It's an exciting year for gamers -- not just because the industry has whipped up an appetizing menu of fresh releases, but because we're approaching the next console generation, which will inevitably come with interesting new software projects, and many of them are bound to hit PC. Assuming Microsoft and/or Sony ship their updated hardware by the holidays, we could see some major launch titles shown at E3 in June, which might render our collection of 35 games (and 10 bonus mentions we're lukewarm about) incomplete.
2013 may have been the year of the new consoles, but that didn't mean there weren't plenty of great games left over for the PC crowd. There were some masterful racers, some hella good shooters. Rayman Legends (2013) Every frame, a painting. A game that seems separate and distinct from the games you've spent the last 20 years playing. It's the best game of the decade.
And with that, we need to smack you with this obvious disclaimer: many interesting upcoming titles were excluded from our list, which is admittedly subjective and impossible to complete without adding everything due in 2013, but that would totally defeat the purpose of a 'most anticipated' compilation. Powtoon software free full version. Mail merge toolkit 2.5.7 serial number. As always, you're more than welcome (encouraged, even) to hit the comments and tell us what we've missed and why you think it's important -- just make sure it's a PC game coming out in 2013 or be ready to take your lumps.
Title | Genre | Release |
Aliens: Colonial Marines | Sci-fi/horror first-person shooter | February 12, 2013 |
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs | Survival horror | Early 2013 |
Arma III | Tactical shooter, military simulator | TBA 2013 |
Battlefield 4 | Military first-person shooter | TBA 2013 |
BioShock Infinite | Sci-fi first-person shooter | March 26, 2013 |
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | Western first-person shooter | TBA 2013 |
Company of Heroes 2 | WWII real-time strategy | Early 2013 |
Crysis 3 | Sci-fi first-person shooter | February 19, 2013 |
Dark Souls II | Fantasy action role-playing | TBA 2013/2014 |
DayZ Standalone | Open world survival | TBA 2013 |
Dead Island: Riptide | Survival horror, action role-playing | April 23, 2013 |
Dead Space 3 | Survival horror, sci-fi third-person shooter | February 5, 2013 |
DmC Devil May Cry | Hack and slash | January 25, 2013 |
Double Fine Adventure | Point and click adventure | Q2 2013 |
Dragon Age III: Inquisition | Fantasy action role-playing | Late 2013 |
Fables | Point and click adventure | TBA 2013 |
Furious 4 | WWII first-person shooter | TBA 2013 |
Fortnite | Survival sandbox | TBA 2013 |
Grand Theft Auto V | Open world crime-based action-adventure | TBA 2013 |
Grid 2 | Racing | Mid 2013 |
Lost Planet 3 | Sci-fi third-person shooter | Early 2013 |
Metro: Last Light | Survival horror first-person shooter | March 2013 |
Rainbow 6: Patriots | Tactical first-person shooter | TBA 2013 |
Rise of the Triad | First person shooter | Early 2013 |
SimCity | City construction and management | March 5, 2013 |
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 | First-person shooter with stealth elements | March 12, 2013 |
Splinter Cell: Blacklist | Stealth action-adventure | Early 2013 |
Star Wars 1313 | Sci-fi action-adventure, third-person shooter | Late 2013 |
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm | Sci-fi real-time strategy | March 12, 2013 |
Survarium | Free-to-play post-apocalyptic MMORPG shooter | Late 2013 |
Tomb Raider | Action-adventure, platform | March 5, 2013 |
Total War: Rome II | Turn-based strategy, real-time tactics | October 2013 |
Warface | Free-to-play military first-person shooter | TBA 2013 |
Wasteland 2 | Post-apocalyptic, turn-based role-playing | Late 2013 |
Watch Dogs | Open world action-adventure | TBA 2013 |
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Release date: February 12, 2013 | Genre(s): Sci-Fi/horror first-person shooter | Also on: Xbox, PS3, Wii U
Set after the second film in the series and deemed an official part of the Alien franchise's canon by 20th Century Fox, Gearbox Software's first-person shooter intends to be the true spiritual successor to 1986's Aliens. Along with a fully featured single-player campaign that includes memorable weapons, enemies and locations from the films, Colonial Marines will support drop-in, drop-out co-op gameplay for up to four players online or two players locally, as well as a competitive multiplayer component with 4v4 objective and 6v6 deathmatch modes.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
Release date: Early 2013 | Genre(s): Survival horror | Also on: OS X, Linux
Produced by Frictional Games and developed by thechineseroom (who's also working on a successor to Dear Esther titled Everybody's Gone to the Rapture), the follow up to 2010's Amnesia: The Dark Descent will return to the same creepy world but takes place 60 years later in 1899 and follows Oswald Mandus, a wealthy industrialist who falls unconscious for months after being struck by illness on a trip to Mexico. After dreaming about a 'dark machine' during his coma, Mandus awakes to the roar of an engine as a mysterious machine fires up.
Arma III
Release date: TBA 2013 | Genre(s): Tactical shooter, military simulator | Also on: None
Best Pc Games 2013 To 2017
Along with a fresh single player campaign that sees Iran attempt to invade the Aegean islands of Lemnos and Stratis during the 2030s, Bohemia Interactive's latest sandbox military simulator is equipped with the developer's new Real Virtuality engine, which promises tons of improvements over previous builds. Key features include DX10 and 11 support, Nvidia PhysX 3 effects, a 20km view distance, ragdoll physics, underwater environments, improved lighting, a better flight model, weapon and uniform customization, and an enhanced mission editor.
Battlefield 4
Release date: TBA 2013 | Genre(s): Military first-person shooter | Also on: Xbox, PS3
Little is known about Battlefield 4 except that it exists and it's coming soonish. Leading up to Medal of Honor: Warfighter's launch, EA ran a deal that guaranteed Warfighter preorder customers access to BF4's beta, which is expected to kick off sometime in fall of this year and suggests that EA is aiming for a holiday release. For reference, Battlefield 3's beta ran from September 29, 2011 through October 10, and the game hit shelves in North America on October 25. There's no trailer out yet, but here's one Battlefield fan's wish list for BF4:
BioShock Infinite
Release date: March 26, 2013 | Genre(s): Sci-fi first-person shooter | Also on: Xbox, PS3
BioShock's third installment exits the abandoned underwater metropolis of Rapture and introduces players to Columbia, a floating city suspended by blimps and balloons. It unfolds in 1912 -- prior to the events of previous entries -- and players control ex-Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt as he rescues a young woman named Elizabeth (a companion character) who has been trapped in Columbia for most of her life. Along with the new characters and environments, Infinite will encourage players to explore weapons more and touts proper PC support.
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Ars 2013 Review
View more storiesBefore we get on with the list, I want to make sure you don’t miss this year’s Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstake. You can win one of 160 prizes, including limited edition gaming collectibles, all while helping out a good cause. Entries are due by January 3, so check it out if you haven’t already, and thanks in advance for your donation.
The end of a console cycle is always one of the most exciting times for gaming. While the encroaching Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ate up a lot of media attention throughout the year, veteran developers with years of experience on older hardware proved that there was still some life in the systems that would technically be “last generation” by year’s end. Those developers created some of the most epic cinematic gaming ever this year, building on the ambition and false starts of those that came before them to create some of the medium’s most memorable experiences.
On the other end of the spectrum, indie game developers were busy effectively examining the bounds of what a video game could be this year. 2013 was a year in which many of these professionals showed an incredible comfort and willingness to use the medium in entirely new ways, reinventing genres and also exploring the potential for direct, emotional interactive storytelling. Amidst it all, there were plenty of games that were less revolutionary while being incredibly refined and satisfying examples of their genres. And of course there were a few stinkers that utterly failed to live up to lofty expectations.
It was hard to narrow down this year’s offerings to just 20 top games, but Sam and I are happy with the list we ended up with. Even so, we ended up leaving out some of the best-loved games from other members of the Ars staff. Their list of personal selections includes many more very worthwhile games. For now, though, please enjoy our picks for the best games of 2013.
The Best Video Games of 2013
20. The Swapper
Developer/publisher: Facepalm Games
Platform: Windows
Release Date: May 30, 2013
Ars Technica review
Platform: Windows
Release Date: May 30, 2013
Ars Technica review
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The Swapper might one day be lost to the sands of gaming time. Computer recovery software free full version. It's another entry in the modern deluge of puzzle platformers, and it certainly holds its own thanks to a welcome twist on the genre—namely, the ability to create and manage a little army of clones to solve puzzles. The game flexes the ruleset of how to create and manage those clones with the right number of puzzles and a gently sloping difficulty curve.
What has stayed with me about The Swapper is its self-awareness—that the creators looked at this weird gimmick and said, “What if our in-game characters had to come to terms with this being an actual technology?” Thus, the solid game comes wrapped in a layer of quality sci-fi. The gameplay and the plot nudge one another along for a very well-paced piece of indie genius.
-Sam Machkovech
-Sam Machkovech
19. Plants vs. Zombies 2
Developer: Popcap Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: iOS, Android
Release Date: August 16, 2013
Ars Technica review
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: iOS, Android
Release Date: August 16, 2013
Ars Technica review
This sequel isn’t an incredible revolution over the original Plants vs. Zombies, but it doesn’t have to be. The first game was an addictive, accessible tower defense game that got surprisingly deep in the late game. The long-awaited follow-up adds a few handy new plant-based weapons, but it shines in its new selection of zombies and stages with environmental hazards and boons. The main game is easy enough to blaze through, but an “endless” wave mode and the ability to revisit levels with additional, interesting challenges loaded on top gives the game a much-needed longevity.
EA’s transition to a free-to-play model for the sequel has drawn a lot of controversy, but I maintain that the game doesn’t really feel like a traditional free-to-play title. Any challenge in the game can be overcome with planning and skill without really being tempted to throw money at new super powers, in my experience. Yes, you have to backtrack a bit to avoid paying money for later levels, but the new challenges found in those subsequent level visits never feel like a pointless “grind.” In the end, PvZ2 is as addictive as the first one—but without the need to spend a cent.
-Kyle Orland
-Kyle Orland
18. DmC
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Windows
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Ars Technica review
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Windows
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Ars Technica review
The writing was on the wall for a total gaming disaster here. Start with a hack-and-slash franchise that had been run into the ground after years of staleness. Pitch an out-of-nowhere reboot of that heavily gothic-influenced franchise, with a new 'emo' styling that was immediately hated by the Internet's vocal minority. Add a development credit from Ninja Theory, which managed both a critical darling and sales-figure poison with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. And, of course, plan a release date in the dumping-ground month of January.
And yet players got a real beast of a reboot here, ticking every box that could be expected of the Devil May Cry series. Phenomenal art direction pumped color and visual trickery into the game's wild worlds. Some new weapon-swap tricks added the right amount of change to the series' otherwise silky smooth combo-racking, kill-'em-all ferocity. A nimble, no-nonsense script about pouty devil-battlers walked the line between self-awareness and hipster cool, carried well by a great voice cast and rendered in finely animated heroes and villains alike.
It's fun, it's violent, it's nimble, and it doesn't over stay its welcome (though many high-challenge alternate modes await its serious addicts). As a bonus, PC players can run the whole gorgeous, frenetic thing at 1080p and 60 fps, which means players can enjoy a super-early taste of what you'd want in a next-gen, couch-friendly hack-and-slash. Capcom would be wise to reboot this reboot for the newest consoles—at the very least, to get the boring taste of Ryse out of our mouths.
-Sam Machkovech
-Sam Machkovech
17. Guacamelee
Developer/publisher: Drinkbox Studios
Platforms: PS3, Vita, Windows
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Ars Technica coverage
Platforms: PS3, Vita, Windows
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Ars Technica coverage
As far as its basic design, Guacamelee doesn’t provide much that’s very exciting or new. The basic find-a-new-item-to-unlock-a-new-area-on-a-sprawling-2D-map has been done to death by countless games, most notably the Metroid and Castlevania series. Guacamelee apes the basic structure of these games quite well and provides a well-paced feeling of advancement before its too-soon conclusion.
What pushes Guacamelee over the top, though, is the extremely strong sense of style imbued in every bit of the game’s presentation. Everything from the ridiculous, luchador-culture-infused plot and dialogue to the brightly colored characters and environments that look like cardboard cutouts to the driving Spanish guitar soundtrack are quite unlike anything else being done in video games.
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It all comes together to create a strong sense of place that has stuck with me through the year. Guacamelee's atmosphere stands out from the overdone sci-fi, fantasy, and war-torn atmospherics that together capture 99 percent of all other games these days. That’s enough to earn it a sentimental spot on this list.
-Kyle Orland
-Kyle Orland
16. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Windows
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Windows
Release Date: April 30, 2013
In the next 10 years, computers and consoles will advance so far that video games will be able to perfectly emulate the awful, cheesy effects of late '80s action movies. It's hilarious to think that a lot of technology will one day be employed in rendering everything from awkward puppets to hilariously low-rent special effects, but it should happen, and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a testament to such a good idea.
Top 20 Pc Games 2013
“Sweep and clear all those motherfuckers,” you're told early on as you step into the neon doomscape of this ostensible Far Cry 3 spin-off. This is more like Far Cry 3 spun out of control, though; while the games share an engine and a control scheme, you're freed up from FC3's over-serious hunt-and-hide conceit. Now, you kick ass as a super-soldier named Max who tears cyber-hearts out of his robo-foes and grunts angry-cool nonsense. Oh, and instead of avoiding tigers, you square off against dino-dragon things that glow with radiation, like they’ve been fitted for the world's craziest game of laser tag.
FC3 was not a failure by any stretch, but here is a much more interesting, amusing, and downright fun take on the series, scaled and priced for quicker, more satisfying consumption. It's hard to get big-dumb-and-fun just right, so treasure the fact that someone actually pulled off a modern Duke Nukem game with all of the late '80s trimmings.
-Sam Machkovech
-Sam Machkovech