Already, we’ve had originals Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and the surprising reboot of Tomb Raider, breathing life a series that desperately needed it.
Sequels and prequels have also had their place with Dead Space 3 and Gears of War: Judgment, but both pale in comparison to Bioshock Infinite.
As expected, we’ve also seen advances in post-apocalyptic games with Metro Last Light and The Last of Us.
Fortunately for us, 2013 is only half over. Here are our picks for the balance of this video game season.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Genre: Action, Adventure
Synopsis: GTA is back, making its return to the Los Angeles-inspired “Los Santos” in the state of San Andreas. This time, instead of following one character, GTA5 will follow three main characters with an interconnected story (Michael, a retired bank robber with a dysfunctional family; Franklin, a repo man specializing in the car business; and Trevor, a psychotic drug criminal who lives in a trailer in the desert).
What we think: This is another Grand Theft Auto. There hasn’t been one in the series that wasn’t worth buying.
Watch Dogs
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4.
Release Date: November 19th, 2013
Genre: Action, Adventure
Synopsis: In the future, information is power. In the city of Boston, vigilante Aiden Pearce has the ability to hack various electronic systems and cause city-wide black outs. His mission is to see the scum of the city meet justice in a thrilling, open world adventure.
What we think: E3 gave us a closer look at this game. The graphics look great, the action is fierce and the hacking abilities create a bunch of unique opportunities for gameplay.
Battlefield 4
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4.
Release Date: October 29th, 2013
Genre: Action
Synopsis: Next-gen warfare is here. B4 should be a stunning representation of war in 2020, beginning six years after the previous Battlefield game, with players taking control of Recker, a member of the US special ops. With Recker and his squad, the team is assigned on missions around the world.
The real star, however, is the multiplayer. For the first time ever, the next-gen consoles of Microsoft and Sony will have 64-player mayhem.
What we think: Incredible destruction, 64 players, 60 frames per second, crazy action. These things should all combine to make B4 the king of online multiplayer.
Single player:
Multiplayer:
Forza Motorsport 5
Platform: Xbox One
Release Date: November 2013
Genre: Driving, Simulator
Synopsis: Forza Motorsport is back offering beautifully rendered racetracks and incredibly designed exotic cars. So what could possibly make this experience even better? The best car customization in video game history. Tuning, body upgrades and the creation of designs from scratch, Forza is the racing game of the future.
What we think: This game is going to take hours of my life, and most of it won’t be racing. I foresee many gamers opting to spend time customizing their ride before letting it hit the streets.
Splinter Cell: Black List
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, WiiU.
Release Date: August 20th, 2013
Genre: Action, Stealth.
Synopsis: Under the command of Sam Fisher, the Fourth Echelon is tasked to take down a group of terrorists called “The Engineers”, who begin a series of escalating attacks on the United States. It’s up to Sam Fisher to take down the organization before the black list is complete.
What we think: Conviction was good game, especially when you consider they gutted their original formula almost completely. The more action-infused gameplay never took away from its stealth roots. In fact, it just made it deadlier. Now with Blacklist, Sam is back in his black ops gear for quicker, deadlier and more brutal gameplay.
We also can’t forget about the other games coming out this year. Here are some notable mentions that should not be ignored.
- Ryse – Xbox One; This next gen bloody brawler (set in the Roman times) has the potential to be a visceral experience that sets it apart from other action adventure games this fall.
- Dead Rising 3 – Xbox One; Zombies are never a bad thing, especially when the next gen console offers a huge open world with thousands on screen.
- Killzone: Shadow Fall – PS4; The war between the Helgast and ISA continues 30 years after the events of Killzone 3. From gameplay videos, this looks like a great quick action run that’ll be extended by its inevitable multiplayer mode.
- Call of Duty: Ghosts – Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4; Another year, another Call of Duty. Ghosts, however, promises to be a more personal experience, and the multiplayer will not disappoint.
- Gran Turismo 6 – The original racing simulator is back, and strangely enough not for the PS4. As per usual, GT6 offers players beautiful graphics and a robust line up of cars.
- Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag – While Assassins Creed 3 wasn’t the best in the series, it didn’t deter the creators. This time, it’s all about ships, booty (treasure and women for the charming main character) and pirates.
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