The most interesting games released in 2013
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
Grand Theft Auto V
Action
September 17, 2013
The fifth major installment in the massively popular action game series developed by Rockstar North in cooperation with Take Two Interactive. Grand Theft Auto V is set in a fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles). The story revolves around adventures of three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton, men infamous for brushing up against the law. The game’s creators stayed true to the franchise tradition of sandbox gameplay model, giving players an unparalleled freedom of choice when it comes to completing missions and moving around the virtual city. The game's budget amounted to 360 million dollars, a record number for a video game.
The Last of Us
Action
June 14, 2013
An action adventure game in a post-apocalyptic survival horror setting, created by the Naughty Dog developer studio (known mainly from the Uncharted series) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The story of Last of Us takes place in the nearby future – 20 years after a mysterious plague decimated the humanity and led to the fall of civilization. Two people – smuggler Joel (controlled by player) and a teenage orphan, Ellie, try to survive in a world filled with dangers. The gameplay revolves around exploring locations and fighting enemies using guns and environment (stones, table legs etc.). In addition to the single player campaign, the game offers fully functional online multiplayer with three different game modes: Supply Raid, Survivors, and Interrogation.
Tomb Raider
Action
March 5, 2013
The tenth iteration of adventures of Lara Croft, released as a reboot of the original, cult action-adventure series - Tomb Raider. The game was developed by Crystal Dynamics Studios under the auspices of Eidos Montreal. Their goal was to re-imagine the heroine in a new, grittier way. The game is set on an island near the coast of Japan, where young Lara Croft came in search for relics of ancient civilizations. Unfortunately, she gets shipwrecked during a storm. The protagonist survives, but now she has to fight for survival in a mysterious, deadly place. As compared with the previous installments, the new Tomb Raider offers much greater freedom of exploration, and introduces some innovations in gameplay mechanics, such as crafting and a character progression system. The game is powered by the very efficient Crystal Engine, able to generate high quality visuals.
Total War: Rome II
Strategy
September 3, 2013
A grand-scale strategy game developed by British studio Creative Assembly. Total War: Rome II lets players become leaders of the nations of antiquity from the Roman Empire period and struggle for dominance over new territories. Like the past Total War games (e.g. Total War: Shogun 2 and Empire: Total War) gameplay combines turn-based and real-time activities. Your task is to manage you provinces and command armies. The game’s highlight are the spectacular battles of armies fielding thousands of units. The developers of Total War: Rome II carefully kept to historical truth when it comes to battle formations, weaponry, and tactics. High-quality graphics was achieved thanks to a modified version of the Warscape Engine.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Arcade
October 22, 2013
An action-adventure game featuring the superheroes from Marvel comic books. The title was created by Traveller’s Tales Studio, experts at LEGO video games (e.g. LEGO The Lord of the Rings, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, LEGO Harry Potter). Players can become Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and other superheroes, who are asked by Nick Fury from the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization to save the world from villains and other dangers. The developers stayed true to the well-proven gameplay mechanics that combines elements of action, brawler, and adventure game. As always, the game is filled with unlockable extras, and features a cooperation mode in split screen.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Action
October 29, 2013
The fourth major installment in a bestselling TPP action-adventure game series. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal in cooperation with other Ubisoft’s inner studios. The main story in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is set in 18th century. You meet a pirate captain Edward Kenway (the grandfather of Connor Kenway from Assassin's Creed III), who gets entangled in the age-long conflict between The Brotherhood of Assassins and the Order of Templars. Interwoven in the story are authentic places and historical events, as well as famous figures (including Edward Teach, Benjamin Hornigold, and Anne Bonny) related to the so called Golden Age of Piracy. The sandbox gameplay model offers the players the complete freedom of exploration and undertaking various missions. Complimentary to the solo mode, the game features an expansive multiplayer with a number of diverse maps and playable characters.
BioShock Infinite
Action
March 26, 2013
First person perspective action game released as a spin-off to the BioShock series. This title was produced by Irrational Games with publishing support from the 2K Games company. BioShock Infinite is set in an alternative version of the early 20th century. The main hero, private detective Booker DeWitt, arrives to Columbia, a city floating in the sky, where he needs to locate and rescue a woman named Elizabeth. Turns out she is extremely valuable to two factions competing for control over the city. While playing, you can make use of various fire arms and special powers (e.g. summoning ravens or using telekinesis). The game’s uniquely atmospheric visuals are generated by a modified version of Unreal Engine 3.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Action
October 16, 2013
The third entry in the series of spectacular action games with Batman. It was developed by WB Games Montreal (which previously prepared the Wii U port of Batman: Arkham City) and published by the Warner Bros. company. The story of Batman: Arkham Origins shows the beginning of Batman’s career, taking inspiration from the comic books Batman: Year One and Legends of the Dark Knight. As the protagonist, we face Black Mask and his hired thugs. Like in the previous games from the Batman: Arkham series, gameplay combines features of a fighting game with shooter and stealth elements. Additionally, the creators included some innovations, like a built-in system of challenges.
Path of Exile
RPG
October 23, 2013
An online action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, a developer team from New Zealand. The action of Path of Exile is set in a fantasy world which was destroyed by a grand cataclysm. The players assume the role of exiles who try to survive in the dangerous continent of Wraeclast. The gameplay is focused on cooperation in teams of several players that traverse instance-based locations together. Each character can be developed choosing from more than 1300 skills. Visually, Path of Exile is inspired by the classics of the action RPG genre (Diablo, Sacred, and others), including the isometric camera. The game is free-to-play, but offers some additional facilities and items via optional micropayments.
LEGO City: Undercover
Action
March 18, 2013
Another installment in the popular series of third-person perspective action games that uses the license of the popular LEGO bricks franchise. This time, the title is available exclusively on Nintendo platforms. The game takes place in a modern metropolis and its main protagonist, Chase McCain, is an undercover cop. His task is to find, infiltrate, and stop criminal operations, which he does in-style, Hollywood style. Gameplay mechanics in LEGO City: Undercover combine the most important features of the LEGO series with elements typical of the Grand Theft Auto and Driver series. The overall feeling of the game is strongly inspired by classic action movies. The gameplay is a mix of various genres and during the game the player will participate in spectacular car chases, fly a police helicopter, chase after suspects on rooftops, and engage enemies in fist fights. The controls are simple and intuitive and the game provides us with many opportunities to employ the unique capabilities of Nintendo consoles and their controllers.
FIFA 14
Sports
September 24, 2013
A soccer simulation game, and the 21st installment in the FIFA series. The game was created by EA Canada development studio. As always, you can control players from your favorite teams in matches against living opponents or computer AI. FIFA 14's data base contains 15 thousand footballers from several dozen leagues from all over the world. As compared with the previous FIFA games, FIFA 14 brings about some crucial changes to gameplay mechanics, including improved ball physics. Furthermore, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions employ a new game engine, called Ignite (used also in Madden NFL 25), that ensures high quality graphics.
Metro: Last Light
Action
May 14, 2013
A post-apocalyptic survival-horror FPS developed by 4A Games studio from Ukraine. The plot continues the events of Metro 2033, a game published in 2010, while the story loosely alludes to the books by Dmitry Glukhowsky. The action takes place in a world of future, destroyed by nuclear bombing. A handful of Moscow citizens who have survived the explosion hid in the city’s subway network. Divided into several conflicted fractions, people try to fend off waves of mutated animals. The player assumes the role of Artem – a young man who tries to prevent a looming war between the survivors from happening. The gameplay combines elements of a dynamic, first-person shooter and a stealth game. When compared to the first installment, Metro: Last Light offers bigger locations and introduces an improved enemy AI. The game features high-quality graphics, as the developer's proprietary technology, the 4A Engine, has also been updated.
Beyond: Two Souls
Adventure
October 8, 2013
A thriller movie-inspired action adventure game. The game was developed by French studio Quantic Dream, creators of such hits as Heavy Rain and Fahrenheit. The plot of Beyond: Two Souls shows fifteen years of life of Jodie Holmes (who is modeled after and voice acted by Ellen Page, Oscar nominee). Since birth, the woman was connected to Aiden, an incorporeal creature that ventured into our world. The game is considered an “interactive drama” as it focuses mostly on storytelling, moral choices, and the cinematic experience. The developers from Quantic Dream took care to deliver high-quality, photorealistic graphics, sound effects, and animations created using the motion capture technology.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Strategy
March 12, 2013
The second episode of StarCraft II, a space real-time strategy trilogy by Blizzard Entertainment. The title was distributed as an expansion and requires StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in order to work. The story campaign is focused on the race of Zerg led by Sara Kerrigan, a character from the original StarCraft, who seeks revenge on the Terran emperor, Arcturus Mengsk. In subsequent missions, we will also encounter other famous characters, such as Jim Raynor, the ghost of Nova, and Matt Horner. In the second episode of the trilogy, the developers concentrated primarily on enhancing the multiplayer mode, introducing new units for every race as well as a character progression system and clan support. Some changes were also introduced to the gameplay mechanics — the interface was improved and the RPG elements were emphasized. The enhancements of the graphics engine translate into better graphics, more realistic physics, and spectacular visual effects.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
Fighting
March 5, 2013
The third full-fledged installment in a series of popular fighting games developed by Cyberconnect 2 and focusing on the adventures of a bright-haired ninja warrior by the name of Naruto. Once again, the game was based on two main modes - classic 1 on 1 battles taking place on wide 3D arenas, and the story mode which allows the player to explore this popular universe freely and take part in the greatest battles depicted first in the original manga series (until the Nine-Tails invades the Hidden Leaf Village). As usual, the game includes most of the characters the fans of the series are familiar with. Each of the in-game fighters has their own unique fighting style and a set of spectacular special abilities. All of this is complemented by (what is typical for this franchise) cel-shaded graphics that successfully recreate the art style of Japanese animation. As a result, the visual impressions resemble watching another episode of one's favorite anime series.
God of War: Ascension
Action
March 12, 2013
The fourth chapter of the adventures of Kratos, the Spartan warrior-gone-god. The title is a prequel to the God of War trilogy. The protagonist of the game was deceived by Ares into murdering his family. He decides to be no longer obedient to the god of war, for what he is sent to the titan prison. Despite the madness and tortures, he doesn’t abandon his hopes for revenge. Once he manages to escape, he can start his bloody revenge on the gods of the Olympus. The developers from Sony Santa Monica remained faithful to the gameplay mechanics based mostly on spectacular battles with powerful (and frequently gigantic) enemies. The mechanics of the game were improved with a series of new features. Among them there is a multiplayer mode which allows up to eight players to play together through Internet.
Company of Heroes 2
Strategy
June 25, 2013
Second part of the highly successful military real-time strategy. Title was developed by Relic Entertainment and released by the SEGA company. Action of Company of Heroes 2 is once again set in the time of World War II. This time, however, players have the opportunity to take part in the events that took place on the Eastern Front. The main single player campaign focuses on commanding the Red Army, while in multiplayer, forces of the Third Reich are also available. Mechanics are based on solutions known from Company of Heroes, but the developers also decided to add new features, including a completely redesigned cover system and atmospheric conditions that affect units' mobility. Game was built on a new graphics engine Essence 3.0, which resulted in impressive visuals.
Outlast
Adventure
September 4, 2013
A survival horror action adventure game. It is the debut project of the independent studio, Red Barrels, established by veterans of the gaming industry: David Chateauneuf, Philippe Morin, and Hugo Dallaire. Outlast’s story is set in an old asylum for mentally ill, adapted, by the Murkoff corporation, into a research center. Journalist Miles Upshur gets his hands on information that strange things occur in that place. Looking for a sensation, he breaks into the asylum, hoping to discover a shocking truth about the experiments and profane rituals. We observe the game world from first-person perspective, and our only weapon is a camera with infrared lens. Gameplay focuses on exploring locations and avoiding direct confrontation with enemies. Due to a terrifying atmosphere and gore aesthetics, game is aimed exclusively at adults.
Dead Space 3
Action
February 5, 2013
Third entry in the series of action games with survival horror features set in science fiction world. Like two previous titles, it has been developed by Visceral Games studio (known from productions like James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing and Godfather). Dead Space 3 continues the story from the second game. After escaping orbital station Sprawl, protagonist Isaac Clarke reaches a frozen planet of Tau Volantis, where he and John Carver try to end the necromorphs once and for all. Gameplay has been designed for single player experience or co-op with another player. The second option employs the drop-in/drop-out system, allowing joining or leaving at any moment.
The Wolf Among Us: A Telltale Games Series - Season 1
Adventure
October 11, 2013
An episodic adventure game based on the popular Fables comic book series. The Wolf Among Us was developed by Telltale Games, studio that used the same mechanics as in its previous title, The Walking Dead. The protagonists are fairy creatures that were forced to look for a safe haven in the human world where they must hide their true nature. During the game the player can encounter many characters known from the comic books – including the Big Bad Wolf, Snow White or Ichabod Crane. The gameplay is focused mostly on visiting locations, conversing with NPCs, solving riddles and making hard decisions. The Wolf Among Us employs comic book-like visuals and, as usual, cel-shading.
Goodbye Deponia
Adventure
October 15, 2013
The third installment in the acclaimed series of adventure games developed by Daedalic Entertainment focusing on the adventures of Rufus who comes from Deponia, the planet of trash. The game is a direct continuation to the previous entry in the series and the main character is still trying to save his planet from destruction. However, while in the previous game it was the beloved of Rufus whose personality was split, this time a similar thing happens to Rufus himself. As one can guess, it complicates the task at his hands, significantly. The gameplay mechanics did not change - once more it is a funny, cartoonish point-and-click adventure game in which the players spends most of the time solving riddles. However, Goodbye Deponia also allows us to see some of the characters in a new light.
Dead Island Riptide
Action
April 23, 2013
A sequel to Dead Island, the bloody FPS survival horror released in 2011. The game was developed by Polish studio Techland with publishing support from Deep Silver company. Dead Island Riptide picks up where the first game left off. Although a few lucky survivors managed to escape the zombie-infested island of Banoi, they never managed to get home, as their ship crashed by the shore of another tropical island – Palanai. Unfortunately, the epidemic has reached this place too, and the heroes again have to face the hordes of undead. The game inherits the gameplay mechanics from its prequel, featuring FPS action combined with RPG elements, as well as a online co-op mode for up to four people.
Battlefield 4
Action
October 29, 2013
Fourth main entry in the bestselling FPS series created and developed by the EA DICE team. The solo campaign shows a vision of military conflict between the United States, Soviet Union, and China. The story takes place in 2020 on the territory of the People’s Republic of China. Player takes on the role of a member of the US Marine Tombstone Squad, which is given the task of rescuing several high-ranked officials from the unsettled Shanghai. The strongest point of the game are its complex multiplayer skirmishes, allowing us to take part in online battles for up to 64 players. Developers made sure to offer a wide selection of game modes and maps with varied terrain and sizes.
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series - Season Two
Adventure
December 17, 2013
A sequel to the repeatedly awarded adventure game The Walking Dead: Season One by American studio Telltale Games. The plot of The Walking Dead: Season Two is a continuation of the story from the first installment. This time you play as the 11-years-old Clementine, who, like the other characters, is trying to survive in the world infested by a zombie epidemic. The game mechanics remain the same, focusing on exploration, talking to NPCs, searching for items, and solving puzzles. The decisions you make affect the story even much later in the game. Like the first installment from 2012, The Walking Dead: Season Two was released as a series of episodes.
NBA 2K14
Sports
October 1, 2013
The next installment in the series of sports games dedicated to the immensely popular discipline, which is basketball. The Visual Concepts studio is responsible for the series, developed by 2K Games initially only on consoles. In the game, we can manage one of the selected basketball teams, leading it to success in one of the wide range of single and multiplayer modes.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Action
February 19, 2013
A third-person action game and a spin-off to Metal Gear Solid - the popular stealth game series created by Hideo Kojima. In this game you play as Raiden, the protagonist of the second installment in the series. The story is set in an African country devastated by a civil war, where the hero faces an army of robots and cyborgs belonging to Desperado Enforcement corporation. Although the title retained some elements of a stealth-action game, its fast-paced, brutal gameplay puts it well within the bounds of the hack-and-slash genre. Raiden’s main weapon is his electric katana – with it the hero destroys elements of environment and dismembers his enemies, thus ending their lives. Thanks to the Blade Mode he can also execute more precise cuts in slow-motion.
WWE 2K14
Sports
October 29, 2013
WWE 2K14 is a sport fight produced by Japanese Yuke's studio for wrestling fans. Players can play as WWE's favourite wrestlers (World Wrestling Entertainment) and take part in spectacular ring duels. The game is the first part of the cycle published after Take-Two Interactive took over the rights to the brand.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Action
August 20, 2013
A third-person action game developed by Ubisoft Toronto. This is the sixth installment in the franchise telling the story of Sam Fisher. Together with the members of Fourth Echelon, the agent has to face a dangerous terrorist group planning to conduct a series of attacks on the US soil. The story campaign contains missions taking place in the United States, Iraq, Indonesia, and Paraguay. The assignments can be completed in accordance with one of three gameplay styles recognized by the game: ghost (avoiding contact), panther (silent elimination), and assault (direct combat). Thus, the gameplay depends on the player's preferences to a certain degree. The game offers several well-made multiplayer modes as well, allowing both for rivalry and cooperation.
Europa Universalis IV
Strategy
August 13, 2013
The fourth installment in a highly popular strategic game franchise - Europa Universalis. The title was developed by Paradox Development Studio. In accordance with the tradition of the series, Europa Universalis IV lets you command and develop a chosen nation over the course of several centuries. This time the historical framework spans from 11 November 1444 to 2 January 1821. The gameplay is based on classic solutions of the 4X genre (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate). The player has to manage his provinces, develop new technologies, command armies, and conduct diplomacy. Apart from AI enemies the game offers online multiplayer for up to 32 people.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
Adventure
September 10, 2013
A second entry in the adventure horror game series Amnesia. It has been created by the dev team at The Chinese Room and supervised by Frictional Games studio (creators of the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent). The Story of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs focuses on the eponymous device; set in 1899, it puts players in the role of Oswald Mandus, a businessman who fell in a coma for a few months and lost his memories due to mysterious illness. When he wakes up, he discovers that the rest of occupants had disappeared, and a strange machine noise can be heard from below. We experience the game from an FPP view, which creates a feeling of true fear in conjunction with engrossing story and climatic audiovisuals.
Need for Speed Rivals
Racing
November 11, 2013
An arcade racing game belonging to the long-standing and very popular Need for Speed series. The title was developed by Swedish-British studio Ghost Games (former EA Gothenburg), aided by ex-employees of Criterion Games. Players can become either drivers taking part in illegal street races or police force trying to apprehend them. As you progress in the game you unlock new cars and useful technologies. The in-built All Drive system allows for seamless coexistence of single and multiplayer modes. On the technical side, Need for Speed Rivals is powered by the advanced Frostbite 3 engine, also used in e.g. Battlefield 4.
Arma III
Action
September 12, 2013
The third installment in the first-person shooter cycle that focuses heavily on faithful recreation of the modern battlefield. The action of Arma III is set in the near future, where a conflict in the Middle East has greatly weakened NATO forces. A small island in the middle of the Mediterranean is of key importance to the stability of this part of the world, and it is there that the events of the story-driven single player campaign take place. The production of the Czech studio - Bohemia Interactive – stands out due to the extremely thorough and realistic re-enactments of operations of actual military assets, including a variety of vehicles. A well-developed mode for online multiplayer skirmishes is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Arma III features high-quality graphics generated by the Real Virtuality engine, as well as a set of fully functional modding tools, allowing you to create your own scenarios.
Shadowrun Returns
RPG
July 25, 2013
A tactical turn-based role-playing game based on a popular tabletop RPG. The production is set in 2054, in the world blending cyberpunk with fantasy elements. You lead a highly-trained team of mercenaries, who accept extremely dangerous tasks in order to earn money.