Honestly? I dunno about this one yet. Uncharted is an easy sell for its Indiana Jones adventuring and its Hollywood flair -- this beast is darker and more tortured, and at the same time presents the kind of resource-limited gameplay scenarios that I just find frustrating.

I'll be keeping my eyes open, though.

Progress: Gave Up

Why yes, I think I might like this very much.

Whatever my misgivings about the franchise -- this one's for 'Murika.

Zombies on a plane! Hahahaha!

Seriously though, this looks like a big dumb action thrill-ride and I'll almost certainly end up playing it.

Progress: Gave Up

My interest in this was pretty lukewarm, on the assumption that shoehorning the "True Crime" (whatever that means) out of the existing production would only exacerbate what Activision saw as quality issues. But as the hype train starts to roll up, it's becoming evident that this game is packed to the gills with the kinds of things I love from, maybe not Grand Theft Auto, but possibly Saints Row. Also, apparently the "True Crime" thing wasn't even, which is even more comforting, somehow.

Vampires, werewolves, whatever -- they had me at "Skyrim DLC."

While I had (and still have) an endless admiration for Lords of Shadow's production values, the game itself never really gripped me. Now I find myself questioning that -- because this sequel, in which you are apparently Vlad himself, looks way too fucking cool. Granted, the cinematic doesn't prove that playing as Dracula will actually be any fun, but how couldn't it be?

Tomb Raider is one of the last franchises I expected to be giving half a shit about (the surprisingly pleasant Guardian of Light spinoff notwithstanding). Naughty Dog made it clear that they had no problem carrying that torch for themselves. But the most recent media for Lara's new adventure shows plainly that her keepers have been watching Drake closely, and taking notes. Deep characterization, an immediately intriguing plot, and high-octane set pieces are all accounted for here. Hey, if this Tomb Raider can be as good as an Uncharted, that's plenty good enough.

Arkane Studios doesn't really have much of a track record, which makes the ambition and sheer cool-factor of Dishonored that much more amazing. If the game can really deliver on the kind of open-endedness that it intends, and if its world can maintain the visual richness and nuance of the trailers so far, these guys could really give Irrational a run for their money.

Do I want to hop between airborne missiles and slice up a combat helicopter? Yes, I absolutely do.