It is around this time of year that I tend to do a post detailing my most anticipated games of the following year. It has come to my attention however, that these games have often not come out in the year that I had anticipated they would, or even not at all (I’m looking at you The Last Guardian, and also you Final Fantasy Versus). As such, I have changed this to a list of my most anticipated games for 2013 (hopefully) or beyond.
Starting from 10 to 1:
10. Bioshock Infinite (Multi)
I loved Bioshock, and also Bioshock 2 (although I know many didn’t) and this game looks to improve further with the formula. Hopfully there shouldn’t be too much longer to find out exactly how great this game could be.
9. Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)
Whilst GTA4 may not have been as good as the previous games in the series (IMHO), the DLC for it seemed to learn from its mistakes and invest a little fun into the proceedings. GTA5 however looks to be very ambitious and also, hopefully equally fun to play.
Very little is known about the game at present, but I’m still really looking forward to it.
8. Animal Crossing 3DS (3DS)
Unfortunately this missed the 2013 expected release date, although it is being released very early in 2013 in Japan. It seems like ages since I have played an Animal Crossing game and to be fair I only really got stuck into the Gamecube version, but this seems like such a good fit for the 3DS (especially including Streetpass functionality). It’s also good to see that there have been a few notable changes to the standards in the game which should make for a more refreshing Animal Crossing experience.
7. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS)
Take two franchise that I really love, mix them together and you get this gem of a title. Whilst I may favour the more traditional Ace Attorney 5, this still looks like a fantastic game, even if it may still be a little while until it comes to the West.
6. Ni No Kuni (PS3)
I’ve been looking forward to this for a few years now, and it will finally be released in January of 2013. After the missteps made by Square-Enix on Final Fantasy XIII, and the fact that Dragon Quest X has turned into a MMO, this is the one true traditional JRPG still standing. The fact that it is also created in conjunction with Studio Ghibli (and looks absolutely gorgeous as a result) is also a big bonus.
5. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)
This was the real surprise when Nintendo announced the price and release dates for the Wii U, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Nintendo would announce that Bayonetta 2 would be released exclusively for the Wii U. The fact that Bayonetta 2 is being released at all is fantastic, and it would seem that the only reason that this is coming to fruition is that Nintendo have backed this, when previously Sega backed out of agreeing to publish.
This, more than anything, is an attempt by Nintendo to show that the Wii U can appeal to the hardcore audience as well as the casual audience, and I for one, more than welcome its presence.
4. Ace Attorney 5 (3DS)
It feels like an age since I last played an Ace Attorney game with Phoenix Wright as a lead. The forth Ace Attorney game featured Apollo Justice, and whilst good, did not live up to the first 3 games. The fact that this is also now running on improved hardware on the 3DS is also a bonus. Overall, this has got to be my most anticipated handheld game of (hopefully) 2013.
3. The Last Guardian (PS3)
This game has been on my list of most anticipated games for 3 years previous to this (at time at the very top of the list). I am honestly starting to question whether it will ever be released at all, or whether it will skip the PS3 and instead head for the PS4!
I cannot deny that the stories of development difficulties and staff members leaving the project hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm a little, but after ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, how can I not still be excited about this game!
2. The Last of Us (PS3)
The Uncharted games have been the absolute highlights on the PS3 and this game looks to be just as good, but with a more realistic edge than any of the games in the Uncharted series.
Naughty Dog seem to be putting their all into this, and the fact that this is being developed by the team who produced Uncharted 2 (the best in the series) certainly shows. I just hope that it lives up to its promise.
1. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (Multi)
I have recently been replaying through all of the Metal Gear solid games and have been loving every moment of them (well maybe not so much the extended ending on Metal Gear solid 4). Then I saw the trailer for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and that totally blew me away.
My only suspicion is that the graphics shown really don’t look like they will run on the current generation of consoles and as such, this game may be pushed back until the PS4/Xbox 720 is released. Either way, this is now my most anticipated game.
Other games that I’m looking forward to, that didn’t quite make the list:
Tomb Raider (Multi)
Fire Emblem 3DS (3DS)
Aliens: Colonial Marines (Multi)
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (3DS)
Final Fantasy XIII Versus (PS3)
Half Life 2: Episode 3 / Half Life 3 (Multi – hopefully)
Tearaway (Vita)
Persona 4: The Golden (Vita)
Dragon Quest X (Wii/WiiU)
Rayman Legends (WiiU)
There are of course also a number of unknown factors.
- Only games over the launch window up to the end of March 2013 have been announced for the Wii U so far, and I would anticipate that Nintendo would be aiming to get a few strong first party games out by the end of 2013 (most likely a 3D Mario game and also something from Retro – a new Metroid Prime game please).
- It is not clear yet when the next consoles from Sony and Microsoft will be launched, but this may also be by the end of 2013, in which case there would likely be some strong launch games to support these consoles.
