Have you finished all your games from 2012? If not, you better get on your back log, because 2013 looks to be just as big if not bigger than the years past. Though we have new console releases looming in the near future, we can’t write off the current generation off just yet. We have some huge games coming and you better get ready.
In the latest Fanatical Five, here are our top five games we are looking forward to in 2013!
1. Sim City
City building, managing taxes, optmizing roadways and zoning! You know you are excited as we are to get our hands on the new SimCity. Young or old, just about every gamer has had some experience with this masterpiece from Maxis in one way or another.
The new SimCity is powered by GlassBox, which lets you actually see every detail of your city. While you have to rely solely on statistics to see how your city is faring, GlassBox will actually let you zoom in and see that traffic jam and do something about it. This will give SimCity a new dynamic feel that we are too excited about.
Harkening back to SimCity 2000 Network Edition, the new SimCity will allow players to join other city builders inside the same region. Players in a region can share or sell resources and collaborate on projects too big for just one city to undertake. However, if you’re like Prince Prosepero and would like to wall yourself away from other players, you can do that too.
Lastly, obviously inspired by modern day infographics, players will see city data in a bright and easy to understand charts, making SimCity more accessible to new gamers while catering to long time veterans.
SimCity comes out stateside on March 5 and March 7 for those in Europe, so get ready to build your city!
2. God of War Ascension
If you thought we’re over seeing Kratos crush skulls and tear people’s limbs off, you’re wrong! Kratos is probably the only Sony character that has killed more people than Nathan Drake, and that’s saying something. In God of War Ascension, we visit Kratos before he ripped through Olympus and became the God of War.
Taking place six months after Kratos murdered his family and ten years before the events of the original God of War, the game starts right after Kratos sold his soul to Ares. Still equipped with his signature Blades of Chaos, Kratos will have to fight his way through Greek mythology to free himself and set motion the events of God of War 1.
New to the series is multiplayer, which Playstation Plus members already had their chance to try out the beta. With some tie-in to the story, players must sell their souls to a Greek god, much like Kratos. You can choose to do the bidding of Ares, Poseidon, Hades or Zeus, each with their own perks.
God of War Ascension cuts and slashes through your PS3 on March 12 if you’re in the US and March 13 in Europe.
3. Tomb Raider
The Tomb Raider always has a special place in our hearts for… uh… very special reasons. However, in a post-Uncharted world, Lara really needs to step up their game to compete against Naughty Dog’s flagship series. The team at Crystal Dynamics knew that to stand out, they need to reboot the series, and oh it looks so good. Ahem, we mean the game.
Tomb Raider follows Lara Croft as a young and inexperienced woman as she struggles to survive, turning her into the hardened, gun-toting adventurer. The new Tomb Raider presents us with an open world where we must scavenge, explore and survive. From the start, the game seems huge and intimidating, which mirrors the feelings Lara has. As the game progresses, she becomes stronger and more capable. Hopefully, she doesn’t go full crazy like the last inexperienced guy we threw in the jungle. Ahem, Jason Brody, ahem.
Like God of War Ascension, multiplayer is introduced first time in the series. If Square Enix hopes to dethrone Uncharted, they must present a stellar multiplayer mode that will last long after Lara escapes the jungle.
You can jump in to Lara’s boots starting March 5.
4. Remember Me
Cyberpunk! We love it! And we are oh so excited for Remember Me! High tech art direction? Check! Dystopian future? Check! Going in and changing people’s memories? Check and check! This better not be a tearjerker like the last game we had to change someone’s memory. I’m looking at you, To The Moon!
Developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Capcom, Remember Me follows the exploits of Nilin, a memory hunter who lost all of her memories. It’s worse than a bounty hunter losing all their bounties. Nilin must unravel why her memory has been erased.
Remember Me features tight action and even some stealth elements. Gameplay involves Nilin’s wicked cool memory shifting abilities. Gamers can also customize their own combos to create a playing style all of their own.
Players can jump inside Nilin‘s head by May this year.
5. The Last of Us
We saved the best for last, The Last of Us! Sony owes a lot of its success to Naughty Dog and the Uncharted franchise, and we’re excited to see what they have in store for us! Much hyped and rightly so, The Last of Us follows Joel and Ellie‘s adventures through a desolate post-apocalyptic world littered with infected. Paying homage to I Am Legend and The Road, Naughty Dog has painted a living world from a dying earth. The Last of Us features dynamic stealth and a complex AI system called the “Balance of Power” that allows for realistic combat.
We’re interested to see how this game fares during the last lap of the PS3. With The Last of Us in the horizon, it looks like the Playstation 3 will have a strong finish to its console cycle.
You can join Ellie and Joel when The Last of Us comes out for the PS3 on May 7.
What’s your most anticipated game of 2013? Tell us in the comments below!
