Feature | Beyond the Cube: 20 Games to Watch in 2013 Page 1

Feature | Beyond the Cube: 20 Games to Watch in 2013

09.12.2012

Image for Feature | Beyond the Cube: 20 Games to Watch in 2013

We may be creeping ever closer to the dawn of next generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft, but the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have still got plenty of life left in them yet! The number of high quality titles is most definitely not diminishing and developers are certainly getting the most out of the powerhouse consoles, if what is in store for 2013 is anything to go by. With a special feature for our fans of Beyond the Cube, Az Elias picks out twenty games that you need to be keeping your eyes on and saving those pennies for in 2013.

[b]Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Rockstar is taking things to the extreme in the next GTA game, with the team promising the game world of Los Santos to be bigger than those seen in Red Dead Redemption, GTA: San Andreas and GTA IV combined. Even the ocean can be explored this time around. Switching between three main characters, players will be able to complete missions in a variety of ways, and follow how their paths cross throughout the course of the story. At any point during the game, players can swap between who they control, whilst the pair not selected will go about their daily business across the city. A number of activities and mini-games can be participated in, such as yoga, golf, tennis, scuba diving and base-jumping, and even more vehicles will be available, including jet skis, mountain bikes, ATVs, helicopters and fighter jets. Driving mechanics will also be greatly improved over GTA IV, and there are plans to create a very special open-world multiplayer. All signs are pointing to GTA V being one of the biggest and best in the series yet.

The Last of Us (PlayStation 3)

All eyes have been firmly on Naughty Dog to see what else it has up its sleeves after single-handedly giving people a reason to own a PS3 in creating the sublime Uncharted series. The team's next exclusive on the system will be The Last of Us - a game featuring two survivors of a post-apocalyptic world infested with humans infected by a peculiar fungus-like disease. As Joel, with young partner Ellie at his side, players can embrace the new "dynamic stealth" system, whereby multiple types of strategies and techniques can be put to use and have varying effects on different situations and enemy reactions. In a world very reminiscent of movies like I Am Legend and 28 Days Later, the developers are hoping to raise the bar of storytelling in video games with The Last of Us.

BioShock Infinite (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

After taking players through the incredible underwater city of Rapture in the first two BioShock titles, Irrational Games will be offering something entirely new in the third in the series. BioShock Infinite introduces Columbia, a remarkable isolated floating city in the early 20th century that has been disavowed by the United States, and is inhabited by warring factions with differing views on who should live in and rule it. Booker DeWitt, a former agent kicked out of his line of work, is tasked with rescuing a mysterious young woman by the name of Elizabeth, who has been held captive in the air-city for twelve years. Her powers reveal rips in the space-time continuum, with elements from years up and down the timeline appearing in Columbia where they shouldn't.

Tomb Raider (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

With a long career spanning over 15 years, Lara Croft has appeared on almost every console going, with a lot of history behind her name. Crystal Dynamics is now taking bold new steps with the beloved English treasure hunter, however, with a complete reboot of Lara and the Tomb Raider franchise due next year. When a shipwreck washes a 21-year old Ms Croft onto an island in the Dragon's Triangle, she quickly realises she must fight for her survival against not just the wild, but other humans inhabiting the land that want her dead. The game designers have completely re-written what everybody previously knew about Tomb Raider to take Lara on a character defining journey that details her origins and how she becomes the tough archaeologist that has always been associated with the name Lara Croft.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

After the original project was cancelled, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima asked established Japanese studio Platinum Games (MadWorld, Bayonetta, Vanquish) to restart development of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, with the game now set to be the latest in the series' timeline chronologically. Gone is much of the stealth-like gameplay from the previous build, with an even heavier focus on main character Raiden's cyborg ninja hack and slash skills; the developers wish to deliver his action scenes from MGS4 in playable form. Using Raiden's Blade Mode, players can slice and cut almost anything multiple times with pinpoint accuracy, including enemies, vehicles, walls and pillars.

DmC: Devil May Cry (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

Capcom's demon-killing franchise is getting the reboot treatment, with Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword, Enslaved) taking the reins and creating an all-new Dante to appeal to a younger and more Western demographic. Set in an alternate universe to that of the original series, DmC sees the foul-mouthed punk fighting in and against Limbo City, a town come to life that spawns demons hell-bent on killing him. New move sets and weapons allow Dante to switch between strong and speedy attacks, and can now drag in distant enemies to keep stylish moves and combos going for longer.

Watch Dogs (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

"Everything is connected" in Ubisoft's ambitious new open world adventure in which all manner of devices are linked through a city-wide network. Main character Aiden Pearce is a highly skilled hacker that can control the entire city and use it to his advantage; tap phone calls to get information on a target, jam phone lines to distract people and sneak into buildings, control traffic lights to cause car pileups, obtain details on citizens to check their health, demographics and chances of causing violence. With a combination of stealth and parkour for a combat system, co-operative gameplay, and a unique premise in an alternate future of our world, Watch Dogs will be attempting to go beyond the limits of what current open world games offer today.

Beyond: Two Souls (PlayStation 3)

After the critical acclaim and success of Heavy Rain, many were wondering just what Quantic Dream's next move would be. After showing off an incredible real-time game engine titled "Kara" for the PS3 last year, the team later revealed it is working on an original interactive psychological thriller in the form of Beyond: Two Souls. The game focuses on Jodie Holmes and follows her through fifteen years of her life, whilst trying to understand what the real meaning of the entity that follows her really is. Central to the theme of the game will be questions about what happens after death.

God of War: Ascension (PlayStation 3)

Kratos will be going right to the very start with the next title in the mythological, gory hack and slash God of War adventure series. As a prequel, God of War: Ascension takes a more human and relatable Kratos on a path of redemption and demonstrates how he came to free himself of Ares' bonds, ten years before the original game. Apart from a revamped combat system, manipulating time to solve puzzles and promptless quick time events, this is the first in the series to introduce an in-depth multiplayer mode. Featuring a mini plot, up to eight players can join competing armies and team up to fight for territories and rewards, after choosing their warriors' unique combat style and abilities from the gods.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita)

After more than a seven-year break, the sneaky raccoon is back in his fourth stealth-based 3D platformer. Sly Cooper and his gang must travel through time to recover the missing pages of the Thievius Raccoonus; the book that holds the legacy of Sly's family history. Returning faces Murray, Bentley and Carmelita Fox will all be playable, as will a selection of Sly's ancestors, each with their own individual skills. Sly will now be able to obtain costumes that grant him varying abilities, taking them to previous levels to reach secret areas, whilst the worlds themselves will be three times bigger than in past titles.

SimCity (PC, OS X)

The ever-popular city-building simulation and strategy series SimCity is being rebooted by Maxis, with a whole host of additions and improvements. SimCity features 3D graphics using the new GlassBox engine, a dynamic soundtrack that adjusts based on what the player is looking at in their town and how populated it is, and online multiplayer to allow multiple cities to collaborate and create arcological designs. The depth of city creation will be huge, with players able to build areas based around education, industrial technology or commercialism, with the types of roads and traffic driving the density. Colour coded visualisations and animations quickly allow players to track where water, air pollution, waste, electricity, policing and other zones are distributed. SimCity looks like it will be satisfying a lot of simulation fans next year.

Gears of War: Judgment (Xbox 360)

Epic Games' fourth Gears of War title will be a prequel that takes Kilo Squad to the immediate aftermath of Emergence Day. Previous leads Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago are absent from Gears of War: Judgment, with Damon Baird, Augustus Cole, Sofia Hendrik and Garron Paduk at the centre of the plot, having been accused of treason by Col. Ezra Loomis early on in the Locust War. As well as the normal versus multiplayer modes ever-present in the series, all-new Extraction, OverRun and Free-for-All modes have been added to the new title, with the latter being the first time players can fight in an "every man for himself" role.

Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn (PlayStation 3, PC)

After the initial disaster of Square Enix's original version of Final Fantasy XIV, the company has taken extreme measures to completely eradicate all of the problems previously associated with the game in the form of a total overhaul. FFXIV: A Realm Reborn will have a new server, graphics engine and user interface; redesigns of all field maps spread across 40 zones; player versus player content; more playable races, character creation options and marriages; chocobo-back battles; player-run companies; and much more content. Popular monsters, such as Behemoths and Iron Giants, technology and locations from past Final Fantasy games will also be making appearances in some form. There is no doubt that Square Enix is doing its utmost to ensure FFXIV: A Realm Reborn ends up the best MMORPG it possibly can be.

Crysis 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

Once again using Crytek's popular CryEngine 3, Crysis 3 resumes after the events of the second game. In the year 2047, CELL has created a large Nanodome to protect the citizens of a vegetation-infested New York City from the last of the Ceph forces and the pollution they cause. However, it seems the Nanodome serves another purpose: to help CELL conquer the world by means of weapons and technology. With Alcatraz still using Prophet's Nanosuit 2.0, it is said by Crytek that he will play a much greater role in the story.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

Taking place after the original 2010 game and the Nintendo 3DS title Mirror of Fate, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will conclude the Lords of Shadow saga. Gabriel Belmont is now Dracula, although weakened and in dire need of being released from his immortal bonds. He must search for the powers he has lost in his castle to overcome a new threat, whilst trying to fend off the Belmont clan that want him destroyed. The first Lords of Shadow game was a very well received transition to 3D, garnering a lot of praise from reviewers, and fans can certainly expect the same again in this sequel.

Tales of Xillia (PlayStation 3)

Despite the Japanese release being way back in 2011, RPG fans will finally get their taste of Tales of Xillia next year, as they take the roles of two main characters, male and female, in a more lifelike take on the long-running series. A behind-the-back camera view is employed, whilst buildings and other structures in towns appear actual size. The battle system allows players to chain normal attacks and Artes together freely, whilst also being able to perform dual-character special moves when two characters attack together. Tales of Xillia saw record pre-order figures and quickly went on to become the best-selling entry in the series in Japan, and with a sequel having already been made off the back of its success, expect good things from this one.

Dead Space 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

Isaac Clarke is back with Ellie Langford and John Carver after the events of Dead Space 2, on the run from EarthGov and attempting to put an end to the Necromorph infestation for good. The three crash land on the frozen planet Tau Volantis - the source of the Necromorphs. The survival horror takes a different approach to the previous games in the series' space-type environments, with Dead Space 3 opting for a harsh, snowy locale. New to the series is the "Drop In-Drop Out Online Co-Op," which lets two players tackle the campaign together and uncover further details about the plot of the game.

Remember Me (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

A dystopian future in the year 2084 features a surveillance state in Neo-Paris. Nilin has been completely erased of her memory by her former employers to neutralise her and she must figure out how to restore them and for what purpose it happened by searching the streets of Neo-Paris. Featuring a mix of stealth, platforming and exploration, Remember Me sees Nilin 'memory mix' by entering the minds of other people and rearranging their memories to manipulate them. Additionally, players can customise their own combos, of which there will be over 50,000 combinations.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PlayStation 3)

Japanese developer Level-5 and anime film company Studio Ghibli teamed up to create Ni no Kuni for Nintendo DS back in 2010, but, despite being very well-received, it never got localised outside of Japan. That has all changed, though, with the game being completely rebuilt for the PlayStation 3, and featuring remarkable visuals that replicate Studio Ghibli's animated film works. The RPG follows the tale of a young boy named Oliver and a doll brought to life known as Drippy, as they journey to another world to find Oliver's mother.

Metro: Last Light (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, OnLive)

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Metro: Last Light is a survival horror first-person shooter sequel to Metro 2033. One year after the first game, the underground tunnels of a destroyed Moscow hold remnants of mankind. But no one is safe; the mutants that hunt above ground are now stalking the tunnels of the Metro. Although, instead of standing together, the people are on the brink of causing civil war, with the intention of getting their hands on the ultimate doomsday device. Artyom is the last light for mankind's survival.

So there you have it - twenty games that look like they'll be big hitters in 2013. There are many others that could just have easily made this list, too, so we're definitely in for an action-packed year of great games! Which of these titles are you planning to pick up in the New Year? Are there any others that didn't make the list that you are looking forward to? Have your say in the comments below. Here's to another year of fantastic new titles in 2013!

Comment on this article

Comments

«s previous1next »

JayUK 09.12.2012#1

I'm looking forward to Killer is Dead and Anarchy Reigns as well as those mentioned.

jb 09.12.2012#2

Brilliant stuff, I'm not a mulitformat gamer and it's great to see how next year would pan out - Watch Dogs, Sim City V, GTA V sound pretty sweet!

It's shaping up to be a solid 2013 in the world outside Nintendo. And they say mobile gaming will take over? I'll stick to my consoles, cheers!

( Edited 09.12.2012 01:56 by jb )

Cubed3 Admin/Founder & Designer

Darkflame (guest) 09.12.2012#3

Mobile gaming already did in a way - the DS had consistently the most best games of any console. Not sure if the 3DS will too, but the DS was/is pretty much the strongest system of all time software wise.
--
As for next year, by far the most exciting thing for me is Sim City having curved roads Smilie

I dont think Tomb Raider deserves attention anymore - this is like the 3rd reboot ! Not to mention the whole Rape buissness.
(the isometrix one was fun, but thats more a spin-off imho)

Other game too look out for: planetary annihilation. Looks like the most original RTS in ages)

JayUK 09.12.2012#4

Darkflame (guest) said:
Mobile gaming already did in a way - the DS had consistently the most best games of any console. Not sure if the 3DS will too, but the DS was/is pretty much the strongest system of all time software wise.
--
As for next year, by far the most exciting thing for me is Sim City having curved roads
I dont think Tomb Raider deserves attention anymore - this is like the 3rd reboot ! Not to mention the whole Rape buissness.

The whole rape business consists of a bad guy running his hand down Lara's leg, promptly followed by Lara kneeing him in the balls. I've seen worse in Pirates of the Caribbean. The whole thing got blown out of proportion by a hack journalist working for the guardian. The story was then copied and pasted by the daily mail and the metro. Without anyone bothering to do any basic research.

Azuardo 09.12.2012#5

Tomb Raider doesn't deserve attention, why? Because it's the second reboot? And what do you mean "Not to mention the whole rape thing?" There was nothing in it! Glad I'm not the only one who was flabbergasted at the way people reacted over something so pathetic. I can't wait to get this game.

Not gonna lie, I want to get the overwhelming majority of these games. I'm pretty much on a media blackout of Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us, and I'll probably avoid many others, too. 2013 is looking hell of a strong, and PS3 in particular seems to have a lot of exclusives.

Love the look of SimCity, too! Really recommend people check out this gameplay video of the game. I haven't played the series before, but my mate showed me this and the options and choices are staggering.

( Edited 09.12.2012 10:30 by Azuardo )

SirLink 09.12.2012#6

Dark Souls II was only recently announced at the Spike Video Game Awards for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC but based on its predecessor it's very likely that it will be a 2013 title too. Dark Souls was one of the best RPGs I've played this generation, so if the sequel is even remotely close to its quality, I'd say it's one to keep an eye out for too.

( Edited 09.12.2012 10:44 by SirLink )

Twitter | Backloggery

Sheena 09.12.2012#7

Hellbent on Dead Space 3! Can't get enough of that series.
Extremely disappointed in Dmc,
More Tales games on the other hand, always a big yay. Smilie

~phil 09.12.2012#8

Hmm, my must-buy games at launch from this list...

GTA V - I absolutely adored GTA IV, although it didn't get the best reception from the general public due to 'more story'. I 100% completed the last one, and will be doing the same for the new one.
Ellen Page Simulators (The Last of Us / Beyond: Two Souls) - I love Naughty Dog as a company, both for their amazing storytelling and technical prowess (as a programmer, I have a 900+ page book on the Uncharted engine <3). I'm buying Beyond just to see how much David Cage can hilariously screw up a game's story for a third game.
Watchdogs - I've got to support my local developers up here in Newcastle, haven't I? I have several friends working at Ubisoft on the game, and everything that gets released regarding it looks fantastic.

Other games that look interesting to me (but I'll wait for the price to drop) are Bioshock Infinite and Ni no Kuni :3

( Edited 09.12.2012 22:20 by ~phil )

~ blog ~ twitter ~ bak'laag ~

Canyarion 16.12.2012#9

As a Nintendo (&PC)-only gamer, it would be awesome to see some of these titles come to Wii U.

I'm thinking that maybe the following games will come our way:

-Metal Gear Solid. They did the MGS3 remake for 3DS, Snake is in SSBB... I think Konami has a pretty good bond with Nintendo at the moment. Now that Nintendo has the hardware, it would only be logical to get the next MGS.
-Dead Space 3. The developer already worked on the Wii, so perhaps they were approached by Nintendo to suggest a Wii U version.
-GTA V. Surprise E3 announcement? (I don't even know when the game is out... if it's before E3, that would be bad.) Reggie has told how he's lobbying at Rockstar to get support for their platforms. This is one of the biggest fish they can catch, so I hope they're trying.
-Tales of Xillia. Nintendo has had several (succesful?) Tales games on their consoles. Seeing how Wii U will probably be big in Japan, a version of this game makes sense.

Edit: None of those games actually interest me personally. The one I'm excited about is a PS3 exclusive: Beyond: Two Souls.

( Edited 16.12.2012 11:47 by Canyarion )

Azuardo 16.12.2012#10

MG Rising is a flat out "No" for Wii U.

Dead Space 3 - doubt it very much.

GTAV has a slim chance. It's due Spring.

Xillia? No.

Why say if you're a Nintendo & PC gamer that it would be great they came to Wii U if you have no interest in them?

( Edited 16.12.2012 11:54 by Azuardo )

Canyarion 16.12.2012#11

It's not for me, it's for others and 3rd party support in general. If these games are released on the U and are succesful, we can expect more 3rd party games. And among those is where I'll find the games that I want to play. Smilie

Azuardo 16.12.2012#12

Okay, I see what you're getting at. Just seemed odd the way you said it.

"I only play Nintendo so it would be great if these came to Wii U Smilie

... None of them interest me."

Smilie

Although I suppose if you're looking at it that if these games came over and did well then it would bring more games that might interest you, that's one way to look at it. But that's wishful thinking. Disregarding the exclusive titles per platform, from this list I would say there's only about 3 that have a small chance of coming to Wii U.