2013 has been a strong year for gaming and it should only get better with new next gen consoles gearing up for launch later this year. We here at Canadian Online Gamers decided to take a look at some of our most anticipated games set to be released before 2014 rolls in. Some games may not come as a surprise; however, there might be a couple on this list you might have completely forgot about. Anyhow, have a look at our list and let us know what you think. Enjoy!
Watch_Dogs
“I was almost convinced by the recent gameplay trailer that I should pick GTA5, but Watch Dogs still has my undivided attention. Basically, it looks like Assassin’s Creed Remix – taking that open world style but mixing it up with the hacking, cameras, and other technical wizardry. The live demoes lend a real sense of tension and danger while making the player seem über powerful – a tightrope that can be very difficult to walk in games. Digital Chicago looks beautiful and terrifying, and the underlying social commentary it seems to embrace should make players look at society from angles they may not have previously considered. If the random events and gameplay can live up to the live demoes I’ve seen, Watch Dogs is a GOTY candidacy lock.”
– Paul Sullivan (Paulhammer)
“I keep a list of my upcoming games I have preordered and having to choose my most anticipated of 2013 was actually quite a struggle for me, as there are so many titles coming out this year I’m really excited for. To be honest, I was torn between Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Killer Instinct, and Beyond: Two Souls. It’s not often I get giddy and excited for a game but these titles are doing that for me. In the end I had to go with innovation, and because of that, I’m choosing Watch Dogs. I’m sure my fellow COG’ers might choose this as well, but it’s not often we see footage from a game that makes us go “Wow, I’ve never seen that before”. The gameplay that’s been shown for Watch Dogs so far has been simply amazing and we barely even know much about the core story itself yet. Being able to spy on anyone at any time or hack almost anything with simply your smart phone doesn’t seem all that farfetched these days as our lives revolve around technology, where your privacy isn’t all that private any more. Watch Dogs looks like a completely different open world game from anything we’ve played so far, and with Ubisoft already committing to a long term plan for the franchise, I’m extremely excited to see what the final result is this holiday and hope it justifies my next gen purchase.”
– Adam Dileva (Variation)
“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag I think is the obvious choice for my pick for my most anticipated game launching in the second half of the year as I am a die-hard fan of the Assassin’s Creed universe. However, as excited as I am for AC: IV and have already have most of my pre-order paid on the Limited Edition I will have to say that the game I truly salivating for is Watch Dogs. Every new trailer, gameplay mechanic, scrap of story that is revealed by Ubisoft has me wanting to know more about Aiden Pierce and the role he plays in this whole new world. Watch Dogs has been called a modern day Assassin’s Creed which probably leads to my anticipation for the title but I am hoping that we have a brand new universe to discover instead of a branch of pre-existing one. Either way I am fairly confident I will love Watch Dogs either way.”
– John Elliott (JohnnyXeo)
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag & Watch Dogs
“I’ve had a painfully difficult time trying to decide what my most anticipated title for the end of 2013 is. There’s such an abundance of games coming out with the launch of the new consoles that it makes the decision ridiculously hard. Let’s not forget that the Wii U finally seems to be coming into its own with a whack of titles slated for the holiday rush. After much deliberation and a few back and forth conversations in my head I narrowed it down to two being ‘Watch_Dogs’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’. Up until a few days ago I would have said Watch_Dogs for sure but after seeing some of the Black Flag gameplay it’s popped to the top of my list of games to watch. Truth be told it’s still a toss-up for me! Black Flag is taking the AC franchise to an era it has never seen and the open world of the Caribbean Seas looks like one hell of a sandbox to play in. The city of Chicago though, with all the crazy hacking capabilities of Aiden Pierce, is equally as enticing to me. Breaking new ground on what an open world is and incorporating some insanely cool multiplayer options makes Watch_Dogs a real one to watch too. Perhaps I’m just a big, fat cheater not narrowing it down to one but it’s like asking a parent who their favourite child is. They might actually have an answer to that question but they’ll never say it out loud and so it is with me and my most anticipated title. At the very least I can say to Ubisoft “Here, TAKE MY MONEY!”
– Shawn Petraschuk (CanadianBoarder)
Forza 5
“This may not be the most glamorous pick but I have to go with Forza 5. Being probably my favourite type of game I’m really excited to see what the next generation of consoles brings to the racing game genre. I’m hoping for a truly playable in-car view in 60fps. In past games I’ve always noticed the slightest frame rate drop when attempting to play from the in car view. This has always bugged me because I found game play less responsive. I am also really excited to see how the trigger feedback is implemented in the Xbox One’s controller. A big element of feel when driving a real car comes through the pedals. Whether that is the ABS system madly protesting a late dive in to a corner or feeling the tires slipping via the throttle I’m hoping Turn 10 is able to replicate that feel. How awesome would that be?”
– Shad Forsyth (Fifty)
“My most anticipated game for the fall would have to be Forza 5. Although there are indeed some great games coming on this current generation of consoles I am truly looking forward to the next generation of gaming, and Forza 5 has my attention. Having had a chance to play the demo more than a couple of times at E3 I have to say that I love the feel and look of this Xbox One exclusive title. The use of the individual rumble motors in each trigger is also pretty cool. Of course what I am looking forward to in this title is to see the integration of the cloud in gaming. From Drivatars to any other feature, this is one game that should show critics of the Xbox One why Microsoft’s next-gen console is more than relevant. With that being said, I am looking forward to hitting the track with Turn 10’s next-gen racer this November.”
– Kirby Yablonski (The Outcast)
Beyond Two Souls
2013 has been the best year in gaming for me in a long time. Square Enix’s Tomb Raider was a refreshing reboot that introduced a strong female lead, and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us can easily be called one of the best games of all time. So far this year, games have proved they can be so much more than just run and gun first person shooters or high fantasy RPGs, they can also bring an emotional depth and connection that is usually reserved for Oscar winning movies. As a female gamer, my love and excitement for upcoming titles has been renewed after such a solid first half. Amongst the many mega-franchise releases in the fall is Quantic Dream’s Beyond Two Souls, featuring Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe in the two lead roles. This alone grabbed my interest in the game but the few details that have been released have made me really hopeful for the studio’s follow up to the gritty movie-like Heavy Rain, another favourite of mine. The developers have stayed pretty quiet on the storyline, but promise a supernatural character journey with some ground breaking game mechanics that allow interactions to respond intuitively to the environment. Ellen Page’s character, Jodie Holmes, is connected with a ghostly entity named Aiden that has the ability to make weird things around her happen. Both Jodie and Aiden will be playable and like Heavy Rain, actions will have consequences and Beyond is expected to have even more variable outcomes and endings. Although not much more has been offered as far as what to expect from the game, I’m putting money on it to be one of the best and most original games of the year.
– Alyssa Harrison (allycat_)
Killer Instinct
“There is one game series that was part of my gaming addiction back when arcades were still plentiful, and a new entry in the series is coming as an Xbox One exclusive. The title theme music still gives me chills. I am talking about the resurrected fighting series “Killer Instinct”. I spent countless hours in the arcades pumping quarters into that game and its sequel. Its flashy, hyper action and booming sound track (which I still have today) had me hooked. So when I heard Microsoft was releasing an updated version of the game for their brand new system, I knew it would be a must-buy for me, and I have to declare it my most anticipated game for the last half of 2013.”
– Matt Cullen (Canusky)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
“If you’ve checked my entry on the bio page, then you’ll probably know that I am a huge fan of Capcom’s Ace Attorney series. So, surprise surprise, my most anticipated game for the rest of 2013 is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies. While it’s only the 5th entry in the main series, this actually marks the 7th Ace Attorney game overall, and Phoenix’s first outing on the Nintendo 3DS. Like most series fans, I’ve been hankering for a new Ace Attorney game for a while, and Capcom’s decision not to localize Ace Attorney Investigations 2 didn’t help to satisfy my addiction for nail-biting courtroom drama. The new gameplay mechanics, including the ability to point out contradictions between someone’s testimony and their emotions, are a great new way of introducing twists and turns in the game’s cases, as opposed to simply pointing out lies within testimonies. While I’m still a bit skeptical about the new voice acting and 3D graphics, early impressions seem to indicate that they work very well in the game’s favor, which only makes me more excited. It’s been well over 6 years since we’ve seen Phoenix battle it out in the courtroom, and in between then, we’ve been treated to musicals, orchestrated and jazz soundtracks, a live-action movie, and all the merchandise a fanboy can handle. It’s about time we resumed the role of defense lawyer, and I couldn’t be more excited”
– Shaan Joshi (KneehighPark)
Grand Theft Auto V
“Wow, I cannot believe I am the only one on staff who voted for Grand Theft Auto V. I am actually a little baffled not one other person picked this game. To date I have not seen one piece of negative press for the game. Quite remarkable when you read all the negativity on the interwebz these days. GTA5 is easily one of the most anticipated games slated to arrive this fall. In fact, by the time this write-up goes live, Grand Theft Auto V will be out in a little over a month! Rockstar has a proven track record and there is no reason to think their latest entry into the GTA franchise will fail. It is going to be a big game folks so I hope you have taken some time off work to sink your teeth into it. It will be worth it.”
– Trevor Houston (MRBIGCAT)
Tales Of Xillia
“Tales Of Symphonia was my first experience playing any of the Tales Of series. Symphonia was a fantastic RPG, and following my time with that game I made sure to play every entry in the series that came stateside. Tales Of Xillia for the Playstation 3 is slated to make its North American debut on August 6th. Xillia returns with its popular Linear Motion Battle System that the Tales Of series is famous for, however it does appear to have a number of upgrades and tweaks. The game has also introduced a skill board system. This system functions much like Final Fantasy X’s Sphere Grid system. Points earned from defeating enemies can be used to unlock new skills by purchasing nodes on said skill board. Xillia has seen great reception in Japan, and is shaping up to be a game that RPG fans should not miss.”
– Daniel Kozlowski (The Jugganautt)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
“I picked this as it takes the classic SNES game and brings in new graphics, new storyline and game play which should appeal to both the retro gamers and younger players alike, especially if it retains elements from the original game including puzzles, the dungeons and mini-games.”
– Henry Kokuryo (Ippon)