Best games come out to play at E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), held recently in Los Angeles, was a whirlwind for the video game industry. Once the dust settled, Game Informer sorted through the demos of highly anticipated upcoming games to choose its best in show:

"BioShock Infinite" (best of show, best action, best multiplatform): What does it take for one game to stand out above all others in the chaos of E3? This year, it took great dialogue, high-flying aerial maneuvers, and a hulking mechanical beast named Songbird. "BioShock Infinite" soared above the competition with its character development, combat and jaw-dropping story.

"Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" (best PlayStation 3): One demo showcased the game's impressive physics technology in a segment where Drake struggles to work his way out of the flooding cargo hold of a capsizing cruise ship. In another demo, he dodges gunfire on his way to a cargo plane, stows away and eventually fights for his life at 30,000 feet as a monstrous man tries to chuck him out of the back of the plane. The cherry on top proved to be the multiplayer demo on the show floor, which always had a line of gamers eager to get their hands on the November release.

"Gears of War 3" (best Xbox 360, best multiplayer): With 2 1/2 years of development under its belt, "Gears 3" looks ready for prime time. Gamers now can take the roles of soldiers other than Marcus and Dom during the four-player co-op campaign, giving a glimpse into the lives of secondary characters. Campaign isn't the only mode that's beefing up, however, as Horde mode looks better than ever and Beast mode promises a new experience.

"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" (best Wii): In a demo that featured a mounted bird race, a dungeon section and a boss fight, there were many clever and interesting uses of the MotionPlus control. Featuring an art style that falls somewhere between "Wind Waker" and "Twilight Princess," the game looked great and played even better -- fresher than any "Zelda" game in the past 10 years.

"Uncharted: Golden Abyss" (best handheld): This portable entry in the franchise provides a stellar showcase for the various bells and whistles of Sony's new Vita handheld system. Whether you're swiping the touch screen to shimmy across a cliff or moving the device to aim with its gyroscope, there are plenty of nontraditional control methods that worked surprisingly well.

"Tera" (best PC, best MMO): Outstanding group-oriented, action-packed combat is coupled with the game's unusual politics, which sound like a clever balance between Eve Online's free-for-all galactic intrigue and a theme park ride like "World of Warcraft."

"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" (best role-playing): The demo included a Dragon Shout, which created a thunderstorm that spanned as far as the eye could see, a revamped third-person mode and two dragon fights. We can't wait to sink another 100 hours into the "The Elder Scrolls" universe this November.

"Battlefield 3" (best shooter): The first round of the fall faceoff between "Modern Warfare 3" and "Battlefield 3" goes to "Battlefield." The 32-player PC battle showcased an astounding level of fidelity for an online shooter, with more detailed destruction than we've ever seen in a multiplayer before, natural-looking soldier animations and a smartly crafted map.

"Forza Motorsport 4" (best racing): Along with 80 manufacturers and new tracks, Xbox players get Kinect integration. It allows players to control their car's camera simply by moving their head, and they can use it to control cars in Quick Play mode.

"FIFA 12" (best sports): Taking into account players' size, speed and strength, a new approach to tackling looks fantastic and results in a varied amount of collisions on the pitch. New precision dribbling controls give players control in tight spaces, and a refined defensive approach requires players to tackle the dribbler manually. The result is a more wide-open game.

"Rayman Origins" (best platformer): From an aesthetic standpoint, the hand-drawn design made "Rayman Origins" one of the most attractive games at E3. Add simple, tight controls and an entertaining multiplayer component, and you get one of the most promising platforming titles due out this year.

"Crusader Kings II" (best strategy): Take any lord in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East and carve a destiny in this historically accurate strategy/simulation. It looks significantly more playable for the average strategy gamer than any of its predecessors in the "Hearts of Iron," "Europa Universalis" and "Victoria" series.