2012 has been a pretty solid year for video games thus far but the new games of 2013 are going to be even better. With the new year approaching, we’re casting our eyes towards the future, and looking ahead to see what 2013 will have to offer gamers.
From brand-new IPs to returning favorites, there’s going to be plenty of great games to help ring in the new year. Here are ten new video games in 2013 we’re totally jacked about.
10. Bungie’s ‘Destiny’ (Late 2013)
We don’t know much about what Bungie is working on for Activision, but the pedigree of both companies is more than enough to have us eagerly awaiting the first game in a brand new franchise. Bungie, formerly the creators/developers of the massively successful Halo franchise, will again be bringing their unique set of skills exclusively to the Xbox in 2013 (with a multi-platform release to follow). That could mean the 360, and it could mean Microsoft’s next generation console could get Destiny as well. Until Bungie and Activision actually show anything from the game, we’ll just have to wait with baited breath.
9. SimCity (February 2013)
Back again for the first time in more than five years, Maxis will be once again letting armchair urban planners build their ultimate utopias in SimCity. There’s a host of new features that should have both longtime and first time players excited, with additions like a real world economy and finite resources keeping players on their toes. Also being introduced in this version is multiplayer, which will allow players to combine cities into regions for even more diverse world building action. SimCity will be a huge game in 2013.
8. Bayonetta 2 (Late 2013)
Platinum Games’ sequel almost didn’t happen. Sega passed on publishing the game, and it appeared Bayonetta 2 would have been forever trapped in development purgatory. Then something strange occurred. Nintendo appeared out of nowhere to rescue the off-beat action title, and agreed to publish Bayonetta 2 as an exclusive for their Wii U console. There’s almost no information about Bayonetta 2 other than that it exists, but even that knowledge is enough for the die-hard fans of Bayonetta’s hair-whipping, quad-pistol action. How it will play on the Wii U remains to be seen, but Bayonetta 2 went from off the radar to smack dab in the middle of it overnight.
7. Gears of War: Judgment (March 19, 2013)
Gears of War: Judgment is a new game in 2013 we can’t wait to get our greedy gamer hands on. People Can Fly, not Epic, will be bringing the next Gears of War sequel to hungry Xbox 360 owners. Set during the early days of the war against the Locust, and focusing on Damon Baird and Augustus Cole (not perennial star Marcus Fenix), Gears of War: Judgment will most assuredly bring the classic Gears of War gameplay experience back for another run. Of course, PCF is adding their own twist to the formula, introducing class-based play and bonus missions into the established strong core Epic has already built.
6. Watch Dogs (Late 2013)
Ubisoft shocked just about everyone with the reveal of Watch Dogs during this past E3. Set in a slightly different world than our own, Watch Dogs centers on Aidan Pierce, a man who can hack any electronic device to use for his own gain. The heady themes based around our current reliance on electronic devices and government surveillance will take center stage, while we try and right wrongs thanks to our hacking abilities. Ubisoft played things pretty close to the vest with Watch Dogs, and we expect to learn more in the coming months, but just based on what we’ve learned so far, this game is definitely one new game to watch in 2013.
5. Aliens: Colonial Marines (February 12, 2013)
In development for what feels like an eternity, Gearbox’s Aliens: Colonial Marines is finally coming out next year. A direct sequel to Aliens the film, Colonial Marines will put players back on the barren confines of LV-426 to battle it out against the Xenomorphy hordes. With four-player co-operative play, as well as a robust multiplayer offering, Colonial Marines should have no problem delivering the Alien experience fans have been waiting for since James Cameron’s movie hit theaters more than twenty-five years ago.
4. Tomb Raider (March 5, 2013)
If there was ever a video game franchise that needed a reboot to revitalize it and make it relevant once more, it was Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics has spent a few years carefully resetting the life of Lara Croft, and by harkening back to the beginning of her story, hope to establish a new standard for what gamers should expect from the franchise. What we’ve seen over the past few months has given us hope the Tomb Raider will no longer be a punchline, and Lara Croft will again be a competent leading lady for a new generation.
3. The Last of Us (Late 2013)
Naughty Dog is known for their cinematic adventure titles, and The Last of Us looks to continue the proud tradition started by Uncharted. Taking place sometime after an apocalypse event, The Last of Us finds protagonists Ellie and Joel on a journey from one end of the U.S. to the other. Along they way, they’ll encounter other survivors, and a mutated race of humans infected with a fungal plague. The gameplay shows thus far has been decidedly brutal and violent, and we’re eager to see just how far Naughty Dog will push their storytelling beyond the humor and charm seen in their Uncharted franchise.
2. BioShock Infinite (February 26, 2013)
Originally set to come out this fall, Irrational Games decided to delay the release of BioShock Infinite for undisclosed reasons. While rumors persist about development issues and problems with the game’s multiplayer, one thing is for certain: we can’t wait to get our hands on BioShock Infinite. Designer Ken Levine’s vision for a world slightly askew from our own has worked wonders in the past, and all the changes and upgrades Infinite will be getting over its predecessor make it an early front-runner for Game of the Year. Sure, BioShock Infinite isn’t even out yet, but Irrational is just that talented, and we’re willing to bet Infinite will still be one of 2013’s most talked-about games.
1. GTA V (2013)
Considering Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto franchise is one of the most popular of the past ten years, it should come as no surprise their next entry would be the most anticipated new game of 2013. Rockstar has been careful in teasing us with morsels of information about GTA V, and though we still don’t know much (outside of where and when it’ll take place), we’re already salivating at the idea of getting our hands on the game. There’s just something satisfying about living our lives vicariously through Rockstar’s bad-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold anti-heroes, and Rockstar seldom disappoints.
These ten new games of 2013 mean that the new year can’t get here soon enough.
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