Two major new game sequels on their way

Two of the biggest computer game franchises are returning in 2011 for new instalments.


First up, the fifth game in The Elder Scrolls series is landing on 11 November (11/11/11). Skyrim is set in the frigid northern country of the same name, located to the north of Cyrodiil (the setting for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) and west of Morrowind (the titular setting of the third game). Expect lots of snow, ice, mountains and bad Viking impersonations. The game seems to be more of a sequel to Oblivion than previous games (which were pretty much divorced from other games in the setting), with the events of that game referred to in the trailer. Also, dragons will apparently play a role, or so Max Von Sydow tells us. Encouragingly, the game will use a new engine rather than the Gamebryo engine that powered Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

Secondly, the third and apparently final game in the Mass Effect trilogy should also appear somewhere around the same time. Mass Effect 3 opens with Earth under assault by alien forces with Shepard and his crew having to find reinforcements and save the day. For a change, the game trailer depicts London as being the main city under attack rather than an American population centre.

As with the previous game in the series, you can transfer existing characters and saves into the new title and events in the game will vary depending on decisions you made in the prior two games.