With very few surprises overall it is lucky that there was such a strong showing across the board in titles for the current consoles.

Modern Warfare 3’s latest installment was a massive point of interest for the throngs of games media. The record-breaking, award winning and hugely popular franchise’s new installment is the biggest yet. Russia having started World War III with an offensive targeting massive cities like New York, London and Paris promises eerie battles in real world locations, and ever-more varied gameplay. Provided it can fight off Battlefield you can bet on it beating sales records once more, breaking up couples and ruining degrees with its hugely addictive multiplayer mode.

Battlefield 3 does have a two week jump on MW3, which gives it time to establish itself. EA have also said the marketing budget may be “the biggest ever” for a games title, which will worry Activision. The titles have never been more similar, Battlefield updating its engine for a more immersive experience and coincidentally being set in a similar global setting, the scene is set for a closely fought skirmish.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier completes the trio of big-hitting war games, although it’s not to be released until 2012. It is the most futuristic of the three, both in setting and innovation, using stealth technology, enemy spotting drones and weapons with 20 million+ different custom combinations. This customisation is incredible with Kinect, with a gesture interface reminiscent of Minority Report, and voice-recognition commands such as “optimise for close combat”.

Fable: The Journey has been touted by Peter Molyneux as the “best game on Kinect” which would make 2012 seem like a big year for the technology. At the Xbox press briefing, due to time constraints, they used an on- rails version of the game which lead to much criticism. This has, however, since been clarified, and the game is free-moving (at a later briefing, Molyneux went as far as to write "It's not on rails" on a wall and request all journalists sign it). The game uses interesting hand gestures to summon magic and ride the horse and carriage used for transport, with Lionhead’s creative pedigree (Black & White, Fable II) making it likely that this will be an innovative and charming game.

Another impressively Kinect-optimised title is EA’s Mass Effect 3. The epic franchise will allow squad commands and dialogue to be controlled by voice, an indicator to the increased immersion Kinect will allow with RPGs. Mass Effect’s final chapter will import data from saved games of the previous two editions, i.e characters that the player killed will not be present, although developers have hinted that there will be big changes in the way other playable characters are used.

Another trilogy closer, Gears of War 3, promises to be one of the biggest games releases of the year with over 1,000,000 pre-orders already. Epic have played to their strengths, revamping the massively popular Horde mode with new features that are sure to please return customers. It looks like a more varied offering than its predecessors and given its delayed release and the extensive beta testing Epic are ensuring it will be of a high calibre, avoiding the furore around issues like multiplayer with GoW2.

Forza Motorsport 4 adds Kinect-enabled head tracking which allows users to look around the gamescreen by moving their heads. And the biggest surprise from Microsoft, not only a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, but also a new fourth instalment to begin a new trilogy - the first without developers Bungie.

Games are also getting bigger - the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum will be expanded fivefold in Arkham City, although one of the main criticisms of the original was its repetitiveness, which is somewhat dictated by Batman’s no-gun policy. With a much larger gameworld, a bunch of new tweaks and Catwoman as a playable character, this promises to be an excellent experience.

Bethesda have been focused on the Fallout series for a few years, but are making a return to the fantasy arena with Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - another massive game. The tricks learnt from Fallout, which shares the Oblivion engine, show a massive improvement in the appearance of the game and integration of menus. A more casual conversation layout, the ability to bookmark inventory items, and the freedom to switch between classes quickly will all increase the fluidity of the experience.

Last but not least, Bioshock Infinite. Although not directly linked to the prior two games - being above water - a left-field approach remains evident in the crafting of a floating city named Columbia. The world is beautiful, traversed using skylines, which are much like rollercoasters in the sky. There is everything you’d expect from a Bioshock game, the beautiful environments, political and social commentary and a deep and engrossing storyline.

Given the titles announced this year, and factoring in a few surprises along the way, there are many things to look forward to across the consoles for the next year and a half, what are you looking forward to most? Core games on Kinect? Uncharted 3? Tell us in the comments section.