THE Games to Play in 2013

2013 is here and this year, just like previous ones, will be a major push in entertainment, media, technology, and innovation. This list is compiled of the most anticipated games releasing this year and others that are yet to be announced or set with a release window. Buckle your seat belts because 2013 will fly by if you don't slow down and pay attention to the polygons making your TV their new home.


The Last of Us (PS3 exclusive) - May 7, 2013

Ever since Naughty Dog gave us Crash Bandicoot, the Jak and Daxter Series and the immensely popular Uncharted franchise, we've been waiting to see what's next. The answer is The Last of Us. First teased at the Spike Video Game Awards last year, the game features a a new dynamic; a father-daughter duo portrayed by Ellie and Joel, who begin their journey from the post apocalyptic city of Pittsburgh, gradually exploring other areas out of the city. This PS3 exclusive draws inspiration from various movies and novels like I Am Legend and City of Thieves. The game is all set to debut on 7 May 2013. Naughty Dog is staying true to their ideas and inspirations when controversy arose after the game's box art was revealed with Ellie standing in front of Joel. Those who were funding The Last of Us aggressively encouraged Naughty Dog to have Joel be the front-runner with Ellie in the background to attract more male gamers. This blatant sexism caused uproar in the inner gaming cloisters and saw growth in Naughty Dog's popularity when they refused to change the box art.


Tomb Raider (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) - March 5, 2013

Developer Crystal Dynamics has planned to reboot the franchise with a young Lara Croft embarking on a quest for survival that unfolds her identity as the Tomb Raider. Players will get a chance to play various side quests, explore the island to face challenges, and for the first time in the series play with other in multiplayer. In-game graphics of this open-world action adventure game look stunning and so do the interesting bits revealed in gameplay footage so far. This is a wild-card game on this list. Will it prove to be a fun and entertaining edition to the series or a flop that is just as frustrating as the water levels in the original Tomb Raiders? Find out on 5 March 2013 when the game releases across platforms.


Dead Space 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) - February 5, 2013

The third installment in the Dead Space series features a new co-op campaign as well as a new playable character that will be named John Carver. Set on a new frost planet of Tau Volantis, the game follows lead protagonists Isaac Clarke and John Carver to end the Necromorph invasion once and for all. Towards that endeavour, the duo must overcome avalanches, treacherous ice-climbs, and the violent wilderness in order to save the earth from an imminent armageddon. The E3 trailer's ending was typical Dead Space style with main protagonist Isaac Clarke being eaten by a large red insect and showing his effort to fight against the insect's digestive elements and his fate left uncertain. This could be a breath of fresh air in the series thanks to a new environment, character, and style in gameplay. Find out on 5 February 2013.


Beyond: Two Souls (PS3 Exclusive) - TBA 2013

Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream unveiled its newest and upcoming game titled 'Beyond: Two Souls'at E3 last year, narrating the story of Jodie Holmes played by Ellen Page. Players get to journey through Jodie's life to discover the true meaning of the entity, Idan, alongside her throughout the story. The plot revolves around question about what happens after humans die and promises an experience never like before. Want to find the answers? It's most fascinating feature is it's facial recognition software miles ahead of Team Bondi's L.A. Noire. Beyond: two Souls releases this year.

God of War: Ascension (PS3 exclusive) - March 12, 2013

God of War Ascension is a prequel in the God of War franchise and will narrate the story of Kratos before he became the Ghost of Sparta. In this seventh iteration of the series, vengeance is the focal point as a younger Kratos is out to seek revenge for being tricked into killing his wife and child by Ares. The game is a first in the series to offer multiplayer support for up to eight players. Set out to avenge Kratos' wife and child on 12 March 2013.

Gears of War: Judgement - March 19, 2013

Co-developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, this version of the game is a prequel that takes place years before the concluding events of Gears of War 3. But even though the major storyline seemed to have concluded fairly definitively, the series is too popular to simply let die. Odds are that we will once again see Marcus Fenix chainsaw something, but for now the series switches to Augustus Cole and Damon Baird and a story from the early days of the war against the Locust. New multiplayer modes will be present, of course and the campaign will expand on the mythology that made this series one of the best on the Xbox. Keep an eye on this one for it releases on 19 March 2013.

Grand Theft Auto V - TBA (March/May 2013)

A first major title in the Grand Theft Auto series since 2008, the 15th game in the overall series, GTA V is set in Los Santos in the state of San Andreas and its surrounding areas, based on modern-day Los Angeles and Southern California. Developer Rockstar says that the game will focus on  "the pursuit of the almighty dollar". For the first time in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA V will feature three playable protagonists. The multiplayer mode will feature "Crews" similar to Max Payne 3. A new Social Club functionality will connect play across multiple titles, starting with Max Payne 3 and GTA V. Playing the multiplayer mode in both games allows crews seth up in one game to be carried over to the other. GTA V is said to release in May; rumored to release in March.

Bioshock Infinite - March 26, 2013

BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter game set in the year 1912. As the game's lead protagonist, former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, you make your way across the floating air-city of Columbia to find a young woman, Elizabeth, who has been held captive there for the last twelve years. After a successful rescue attempt, both are pursued by the city's warring factions; the nativist and elite Founders that strive to keep the city for pure Americans and the Vox Populi, a rebel grouping representing the common people. Booker discovers that Elizabeth is key to this conflict and that she is endowed with strange powers to manipulate rifts in the time-space continuum that ravage Columbia. After being postponed last year, the third installment in the BioShock series is set to release on 26 March 2013. Bioshock 1 and 2 were huge hits but this is a radical sequel taking players out and away of Rapture and placing them in a floating metropolis in the sky. Story is drastically re-visioned adding time-travel and alternate/ parallel dimensions. Lastly the bond between you and Elizabeth overshadow any relationship Irrational has created in previous Bioshock games.

The Elder Scrolls Online - TBA

Fans have asked Bethesda for multiplayer for years and finally an MMO set in Tamriel is releasing. Plenty of details are known about this title and as exciting as this sounds this game is in my wild-card category. If ESO can use the playability of Star Wars: The Old Republic and gain the backing as World of Warcraft has this game could rule MMO communities for years. What I'm afraid of is Bethesda is infamous for glitches and I'm expecting first day second day third day patches. This is also Bethesda's first MMO; not counting work and consulting on the Fallout MMO. I have faith in Bethesda,I just have worries.

Metro: Last Light - TBA

Ukrainian developer 4A Games Adaptation of Russian Author Dmitry Gluhohvsky's novel Metro 2033 was a notable cult hit in 2010 and had many gameplay quirks and ideas that sent it into fame. The sequel puts you back in the metro tunnels of post-apocalyptic Moscow and is looking to build on the success of the original's suffocating and claustrophobic atmosphere and chillingly mythic adversaries.

Star Wars 1313 - TBA

This Star Wars game is something hardcore fanatics have been waiting for: a dark and gritty look at the crime society of the lower depths of Coruscant. This game doesn't follow the archtypes of Jedi and Sith, but as bounty hunters. Star Wars 1313 is a highly anticipated game not just for its brand name but because of it's extraordinary visual prowess and animation. It unleashed sheer geek-dom when it debuted at E3 2012 and floored spectators with its graphics and platformer style scenes that seemlessly switched from cinematic to gameplay with no difference in framerate or graphic quality. Along with Sleeping Dogs and The Last of Us, Star Wars 1313 is speculated to be designed for Next Gen consoles I.E. the next Xbox and PS4. This is one of the games to look forward to if it's made with more than 30 hours of gameplay, monthly or tri-monthly add-ons, and involving story-lines.

Alien: Colonial Marines - February 10, 2013

This title has been in development hell for years but now it finally has a release date and the footage and documents to make it seem real. Initially it was announced that the game would involve squad-based gameplay, allowing the player to issue orders to AI-controlled marines using context-sensitive commands. However, Gearbox later revealed that this feature was dropped to make gameplay more accessible. Aliens: Colonial Marines will have no HUD to provide the player with onscreen information.
Gameplay types have been described as "Gauntlet Runs", where players must fight enemies as they travel from point A to point B, and "Last Stand" moments, where players must defend a specific area by welding doors and/or setting up automated sentry turrets.
The players will gain experience points when killing enemies and completing certain objectives. These experience points will allow players to customize the appearance of their character, purchase upgrades for weapons, and unlock other skill sets, all of which carry over to other gameplay modes.
The only problem I see with this game other than the close quarters combat is the fact that you only have one species of enemy to fight, albeit with three different life cycle stages.


Crysis 3 - February 19, 2013

An alpha version of the multiplayer was released to selected MyCrysis and Origin users on October 31, 2012. One map - Museum, and one game mode - Crash Site, are playable in the alpha version. The test began on 2nd November at 08:00 GMT and ended on 9th November at 23:59 GMT. The third game sees players take on the role of Alcatraz as he returns to New York, only to discover the city's been encased in a giant Nanodome created by the corrupt Cell Corporation. The New York City Liberty Dome is a veritable urban rainforest teeming with overgrown trees, dense swamplands and raging rivers. Within the Liberty Dome, seven distinct and treacherous environments become known as the Seven Wonders. Set in 2047 (24 years after Crysis 2), Alcatraz is said to be on a "revenge mission" after uncovering the truth behind Cell's motives for building the quarantined Nanodomes. The citizens were told that the giant citywide structures were erected to protect the population and to cleanse these metropolises of the remnants of Ceph forces. In reality, the Nanodomes are CELL's covert attempt at a land and technology grab in their quest for global domination.
The third in the series still looks stunning and squeezes every bit of power out of current generation consoles. The big idea to watch out for is a clear hint at a Crysis 4 being setup to release on the next gen consoles.

Dead Island: Riptide - April 23, 2013

A chronological sequel to the events of the first game but you are playing as four different characters. Minor changes to the gameplay and addition to functionality, story, and graphics are anticipated.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs - TBA

The game is an indirect sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which was developed and produced by Frictional Games. While set in the same universe as the previous game, it will feature an entirely new cast of characters and time setting. While no release date has been set for the game, it is expected to release in early 2013. The Dark Descent was a masterpiece of horror entertainment. If TheChineseRoom can duplicate and build on the overwhelming environment and the clever and veracious use of scare tactics this title will be praised just like the original. The game's level design has been touted as "significantly different" from that of The Dark Descent, with larger areas and outdoor environments included. AI is also being adjusted to ensure players are unable to predict enemy behaviour based on their experiences with the original game. However, it has been confirmed by the developers that the core of the game will remain the same as in The Dark Descent, so as not to disappoint fans who want more of what they loved in the original. It has also been confirmed in an interview with Thomas Grip at Frictional Games that the Inventory has been removed.

Battlefield 4 - TBA

Electronic Arts president Frank Gibeau confirmed the company's intention to release a sequel during a keynote at the University of California. His comment was then Tweeted by attendees. "There is going to be a Battlefield 4", he said. Afterwards, an EA spokesperson told IGN: "Frank was speaking broadly about the Battlefield brand – a brand that EA is deeply passionate about and a fan community that EA is committed to." On the eve of Battlefield 3's launch, DICE told Eurogamer it was the Swedish studio's hope that it would one day get the opportunity to makeBattlefield 4. "This feels like day one now," executive producer Patrick Bach said. "It's exciting. The whole Frostbite 2 thing has opened up a big landscape ahead of us so we can do whatever we want."

EA has announced that those who pre-order the Limited Edition of Medal of Honor: Warfighter will gain early access to the Battlefield 4 beta, which is planned for the fall of 2013.

Dark - TBA Q1

In Dark you control a vampire, Eric Bane. The game takes place today, where our hero wakes up in a vampire bar overrun with other vampires without remembering how he got there and how he became a vampire.The exciting story of DARK immerses you in a world full of blood and darkness in which the hunter can become the hunted at any time.

In game Bane will have powerful vampire skills, stealth and lethal combat abilities to help him to destroy his enemies as he wanders silently through a stylized futuristic environments including skyscrapers, city streets, nightclubs, castle and museums. As you progress through the game your vampire abilities will increase and you can create your own playing style.

This is a new IP from Realmforge Studios and publisher Kalypso Media so expect quirks in gameplay and animation but it's always inspiring and a change of pace to see new IPs arise.

Company of Heroes 2 - TBA Q1/Q2

The game will feature the Soviet Red Army as a new faction and will take the player on various stages of the Eastern Front campaign, from Operation Barbarossa to the Battle of Berlin. The game is built on Relic's proprietary Essence 3.0 engine, which showcases new improvements compared to Relic's previous games. One such improvements is the new line-of-sight technology, TrueSight, which aims to better emulate troop visibility in real combat. In contrast with traditional unit visibility, TrueSight more accurately represents a unit's visibility range based on environmental conditions and type of unit. Essence 3.0 will also incorporate an innovative weather-simulating technology known as ColdTech and destructible environments.

Company of Heroes 2 will take advantage of DirectX 11 but will also support DirectX 9. The game will also utilize Valve's Steamworks technology with matchmaking and achievements.In regards to strategy mechanics, the game is set to retain the traditional Company of Heroes formula.

THQ first announced the sequel to the acclaimed Company of Heroes in May 2012. THQ executive vice president of core games Danny Bilson noted that the publisher will continue working on Company of Heroes 2 following its launch next year. He said gamers can expect a "strong post-launch support digital content plan that enhances and expands the product's lifecycle."

As of Q4 2012 THQ has filed bankruptcy, or alleges bankruptcy, and many of their titles, including this one, are up for grabs. Ubisoft has shown a major interest in THQ's stocks and assets so there is no telling without a word from the two corporations what the progress in production Company of Heroes 2 is in.

Destiny - TBA Q3

Bungie's New IP. That right there should get your attention or make you start saving money immediately. Destiny is described as a sandbox MMO shooter. Luckily for media hounds this title was forced to see the light of day as a result of the legal battle with Activision and ex-Infinity Ward members Jason West and Vince Zempella. After the reveal Bungie stated, "While we are not ready to show you what we've been working on, we can reconfirm that we are hard at work on our new universe. We can't wait for you to see it." This game is rumored to be a Xbox 720 exclusive. Documents on Destiny also stated that the game would recieve four major expansions codenamed "Comet." Destiny's budget is said to be $140million and Bungie employees will be allowed to work on other projects after the IP grosses $750million. [One project revealed during the legal battle is a reboot of Bungie's shooter "Marathon"]

Respawn Entertainment's New IP

Speaking of Vince Zampella and Jason West, Respawn Entertainment is the studio they opened after leaving Infinity Ward. This title is up in the air because it is in development limbo thanks to the legal battle with Activision, but it could be cleared for a fiscal year 2014 release. Not much else is known about this game and Respawn is tight-lipped to keep their first IP a secret for as long as they can. The blurry image is one of only two released by Respawn...

Fortnite - TBA

Even though Cliffy Bleszinski has left Epic Games his enthusiasm and creative nature will live on in this title. Back in 2011 the VGAs revealed a trailer for the game. The game is based on resource gathering and lets players repel demonic enemies by crafting forts. It's running on Unreal Engine 4 so look for it to make a splash at E3 2013.

Remember Me - TBA May

The player controls Nilin (voiced by Kezia Burrows), an amnesiac 'memory hunter', through the streets of Neo-Paris in the year 2084. This dystopian future features a surveillance state. Nilin's former employer, Memoreyes, erases her memories to neutralize her and she must discover why and how to restore them. The game opens with Nilin in Bastille Prison.

Remember Me features exploration, platforming, and melee combat.The game introduces the mechanic of 'memory remixing': entering and rearranging a target's memories to manipulate them. Players accomplish this by replaying a memory and modifying details to change the target's recollection of the outcome.

The game will allow players to create and customize their own combos in the Combo Lab, which uses four families of fighting moves called Pressens that players can reorganize by creating chains. To create a chain, players choose Pressens from one of four families to build a combo that suits their needs. There are 24 Pressens in all, and they’re earned by gaining Procedural Mastering Power (PMP), which comes from performing combos and defeating enemies. By performing enough combos, players will earn a small amount of Focus. After earning a certain amount of Focus, players can perform special moves known as S-Pressens. S-Pressens can be unlocked at key points throughout Remember Me’s story, and there are five overall. S-Pressens are selected from the Senwheel, which is an interface that displays the amount of Focus a player has in addition to allowing them to select an S-Pressen. During combat, the screen will "glitch" when Nilin is low on health, or when the move she's using isn't effective, indicating the player should switch to a different combo. Players will be able to create up to four active combos, which they can use to adapt to specific combat situations they encounter. According to Capcom, there are over 50,000 combinations that can be formed using the Combo Lab. Pressen types can be combined into single combos called multi-usage combos. A Pressen’s efficiency is determined by its position within the combo -- the later a Pressen appears, the more powerful it will be. Players will also see a Dynamic Combo Display on screen that gives real-time feedback indicating the input players have chosen (kick or punch) and the Pressen family the move belongs to.

Survarium - TBA

Survarium is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter with role-playing and survival elements, that Vostok Games is developing through venture capital following the purported cancellation of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and closure of GSC Game World in December 2011. Although Survarium is external to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the developers intend to include comparable features, notably the anomalies and artifacts that reference the Russian science-fiction novel Roadside Picnic, and the 'ecological catastrophe' that renders much of the environment uninhabitable for humans.

On 9 December 2011, video game journalists reported that Sergei Grigorovich, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSC Game World, had allegedly expressed his disappointment at the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 during a meeting with employees. Despite the company's initial denials in response to press inquiries, the media widely reported that senior management had officially cancelled S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and dissolved the company. In March 2012, former employees from GSC Game World founded Vostok Games with capital from Vostok Ventures Ltd, and announced subsequently the development of Survarium on 25 April 2012.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct - TBA

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Terminal Reality and published by Activision. UnlikeThe Walking Dead by Telltale Games, which was based on the comics, Terminal Reality's The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is based on the television series. It is scheduled to be released in 2013.

The game is a prequel to the TV show, and is set in the Georgia countryside focusing on Daryl and Merle Dixon as they fight their way through the walkers and make their way to Atlanta. The player, as Daryl, can either fight the walkers or stealthily sneak past them. The player will also meet other characters along the way, who can either help or damage him. 

Using the ever-so-popular Daryl, played by Boondock Saint Norman Reedus, the game already stands out from Telltale Game's rendition because it gives players a character they know and love. A bond is already created and with the persona Daryl has the game is naturally comfortable for players familiar with the show.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots - TBA Q2

Ubisoft confirmed this title to release on 360 and PS3 in 2013 back in November 2011. Aside from a few "leaked" screenshots and a target render video there is no more word on this game. Most recently Ubisoft's Yves Guillermot has begun touting the game for Next Gen formats saying "it will surprise the industry." As one of the heavier staffed games in development at Ubisoft with 200 employees this game is promising to be clean, fluid, and effectively flawless. There was a stutter in progress in March 2012 when key staff members left the project but no plans to change schedule have been made by Ubisoft.

Watch Dogs - TBA

Word on the grapevine is that this is a "Xbox 720" launch title. Ubisoft's Yves Guillermot confirmed that Watch Dogs will release in 2013 and rumors arose at E3 2012 that Watch Dogs was a Next Gen game being run on a high-spec PC. In November Driver San Fransisco developer, Reflections, opened 40 extra staff positions for Watch Dogs to get the game done on time and polished. A huge rumor spread in June 2012 that suggested that the Next Xbox would have a tablet controller when Watch Dog gameplay was seen being played on a tablet PC. Whether this is simply a SmartGlass function or an integrated part of the Xbox 720 make-up remains to be seen.

Just Cause 3 - TBA

Avalanche Studios have made it no secret of it's ambitions to dominate the open world genre going into the next generation. Back in September Christofer Sundberg, Studio Head, said "We are set on becoming the best open world developer. That's our ultimate goal. It's a very competitive genre. Rockstar is more of a phenomenon than a competitor. What we can offer to the genre is diversity, which very few other open world developers can." Avalanche has registered web domains for Just Cause 4 despite the fact that the third game isn't even a public reality yet, but this practice is common in setting up franchises. 

Project Zwei - TBA

Back in May, Shinki Mikami confirmed that his new studio Tango Gameworks would release its new IP as early as 2013 via the publishing of Bethesda. The game is a survival horror title that looks to recapture the essence of the genre. Mikami worked on the Resident Evil series for years and created Resident Evil 4 from scratch. The last update on this game came in November 2012 with Mikami hiring Resident Evil Remake's lead artist to serve as lead environmental artist.

Thief 4 - TBA

Thief 4 is a rumor mill in itself. Eidos Montreal is said to be behind the game and back in August OXM reported that it's being tailored for the PS4 and Xbox 720. June 2012 saw a leaked 30-second clip of was appeared to be a cinematic trailer for Thief 4, but the clip was promptly removed from the Internet. A suspicious job offer in May 2012 stated Ubisoft was hiring for a "semi open-world action adventure title that responds to player choice and interaction," and includes three main characters and swords.

-Daniel, Jedi Editor
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