Street Fighter X Tekken (Best Fighting Game of E3 2011)

At E3 this year, there was no question about it…Street Fighter X Tekken (you say “cross”) felt tight, looked great, and was its own game. Capcom never ceases to impress me with their ability to continuously turn out such solid fighting titles and I’m happy to say that based off of my impressions at the big show, this new title is going to be a beast. So…if one of your fears was that this is just Super Street Fighter IV with Tekken characters, get that thought of your head and know that like I said earlier, this game shares some of the same DNA but remains totally unique. Fast action, easy swapping of players, beautiful cinematics, and that great gameplay you’ve come to love from Capcom. Watch out for this one and for more, visit Capcom-Unity.com.

Ninja Gaiden 3 (Best Action Game of E3 2011)

Ninja Gaiden 3 is a pure rush of adrenaline and if the rest of the game holds up as well as the demo at E3 this year, we may have a new “best” in the series. It’s a total action packed experience as you take Ryu Hayabusa through the streets of London, so graciously killing enemies all around, climbing walls with ease, and having to be fast on your toes for the game’s quick-time events (oh and you’ll totally dig the sliding animation). What’s arguably most important in an action game is the smoothness of controls and fortunately for Ninja Gaiden 3, Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja made Ryu’s movement and execution, flawless. I hope the team involved continues putting in this much effort throughout the rest of the game’s development. For more, check out TecmoKoei.com.

Batman: Arkham City (Best Adventure Game of E3 2011)

Batman: Arkham City could probably fit into a few genres, but to me, above all else it’s an Adventure Game and the best that E3 2011 had to offer at that. When you take control as Batman this time around, you’ll see before you just how much bigger the game is. You’ll get a great sense of depth in the City, still playing off the tight closed combat that made Asylum so good, but get to experience so much more. Great visuals, equally solid narration, and plenty to do. Add to all of this the inclusion of Catwoman and you’re going to quickly see why this game should be as special as the original. For more, visit BatmanArkhamCity.com to see more of this Rocksteady /Warner Bros. project.

Rage (Best First Person Shooter of E3 2011)

The pair of Bethesda and id Software is bringing you a great FPS this Fall, in Rage. From the beginning of the demo, when you’re in the bar, you already get a great sense of immersion. And like any stellar game in the first person perspective, since you can’t see you character on screen, it’s even more important to draw the player into the experience by having an attractive environment. Graphics? Check. Ambiance? Check. Nice weapons? Check. A solid story is being told in Rage as well and I appreciate the team’s efforts in doing that. For more, go to the official site at Rage.com.

WWE ’12 (Best Sports Game of E3 2011)

THQ has had the license for WWE games for quite a while now and just when you think that developer Yuke’s was out of ideas on ways to improve the wrestling genre, they hit you in the head with a chair, drop a five knuckle shuffle, and say, “you can’t see me”. In all seriousness, WWE ’12 adds a lot more to the wrestling experience, bringing us closer to what the actual superstars go through than ever before. Even from the demo I played, I noticed a big difference in all of the physics, liked the changes to the gameplay, and am looking forward to what the finished product is like. If you’re a wrestling fan, hope that this game is as good as the demo. For more on it, go to THQ.com

UFC Personal Trainer (Best Alternative Sports Game of E3 2011)

Some of you may not know this, but outside of the video game industry, I’m also a 23 year martial arts practitioner, have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology (the study of the human body and its movement), and am a personal trainer/physical therapist. It makes me happy then, to see that UFC Personal Trainer does a good job in getting people fit and thus wins my award for Best Alternative Sports Game. Fitness can be fun and having someone by your side makes things a whole lot easier. This gets my personal recommendation as one piece of equipment you should add to your workout at home arsenal. Go to THQ.com for more details.