Update 21/6/2013: We have an new and updates list which can be found here
Welcome to Part Two of the definitive(ish) IncGamers list of upcoming PC titles.
To help keep you on track with what’s on its way in the coming year, we’ve scoured press archives, old news pieces and our own dodgy memories to come up with this two-part guide.
Our first installment covered the games of January – April. Have a read of that if you want to know what’s coming up in the near future.
Here in Part Two, we’ll be looking at the titles with a release window of May 2013 and beyond. Release dates tend to be as changeable as a Nick Clegg election promise, but we’ve tried to be as accurate as possible with the information to hand.
– Q2 2013 –
East vs West: A Hearts of Iron Game (BL-Logic)
Peter: If any videogame is ever going to capture the tension, intense paranoia and vast global conflict of the Cold War in a single package, the Paradox ‘grand strategy’ model strikes me as a decent way to attempt it. From the sounds of things, this entry in the Hearts of Iron series is going to scale back the massive troop movements of the WWII-themed games and put greater emphasis on diplomatic scheming, proxy manipulation of weaker nations and good old fashioned spying. If all goes well, it could be just as taut and devious as Crusader Kings II. If things go wrong, it’ll be dry as dust and riddled with bugs.
Find out more on the official website.
Shadowrun Returns (Harebrained Schemes)
Tim: Shadowrun is a fantastic little world, and more Shadowrun games are something I’m always happy to see – particularly when they’re like Shadowrun Returns, which happens to be an RPG that’s being designed by the guy who made the original pen-and-paper game. In terms of bulletpoints we’re talking about a turn-based single-player RPG with lots of choices, lots of character development, and tactical combat. I forgot to fund this on Kickstarter and I’m kicking myself. Oh well! It’s due out this summer.
Find out more on the official website.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Starbreeze)
Peter: Starbreeze don’t seem to have said much about Brothers since its announcement last year, so I’ll just reiterate that it’s a co-op focused action-adventure set in a classic fairytale environment (think rolling fields, plucky adventuring lads and ogres). The titular sibling pair will need to work together, which probably means utilising one another’s skills to bypass various obstacles, in order to recover the Water of Life and save their ailing father. Look out for this one in spring.
Find out not a lot more on the official website.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Ubisoft Toronto)
Peter: Blacklist has endured a ropey few months following its official reveal at E3 2012. Criticised for an apparent drift towards ‘chain kill’ action nonsense, torture for torture’s sake and the ditching of Michael Ironside as the voice of Sam Fisher, there didn’t seem to be much on offer here for fans of the early Splinter Cell titles. More recent footage has shown the game’s sneakier, ‘non-lethal’ side, but the suspicion persists that this was an exercise in damage control and that the series’ glory days of dependable stealth titles are long behind it. We’ll find out the truth in spring.
Find out more on the official website.
Monaco (Pocketwatch)
Tim: Ooh, I want this one. Monaco is a top-down co-op steal-em-‘up: as one of a whole range of characters (The hacker! The locksmith! The lookout!), each with their own special abilities, you have to break into a secure location (The casino! The museum! The mansion!) and make off with the loot. Frantic top-down stealth hasn’t been explored enough for my liking and teamwork-based co-op that doesn’t just rely on shooting is always a big draw, so I’m half-hoping and half-expecting that this will be one of my favourite games in 2013.
Find out more on the official website.
Remember Me (Dontnod Entertainment)
Peter: Dontnod’s Remember Me is making some tantalising noises about addressing high-concept sci-fi issues like the ‘remixing’ of people’s memories within the confines of a classic, dystopian police state. Memory hunter Nilin will platform and melee-combat her way through the Neo-Parisian streets of 2084, in an effort to remember her own elusive past. Dontnod are a new developer, with a new IP, pushing a game in which mixed-race protagonist Nilin never kills a single soul (though may well do them considerable harm in close combat, or make someone else kill them). Everything about this title screams counter-commercial, so let’s hope it has the mechanics and narrative strength to capitalise on its position as an outsider when its released in May.
Find out more on the official website.
The Elder Scrolls Online (ZeniMax Online)
Peter: Is it possible to take the rigorously single player experience of previous Elder Scrolls games online, and at the same time overcome the stigma of being yet another fantasy-based MMO? Those are the questions that only time can really answer, but they’re the ones which the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online had better be asking themselves every single day up to release. It’s an iron-clad license, but one synonymous with single player RPGs, not multiplayer dynamics. BioWare’s experience with The Old Republic has shown us that a big budget and a big name do not guarantee untold riches in the high risk world of MMOs. As it’s not yet even in beta, it seems unlikely we’ll find out how The Elder Scrolls Online plans to address these doubts before the middle of the year (at the earliest.)
Find out more on the official website.
– Q3/Q4 2013 –
Arma 3 (Bohemia Interactive)
Tim: I know very little about the ArmA series except that they’re a bit complex and they don’t work very well on my computer, but the series had a rather large following – particularly for multiplayer – long before DayZ turned up, so I suspect this is going to do rather well. ArmA 3 is set in the 2030s on a pair of Greek islands, and promises the biggest ArmA territory yet, along with the ability for players to choose objectives and equipment to fit their playstyle. Plenty of engine updates are coming, too, with a 20km draw distance, the ability to take battles underwater, and a better flight model being some of the more exciting. “Sometime in 2013” for this one.
Find out more on the official website.
Divinity: Original Sin (Larian)
Peter: As well as Dragon Commander, busy-bee RPG developers Larian are working on another brand new Divinity title. Original Sin should show up somewhere in Q3, and is an isometric single player/co-op title. Unusually for an isometric title due in 2013, this traditionalist turn-based game wasn’t funded through Kickstarter. Character development will be classless (you can nab skills from whichever skill tree you choose), and Larian plans to litter the world with a whole host of objects to interact with. Want to grab a nearby broom and start beating enemies with it? You got it.
Find out more on the official website.
Marvel Heroes (Gazillion)
Paul: The man behind Diablo and Diablo 2, David Brevik, returns to the ARPG arena with Marvel Heroes through his Studio Gazillion Entertainment. The free to play, Unreal Engine 3 powered ARPG featuring all your favourite Marvel superheroes is currently in beta testing. With tons of itemisation and loot, Brevik has stated that this is natural successor to the previous two Diablo titles, which – if he’s right – is a good reason to keep an eye on it. From what we have played of the game so far it’s on the right track.
Find out more on the official website.
War Thunder (Gaijin entertainment)
Paul: If you love your flight sims with a bit of action thrown in then War Thunder from Gaijin Entertainement could be the WWII online flight game for you. A free to play title, this game is looking like something quite special with aircraft tier progression based on XP, stacks of axis and allies aircraft, quick battles, historical battles, easy to use controls and an interface that is actually easy to understand and highly accessible. What we really like about War Thunder is the attention to detail on all the aircraft and the fact there is actually a cockpit view, a feature that flight buffs will truly appreciate. There’s no release date set as yet but the game is currently in beta testing, so the latter half of the year is quite possible.
Find out more on the official website.
Gone Home (Fullbright)
Peter: Gone Home is a further attempt to nudge the boundaries of what a videogame can be. You’ll play as Katie Greenbriar, returning to the family home on a night of inclement weather in 1995. The rest of the family are gone. Your purpose now is to investigate and explore the house in order to figure out what might the heck might be happening. It’s a first-person explore-em-up, pure and simple (there won’t be any aliens popping out of closets for you to shoot). Parts of the Fullbright team worked on the Minerva’s Den DLC for BioShock 2 (aka: the best part of that game), so engaging moments of narrative are pretty much assured.
Find out more on the official website.
Path of Exile (Grinding Gear Games)
Paul: New Zealand based developer Grinding Gear Games has been beta testing Path of Exile for months now, but has only revealed the first couple of acts in the ARPG. The game is free to play and if anyone has played the previous Diablo titles (not included Diablo 3), then you are in for a treat. With what can only be described as an insane passive skill tree and some super interesting skills and items, PvP and ladders, it’s shaping up to tick nearly all the boxes for features ARPG fans know and love. Sure, PoE may not be as visually stunning as other ARPGs, but it’s all about the gameplay and features. As monetisation is coming from cosmetic upgrades in the free to play model, there should be no ‘pay to win.’ Get on the beta test if you can – it’s worth it.
Find out more on the official website.
DoubleFine Adventure (Double Fine)
Tim: They asked for $400,000. They got $3.3 million. Yep, the game that pretty much started the current Kickstarter gold rush is expected this summer. Since this is a traditional point-and-click adventure designed by Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer, just about everyone who remembers the old LucasArts adventures is wetting themselves with anticipation. Will it be good? (Probably.) Will it be a massive disappointment? (Probably not.) We’ll find out for sure before too long.
Find out more on the official website.
Wasteland 2 (inXile)
Peter: Before Fallout, there was Wasteland. Now, thanks original creator Brian Fargo, the raging popularity of Kickstarter and the generosity of thousands of backers, there will be a Wasteland 2. Prepare for some familiar isometric RPG action, turn-based combat and dark moral dilemmas in a malevolent, post-apocalyptic world. The latest release window is October 2013, but this may well be subject to slippage.
Find out more on the official website.
Total War: Rome II (Creative Assembly)
Tim: I think one of my favourite news stories from last year was the breathless announcement of Rome 2‘s first playable faction: the Romans. Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming. Still, Rome 2 looks good! Rome remains one of my favourite Total War games, and this sequel is promising plenty of backstabbing and devious Senate-based machinations, as well as a more in-depth decision tree letting you, say, restore the Republic or become a tyrant. If it goes a bit Game of Thrones/Crusader Kings 2 in terms of playing with loyalty, lies, and power, this could well end up breaking from the Total War mould in a good way. If not, then hey, it’s still Total War. Expect this around October.
Find out more on the official website.
Dirty Bomb (Splash Damage)
Paul: Little is known about Dirty Bomb from Splash Damage, the team behind the superb Quake Wars: Enemy Territory and the not so well received Brink. What we do know is that it’s a PC only title which is a good indication that Splash Damage are going back to their roots to offer PC gamers a rich teamplay experience, without the restrictions of console technology (something that we feel affected the playability of Brink.) It’s a promising looking title with different classes playing an essential role to carry out a series of objectives. We just hope that Splash Damage take all the best bits from the Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Quake Wars and bung them all into Dirty Bomb. If they do that, it will be cracking PC shooter.
Find out more on the official website.
Project CARS (Slightly Mad Studios)
Peter: Slightly Mad’s Project CARS has been ticking away as a community-funded project for a while now and, last we heard (at GamesCom 2012), is due in the latter stages of 2013. Judging by how excited the press release wants me to get about things like pit stops, weather and custom tuning set-ups, it’s looking like this title will be on the fearsomely accurate end of the driving simulation spectrum. Still, if that’s your bag, there’s no denying how pretty some of the images to emerge from development so far have been. With a motorsport specialisation list boasting karting, GT, Le Mans, Touring Cars “and more,” there should be a wheel here for all manner of simulation fans.
Find out more on the official website.
Battlefield 4 (DICE)
Tim: This is one of those games we know nothing about except for the name, really, being that was it sort-of-but-not-really announced when one of Medal of Honor: Warfighter‘s preorder bonuses turned out to be beta access to this. It’s almost certainly got a modern-day or ten-minutes-from-now setting. It will probably have guns and vehicles and stuff. I’m not expecting any huge surprises from the multiplayer (although I’d like to see the reinstatement of Battlefield 2‘s Commander role) and I’d be shocked if that’s not thoroughly enjoyable, but I’m curious as to whether DICE can deliver a solid single-player campaign this time around. No official date, but late 2013 seems likely.
Find out more on the official website.
Star Wars 1313 (LucasArts)
Tim: A Star Wars game that might be interesting, without the Dark Forces or X-Wing branding? Be still, my heart. Star Wars 1313 casts players as a bounty hunter hunting criminal scum through Coruscant’s subterranean floor 1313, with a focus on gadgets and guns rather than lightsabers and the Force. A grittier Star Wars title that isn’t using laser glowsticks sounds good to me, but – other than 2013 – there’s no word on release date yet, so end of the year seems mostly likely.
Find out more on the official website.
Dead State (DoubleBear)
Tim: It’s hard not to be excited about Dead State because, in short, it’s a zombie apocalypse simulator in the form of a turn-based RPG. You have to build a shelter, recruit allies, keep them happy, find food, and try to stay alive. People will disagree with your decisions and cause trouble; other factions might do likewise. There’s plenty to explore, and you won’t necessarily encounter the same people or the same situations each time you play. Team lead Brian Mitsoda is a Black Isle, Troika, and Obsidian alumnus. It has combat, tone, and environments that look a wee bit Fallout. And if all that text is too long for you: it’s The Walking Dead by way of Fallout. As far as RPGs go, this looks amazing. Roll on December 2013.
Find out more on the official website.
Grim Dawn (Crate Entertainment)
Paul: New studio Crate Entertainment includes key members of the team behind the ARPG hit Titan Quest. This was yet another title to benefit from a Kickstarter campaign to push development along, and will thrust ARPG players into the dark and gloomy world of Cairn where they can undertake their adventures. The game is being developed with an enhanced Lore engine and toolset; the same as Titan Quest. Featuring two “unworldy powers,” one who wants to use human bodies as a resource and the other intent on wiping out humans, the game looks like it will offer a rich ARPG experience.
Find out more on the official website.
– Speculative, or just Downright Unlikely –
Dragon Age 3: Inquisition (BioWare)
Tim: Hnng. Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favourite games of recent years. Dragon Age 2 was, while not a terrible game, a massive disappointment with a lot of problems. With Dragon Age 3 teasing an open-world, I’m ready to get upset again. If anything, though, that might be a good sign – everything I saw about DA:O prior to release led me to believe it was going to be an atrocity, so either I have no idea what’s good for the series or EA have no idea how to show off what’s good. This is expected “late 2013”, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if it slipped a bit.
Find out more on the official website.
Thief 4 (Eidos Montreal)
Peter: Eidos has been as silent as a shadow on the subject of Thief 4, but perhaps 2013 is the year in which the fourth title in the highly-regarded stealth series makes an appearance. We’ve known about it since 2009, but aside from a couple of tight-lipped interviews, a dodgy logo and a blurry QA screenshot there’s been precious little to go on. At this point, it’s not even known if Garrett will be returning for another spot of burglary. If the hype train doesn’t start rolling soon we can probably assume it’s being held back for a concurrent ‘next gen’ console release.
Find out absolutely nothing more on the official website.
Watch Dogs (Ubisoft Montreal)
Peter: Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs impressed at E3 2012 with a slick, stylised gameplay demo. Since then, news of this open-world action title has dropped off the grid. We know that the central mechanic revolves around hacking and manipulating electronic devices in the alt-future world, and (from the gameplay demo) we know it’ll have its fair share of standard shooty bits too. Like some of these other titles, Watch Dogs may be held back for a ‘next gen’ console launch, but it’s just about possible that we’ll see it at the end of 2013.
Find out more on the official website.
Dark Souls 2 (From Software)
Tim: Do I need to spell out why we’re excited for this? Dark Souls was our game of the year back in 2011, and even in 2012 – after we moved to PC-only coverage and ditched traditional awards – its belated PC release meant that it got our coveted “Best Game That Was Also Our Game of the Year 2011” award. So yes, we want this badly. New engine sounds good. Accessibility comments were worrying, although “accessible” is not the same thing as “easy.” My only real concern is that we don’t even have a tentative release date yet, so hoping for this in 2013 may be a bit premature.
Find out more on the official website.
The Magical Realms of Tír na nÓg: Escape from Necron 7 – Revenge of Cuchulainn: The Official Game of the Movie – Chapter 2 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa (Tales of Game’s)
Peter: Or, err, Barkley 2 for short. This one is a bit of a stretch because by their own admission Tales of Game’s are aiming for a Q4 2013/Q1 2014 release, but it’s not impossible that we’ll be slamming and jamming with the sequel to the finest b-ball RPG ever written before 2013 is up. Thanks to a Kickstarter haul of $130,000 USD, Barkley 2 will be even bigger than first imagined. The followup is now all set to be an innovative action-RPG, complete with multiple city hubs, a new game plus, animated cutscenes and, if we’re very lucky, even some jokes. Only true DOOM-MURDER HEADS need apply.
Find out more on the official website.
Half-Life 3 (Valve)
Tim: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha no. Look, I’m sure that there are a few people at Valve fiddling with this, but with the way Valve’s offices work I’m guessing it doesn’t have a huge team working on it right now. And if I’m wrong and it does, well – it hasn’t even been announced yet. Add Valve Time to “usual developer time from announcement to release” and… no, we’re almost certainly not seeing Half-Life 3 (or even Half-Life 2: Episode 3) this year.
Find out more on the … oh who am I kidding?
Did we miss something? It’s quite likely. We’d welcome your suggests for other anticipated PC games of the latter part of the year. Stick them in the comments, below.
