The sensor's future laid bare

Here at Kinectaku we've got every Kinect game reviewed, but if the sensor's back catalogue does nothing for you then there's still plenty of exciting titles on the way in 2011 that could change your mind. Here's our pick of five games to keep your eye on in the next twelve months.

Child of Eden

A spiritual successor to legendary classic Rez, Child of Eden is visually and aurally mindblowing, but also one of the first hardcore games on the way to Kinect. Using your hands to mark targets and let fly with attacks, it's a shooter without any physical controller (though it supports the Xbox 360 controller too) and with Tetsuya Mizuguchi's heritage behind it deserves to be at the top of this list. Rumours point to Child of Eden making its way to retail in February.

Kinect Star Wars

We've only seen a tantalisingly short, pre-rendered demo of the upcoming Star Wars title but with a Christmas release pencilled in it's sure to be one of Kinect's biggest games of the year. If the developers can get the controls right, using the Force without anything to hold in your hands could be a stand-out moment in gaming, but at the very least we'll all get a chance to be the Star Wars Kid again.

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor

Capcom's mech-sim to end all mech-sims, Steel Battalion is making the jump from a to the hands-free world of Kinect. Developed by mech masters From Software, you'll be able to control your enormous war machine using just your voice and body, and who wouldn't want that?

Project Draco

A game that looks like Panzer Dragoon from the original creator of Panzer Dragoon? We need surely say no more, but Project Draco's beautiful art style, online multiplayer dragon battles and the ability to teach your beast new skills through close communication should win over any fence-sitters.

Forza Motorsport 4

A driving game with no controller required? After the Kinect Joy Ride auto-steering debacle you're right to be nervous, but with Turn 10 behind the wheel (sorry) there should be no such slip-ups. With an arcade-style overtaking challenge, the ability to walk around your car and head-tracking, hopes are high this will be another quality outing for the series this Christmas.

Of course, these are just our picks of some of the most exciting titles on the way to Kinect in the next twelve months, and we have a full list of upcoming Kinect games as well as every Kinect game already released. We'll continue to review every game released for the sensor in 2011, so stick with Kinectaku for all your news and reviews.