From The Last of Us to GTA V, the games we can’t wait for in 2013

With 2013 upon us we look forward to the videogames worth getting excited about.

We’ve already revealed our best games of 2012 but, given it’s the time of year that’s all about looking forward, why not take the opportunity to get all excited about the games we’re set to see in 2013 too?

Of course 2013 seems set to be a landmark year for the gaming industry, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 both looking likely to be succeeded by even more powerful consoles (not to mention the possibility of Valve putting out a Steam-driven console/PC hybrid of their own).

Understandably then confirmed titles for 2013 are somewhat thin on the ground as the major publishers hold fire ahead of the new system announcements. Therefore we’ve limited our list to those games already confirmed for 2013 (and for systems that we know exist) rather than idly speculate on what consoles the likes of Watch Dogs and Star Wars 1313 might eventually release.

The Last of Us
Format: PS3
When? 7 May 2013
Publisher: Sony

A zombie outbreak with a difference sees an airborne fungus transforming 99% of humanity into flesh-craving monsters. The survivors subsequently dividing into factions that, much like in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, might not always sport the best intentions towards their fellow man. The Last of Us follows the bid for existence of Joel and Ellie as they pick their way through the ruins of the American East Coast in Naughty Dog’s first all-original franchise since Uncharted. What we’ve seen of the game promises everything, here’s hoping the developer can pull-off what’s already looking like one of 2013′s finest.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
When? 25 January 2013
Publisher: Namco Bandai

Japanese anime producer Studio Ghibli have worked in collaboration with Level-5 (Professor Layton) to produce what can only be described as an interactive cartoon. Ni No Kuni combines the characteristic beauty of one of Studio Ghibli’s animations with a magical RPG fairy-tale, as our young protagonist, Oliver, goes in search of his missing mother across two interlinked worlds. It’s taken a long time to make its way to western shores (the game having released in Japan over a year ago) but hopefully the promised flawless localisation will have made the wait worth it.

Aliens: Colonial Marines
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC
When? 12 February 2013
Publisher: Sega

While it’s true that no-one will hear you scream in space, you can rest assured your loved ones will most certainly hear you scream in your living room, as this officially licensed shooter-sequel to James Cameron’s Aliens throttles up the tension. Better still, the Wii U version promises to use the console’s GamePad as a surrogate for the film’s famous motion-tracker: Bip… bip… bip, bip, bip, bip. It’s enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
When? 22 February 2013
Publisher: Konami

Platinum Games (Bayonetta) and Kojima Productions (Metal Gear Solid) combine their considerable talents in an all-action take on the usually espionage-centric Metal Gear series. Revengeance seems set to not only prove there’s plenty of surprises left in the series yet, but also resurrect the ailing career of Raiden, as the much criticised character returns as a sword-wielding cyborg ninja. Expect both blood and hydraulic fluid to fly as he cuts a swathe through enemy cyborgs via a control system that’s just as tight as in previous Platinum Games titles and with the added twist of ‘Blade mode’ which allows for precision slicing-and-dicing.

BioShock Infinite
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
When? 26 February 2013
Publisher: 2K Games

When Ken Levine applies his considerable creative flair to a project people tend to stop and take note, and so it’s proven again with BioShock Infinte, not exactly a sequel to the original BioShock but a project close enough to justify the tag. Infinite takes place upon the floating city of Columbia, an impossible metropolis built upon a corrupted notion of the all-American dream. Expect to have your moral compass compromised and your mind warped by the vertigo-inducing heights. Just be sure to watch your step…

Pikmin 3
Format: Wii U
When? Q2 2013
Publisher: Nintendo

If it’s crazy to think that we’re going to have wait until mid-2013 for a game many thought would launch with Wii U, it’s even crazier to consider that we’ll have waited nine years since the last Pikmin (not counting the Wii remakes). Nintendo’s brilliant corralling simulator remains one of gaming’s most charming series and the Pikmin themselves some of its most original cast. This time new breeds of Pikmin as well as local multiplayer options might just make this the best entry yet.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Format: 3DS
When? March 2013
Publisher: Nintendo

One of the GameCube’s most enduring hits was Luigi’s Mansion, a game which saw the less celebrated Mario brother tip-toeing through the titular haunted mansion in search of his kidnapped sibling. Dark Moon is its long-awaited successor, and once more our hero returns for a spot of ghost busting with Poltergust 3000 vacuum cleaner in hand. Expect chills, spills and thrills and all in ‘spooky’ 3D.

Beyond: Two Souls
Format: PS3
When? TBA 2013
Publisher: Sony

Directed by David Cage (Heavy Rain), Beyond: Two Souls marks a return to the deliberate, meditative narrative-heavy role-playing that his development studio, Quantic Dream, is famous for. Its plot revolves around the formative years of Jodie Holmes (played by actress Ellen Page), as she escapes shadowy government agencies intent on gaining control over her ghostly protector Idan. Expect twists, moral dilemmas and even an examination of what happens once we depart this mortal coil.

Tearaway
Format: PS Vita
When? TBA 2013
Publisher: Sony

Finally, a Vita game that’s looks like it’s worth getting excited about. From Media Molecule (the studio that brought us LittleBigPlanet), Tearaway is set upon world made of origami which makes fabulous use of the Vita’s touchscreen – picture your fingers ripping holes in the game’s paper foundations and you won’t be too far wrong. Expect plenty more on the so far scantly revealed game as 2013 progresses.

Grand Theft Auto V
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
When? Q2 2013
Publisher: Rockstar

It seems redundant to hype GTA V any further – as it is the merest whiff of a new screenshot is enough to set the internet alight – but still it’s hard to select the gaming picks of 2013 without mentioning Rockstar’s opus. Three protagonists, the huge sandbox of Los Santos to play in and the series’ usual trademark black humour mean that this will sell like the proverbial hotcakes next spring.