[Note: these are limited to games that have yet to be released, so titles such as Ni No Kuni and Sly Thieves in Time are excluded. Please be assured I was very excited for them as well]
Bioshock is easily one of the most remarkable and different games this generation. It dared to do something few if any shooters did: tell a unique and memorable story. While others were fine with rehashing the same old thing over and over, developer 2K games ditched the war torn fields, the sci-fi cliches, and the masses of buzz cuts and frohawks. What we got was an eerie tale of a city of utopianism, lost to it's own greed. The twist has gone down in history as one of the most shocking and unexpected in all of gaming, and fans were anxious for a sequel that was equally immersive. Bioshock 2 wasn't everything we wanted, but it tightened up the gameplay, and was still a great game in it's own right. Now the original developer is back on the franchise, taking us out of the water and into the sky. Everything I've seen of Infinite has made me more excited than the last. The gameplay is taking everything that worked in Bioshock 2, and adding new mechanics like the skyhook to keep from feeling like anything ordinary. The story is nothing like the previous game, with protagonist Booker trying to rescue the neive but powerful Emily from a monstrous robotic creature, SongBird. On top of this is the city of Columbia's civil war, the many overheard conversations, and hopefully a return of the audio diaries that have become a staple of gaming. Were just a few weeks away from our journey to the city in the sky, and I couldn't be more excited.
Naughty Dog is, quite frankly, a master at game design. There humble beginnings and rise to fame came with Crash Bandicoot and the original Playstation. Since then the have been refining there craft to such a degree, that I don't know how they can possibly top what they have done in the past. Uncharted 2 is easily one of my favorite games of all time. It was the reason I bought a PS3, and I loved every second of it. Uncharted 3 isn't as favorable to me, but that's mainly for story reason. I would buy Uncharted 4 in a heart beat, but Naughty Dog has decide to go in a new direction. Comparisons to The Road have been brought up many times, but there newest creation is also a lot like I Am Legend in concept. The Last of Us is a story of survival, in a world were a mutated fungus has turned most of the population into mindless mushroom people (and not the nice kind). The game looks fantastic, and will likely be one of the most technologically amazing games on the PS3. But the draw is in it's characters. Head writer Hennig has created some of the most well realized and likable characters in gaming with Uncharted, and this time is crafting an entirely different relationship. It's unlike almost everything else this year, and I have no doubt they are going to deliver another stellar experience.
Legends was my first Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics first crack at the iconic brit, Lara Croft, was a great game. It was also extremely short. The next to games, Anniversary and Underworld, didn't really reach the same level, so they've gone back to the drawing board for Lara's newest adventure. And what better place to start than at the start. Tomb Raider is a brand new origin story for one of the most notorious women in gaming. Lara is just a college student looking for a bit of fun, when her boats sinks and she finds herself alone, maroon on an island. Except she's not alone. The island holds many secrets, but Lara is here to find them. She's just trying to stay alive. This is an entirely new approach for the series. Having a vulnerable protagonist makes the game much less arcade like, and more personal. But the gameplay is looking equally good. In some sort of karmic revenge, they look to be borrowing liberally from the Uncharted games. This is great of course, as those are some of the best games ever made. If they can match Naughty Dog in spectacle and story, Crystal Dynamics could just reclaim the action adventure crown.
Heavy Rain seems to be a game you either loved or hated. It was, and still is, something completely different. Some scoffed at playing a game intirely of quick-time events, but to me it was outstanding. It is one of the few games that really made me feel the outcome of my choices. Even with my bleak ending, the game was incredible. I loved the story, and couldn't pull myself away as I played through it in two days straight. Beyond Two Souls look to be a lot like Heavy Rain, and as there really isn't anything like it, I'm all to ready for it. It's also staring Ellen Page, who as we all know is a bit of an actress wunderkin. After seeing the trailer, I'm completely sold on the game. It has everything I loved about heavy rain, and hopefully has fixed the few problems with odd animations and control that slightly degraded it. It doesn't have a release date yet, so maybe it's unfair to put it on this list. I don't care about fairness. Quantic Dream is awesome, Ellen Page is awesome, and there all coming together a game that looks awesome. Come on Sony, I want my release date!
I've never played a GTA game before. The series has been selling millions, garnering huge praise, and I've been sitting at the sidelines. For some reason the game just never appealed to me, and is now so outdated that I have little interest to give it a try. Grand Theft Auto V though is looking to be incredible. The world is ridiculously large (even for Rockstar), sure to be packed to the brim with things to do. It also is featuring three protagonists. I've never seen anything like this, with the ability to switch between characters at the press of a button. If it actually works like Rockstar says it will, this opens up an incredible amount of strategy and replayability. I've been let down by Rockstar in the past (LA Noire is sitting unfinished on my shelf) but I'm liking where GTAV is going. I haven't even seen gameplay yet and I'm excited. That should tell you how good things sound. If you can only buy one game this year, this is almost certainly going to afford the most bang for you buck, and will no doubt eat up dozens of hours of my time.
So what games are you most excited for? Did I miss out on something big? Am I completely stupid for having [insert game] above [insert game]? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Even if you don't agree with my picks though, it's undeniable that 2013 is going to go down in gaming history. Thank you for not happening Mayan Apocalypse, things are looking up!
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