem however that possibly the reapers are attacking earth and millions of people are dead and the first two games main character Sheppard has not yet arrived. All will be revealed come the end of the year.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has grown to be one of the most popular anime in Japan and around the world. Aired in 2006, this smash-hit dominated the anime market at the time and still holds immense popularity. The series is largely targeted at the otaku crowd with various references to other anime and Japanese pop culture. This is one of the most original anime series in years and there are several key points that prove this.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya starts out with Episode 00. It features the main characters of the anime cast in a film made for a school cultural festival. This episode does not happen chronologically until several episodes down the line, a feature this series uses throughout its airing. Many viewers were turned off of the show by this first episode, not understanding what was going on or thinking the series was about something completely different. Theoretically, one could skip episode 00 and would not lose any of the series. However you lose the very original and unique feel of the series. The story actually starts with episode 1. This out-of-order approach continues throughout the series. For example, what would be episode 4 is not aired until episode 7. The DVD release follows chronological order though, with episode 00 still showing first.

The series uses many otaku references throughout. They are used in-character by Haruhi and others which gives it a very real-life feel to it while also keeping the silly atmosphere. Chief among these are more and bunny girl outfits. Must more central to the plot is the inclusion of non-human beings like aliens in a high school setting.

Don't get caught up in all the asides though. The real appeal to this series is in the title character, Haruhi Suzumiya, and her group of clubmates. Haruhi takes the beautiful lead-female character and transforms it into a class of her own with her oddities and anything but melancholic personality. The series takes off with Kyon talking with Haruhi, a very rare occurrence for Haruhi; none of her other classmates could get a word out of her. Kyon is the narrator of the series and is also a principle character in the series. A seemingly-cynical high school student, Kyon is dragged into Haruhi's club unwillingly but decides to stay to protect the other members. They consist of Yuki Nagato, a very quiet first-year student who always has her nose in a book; Mikuru Asahina, a beautiful junior who is extremely timid and seemingly at Haruhi's mercy; and Itsuki Koizumi, the mysterious transfer student Haruhi was wishing for. All of the other club members seem to do Haruhi's bidding but in truth they all have their own secret agenda for being there.

The soundtrack is used very well in the series. But the ending theme really steals the show, becoming immensely popular around the world. Most of the OST was done by Haruhi's seiyyu, Aya Hirano, with Chihara Minori and Yuko Goto, the seiyyus for Yuki and Mikuru, respectively, also performing.
Bandai was not a popular choice to license Haruhi but has done a good job thus far. DVD 1 is packed with extras like "making of"'s and behind-the-scenes looks at tv spots. The Limited Edition also comes with the ED CD, a cosplay hair ribbon, a drawing board, and an iron-on shirt transfer.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime that will appeal mostly to the otaku crowd but can give universal enjoyment. Volume 1 only gives a glimpse of what is to come in this drama-packed comedy.