1. SimCity
SimCity is a sandbox for city builders and it harkens back to the freeform gameplay of the original SimCity and its sequels, powered by the technology of today.
It offers a true-to-life simulation of a city with its powerful GlassBox engine, which simulates elements both basic and complex, including water, traffic, pollution, crime, and more. How fires spread in a densely populated neighborhood is also realistically simulated, as are the after-effects of that fire and its impact on the people who live there.
Like real life, no city is an island, and SimCity lends the new element of interconnected cities that allow neighboring cities within a region to influence each other. All this is done through the game's online mode, which may serve as a cause for concern to anyone who doesn't want to stay online while they play the game. However, it's developers are convinced that it's all worth the hassle, so I'm willing to see what they do with it.
You can even read our preview of the game here.