Top 5 Semi-Under The Radar Games You Will Want in 2011

This isn’t your typical most anticipated games of the year list. We’re not playing it safe with nothing but monster titles. There are some games coming in 2011 that might be flying just under your radar, but they’ve got us quite excited. So while we’re still looking forward to the likes of Killzone 3, Portal 2, Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Rage and the next Call of Duty, these five games are what really have us excited for the coming year.

1. Mortal Kombat

I grew up playing Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II in arcades, loving every minute of it. While the past few games in the series haven’t been the greatest, Ed Boon and company are taking the series back to its 2D roots with classic characters, brutal fatalities, and enough fan service to make your head spin. Even with another big name fighting game scheduled for Spring 2011 (Marvel vs. Capcom 3), this is by far my most anticipated. Expect me to spend countless hours ripping out your spines online.

2. Spec Ops: The Line

Tactical shooters are a dime a dozen these days, but 2K looks to put an interesting twist on the genre with Spec Ops: The Line. As a mercenary in a sand-storm filled Middle East, you just might get enough here to differentiate from the pack. While I’m sure there will be a quality multiplayer component, what has me intrigued here is the story and presentation. From what we’ve seen so far, this might one of the sleeper hits of 2011. Or it could crash and burn, but we’re hoping for the former.

3. Homefront

Another interesting shooter from THQ, Homefront is one of the first games to have a real present day threat attacking the United States. Modern Warfare 2 had Russians attacking our cities, but now a North Korean force has overtaken the United States and the game chronicles your struggle to survive and take back the country. It’s a nice twist on the somewhat predictable FPS genre and should provide a good break from the action in the middle of this year.

4. L.A. Noire

Rockstar hit one out of the park with Red Dead Redemption and I’m expecting exactly the same from L.A. Noire. Being an enormous fan of entertainment of the era, L.A. Noire should expand upon the deep storytelling and involvement we saw this year from games like Heavy Rain, but give you quite a bit more control. Throw in a little Ken Cosgrove, who won’t take no shit from Peter Campbell, and you’ve got a sure-fire hit on your hands.

5. Halo: Combat Evolved Remake

I know, this isn’t exactly confirmed and it would be a huge selling title if it ships later this year, but Halo: Combat Evolved is what really blew up the console first person shooter age. LAN parties and pseudo online service usage with Halo: CE dominated my junior year of college and I can’t think of a better way to spend this fall than firing up a remade classic with the Halo: Reach engine. Come on, Microsoft, make this one happen!

Bonus 6. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Ok, ok, I know I said the big names weren’t on this list, but come on… it’s Uncharted 3. Following up on one of my favorite PlayStation series of all time, Drake is back at it with sand tech that might make even Spec Ops turn away in shame. No matter how you shake it, Uncharted 3 is going to be a monster and following up on Drake’s saga is very high on my list of must plays later this year.

Sure, we left off some big names, but do you think we’re totally off base? Are you more interested in titles like Child of Eden, which I debated putting on this list? Or are you sticking to the big guns this year? We want to hear from you! Hit up the comments with what you’re most looking forward to in 2011.