So 2012 is in the books, and what an amazing year it was for gaming. We just put the finishing touches on our top 20 games of 2012, but it’s never too early to look forward to the awesomeness we have in store for 2013. It is looking like this is going to be a huge year for gaming, with the next Xbox likely to be announced at E3 and hopefully released shortly after. It won’t be called the Xbox 720, because that makes absolutely no sense, but it will be the true start of the next generation of gaming consoles. On top of that, we’ve got the Steam Box and Playstation 4 on deck, with the Wii U serving as the awkward bridger of gaps from the last generation to the next. A quick look at the games that have actual release dates at this point only goes as far as May, so all signs point to some of these games being next generation. Because there are no release dates, it is also quite possible some of these hit in 2014, but at the end of the day, we’re still just as excited. These are the top 20 games of 2013 that we are looking forward to the most:
20. Fuse (March 2013) - This game was waaaay more interesting when it was called Overstrike, but in their infinite wisdom, Insomniac Games decided decided to take away the personality and turn the game into, essentially, even other futuristic shooter on the market. When Overstrike was first shown off at E3 2011, I think it turned a lot of heads and people were genuinely intrigued by the smarmy, sarcastic charm of Overstrike 9 team leader Dalton Brooks, and the graphical direction, while cartoony, made the game look fun. A year later, Insomniac drops the bomb that the game has not only been rebranded as Fuse, but pretty much everything that made Overstrike stand out is gone. I think it was a terrible decision regardless of how Fuse looks, because from what I have seen, I would much rather play Overstrike, but Fuse looks like it will still be a quality game. Had the initial Overstrike trailer never seen the light of day, I think most people would be none-the-wiser and would be a little more excited by what Fuse has to offer. I know I’m still on board.
19. Prey 2 (release TBA) - The absolute ONLY reason this game is not higher on this list is because it may end up being canceled, which would totally suck. I have been so excited for this game ever since it was announced with its fantastic trailer at E3 in 2011, but the lack of news behind it lately has been disturbing. There are rumors that Bethesda decided it wasn’t up to snuff, and if Bethesda is saying that, you know there is something wrong. With that said, I really hope that during the radio silence, good things have been happening in development, because this game looked incredible.
18. Dead Space 3 (February 5th) - So let me bottom line this for you folks: I’m a jumpy little bitch. I have avoided this franchise for a while because, quite frankly, I am the absolute worst when it comes to “scary” stuff. I’m that guy at the movie theater that marks out at the most random little stuff. I saw the Bernie Mac movie “Mr. 3000″ in theaters and there was a scene where he hit a foul ball and they followed it up in the air and… yeah… I totally jumped and my brother laughed at me for it the whole ride home, as he should have, mind you. Moral of the story, sometimes you just need to put on your panties and deal with it, which is what I find myself doing now with Dead Space 2, and surprise surprise, it’s awesome. I’m so mad at myself for waiting all this time to play the game, and I am pretty proud that I’ve made it all the way through the first five chapters without being a bitch. Dead Space 3 looks like it is going to be even better, so I am officially on board.
17. Destiny (release TBA) – Bungie is fast at work on their next big franchise, and this time they are going multiplatform. The rumor had been that whatever Destiny was working on, it was going to be nothing like Halo, and surprise, surprise, when images started to leak showing off what Destiny looked like… it looked a lot like Halo. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you. If a restaurant makes the best steak in town, are you really going to go there for their chicken parm? Of course not, you get the steak! I am absolutely positive that Bungie has the capability to create a beautiful, immersive world for any genre they decide to cover, but if they are going to make a ton of money pumping out science-fiction first person shooter masterpieces… hello! You stick to what you are good at. Destiny has a bit of a space knight thing going for it, and I can actually see myself potentially enjoying it more than Halo. I guess only time will tell.
16. XCOM (release TBA) - This won’t be the first time I am in the minority, but I am way more excited for this game than I was for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. When the first trailer was shown and the gaming world was shocked to find out it would be a first person shooter, I thought it was going to essentially be Bioshock with aliens. Let’s be honest, who would complain about that? I get that most XCOM fans wanted a turn based strategy game, and they got that with Enemy Unknown. It’s too bad this game has been stuck in development hell, getting bounced around to three different studios, but 2013 looks like the year it will see the light of day, and I am banking on it being great.
15. Dead Island: Riptide (April 23rd, 2013) - The not-quite-but-sort-of a sequel to the surprisingly awesome Dead Island, Dead Island: Riptide was said to have started as an expansion of sort that blossomed into a full blown packaged release. There are some new quirks to the gameplay, like a tower defense mechanism, but it is basically a huge expansion of the first game, which I think is great. The first Dead Island was a massively underrated game and I don’t see any reason why this one won’t be even better.
14. Grand Theft Auto V (May 2013) - This is going to be a year where I give a bunch of long-standing franchise a fair shot. Believe it or not, I have never really taken the time to get very far in any Grand Theft Auto game, but that will absolutely change with Grand Theft Auto V. This game looks like it is going to be awesome. I have loved pretty much everything Rockstar I have played, so I am pretty confident that trend will continue. I don’t think I really need to convince many people that this is going to be one of the biggest games of 2013.
13. Sim City (March 5th, 2013) - When I was in middle school, this was easily my favorite game. I would actually stay after school for hours so that I could play, and before I was as tech savvy as I am now, I’d try to copy the icon on the desktop of my school’s Apple computers onto my disk that was formatted for the same computers, then try to bring it home and transfer it to my grandfathers PC. Kids, I tell you! This game looks like it is going to be a blast; everything that made Sim City awesome with more current, sparkling graphics. Can’t wait.
12. Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel (March 2013) - I should be way more excited about this. After-all, Star Wars: The Old Republic was my Game of the Year in 2011, shockingly beating out Battlefield 3. Bioware has been too slow to add onto it, though, and over a year later, the new content has been very limited. This is a company that said they wanted this game to last for 15+ years. Better late then never is what I say, and I’m pretty pumped for the Rise of the Hutt Cartel. For some crazy reason, I am unwisely still paying my $15 a month for a subscription, and this is sort of the pay-off. Bioware Austin was gutted by lay-offs not too long ago, and while they may be slow to add more content, I am glad that they will at least have the chance. This game really is incredible, so now that it is free to play, I really think anyone with a solid PC and a love of MMO’s should be giving it a try.
11. Marvel Heroes (release TBA) - This one is going to be awesome. Marvel Heroes is the free-to-play MMO from Marvel Comics and Gazillion Entertainment, and the talent involved on the project is top notch. Brian Michael Bendis is involved on the writing side, and if you follow the world of comics, you’ll know he is essentially Marvel’s go-to guy these days. David Brevik is leading the charge on the Gazillion end. You may know him as that guy who helped create a little franchise known as Diablo. So what do you get when you take the gameplay of Diablo and throw it into a comic book? Marvel Heroes, as you would imagine. I can tell you first hand for super, top-secret reasons that this game is awesome. I have the Deadpool pack on pre-order because, well, Deadpool is over-powered and I love it. I think the fact that you can play as so many different characters within the Marvel Universe is going to really give the game some serious staying power.
10. LEGO: Marvel Superheroes - I’ve been calling for this for a while, and I am so excited that it is finally happening. Look, if you haven’t played a LEGO game at this point, you just aren’t doing gaming right. If you get over the fact that these are games geared towards kids, you’ll find out very quickly, this is what gaming is all about! It’s fun! The Marvel Universe is vast and full of awesome characters, and I can’t wait to see who gets to be in this game. I am especially excited to see Deadpool, as if you’re paying close attention to this list, you’ll quickly get the impression he’s one of my favorites.
9. Remember Me (May 2013) – If not for another game that will show up at #3 on this list, this might have been one of surprises of E3 this past year. Everything about this game looks phenomenal, and even though many of the themes of the game have been done before, it feels fresh in its own right. Capcom hasn’t given me much to work with lately, but the new Devil May Cry and Remember Me should make for a strong 2013.
8. Dragon Age III: Inquisition (late 2013) - I know I am in the minority on this one, but I loved Dragon Age II. I had actually hoped for more DLC, but it wasn’t meant to be. I’m really interested to see where they go with this one. Will there be a new protagonist? I know a lot of people preferred Dragon Age: Origins and were very vocal about it, so I am hopeful that everyone can be happy this time around. I trust Bioware to do just about anything except end a story, so this should be awesome… unless they are capping it as a trilogy, in which case, 99% of it should rule.
7. The Elder Scrolls Online (release TBA) - It’s everything we love about The Elder Scrolls franchise… with tons of other people to play with! If that sounds like the best of every world, that’s because it is. I don’t think there will ever truly be a “WOW killer,” but if any franchise has an opportunity to tap into that market and make a dent, it is The Elder Scrolls. I think Co-Op games have really ruined the traditional single player for me, which is why MMO’s are really appealing to me right now. I think of all my time playing Skyrim in party chat on Xbox Live with a few other friends and how I wished we could all be in the same game, and now we’ll have that chance.
6. The Last Of Us (May 7th, 2013) - I am buying in to the hype. This game looks like it is going to be fantastic, and I really hoping one of these Playstation exclusives will finally making me feel like my Playstation 3 was a worthwhile purchase two years later. That’s not to say all the ones I played before this were bad, but I haven’t found a single game that has jumped out at me and said “man, aren’t you glad you bought this PS3?” The Last Of Us will be the one. I have no doubt in my mind. And if when it is all said and done, my $300 investment ends up being solely so that I could play The Last Of Us, I will be 100% OK with that. My better judgment tells me that will be the case. I fully expect this to be among my games of the year for 2013.
6. Fallout 4 (release TBA) - It’s been a little over two years since the release of Fallout: New Vegas and all is quite on the Bethesda front. All sorts of Fallout 4 rumors are about and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see this bad boy launch along with the new consoles. There have been rumors that the game will take place in Boston, but if this photo leaked by a voice actor from the series is any indication, that doesn’t look to be the case. I would certainly love it if the game did take place in Boston, because it is only the greatest city in the world. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter where Fallout 4 is located, because it’s going to rule wherever.
5. Bioshock Infinite (March 26th, 2013) – It’s pretty tough not to be excited for this game. I think that the delays have only made me more excited. This is Irrational Games baby. They are pulling out all the stops for this one, and there is no doubt in my mind they are going to hit it out of the park. I think it was a great idea to take this franchise out of the ocean and into the sky, as it really keeps the game fresh.
4. Deadpool (release TBA) - I confess to being a massive Deadpool fanboy, and the prospect of playing a full-length, feature game starring everyone’s favorite Merc with a Mouth is almost too much to take. The fact that High Moon Studios has done such a fantastic job with their Transformers franchise gives me all the confidence in the world that they will make this appropriately and no pull an X-Men Origins on us and turn him into some mute that somehow has the powers of like… everyone. We’re all still pretending that first Wolverine movie didn’t happen, right?
3. Watch Dogs (release TBA) - I think it goes without saying that the biggest and most shocking game announcement at E3 in 2012 was Watch Dogs. Ubisoft really hit it out of the park with this one, as a nearly 10 minute demo turned heads and made them the talk of the gaming world. I remember my thought process through the entire thing, starting very indifferent and slowly getting more and more amped up before they hit the kill shot and officially blew my mind. It seems pretty obvious that this game was going to be meant for the next generation, and since that seems to be coming by year’s end, it looks like we could be seeing Watch Dogs sooner than later.
2. Star Wars 1313 (release TBA) – I am the ultimate Star Wars fanboy, and there is something about this game that has me even more excited than I usually would be. It’s not just the incredible graphics or the time period between Episodes III and IV, but more-so the idea that this is going to be a mature rated Star Wars experience. As much as I love and respect George Lucas for everything he has done for us Star Wars fans, his intense focus on making everything kid friendly definitely held back from some potentially awesome story lines for the adult audience. I don’t know how much that will improve now that Disney owns the franchise, but they haven’t really stepped in the way of any of the Marvel stuff, so we should be good. I hope we get to see some of old friends like Boba Fett, Bossk, Dengar, IG-88, Zuckus and 4-Lom in this one.
1. Battlefield 4 (release TBA) - So there is absolutely no guarantee that this game will be released in 2013, but as the Battlefield fanboy that I am, my body is ready. I would have much rather seen a Battlefield: Bad Company 3, but it’s clear that EA and DICE are rolling with the flagship next time out. With a new Xbox and/or Playstation on the horizon, it would make sense that this could end up being a launch title. Frostbite 2.5? Frostbite 3? I can only imagine what DICE can do with more power across the board to work with, and since whenever Battlefield 4 is released it will clearly be within the next generation, I look forward to seeing true 32 vs 32 action on consoles. They still haven’t rolled out everything that they promised with Battlefield 3, and I’d much rather they take more time between releases, but it is clear that the Battlefield franchise is one of EA’s breadwinners, and they are going to try and get a new title pushed out as quickly as they can. Hopefully that doesn’t come at the cost of innovation and quality.
Maybe For You, But Not For Me - So inevitably, everything comes down to taster. There are quite a few games that look like they are going to be really good if they are your kind of thing, but they just aren’t for me. Some of them realistically should be, but for whatever reason, they just don’t excite me the way they probably should. I’ll close with five games that should do really well even if they aren’t for me:
5. Beyond: Two Souls – I’m so indifferent on this one. On one hand, it is visually stunning and looks like it’s going to push the Playstation 3 to the max. On the other hand, there is just something missing for me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I will probably end up getting this one and I am sure I will end up liking it, but as of right now, I am having a hard time getting excited.
4. Tomb Raider - The allure of Lara Croft has always escaped me. Even at the height of her popularity and smack in the middle of my teenage hormone overload years,
3. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (March 12th, 2013) - Best Buy had Star Craft II for sale really cheap on Black Friday back in November and I jumped on it. Knowing that this is an intensely competitive, I wanted to see what it was all about. What I found out really quick is that it was definitely not my style of game. It looks awesome and I’ll bet the Starcraft fans out there are pretty excited for this,
2. Dark Souls 2 (Release TBA) - This is the type of game I should love, but there I don’t. I rage quit Dark Souls the first time I died and lost over an hour of progress. I knew there was a possibility of this happening and I did it anyway. For fans of the franchise, I have no doubt it will be phenomenal. As is the case for all five games here, I think these are games that will be really good, just not for me. Unless they introduce a more forgiving mode, which I don’t expect them to do, I don’t know that I’ll be giving this one a try.
1. Injustice: Gods Among Us (April 2013) - This one breaks my heart. I am a sucker for super hero business, whether it be Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Valiant or anyone else. So everything about this game screams my name… except I don’t do fighting games. I have no doubt this game is going to be fantastic and I have no doubt I’ll watch lots of Youtube walk-through videos of the campaign or I’ll even sucker myself into buying it. I’ll just hate myself for it, although, the special edition does look pretty awesome.
Recipe For Disaster: This Could Be Bad, Folks: There are going to be some bad games released this year. It’s inevitable. Here are five games that could be really bad, or at the very least, disappointing:
5. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Fall 2013) - Really? This story again? Is Lightning even that popular in the Final Fantasy universe? You’re telling me Square Enix has time to make three full games featuring this story and can’t even give the fans what they want and remake Final Fantasy VII? You’re telling me the constant string of disappointment that has followed this franchise for this entire generation of consoles and even with the MMO is worth continuing to mash the square peg in the round hole? Call me for Final Fantasy XV.
4. Lost Planet 3 (release TBA) - Raise your hand if you thought this franchise was dead. Yup, that’s everyone. So this game looks like it could actually be decent, but the first two games were pretty meh, so I don’t know how much hope I have for this one. I’ll give it a fair chance but… it just seems so unlikely that it will all come together.
3. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (February 26th, 2013) - I know a lot of people are hyped up for this simply because it is a Metal Gear game, but ever since it was announced, I thought it looked terrible. If Raiden wasn’t in the game and it didn’t carry the Metal Gear name, I don’t know that people would be nearly as excited about it, but I guess it is what it is. I am sure it will be well made and it will look good, but man, something about it just looks off. The recent “Jack The Ripper” trailer looks and sounds awful. I’m not touching this.
2. Star Trek (April 23rd, 2013) - OK, this one is basically cheating, because the automatic expectation for any video game based on a movie is that it will be terrible, because, well, most of them generally are. This one looks like it has potential, but then again, they all do. With that said, it also looks like it could be a little cheesy. We don’t like cheesy, now do we? I’m hoping for the best, even though I am not really a Trekkie, but we all know the law of average is not on their side.
1. MLB 2K13 (March 5th, 2013) - Because it’s 2K and baseball, and no matter how many strides they think they are making, they are terrible at making baseball games and it’s a shame the failure of this franchise caused the ending of one of the franchises 2K actually got right in the NHL. I can’t wait for 2K to lose this license. I realize David Price is possibly the best pitcher in the American League, but he plays in front of the worst fans in baseball, so putting him on the cover just furthers the games failure. Won’t buy, can’t recommend, glad I own a Playstation 3 for The Show.
The post The Top 20 Games We’re Looking Forward To In 2013 appeared first on AnalogHype.
