Our Best of 2012 Awards have finished, and we're already excited for 2013. Yes, this jaded critic is actually excited about something (har har). Not only is the Game Revolution staff ready for the announcement for the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles, but the first three months of 2013 are stacked with new intellectual properties and more than one stunning reboot. Still, let's not talk about The Last Guardian or Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It hurts.
All of the staff members were democratically asked to give their Top 10 most anticipated games for 2013 (which we've graciously supplied on the last page), and the following 12 games featured here received three or more votes. Interestingly, Gears of War: Judgment was almost left out, but along with Devin, both Keri and Kuulei (yep, the two girls) came to save the day for the title. Nearly another dozen received 2 votes each and over 40 games were nominated, which shows just how jam-packed 2013 is shaping up to be.
So anyone who says that 2013 will be terrible are just being impatient. You know who you are… *squints eyes*
BioShock Infinite
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Some "Top" lists like to take the slow-burn approach, reveal the most anticipated game at the end of the article to lure readers to the last page for extra hits. Screw that. BioShock Infinite deserves better, and we all know it. I mean that literally. Every Game Revolution staff member who was polled has BioShock Infinite on their list, the only one to do so. That Ken Levine says it will have an amazing ending and won't have multiplayer only makes us want it more.
Any game critic worth their talk has played the first BioShock and remembers – would you kindly – why it was so pivotal. Where Bioshock 2 is based off the original title, BioShock Infinite introduces us to Columbia, a fantastical city suspended by blimps and balloons. If Rapture is severely underwater, Columbia is severely over-water, symbolizing such lofty ideals as American exceptionalism, imperialism, colonialism, isolationism, jingoism, and any other –isms generally known to be full of hot air. A civil war has broken out in this dystopian island in the sky between the Founders and the Vox Populi (how can GR not admire this?), and it's your job as dishonored, bellicose agent Booker DeWitt to rescue a woman with magical gifts named Elizabeth who has been imprisoned in Columbia.
Of course, this is one case of damsel in distress that's far more complicated than it looks, and its development has seemingly irked everyone, from fans disappointed with the seemingly generic box art and white supremacists upset over the game's message, to Ken Levine revealing a poll for reversible box art in response to the fans and critics upset that the fans are upset that the art is upsetting. Stay classy, everyone. The only complaint I think is justified is about the game's delay from October 2012 to February 2013 and then to March 2013. But the best things in life are worth waiting for. I won't sit in the corner and pout, I swear…
Beyond: Two Souls
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Quantic Dream
Release Date: 2013
If Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy say anything about David Cage, it's that he can't get enough of modern thrillers, realistic facial modeling, and brain-melting story branching. And if the trailer for the studio's new project Beyond: Two Souls says anything, he also can't get enough close-up shots of Ellen Page. We can't either.
You would think law enforcement would know better than to think that assault rifles will accomplish anything against a teenage girl who has a ghost for a friend. Haven't they seen any movie before? At any rate, their ineptitude means that protagonist Jodie Holmes will likely survive most threats unscathed, in a script that's reportedly about 2000 pages long and spans her life from a girl of eight to a young adult of twenty-three. That the game will deal with the afterlife is an understatement.
Beyond: Two Souls will also use PlayStation Move technology, which would be a bummer if it weren't for Quantic Dream's prior success with Heavy Rain's Move integration. The last time I used the Move was for Datura, which means I can now associate the Move with a particular type of video game: crazy s***.
SimCity (2013)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Maxis
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Though it may not seem that long, the last main entry in the SimCity series, SimCity 4, came out nearly a decade ago. Since then, we've set the thought of a possible reboot aside, on the edge of impossibiity, until it was revealed earlier in 2012 at a seemingly unimportant EA conference at GDC. The crowd was floored.
With more development time under its belt, Maxis soon showed their progress at E3, where I had a chance to view the game's new GlassBox simulation engine and a beta multiplayer session where three players were challenged to create an international airport. With only one person working alone, it would be nigh-impossible to accumulate all the materials, population, and Simoleans required, but it's no sweat for three players working side by side.
Along with online interaction not seen since SimCity 2000 Network Edition and amazingly upgraded graphics, SimCity will feature finite resources and curved roads. It will also support mods after launch, though fans have voiced concerns at the game's purported requirement for a constant online connection to Electronic Arts. We'll have to see whether this will ultimately help or hurt the game when it releases in March.
Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Level-5
Release Date: January 2013
Japan always gets nice things first. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (or Ni No Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joō) was released back in November 2011 in Japan, and we've been twiddling our thumbs for Level-5 to localize the full game for the rest of the world.
Any Studio Ghibhli fan will want to place a copy of Ni No Kuni next to the likes of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. If you have no idea what that last sentence meant, then please replace it with "You'll want it because it looks pretty. And shame on you for not knowing what Studio Ghibli is." The gorgeous hand-drawn animations alone are worth the purchase price. And if that isn't enough, the international release will include both Japanese and English voice tracks—the way it's supposed to be done.
The story of a young boy named Oliver who wishes to see his mother again is something anyone can relate to, while stepping into an alternate magical world alongside a bumbling sprite with a lantern for a nose is simply fantastical. Ni No Kuni has the power to revive that nostalgic and wondrous quality that only the best RPG classics have. Just less than a month to go!
Gears of War: Judgment
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Epic Games, People Can Fly
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Don't worry, guys. Cliff Bleszinski made sure to put his stamp on this one before moving on to bigger and better things. Maybe you still haven't gotten enough of Delta Squad after the epic finale in Gears of War 3. Maybe you miss Baird's wise-cracks and Mr. Cole Train. Because Epic Games is counting on it.
In Gears of War: Judgment, a prequel to the main Gears of War trilogy, a 14-years-younger Lt. Damon Barid leads Cole and two new COGs named Sofia and Garron as Kilo Squad. Near the beginning of the Locust War, Col. Ezra Loomis accuses the squad for treason and stealing experimental technology, for which they must explain themselves and thereby narrate what transpired. As you muster your way through Baird's past memories, you must slaughter waves upon waves of Locusts, as this installment will allow for the most Locusts on screen at once. They really are pests.
The main feature, though, is the new class-based multiplayer mode called Overrun, which pits five COGs against five Locusts in specific roles such as medic, scout, engineer, and soldier. Locusts get their share of ticks, wretches, grenadiers, and other nasty creepy-crawlies, if just to troll the opposing COGs. And we all know you like trolls.
Grand Theft Auto V
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Release Date: Q2 2013
Following well in the footsteps of its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto V has already brewed controversy, from whether the series will ever feature a female protagonist, whether Rockstar will oblige PC fans ad Nintendo with a Wii U port despite its lack of family-friendliness, and whether it's worth having three criminal protagonists: Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. At any rate, Rockstar has dispelled projections of the game's release this year and still hasn't given us a solid release date apart from the vague Q2 2013.
But how can we not like it? There are shootouts on jet skis, sharks, mini-submarines, jets, blimps, and Rottweilers riding shotgun in cars. Woof woof. Set in the fictional city of Los Santos in San Andreas, GTA V will feel familiar to those living in Los Angeles and obviously those who have played San Andreas on PS2. This game's version of Los Santas has been hawked as the greatest open world that Rockstar has attempted, beyond that of any three Grand Theft Autos combined.
In story missions, players can swap between all three characters as they conquer objectives together and can swap between them freely while exploring Los Santos to the fullest. Each protagonist can play a variety of sports and practice yoga and body-building, but will also reportedly have autonomy outside of your control. Let's hope they don't get themselves killed.
And that's just all that Rockstar has cared to reveal so far. They know they've got us. By the balls, more like.
Rayman Legends
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Rayman Legends, the fifth main Rayman title and the direct sequel to Rayman Origins (not that this matters much), was our most anticipated game of all launch titles shown for Wii U, and despite its delay to February of next year, our high anticipation is still the same.
If you've been listening to our podcast, you'll know that Anthony and his daughter Ava has played the game's demo, which is available now and can only be played 30 times. It's an odd restriction, but considering how exhaustively they have played it, Ubisoft knows how to dangle the Rayman carrot in front of us. Rayman Legends takes the best of Rayman Origins, under-appreciated as it is, and kicks it up a notch with the same Lum-collecting goodness.
And if there's anything that a fledgling console like the Wii U needs, it's any title that isn't a port and is, better yet, an exclusive. Ubisoft has been on a roll (hey, we've given them the Best Publisher Award two years in a row), and it looks like they're going to be well on the right foot this year too.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Release Date: March 5, 2013
At this point, the plight of THQ is old news, as much as bad news seems to come rolling from the woodwork. Most recently they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but we think that's just merely the auspicious sign of the phoenix. THQ has more than several high-profile titles out this year, and South Park: The Stick of Truth presents its best hope for revival.
Obsidian Entertainment, with their experience on Fallout: New Vegas, has collaborated with South Park Digital Studios as well the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (who wrote the game's script!), to produce a South Park title that actually lives up to their name. In fact, they're the ones who approached Obsidian, not the other way around.
The Stick of Truth, parodying the lives of Dungeons & Dragons LARPers, is a fantasy RPG where the main characters take up arms as the archetypal classes: wizard, warrior, healer, etc. Since both the dialogue and voice-work were created by Trey and Matt, you should expect it to be nigh-perfect translation of the show in 2D video game form. You can even mock Cartman if you own a Kinect. He'll likely tell you to shut up (before going home), but it'll be worth it.
Tomb Raider
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Yet another top-tier title slated for March (it's a giant conspiracy to make us work hard…), this reboot of Tomb Raider has had our collective mouths watering for more than a year. Despite the controversial "rape scene", it promises a humanistic approach to Lara Croft, who instead of her place as a tough, well-endowed sex symbol, will begin as an innocent but stalwart woman—perfect for an origin story.
As one of the few games on this list that I've had the pleasure to preview (in this case, at PAX 2012), Tomb Raider sees Lara Croft slowly but surely learn the skills necessary to endure the island on which she finds herself after the ship Endurance capsizes. There, she must gather food and water, hunting deer if need be, on Dragon's Triangle to survive. Eventually, she'll need to murder mercenaries assigned to hunt her and the ship's survivors.
But by all accounts. they won't succeed. You won't let them, right?
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Platinum Games
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Raiden's flipping out and he's not naked this time.
The story of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's development essentially goes like this: Hideo Kojima made it, then Platinum Games made it fun. They picked up the broken pieces of the canceled game and placed the cutting action at the forefront with their signature blazingly fast action. Raiden slicing up foes into fifty pieces in bullet time (or is that "sword time"?) is totally ninja. I'll never look at watermelons the same again.
Even if this spinoff doesn't win all the hearts of Metal Gear fans, it has given Hideo Kojima the time to develop both Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. And Kojima Productions is still responsible for the game's plot. That alone should put Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on their list with deadly certainty.
Watch_Dogs
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release Date: 2013
Ubisoft let us take a sneak peek at their upcoming new IP, Watch_Dogs (also known as Watch Dogs), at E3 2012, and from what we saw, we were surprised that Ubisoft has projected a 2013 release date. This is next-gen material, Star Wars 1313 material, revolutionary material. But if they say 2013, I'm not here to challenge it. I'll cross my fingers too.
Indirect power—that's what Watch_Dogs is about. Protagonist Aiden Pearce can wield a sturdy, telescoping staff to subdue foes, but melee combat is generally a sign that your strategy isn't sound. Aiden's true strength lies in his hacking ability, to switch off security systems, jam cellphones, turn traffic lights green or red at a moment's notice, raise drawbridges, and obtain information on any person within close proximity. Otherwise, he has enough prowess with parkour and fisticuffs to get out of harm's way.
But the most powerful moment we saw in the E3 demo was Aiden hanging along the side of an elevated train track in the rain and hearing the thunderous echo of the subway cars as it zoomed past. The level of graphics and sound are at the turn of the tide of the next generation, and its examination of the darker powers that come from constant connectivity relates the future to the present. It taps into the fear of our lack of privacy, that anyone has access to our personal information without our consent.
In fact, Ubisoft will probably want us to use Facebook. I'm not so willing anymore….
The Last of Us
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release Date: May 7, 2012
It's corny, but ultimately true: Save the best for last.
While BioShock Infinite earned the most votes, The Last of Us came only one vote short and it landed in first place on more of our lists. That's just about as close to unanimous as you're going to get on Game Revolution. It was the star and biggest surprise of E3 2012, easily handing the best E3 press conference to Sony, and its impact has yet to leave us.
The Last of Us elevates the zombie apocalypse. Joel must keep himself and his young female companion Ellie away from the hostile Infected and some even more hostile humans to evade capture by the military and infection by the parasitic fungus Cordyceps unilateralis. In every situation, Joel can choose different strategies to overcome threats on the fly, like slamming a man headfirst into the edge of a desk or slithering past the same man with stealth. Ellie, controlled by the AI, doesn't play the helpless girl either, and can toss Joel extra ammo or throw a brick at an enemy's head. Go girl!
By all accounts, you're probably witnessing the battle between BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us for next year's Game of the Year award. But that's only if Grand Theft Auto V and Watch_Dogs fail to meet their lofty expectations. And who knows? Maybe one of the remaining six (!) new IPs on this list will surprise us. Upon the threshold of the next-generation consoles, 2013 may just be the best year in video gaming yet.
Since we're all different people and this isn't an award show where the iron fist must be dealt, we thought it would be great to show off our individual lists for the Most Anticipated Games of 2013. What is your Top 10? Sound out in the comments!
Anthony Severino
1. The Last of Us
2. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
3. The Phantom Pain
4. Tomb Raider
5. Rayman Legends
6. Injustice: Gods Among Us
7. Beyond: Two Souls
8. Grand Theft Auto V
9. Bioshock Infinite
10. God of War: Ascension
Nicholas Tan
1. SimCity
2. Ni No Kuni
3. BioShock Infinite
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth
5. Watch_Dogs
6. The Last of Us
7. Dragon's Crown
8. Tomb Raider
9. Beyond: Two Souls
10. Deadpool
Daniel Bischoff
1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. Bioshock Infinite
3. SimCity
4. Watch_Dogs
5. South Park: The Stick of Truth
6. The Last of Us
7. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
8. Tomb Raider
9. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
10. Dead Space 3
Alex Osborn
1. The Last of Us
2. BioShock Infinite
3. The Walking Dead: Season Two
4. Beyond: Two Souls
5. Tomb Raider
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
8. Star Wars 1313
9. Watch Dogs
10. Fortnite
Jonathan Leack
1. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)
2. SimCity
3. Bayonetta 2
4. The Wonderful 101
5. The Last of Us
6. FireFall
7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
8. Grand Theft Auto V
9. Beyond: Two Souls
10. BioShock Infinite
Keri Honea
1. South Park: Stick of Truth
2. BioShock Infinite
3. Gears of War: Judgment
4. Crysis 3
5. Metro: Last Light
6. The Last of Us
(And that's it!)
Kevin Schaller
1. The Last of Us
2. South Park: The Stick of Truth
3. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
4. Bioshock Infinite
5. Rayman Legends
6. SimCity
7. Tomb Raider
8. Fuse
9. DmC: Devil May Cry
10. Star Trek
Pierre Bienaimé
1. BioShock Infinite
2. Pikmin 3
3. Watch_Dogs
4. The Wonderful 101
5. Rainbow 6: Patriots
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. FIFA 2014
8. Star Wars 1313
9. The Last of Us
10. Aliens: Colonial Marines
Eddy Fettig
1. The Last of Us
2. BioShock Infinite
3. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
4. Rayman Legends
5. Beyond: Two Souls
6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
7. Dragon's Crown (assuming it's actually still coming out)
8. The OUYA
(And nothing else!)
Kuulei Naipo
1. Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots
2. The Last of Us
3. Tomb Raider
4. Deadpool
5. Beyond: Two Souls
6. Watch_Dogs
7. Gears of War: Judgment
8. BioShock Infinite
9. Plants Vs Zombies 2
10. Grand Theft Auto V
Devin Charles
1. The Last of Us
2. Tomb Raider
3. Madden 14
4. Star Trek
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Gears of War: Judgment
7. Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
8. South Park: The Stick of Truth
9. Injustice: Gods Among us
10. Watch_Dogs
Blake Peterson
1. Aliens: Colonial Marines
2. Bioshock Infinite
3. South Park The Stick of Truth (if THQ is still around…)
4. The Last of Us
5. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
6. Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch
7. Bayonetta 2
8. Pikmin 3
9. Luigi's Mansion 2
10. Fuse
