Updated! So many games have come out in the first three months of the year that our original list of the 100 most anticipated for the 2013 became woefully out of date. Now that Tomb Raider, BioShock Infinite, and dozens more have hit stores, we needed to re-calibrate the list, and that's the list that's ahead of you now.

But before you jump into the new list, you should also know we reorganized the list based on what we know about a title and how likely it'll be out this year. For example, we really want Half-Life 3 to come out this year, but we all know that isn't possibly happening, so it isn't on the list. With all that in mind, check out the 100 most exciting games that are still coming out in 2013.

Developer Team Ico became one of the most beloved creators in the world, thanks to darkly enchanting titles like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Following the 2005 launch of Colossus, many were anxious to see what the devs could pull off on the PS3. That game was finally announced in 2009: the heart-achingly gorgeous The Last Guardian.

Nearly four years later, after multiple appearances in the top 10 of lists like this one and being virtually unseen by the public, the stirring tale of teamwork between a young boy and a strange beast feels farther away than ever. We're still holding onto a sliver of hope that it'll be out this year, but the odds aren't looking great.

Remember Muramasa: The Demon Blade? Of course you do. It was one the prettiest and most satisfying action role-playing games to grace the Wii. We remember it too, which is why we're chomping at the bit for this PS Vita port to make its way west later this year.

As in the original, Muramasa Rebirth will follow two heroes: The amnesiac ninja Kisuke and the possessed princess Momo-Hime. Both will be tasked with slashing their way through Japan to collect 108 Demon Blades and subduing the evil wrought by the cursed weapons. This PS Vita port will grant access to four new DLC characters, each of which will bring their own bite-sized storylines to the party. Muramasa: The Demon Blade made our eyes drool on the Wii, so we can only imagine how Kisuke and his friends will stand out on the PS Vita's screen. The DLC is a nice touch, but to be honest we'd be anxious to have Vanillaware's classic in our back pocket no matter what was added.

The Call of Juarez series has been all over the place since the Old West FPS franchise launched in 2006. The first two took a very gritty approach to the era of cowboys, painting them as foul-mouthed murderers, then the third title, The Cartel, brought that feel to current times with entertainingly ridiculous results. Gunslinger takes Call of Juarez back to its Old West roots, only it appears to be slimmed down as a downloadable.

Planned for XBLA, PSN, and PC, you play as a cowpoke hunting down a violent gang of thugs, and the arcade action focuses on quick and creative kills. Can this continually shifting FPS finally find its balance as a downloadable?

The MMOFPS genre has seen a resurgence as of late, thanks to the likes of Tribes: Ascend, PlanetSide 2, and the upcoming Dust 514. Though all of the above cost zero dollars to play, Dust is differentiated from the rest through it's connection to developer CCP's space MMO, EVE Online.

The premise is rather interesting: You create a mercenary soldier in Dust, killing for space-coin as a contract killer for EVE corporations. You'll embark on ground sorties against other mercs, and, should you emerge victorious, your services will be payed out in ISK, a currency shared by both games. Of course, you can level up and customize your soldier along the way, with dozens of skills and equipment unlocks, which will ultimately turn your merc into a super badass killing machine.

Alright, so Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 was pretty good, but check this out, we got ideas. So first and foremost, drafting, duh. Yes, historically you haven't been able to build your own decks in Duels, but with drafts, you guys could make it so the cards disappear after the game. No cannibalizing of Magic: The Gathering Online sales that way, win-win.

Also, why so Modern? Let's get some Extended and Legacy cards in there. Plus, how is it there are no playable Planeswalkers? You know, given the title of the game? And have you guys thought about doing strategy tutorials, because we're really not sure what the difference is between Aggro-Control, Ramp, Combo, Midrange, and... hey, Stainless, are you writing these down?! We have ideas!

Disney had a pretty good run of games back in the 8-bit/16-bit days, and it seems like the House of Mouse is finally starting to remember that. This summer will not only see the rerelease of DuckTales (check for that further down the list), but it will also see the return of early Genesis hit Castle of Illusion, one of the best games Mickey Mouse ever graced.

This animated adventure was the premier Genesis platformer until a certain Hedgehog hit the scene, and now Sega is recreating the game with a new 2.5D look. If that update seems a little extreme for some fans, they’ll likely take some comfort in knowing the original director of the game is involved in this remake, along with ex-Rare music maestro Grant Kirkhope. Will this be one of those rare remakes actually lives up to our memories?

Announced way back in 2008, Ride to Hell had been absent for so long we assumed it was cancelled. So it was a pleasant surprise to see publisher Deep Silver reveal that the promising motorcycle adventure not only exists, but will be out this summer. But what’s the story behind this biker-filled adventure?

You play as Jake Conway, a man who takes his bike on the open road in search of the gang that wronged him. We’ll admit that the quick turnaround from announcement to release is a little suspect, but here’s hoping it’ll be a down and dirty combination between Grand Theft Auto and Sons of Anarchy.

So it's been a long time since we've busted out the Wii Balance Board. Okay, who are we kidding--we used it once, and it's now under the couch. That doesn't mean that we aren't looking forward to Wii Fit U, the successor to Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus.

It'll be an opportunity for us to bring out the dusty old balance board, use it once and put it back until the next game. It's better than nothing, right? In all seriousness, we're curious to see how the new GamePad is incorporated into the gameplay. Who knows, maybe it'll keep us motivated to keep going and actually lose some weight this time. Plus, it comes with a pedometer.

Already released in Japan, the fifth main game in the Yakuza series has yet to be announced for the international release. But judging by the fact Sega has localized Yakuza 1-4 , there's a good chance it'll make it's way out west eventually.

Unlike the previous games, Yakuza 5 features five main characters, takes place across five cities, and runs on a shiny new graphics engine. It also packs in additional minigames connected to each character's storyline, like taxi racing, hunting, dance battles, and much more. When we checked out the Japanese demo, we noticed much smoother combat, as well as the series' classic staple: kick-ass finishing moves.

We'll admit it: Rumblings of any new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game gets us excited around these parts. What can we say? We're suckers for those heroes in a halfshell, and our nostalgia for the good ol’ days of the arcade version of TMNT tends to cloud our better judgement. True, the franchise has a spotty record when it comes to gaming, but there's something about Activision and Redfly's hyper-realistic spin on TMNT: Out of the Shadows that makes us hope for a true return to form.

TMNT: Out of Shadows separates itself from recent TMNT games in a number of ways. It's not a Smash Bros-esque brawler, for one. It's based off the new Nickelodeon animated show, which many believe is the best TMNT show to surface in years. Offering an online four-player co-op experience, TMNT: Out of the Shadows will give each turtle his own fighting style which they can use in combo-heavy confrontations, taking clear inspiration from recent Batman games. Judging by what we've seen so far, it will cater to old-school TMNT fans who like their mutant amphibians with a bit of grit and a dash of violence. Hopefully the fact it’s a download for PSN, Xbox Live, and PC won't mean it arrives undercooked, but we're looking forward to finding out when it releases for download this summer.

The zombie-infested world of Day Z (a survival horror mod for the military shooter ARMA II) has been a hit with the online community, and now the developers are working on making the title a standalone game in the name of accessibility. The mod drops players into an open world with practically no equipment, and tasks them with surviving a world covered in the walking undead.

Players can team up with other survivors to share resources and protect each other from the world’s threats... or, alternatively, kill each other for their equipment. While the original mod is a blast to play, it still had some polish issues and design flaws. But this is the chance for all those issues to get ironed out, and for the developers to transform it into a fully functional standalone product. Day Z has a lot of potential, and we can't wait to see the game flourish in its own engine.

Jane Jensen's upcoming Moebius is the product of another Kickstarter success. Hot off the heels of Double Fine's Kickstarter, Moebius is the first of two point-and-click adventure games that Jane Jensen will be working on.

A spiritual successor to the acclaimed Gabriel Knight series, Moebius is a metaphysical thriller that follows an antiquities dealer around the world. Right now, all we know is that it's a third-person adventure game, featuring a 2D graphic novel look and feel. In addition, it'll come with two modes: one for seasoned adventure gamers, and one for casual detectives who wouldn't mind getting some hints as they go.

Fatherhood is tough, especially when you’re an octopus posing as a man. Octodad: Dadliest Catch puts you in control of one such undercover octopus attempting to be the best dad he can be to his human family. Unfortunately, performing even the simplest of fatherly tasks is a challenge thanks to his eight floppy, suction-cupped arms and legs.

Players are tested with performing chores like mowing lawns and chopping wood using intentionally fiddly controls, often resulting in some hilariously inept handiwork. If you don’t complete your tasks, Octodad’s family might finally see through his clever disguise. You don't want to be a homewrecker, do you?

Ever played the classic shooter Tribes, but wished your heroic air-to-ground shootouts had a bit more permanence? Firefall, a shooter-MMO hybrid that’s currently in beta, will be right up your space-age alley. The third- and first-person combat promises to fulfill your jetpack action needs, all for the wonderful, enticing price of free.

Whether you’re looking to humiliate opponents in the multitude of PvP maps, or just want to explore an alien landscape as an armored super-soldier, you’re sure to find something to do. We’re currently gearing up to try out the Engineer class--or Battleframe, as the game calls them--so that we can litter the map with spiffy laser turrets.

One of the many Kickstarter successes of the year, Shovel Knight got our interest by being a loving tribute to the days when the Nintendo Entertainment System controlled living rooms. Created by newly formed indie studio Yacht Club--which was founded by former employees of retro game expert WayForward--Shovel Knight takes cues from 2D classics like Mega Man 2, Super Mario Bros 2, and DuckTales, but hopefully with a spirit all its own.

You’ll guide Shovel night through a number of pixelated stages, and you’ll battle numerous baddies with his mix a knightly attacks, but replace a sword or lance with a shovel. He uses said shovel to pogo off the heads of his enemies, fling rocks across the screen, and dig through sand. If you’re into indie games that play like lost NES originals, Shovel Knight seems like it could capture that feel better than a new release has in some time.

You might know Uber Entertainment from their outrageous arcade shooter Super Monday Night Combat, but their next project is making waves with RTS players. Instead of confining your strategic base-building and army-assembling to a single, humdrum map, Planetary Annihilation lets you conquer entire celestial bodies one territory at a time.

As the game’s Kickstarter trailer so gloriously demonstrates, one potential tactic will involve the installation of jet thrusters into a colossal chunk of space rock. Once your propulsion system is in place, you can turn the asteroid into a kamikaze meteor, smashing it into the opponent’s base at maximum velocity. Having the ability to unleash that kind of crater-causing devastation is reason enough to get stoked for this ambitious RTS.

The long-awaited Tales of Xillia is finally making its Western debut later this year. For the first time in the series, you can pick from one of two main characters (each designed by a different Tales team): Jude Mathis, a male medical student, or Milla Maxwell, a female spirit summoner.

The combat system has seen a bit of an overhaul, too, borrowing the Technical Points system from Tales of Vesperia in addition to Tales of Graces' combo chain mechanic. The two work together to provide balance to the flow of each battle--and, in traditional JRPG fashion, defeating enemies allows your characters to level up in a sphere system not unlike the one in Final Fantasy X. The only question left is whether or not we'll ever see a localization of Tales of Xillia 2.

We sort of love that everything on E.D.N. III evolved to have glowing, orange weak points--and that it’s actually explained by the plot. Such is the style of the Lost Planet series--a franchise that, despite having some ups and downs, has us excited for its return.

Acting as a prequel to the first game, Lost Planet 3 returns to the snow-swept wasteland that's synonymous with the franchise. Sure, the second game was sort of terrible, but we’re happy to bundle up and head back into a blizzard to blast the hell out of some silly, luminous aliens. Plus, this time we play as a guy named Jim, and he has a beard!

Western gamers have really been warming up to the niche RPG franchise Shin Megami Tensei, playing spin-offs like Persona 4 and Devil Survivor, but few have probably ever played one of the infrequent entries in the main series. Set for a fast-approaching 3DS release, the fourth mainline SMT game intends to give the series some much needed updates.

SMTIV looks to have a mix of dungeon crawling, emotional teens, and monster collecting that fans expect from the franchise, but the graphics have received a major update from the previous entries. The fully 3D dungeon exploration is some of the best we’ve seen on the handheld, so we hope that the rest of the game can advance as much as the graphics.

Carbine Studios understands that different players want different things from MMOs. That's why its upcoming sci-fi MMO, Wildstar, lets you pursue whatever experience you're most interested in, by letting you choose from a variety of character "paths" in addition to character class and race.

Do you find yourself absorbed by MMO worlds and lore? Choosing the Explorer path yields unique content and mechanics that will enchant your intellectual side. Aggressive types will gravitate towards the Soldier path, which emphasizes combat over all else. Add to the fact that members of the development team include veteran devs from just about every MMO launched in the past decade, and Wildstar is sounding like a rather promising time-sink.

Peter Molyneux’s Kickstarter hit its goal, meaning the mad scientist is actually going to be able to do Godus, the spiritual successor to Populus he left Microsoft to make. Now, in charge of a fledgling indie developer, it’s sort of do-or-die for the industry icon.

Godus is being billed as “the ultimate god game,” where your task is to carve a Utopia into existence and spread your influence around the world. It sounds remarkably complex, but totally doable from the man who made Dungeon Keeper, Black & White, and Populus.

Civilization has shown impressive resilience over the years, with gamers happily pouring hundreds of hours into each new entry. Developer Firaxis has proven its skill at crafting addictive experiences, not just in the numbered entries, but in the expansions too. And the team plans to d more than add new races to the next update.

Fresh off the X-COM reboot, Firaxis is using Brave New World to address some balance issues in the game, mostly via the new World Congress, a governing body that can continually alter the win conditions for a match. There’s also the end-game addition of Archeology and more options for wins via culture. There go another dozen or so weekends.

For new Wii U owners Nintendo Land was a great introduction to the hardware, but Game & Wario appears to be made for Wii U gamers looking for a more unique party experience. Though not a direct sequel to WarioWare (these minigames last longer than eight seconds), G&W shares the same cast of characters and a comparable commitment to zaniness in its GamePad-enhanced challenges.

From what we’ve played so far, there were more than a few highlights. There’s an archery challenge against killer robots, a Rear Window-esque section where you photograph suspected criminals, and another where you have to stealthily play handheld games in bed without being caught by your mom. Here’s hoping the rest of the games can be as clever as those.

Retro brawlers like Final Fight and Streets of Rage have a special place in our memories, but sometimes we’d like to see more modern approaches to the nearly dead genre. That’s the niche developer VanillaWare (Odin Sphere, Muramasa) is out to fill with its next gorgeous looking game, Dragon’s Crown.

Up to four players can clear dungeons Gauntlet-style, on the PS3 and Vita simultaneously thanks to the underused Cross-Play feature. Classes include the ludicrously curvy Amazon and Mage, along with the more normal looking Knight and Dwarf characters. No matter the class, we’re surprised how distinctly each character played in our earlier demos, thanks to a combo system that we hope stands up to long play sessions.

FIFA 13 made massive changes to the series' gameplay, creating a soccer game that felt more like the real thing. The physics of passing, shooting, and player collision added new depth to the game. And if FIFA 14 follows the same trend, we're definitely in for a treat, especially if the developers at EA Canada improve upon FIFA 13's shortcomings.

FIFA's physics can always be a little tighter, more realism can be added to the player AI, and we'd love to see more options added to the career mode. Plus, if FIFA 14 just adds more of the addictive skill games that 13 introduced, we're totally in.

If only out of morbid curiosity do we look towards the FPS reboot of XCOM. The extreme caution is largely a result of EA's Syndicate, which followed a similar approach and yielded a product few found much value in.

We really don’t know what to expect with this makeover. Heck, if rumors turn out to be true, this one might actually emerge as a third-person squad-based shooter. However, considering the resounding success of 2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown RTS, we're intrigued to hear 2K Games out on this one.

A few years ago, Telltale announced that it would be making games based on a whole bunch of licensed properties, including Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and The Walking Dead--the latter of turned out to be a popular 2012 Game of the Year. Another, scheduled to release this year, is Fables, based on the fairy tale comic of the same name.

If it weren’t for The Walking Dead’s success, we’d likely write this off. Now, though, we’re absolutely dying to see what the company has planned with the tales of Bigby Wolf, Snow White, and the rest of the crew in Fabletown (though Bigby must take center stage based on the title). Hopefully we’ll get more information soon, because we’re running out of issues to read.

What we've seen of Insomniac Games' (the makers of the Resistance and Ratchet and Clank series) upcoming co-op-centric, third-person shooter Fuse looks like a blast. The gameplay is centered around teamwork, where up to four players use their unique abilities to keep the group alive and shooting.

Each character's weapons and abilities complement the rest of the team's and include energy-based projectile shields, special ammo that creates mini-black holes, invisibility, and the ability to enhance weapons with fire damage. Fuse looks like it will be the co-op experience to look out for in 2013.

For those unaware, 1988's post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland is the game that inspired the Fallout series. So you can imagine how excited some gamers were to discover Wasteland 2 had materialized as a Kickstarter project, which ultimately exceeded its lofty $1 million goal. By a lot. The game is now being co-developed between inXile (including many key team members from the original Wasteland) and Obsidian Entertainment, with a rumored October release.

This tactical turn-based RPG explores an alternate reality in which a nuclear holocaust devastates the Earth in 1998. Only by banding together and forming survivalist communities can the remnants of humanity press on. A modern take on an old school RPG? Sounds good to us.

Gazillion's Marvel Heroes isn't your typical super hero MMO. Instead of making your own super-powered avatar, you'll actually play as your favorite comic character and fight through the Marvel world, with gameplay that has more in common with Diablo III’s than World of Warcraft’s.

We’re still a little skeptical about not being able to make our own character--especially since we expect to see teams of Wolverines running around the world--but we’re definitely going to give this free-to-play game the benefit of the doubt. It does include Squirrel Girl, after all.

We're not sure what “A Brighter Darkness” even means, but we do know Disgaea: Hour of Darkness was one of our Best PS2 games of all time and we're on board with any title that alleges to be its direct sequel.

Set after the events of Hour of Darkness, A Brighter Darkness finds Laharl as the new ruler of the Netherworld who must deal with an infestation of Celestial Flowers and figure out why he woke up as a woman after a gender-bending encounter with King Krichevskoy’s demons. If that last sentence doesn't make a lick of sense, don't worry. All newbies need to know is Disgaea is one of the deepest tactical role-playing games ever, and all veterans need to take away is that Disgaea 2 will come to the table with new characters, classes, monster types, magical abilities, and a whole new story for Laharl, Etna, and Fionne.

We’re still a few months away from the announcement of the next Call of Duty game (such astonishing revelations usually arrive in May), but there’s little chance that Activision’s biggest franchise will miss its yearly debut in November, new console generation or not.

The West and Zampella-less Infinity Ward should be up to bat again, likely making another Modern Warfare. That, or IW is finally moving on to another era, either releasing a futuristic warfare game or heading back in time to World War II again. Ah, who are we kidding, it’s going to be Modern Warfare 4.

The never-ending war between the bumbling undead and garden flora has transitioned to other properties, like Zen Pinball, but what we’re eagerly waiting for is the sequel to PopCap’s cutesy and addictive tower defense game. Plants vs. Zombies 2 will have new features and settings, as well as new plant and zombie types.

Details about specifics are non-existent at this point, but we do know that it's coming out the first half of 2013. Regardless, the original was such a blast to play, we can only hope that the sequel will return to all platforms imaginable so that we can keep those pesky zombies off our lawn wherever we go.

Just because we can’t even remotely pronounce the title of Minecraft creator Notch’s next game doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to be extremely excited by it. Though the developer is making several games including the interesting Scrolls, it’s the blocky, simplistic-looking 0x10c that really stands out.

Inspired in part by the television series Firefly (YES!), 0x10c is a science-fiction game with absurd ambition. You’ll be able to battle in space, mine for materials, land on planets, and even interact with an on-board computer that you’ll actually be able to program. No word yet on whether or not you’ll be able to fight alongside Mal, though.

The superstars of Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Sega are coming out to play in this uber-crossover from Banpresto and Monolith Soft. Developed as a sequel to 2005's Japan-only Namco x Capcom, it will feature characters from all three studios battling it out alone or in pairs in grid-based tactical combat. Some of the VIPs on Project X Zone's list include Resident Evil's Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken Masters, Virtua Fighter's Akira Yuki and Pai Chan, Xenosaga's KOS-MOS and Telos, and even Space Channel 5's Ulala. All totalled, the crossover will include 60 playable characters. Read up on them all in our Project X Zone Roster.

Project X Zone was released in Japan in October 2012 and scored high with overseas reviewers. We've had an eye on the ambitious mash up since we played it at TGS last year. Not only was the gameplay addicting, but we're looking forward to putting those annoying “who would beat who” office debates to rest.

MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 are some of the hottest games in the world right now, so it makes sense something as big as DC Comics would get in on the action. And thanks to DC’s deep roots in multiple universes and dimensions, players can battle in streamlined RTS as different versions of the same hero, all of which apparently play unique from one another.

In our first demo we got to see a steampunk Batman battle a vampiric Bats, and while both were heavy hitters, the vampire Batman’s life steal ability worked out better for us. The game’s free-to-play model means you’ll be shopping around often for new versions of your favorite heroes and villains, something could hook both MOBA fans and longtime comic readers alike.

Seemingly every popular franchise has gotten the Lego game treatment, including heavyweights like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Batman, so the couldn’t-be-hotter Marvel heroes are long overdue for a blocky adventure. But this entry seems bigger than your standard Lego title, as the devs aren’t making this for just the Avengers or X-Men. No, this game covers the entirety of the Marvel universe.

Heroes like Spider-Man, Hulk, and Wolverine all play differently from one another as they battle villains like Loki, Sandman, and Galactus. The devs seem to be having a fun time seeing just how many heroes from Marvel’s 70 year history can be crammed into one game, and we can’t wait to see how far they’ll go.

Oddly enough, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a downloadable, PC-exclusive survival horror game, is the most expensive game we've ever played. Not because it had a high price tag--indeed, the game can be purchased for a mere $15 or less--but because we collectively soiled, oh, about 18 pairs of pants trying to play through it. Now, Frictional Games is working in conjunction with developer thechineseroom (Dear Esther) on an indirect sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

The upcoming first-person horror game is set in an alternate reality of The Dark Descent's universe, featuring larger outdoor areas in comparison to the original, as well as a whole new story and cast of characters. As to whether or not we'll maintain our sanity long enough to finish it remains to be seen.

The closure of publisher THQ cost many their jobs and made the future cloudy for many of the company’s biggest franchises. Wrestling fans had been following THQ for more than a decade to get their sports entertainment fix, but now they’ll need to turn to 2K Sports for future WWE games. But even though WWE has a new digital home, it doesn’t look like the series will be starting from scratch.

Still under the watchful eye of developer Yuke’s--as well as many former THQ producers--WWE 14 looks to continue the same type of sim-ish gameplay that began in the SmackDown series. Still, we hope this new home at Take-Two gives the devs a chance to try things THQ was afraid to try, especially if this entry will end up on the PS4 or Xbox 720. We want this to be a brand-new day for pro wrestling as we know it.

Take the persistent territorial warfare of the MMO shooter PlanetSide 2 and the intense tactical battles of StarCraft II, and you've basically got End of Nations.

This free-to-play MMORTS focuses on all-out, large-scale battles between two factions vying for global control. You won't have to worry about building up bases, though--the emphasis here is on customizing squads of units (of which there are a ton to choose from), each of which have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to offensive and defensive capabilities. You'll then take these squads into battle with player-controlled allies from your faction in a variety of game modes, many of which include some of the largest-scale RTS face-offs we've ever seen.

There was a time, not so long ago, when many "hardcore" gamers thought mobile games were for babies. Then a little gem called Infinity Blade came along and proved them all wrong. Now an upcoming third entry in the series, Infinity Blade: Dungeons, is taking a whole new approach to its established slice-'n-dice formula.

Dungeons is aptly named, as it has a much bigger emphasis on dungeon-crawling and hack-'n-slash combat. Gone is the on-rails exploration and mano-a-mano battle system; instead, you'll have open environments to explore, and swiping your finger across enemies performs a variety of combat combos, depending on your touchscreen technique. We're always down for some loot-filled dungeon runs, though we're curious to see how different that might be in the Infinity Blade universe.

Return to a simpler time in the Kingdom Hearts saga, when Keyblades were rare, Keyblade wielders were carefree, and Sora's adventures didn't require a Kingdom Hearts history lesson to decipher. In Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, fans will enjoy a revamped version of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Re: Chain of Memories complete with a high-definition makeover, trophy support, and Kingdom Hearts goodies. The compilation will ship with a Theatre Mode featuring nearly three hour compilation of touched up cut scenes from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, as well as a 66-track music collection with re-recorded tunes from the two playable games and their 358/2 Days counterpart.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX will be ideal for Disney and Final Fantasy fans who’ve been waiting for a good reason to jump into the series. And even if you've played through the first game and its card-battling spin-off, this remake comes with enough fan service to justify making another trip down memory lane. At least, that's how we're justifying it to our bank accounts.

Do you fancy yourself to be a TRUE DOOM MURDERHEAD? Finally--finally--there’s a game being made just for you. As you might’ve already guessed, Barkley 2 is shorthand for the game’s true title: 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.

This pixelated action RPG garnered more than triple its Kickstarter goal, and continues the insane plotline of Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, better known as one of the funniest indie games of all time. Expect more of the same (purely canonical) madness, including cyber dwarfs, uppity JRPG fanboys, and--Barkley willing--chaos dunks.

Sony had a number of games to choose from when the company first revealed the PS4, but it decided to first showcase a game headed by Mark Cerny, the system’s lead architect. The brand new IP Knack looks like a fresh, all-ages game in the style of Nintendo or Pixar, where players control a little robot named Knack that has to fight off an invasion of fantastical beasts. Fortunately for the humans under his protection, Knack can grow to colossal size by surrounding himself with hundreds of little doodads that coincidentally show off the PS4’s ability to render a ton of on-screen items at once.

Knack appears to be the type of launch game that shows off all the features of a new console, but based on Cerny’s background, it could be much more than a cute tech demo. We’re hoping Cerny gives Knack the awesome gameplay he brought to platformers like Sonic 2, Crash Bandicoot, and Jak and Daxter. We’ll see if Knack has the chops to be the next Sony mascot when his game hits this holiday season.

We’re not above admitting the countless nights we’ve spent scribbling down notes about armor classes and tossing 20-sided die onto graph paper. Because of that, we’re immediately interested in anything Dungeons & Dragons related, which is what initially drew us to Cryptic’s upcoming free-to-play MMO, Neverwinter.

But there’s definitely more to Neverwinter than its alluring license. Besides having strong, action-packed gameplay with an emphasis on movement, it also features an incredibly in-depth dungeon creator, allowing gamers to create and share their own missions in the game. We’ve seen this in action, and it definitely looks like it’s something that’ll keep us coming back for more when the game launches this year.

So far, nothing we’ve seen from Animal Crossing: New Leaf looks all that revolutionary. The visuals are sharper, the 3D effect is nice, and you’re the mayor of a small hamlet instead of a commoner. But none of those really reinvent what Animal Crossing is. And you know what? We’re totally fine with that.

We’re anxiously awaiting being what amounts to a sharecropper for Tom Nook. We’re eager to meet our new neighbors, and excited to find out what kind of fruit our town will have. There will surely be some cool changes--maybe some neat features using the 3DS’s wireless tech--but those are secondary to getting our Animal Crossing fix.

We know a killer app when we see one. Media Molecule, makers of the cherished LittleBigPlanet franchise, have crafted a paper-themed world where you control an adorable envelope-headed hero. If it were a typical platformer, we’d still be stoked to play it. But Tearaway looks like it’ll be oh so much more.

The twist is that you can poke your godlike fingers into the world, erupting from the paper ground by tapping the back of the Vita. Being able to actually smite your enemies with a gigantic forefinger looks incredibly gratifying, and we can’t even imagine the paper-tearing possibilities for solving puzzles throughout the parchment-made world.

Super T.I.M.E. Force wasn’t on our radar until we saw the game at PAX Prime’s indie alley, but now we can’t stop thinking about the radically ‘90s tribute to Contra and similar 8-bit shooters. The only difference is that every time you die you fly back in time to the start of the stage and your previous selves are assisting you, adding an extra level of strategy to each stage.

STF is ripe with classically challenging gameplay that will test many, killing your foolhardy time commandoes over and over again. Developed by burgeoning indie dev Capybara, T.I.M.E. Force also has a sense of humor, as proven by this bodacious trailer. If there’s one pixelated shooter where you fight a T-Rex with a flame thrower, this should be the first.

Activision’s Skylanders titles went from an intriguing Spyro spin-off to a billion dollar sensation seemingly overnight. The ability to transmogrify your toys into a game is something we’d have played to no end as kids, and we’re still a little addicted to it as adults. Now Disney is getting into the interactive figurine business with Disney Infinity, and it’s bringing miniature toy versions of its iconic characters to every console it can.

Disney has an almost limitless number of characters to pull from for its toy-rific adventure, whether it’s legends like Mickey and Donald, Pixar stars, or Johnny Depp. And the game looks to expand on the Skylanders formula, mostly by including an open world Toy Box mode. Plus, just imagine the potential for expansions, particularly ones from Disney-owned Star Wars and Marvel properties. Our wallets are hurting already.

Suda51 and his studio Grasshopper Manufacture have made a real niche for themselves over the last decade. The uniquely Japanese team has created eccentric titles for years, most recently titles like Shadows of the Damned and Lolipop Chainsaw. Grasshopper’s next game, Killer is Dead, seems to keep that bloody trail of success going with a similar mix of violence, sex, and punk rock.

You play as Mondo Zappa, and he seems as odd as the musician namesake. Mondo is a professional killer that wields a samurai sword in his right hand, while his cybernetic left arm can transform into a number of different futuristic weapons. The deadly combat fits with Grasshopper’s style, and the cel-shaded graphics remind us of No More Heroes in the best ways. Killer is Dead brings together themes seen in almost every previous Grasshopper title, but will it be able to appeal to more than his normally cult audience?

Special Agent Francis York Morgan is messed up. But you'd be a little loopy too if you played the leading man in one of the strangest, most oddball open-world games of this generation. If you think that's an overstatement, you've likely never stepped foot inside Access Games' off-kilter horror title or tagged along with Morgan as he explored Greenvale in search of answers to a murder mystery that (spoilers!) is nothing like it appears to be. Suffice to say, it's an experience like few we've had before, and the promise of a new Director's Cut has us eager to step back into our gumshoes.

Even if you've played Deadly Premonition, the Director's Cut offers a number of reasons to come back to Greenvale. It will feature a new sub-plot written by the game's creator, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, updated graphics, enhanced controls, and scores of gameplay improvements. All totalled, the Director's Cut should be the definitive version of this cult indie hit, giving newbies a chance to check out what the buzz is all about and fans an opportunity to see Greenvale in a whole new light.

Payday: The Heist was an innovative, co-operative shooter that gave law-abiding players the opportunity to live out their criminal fantasies without fear of jail time. It’s polished online play had intriguing co-op mechanics and enough randomly generated content to keep each job feeling fresh. Still, for all its tight gameplay and deviant role-playing, The Heist felt like a prototype for something bigger down the road. Enter: Payday 2.

Announced in February 2013, Payday 2 looks to expand greatly on Overkill Software's 4-player rob-‘em-up formula. The studio promises it will stay true to its origins; however, from what we saw from our time on the Payday 2 developer demo, it will add a new character progression system, new classes, skill upgrades, and trumped up gameplay to the mix. Is this the bank robbing sim we've been yearning for? Hopefully, because we look forward to strapping on our clown masks this summer.

No other fantasy franchise lends itself quite as well to the massively multiplayer online landscape as The Elder Scrolls series. Its previous single-player outings were rife with lore-rich factions, races, and gargantuan continents full of quests and secrets. Now, with this year's release of The Elder Scrolls Online, we'll finally have the chance to explore Tamriel alongside thousands of others.

The game is set 1,000 years before the events of Skyrim, during a time when the evil Daedric Prince Molag Bal attempted to conquer Tamriel. While we don't expect to be shouting things to death this time around, we are looking forward to epic quests, PvP battles, and raids set in The Elder Scrolls universe.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn was a great game that went underplayed by many Wii owners, but Wii U players will get a second shot at fabric fun as another Nintendo franchise gets a yarn makeover. The currently untitled Yoshi game for Wii U is a brand-new 2D solo adventure for Mario’s pal, taking the dino and his enemies to a uniquely knitted world.

Yoshi’s Epic Yarn looks to follow in the footsteps of previous Yoshi-starring classics like Yoshi’s Island and Yoshi’s Story. In fact, the director of both those games--Takeshi Tezuka--is working on this new Wii U title alongside the Kirby’s Epic Yarn team. Though Wii U already has its share of fun 2D platformers, we’re betting Yoshi will find more than a few ways to separate himself from the pack.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is fascinating for a number of reasons. For starters, it's the first time in the history of the series that any of the numbered installments has received two direct sequels. Additionally, it only has one playable character: Lightning. Of course, it will serve as a conclusion to her tale, and, as in FFXIII-2, time manipulation will play an important role.

The entire thing will take place over a span of 13 days (get it? 13?), each continually counting down in real-time increments. Lightning can influence the time on the clock by completing certain quests and events, which can either add or detract from your limit. Now's a good time to catch up on the lore of Final Fantasy XIII, because if that cliff hanger from XIII-2 is any indication, we're in for quite a trip.

Honestly, it sounds too good to be true: a BioWare-run (well, sort of) studio is developing a free-to-play Command & Conquer running on the beautiful Frostbite 2 engine. We haven’t seen too much of the game, but what has been shown off looks mighty impressive, and we’re totally ready to nuke the hell out of some friends.

And though it lost the “Generals 2” pseudonym, it’s still very much a continuation of that popular sub-franchise, putting players into the technologically advanced European Union, the shoeless Global Liberation Army, and the mighty Asian Patriotic Alliance.

Year after year, 2K impressed us with the NBA 2K series, totally redefining the genre with top-shelf visuals and the best gameplay in its class. This reached its highest height with NBA 2K12, which, for our money, is still one of the best sports games of all time.

Last year’s entry, however, simply didn’t stack up to its predecessor, meaning 2013’s release needs to step it up if it doesn’t want to be benched. Even with that caveat, we have high hopes for the series’ continued success. Polished controls, an amazing presentation, and the appreciation for NBA history make the 2K franchise worth keeping an eye on for basketball fans.

Complain about the graphics or gameplay or, erm, lack of a single-player campaign all you want, but the real problem with 2007's Shadowrun reboot was that it had no soul. It was a bad time for EA, that kind of thing tended to happen. This year, thanks to crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, FASA Studios founder and tabletop gaming guru Jordan Weisman will return to the cyberpunk-meets-fantasy world he created. Naturally, we're excited.

Billed as a true successor to 1993/1994's iconic SNES/Genesis RPG, Shadowrun Returns promises to deliver what made the original so great. That is, an intricate story where a powerful nature state exists just beneath a crumbling technocracy. What you get is corporate espionage and dragons, neon and orcs--truly, a chocolate and peanut butter situation.

Jonathan Blow's upcoming puzzle game, The Witness, will likely elicit some fond memories of Myst--at least in terms of its mood and feeling. Beautiful, tranquil, but shrouded in mystery, the island you're stranded on is loaded with mind-numbing puzzles that will hopefully yield all the answers to a growing list of questions. Obfuscated recordings are littered around the island, which prove to be even more difficult to decipher than the environmental puzzles themselves.

It’s been awhile since we last played the game, but we are extremely excited to see what the mastermind behind Braid has been up to, and look forward to finding out more this year.

Styled like the goriest scenes from the movie Drive, the original Hotline Miami combined old school challenge with extreme (albeit pixelated) brutality. It was such a resounding indie hit that a sequel is now in the works--and it’s sure to present us with more vicious top-down violence soaked in an acid trip haze.

We can’t say for certain which features will make the jump to the sequel, but we’re crossing our fingers for more animal masks and hallucinations. We know one thing for sure: It will continue the first game’s tradition of packing the soundtrack full of sweet tunes.

Donkey Kong is nearly as old as gaming itself, so it's a wonder that Nintendo's veteran ape hasn't headlined a game on the 3DS yet (no, we're not counting Minis on the Move). Of course, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D isn't exactly a “new” game as much as it is a remake of the 2010 Wii download. Nevertheless, it's the closest thing to a 3D Donkey Kong adventure we've heard of so far, and we loved Donkey Kong Country Returns. In the end, if this is just an excuse to hop around as Diddy and DK, and save their island from Tiki Tak Tribe all over again, we're game.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is coming to the 3DS by way of Monster Games. The developer’s resume includes recreations of Nintendo classics like Pilotwings Resort for the 3DS, and Excitebike: World Rally for the Nintendo Wii. With a background like that, we hope the studio will be rebuilding Donkey Kong Country Returns from the ground up to take full advantage of the handheld's stereoscopic 3D effects.

Relic's Company of Heroes series has always prized tactical strategy over actions per minute and build orders. There are few other games in the genre in which dynamic tactics will trump superior numbers time after time--and though the focus on moment-to-moment gameplay is still a core element of Company of Heroes 2, the game will introduce some subtle yet innovative changes to the RTS genre.

The biggest of these is CoH2's “TrueSight” line-of-sight tech, where the fog of war is lifted only in areas that your troops can directly "see". That, coupled with the weather simulations that can literally freeze your soldiers to death, should make for some interesting skirmishes out in the Eastern Front. Just be sure to pack a winter coat: We hear it gets pretty chilly over in Russia.

Far Cry 3 was one of our favorite games of last year, thanks to open world FPS combat and one of our favorite bad guys in gaming history. But forget all of that for the upcoming stand alone downloadable Blood Dragon, and instead get ready to embrace everything that was radical about the 1980s.

Playing as Michael Bean, co-star of the original Terminator, this tongue-in-cheek adventure is no April Fool’s joke. This hot pink throwback is too awesome to not be real, and we can’t wait to kill cyborgs in the “future” of 2007, spouting one liners as we gun down every cyborg in sight.

After Rayman Origin’s surprise success, Ubisoft quickly started on a sequel to the gorgeously animated platformer, this time tailored to fit on Nintendo’s newest console. First premiered at E3 2012, the Rayman Legends promises the same mix of manic multiplayer as before, and the fluid, 2D art looks even better than in the first game's.

And for Wii U owners in need of something fresh to use all the console's bells and whistles, Legends seems to be a perfect showcase for the GamePad’s screen and motion tech. Don’t believe us? Download the demo, and pay close attention to the last level, which has you platforming to a Rayman-ized version of the song Black Betty.

Bohemia Interactive, developers of the Arma series, is all about military authenticity. In fact, its development team is so dedicated that two employees were arrested in Greece on charges of espionage when they wandered too close to a military base they were researching for the game. Now that's what you'd call loyalty to detail. So, you can imagine why we're so excited to play the next iteration in the military simulator/open world playground.

Bohemia isn’t straying far from Arma II’s formula, but it is adding extra features (like underwater gameplay) and giving the entire thing a new coat of paint. Besides being the closest thing you can get to a military exercise (aside from physically joining the army), Arma II's editing tools have spawned smash-hit mods such as Day Z--so there is no telling what sorts of amazing ideas will spawn from Arma III mods. Get ready, modding community.

It's been 12 years since Tidus and his Spira allies blitzballed their way into Final Fantasy lore, and this year Square is set on commemorating Final Fantasy's tenth chapter in a brand new, remastered edition. This PS3 and PS-Vita-exclusive will accompanied by an HD version of Final Fantasy X-2, which fans will lovingly remember as the first ever direct FF sequel, and that it starred Yuna, Rikku, and Paine as three warriors who join forces to save Spira through the power of dance and fashion.

Square hasn't let on if it’s doing more than updating FFX and FFX-2's graphics, however it did pledge to release the combo by December 31, 2013 in North America. This is great and all, but what’s taking Square so long with Final Fantasy VII HD?

Most of the time comic nerds are fine with the T-rated titles starring heroes like Batman and Spider-Man, but sometimes they need something with blood, guts, and dirty jokes, which is exactly what’s needed to make an authentic Deadpool adventure. Deadpool: The Game stars Marvel’s mutant merc with a mouth, and gives the comedic killer for hire a chance to be his fourth-wall-breaking self in a new M-rated game.

Not much is known about the plot other than Deadpool will be murdering scores of hired thugs in creative ways, all while the voices in his head provide snarky commentary. However, we do know Deadpool is voiced by very talented Nolan North and that the game is developed by High Moon Studios, the team behind Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, meaning the dev already has a promising history of creating licensed games that are hardly disposable.

Platinum Games has such a good reputation that any upcoming title from the dev would be anticipated, but The Wonderful 101 (formerly Project P-100) has the special distinction of being the next game helmed by Hideki Kamiya, director of Bayonetta, Okami, and Viewtiful Joe. Appearing to be infused with a similar creative spark, Wonderful 101 is a Wii U exclusive that puts you in the role of a superhero that must give ordinary folks powers so they can assist him in stopping an alien invasion.

Your team of super beings not only back you up in a fight, but also can be shaped into weapons and tools depending on what you draw on the GamePad’s touch screen. The Pikmin meets Viewtiful Joe adventure looks to be a loving tribute to Super Sentai shows whose inventive uses for the GamePad are fitting of Platinum’s pedigree.

The thought of a classic point-and-click adventure coming from Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine has us all giddy on the inside, even though at this time we only know that it's called Broken Age and tells the story of two young kids separated by time.

What makes this project exciting, though, is that the entire development process will be public for the 87K fans that backed it on Kickstarter, and it’s to be documented by 2 Player Productions. Without a publisher, Double Fine is free to make all its decisions on its own terms, so we are set to get an unfiltered, honest-to-goodness adventure game from the team that brought us Psychonauts and Brutal Legend. It all sounds like some wonderful dream.

Few franchises approach the absurd scale of the Total War series. Wait, did we say few? We meant none. Creative Assembly’s massive Total War games provide the biggest battles in the genre, and with Total War: Rome II the developer is continuing in that tradition while also adding more personality to the world.

While you’ll still command squads of thousands, more of an emphasis has been put on the personal side thanks to the addition of Unit Camera. Unit Camera lets you zoom in closer than ever before--close enough to see the soldiers give war speeches, or to experience things from their point-of-view, adding an interesting perspective we didn’t have before.

The Mario Kart series started as a light-hearted approach to racing, but it has since grown into one of Nintendo’s highest-selling franchises. At this point it’s a given that each Nintendo system (console or portable) will receive a Mario Kart game, but what can Nintendo pull out of its hat for the Wii U edition?

We hope that the game separates itself some from Mario Kart Wii. Though the Wii entry was a fine racer, we felt it was a little too kiddie, so we hope Nintendo favors the more competitive style of Mario Kart 7. We like blasting people with a Blue Shell as much as the next gamer, but if items like those that are used too often, it takes some the fun out of the competition. We’ll see how Nintendo balances the game and how it’ll use the GamePad when the title is playable at E3 this year.

We don’t know exactly what to expect from the second season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead series, but that’s likely for the best. Truth be told, we didn’t really know what to expect from the first season, and that turned out pretty well--so well, in fact, that we named it our 2012 Game of the Year. The writing was top-notch, the story was engrossing, and though the gameplay wasn’t as interactive as some would've liked, it was strong enough for the game snatch our hearts right out of our chests.

Moving on to season two, we want the franchise to take a more explosive path, ditching the survival angle for a more aggressive, Michael Bay-inspired first-person shooter, wher--nah. Realistically, we want more of the same--except even better. We want it to steal our hearts all over again, and for it to stomp our hearts mercilessly while we cry in the corner, screaming, “NO! STOP STOMPING ON OUR HEARTS! WE NEED THEM TO PUMP BLOOD TO OUR TEAR DUCTS SO WE CAN CRY MORE!”

DuckTales is one of the most cherished games of the NES era, but is there still room in this cold modern world for aquatic, treasure-hunting billionaires? Capcom will solve this mystery (perhaps rewriting history in the process?) with a remake of its 1989 Disney globe-trotting classic.

Scheduled for a summer release, this reworked DuckTales Remastered aims to recapture the charm and platforming mastery of the original while appealing to fans young and old. Over and above new artwork, the remake will sport completely redrawn visuals, updated controls, and game alterations like a reduction in Scrooge McDuck's trips to Transylvania. Capcom's developers have also stated the game's default mode will be easier than the 1989 version, but that old school fans will have the option to test their mettle on the original's controller-smashing difficulty level. The team also hinted the success of DuckTales may determine if other classic Disney platformers make a comeback, saying Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Aladdin, and Darkwing Duck are first on their radar.

The SimCity series has had an air of rundown Detroit lately. Though recent releases have been somewhat successful, most fans would agree that the franchise’s greatest heights happened nearly 20 years ago. Despite this lengthy period of stagnation, a renaissance may be in the works. The quaintly named SimCity looks to advance the city-building genre a few decades forward with its ingenious new GlassBox engine, which visibly simulates elements of the gameplay that were previously executed behind the scenes and beneath the network of reticulated splines.

What's most exciting, though, are the online and social elements. Sure, some scoff at the online-only nature of the sequel (boo, hiss, DRM or whatever), but we’re fine with SimCity becoming a persistent SimContinent, where friends can build their own neighboring metropolii. Yes, please.

The "Year of Luigi" continues with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the next entry in the duo's handheld RPG saga. This time, Luigi is trapped in a coma (which we're guessing is caused by the frightening events of the recent Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon), and Mario needs to dive into his mind the save the day. In other words, it's Mario Inception, and we couldn't be happier.

We’re on the verge of suffering from Mario fatigue after seeing him star in so many games over the past couple years, but this is a special case. Nintendo's star level design team behind Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D Land, are confirmed to be working on a new 3D Mario for Nintendo’s new home console. The company has yet to talk about the game's features, but the last two 3D Marios have more than earned our confidence in the game.

Will it be out this year? Currently, we only know that it’ll be shown in playable form at E3 2013, and that’s a good sign that development is pretty far along. The Wii U definitely needs a major release like this sooner than later, so here’s hoping the dev team can get it ready for the holiday season.

Codemasters has a long-standing habit of changing the landscape of racing games completely and without warning. They can’t help it. It’s just what happens when you’re one of the best racing studios in the world. The first Grid was an utter revelation, blending aggressive, accessible action with simmy satisfaction to create a perfectly balanced driving model and racing so real it could make weaker humans vomit.

It also had AI so believable that you’d swear your console was possessed. It instantly became the most important racer of the generation. That was nearly five years ago, and it still hasn’t been bettered. It’s about to be bettered with Grid 2. You have been warned.

The Infamous series has never gotten all the credit it deserved. Both Infamous titles found new ways to make open world super heroics feel fresh on the PS3, but after spending so much time with protagonist Cole McGrath, we need the kind of fresh start that the PS4 entry presents. Infamous: Second Son still takes place in the same universe, but replaces Cole with a young man named Delsin Rowe.

The curiously named Delsin lives in a world where super powers are equated with terrorism and the government is always on the lookout for anyone showing signs of special abilities. But developer Sucker Punch isn’t just interested in handing players a superman to explore a near-future version of Seattle. They also want the game to ask important questions about government corruption and the price of freedom, which are pretty weighty topics for this early PS4 adventure. Can the devs balance those big ideas with fun, next-gen level gameplay?

The announcement of Rainbow 6: Patriots back in 2011 was rather controversial because it portrayed could-be scenarios that hit a bit close to home. Namely, the game's primary enemies, a group of terrorists that call themselves the True Patriots, consisted of rebellious Americans victimized by economic inequality. The gameplay we saw during a preview event looked promising (albeit a bit ethically uncomfortable), and we were excited at the thought of a gritty, morally-grounded tactical shooter.

Then, Patriots went silent when most of its top-level development team was removed from the project. We've heard little of it since, other than it's still a thing that exists--but we're starting to wonder if we'll actually see it in 2013, or if it'll be pushed into the next-gen cycle.

It sounds like it’ll be a long wait before the we get an all new Zelda game on the Wii U, but Nintendo at least has a good plan to keep us busy while we wait. Zelda fans will get to experience Link’s first ever high def release with the remake Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. And we can’t think of a better Zelda game to revisit.

Originally controversial for its cartoony graphics, Wind Waker has aged like a fine wine, and it remains our favorite Zelda game to date--just look at our list of the best games ever. Bringing the massive, seafaring quest to the Wii U not only gives a whole new generation of gamers a chance to enjoy Wind Waker, but those who avoided the game for its art style can see what they've missed.

When it comes to actual details, all we have to go on is a piece of concept art (above) and some unconfirmed information from a leak and some court documents. Said info sets Destiny on Earth, where humanity’s last city is under assault by aliens. Players are Knights sworn to defend the city, but they’re not alone--the crumbling world is protected by a mysterious alien ship known only as “The Traveler” that hovers like a moon around the planet. Will it play like Halo? Will it be next-gen? We can’t wait to find out.

Batman: Arkham Asylum shocked gamers by bringing both comic book and action adventure gaming to new levels of greatness. When the Dark Knight returned with Batman: Arkham City, the great stealth, combat, and exploration was further refined, then placed inside one of the most intriguing open worlds we’ve ever played. After all that, what can the Caped Crusader do for an encore? Go back to the start of his career.

Developed by new team Warner Montreal, Origins tells the tale of one night where a young Batman is tested like never before. On Christmas Eve, The Bat is hunted by a team of assassins, lead by Deathstroke and paid for by Black Mask. This isn't the origin of Batman, but it is early enough that you'll see him meet some of his greatest allies and enemies for the first time. Too much to hope to see Mark Hamill return as The Joker?

Capcom’s newest IP came out of nowhere, yet Remember Me’s thought-provoking premise and dystopian near-future setting make it one of the most intriguing games on this list. With hand-to-hand combat and plenty of urban platforming, this third-person adventure could end up feeling like the big-budget Mirror’s Edge sequel we never had, with a generous dash of Blade Runner’s style mixed in.

Playing as the nimble heroine Nilin, you’ll seek out and steal the memories of key targets living in Neo-Paris. When you think about it, snagging the code from a safe right out of another person’s mind, before erasing any memory of your presence, would be the perfect crime. Hopefully, Nilin’s thievery will be the unsavory means to a noble end: getting her own wiped memories restored.

Dragon Age II's missteps didn't spur much confidence in the series going forward. Still, with Bioware's willingness to modify their games according to fan feedback and critical reception, we have really high hopes for the series' third installment. Especially if the developer decides to take a few steps back and have Inquisition play off the strengths of both Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II.

BioWare has already mentioned that the scope of Inquisition will be massive, saying a single level is larger than all of Dragon Age 2's dungeons combined, the companions' customization has been expanded, and the combat has been reworked to accommodate more strategic gameplay. Really though, just having another chance to explore Thedas in an epic fantasy adventure full of political intrigue, racist races, and humongous dragons has us giddy with anticipation.

Splinter Cell: Black List is a fresh start for Sam Fisher in a whole bunch of ways. For starters, it’s the first game (Splinter Cell or otherwise) from new studio Ubisoft Toronto, headed up by Jade Raymond. You might remember her from when she produced a game called Assassin’s Creed a little while back. There’s newness in the story too, with Sam now leading a brand new, baggage-free Fourth Echelon organization and is being played by younger actor Eric Johnson in order to take performance capture to the next level.

Gameplay-wise it looks like a powerful evolution from Conviction, with methodical, pure stealth and stylish aggression available throughout. And after Conviction’s lo-fi amateur-agent approach, globe-trotting government-approved gadget-collecting looks to be back in a big way.

For PlayStation owners, Killzone has been one of the most important console exclusives, be it arriving for the PS2, PS3, or even PSP. Sony has always counted on the visually stunning, futuristic shooter to showcase graphical horsepower, and it looks like Sony is once again counting on developer Guerrilla Games with Killzone: Shadow Fall when it arrives as a PS4 launch title.

The plot is reminiscent of Germany's division into Eastern and Western halves after World War II, where the fractured city is at odds with itself. The expansive cityscapes of the reveal demo looked gorgeous, but can the rest of the game’s graphics meet the high expectations of next generation visuals? We’ll know when we finally boot up our PS4 this holiday.

Teased for far too long by series creator and all-around gaming god Shigeru Miyamoto, Pikmin 3 is finally becoming a reality in 2013. As before, you control a lost astronaut using an army of vegetable men to collect the parts needed to rebuild your spacecraft, and it’s all controlled with the same inviting approach to RTS fundamentals. Those mechanics look like they'll benefit from smoother controls, thanks to the series switching to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo first used in the Wii rereleases of Pikmin and Pikmin 2.

Even if the standard controls pretty much ignore the advancements of the Wii U’s GamePad, the series is benefitting from the system’s enhanced graphics. The tactile world of Pikmin looks more believable than ever before, with HD detail given to blades of grass, strawberries, and the other debris the diminutive Pikmin pull out of the dirt. While it’s possible Nintendo will announce some bombshells at this year's E3, Pikmin 3 is currently our most anticipated Wii U game of the year.

2013 is definitely the year of the brawler. DmC is almost upon us. Kratos is getting the prequel treatment in God of War: Ascension. Metal Gear Rising is finally going to give us a playable Raiden to be proud of. Even Bayonetta is coming back. But do not let Castlevania get lost in the scrum, however hard the bigger names might punch.

The most shameless and successful grab-bag of influences this side of Singularity, Lords of Shadow’s God of War meets Prince of Persia meets Shadow of the Colossus gameplay was a winner through and through, not to mention a thoroughly gorgeous sensory experience. With a fully vamp-powered Dracula to play this time around, the promise of a new weapon-set, and--perhaps most excitingly of all--modern-day settings for LoS’ glorious artwork to smear over like so much thick, tasty hemoglobin, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is not resting on those laurels. Be excited.

An imaginary Bayonetta sequel has been burning a hole in our skulls ever since, well, since the credits rolled on the first game, basically. Even three years later it’s almost impossible to take in the all-consuming excellence of Platinum’s HD debut. Had it simply been the wild, funny, beautiful, and extravagantly creative face-melting rollercoaster that it undoubtedly was, Bayonetta would still have been one of this gen’s stand-out games. But while Bayonetta did indeed revel in an ability to fire out delirious, sparkling lunacy like a veritable mad firework man of the mind, it combined that nature with the tightest, deepest, most gratifying third-person combat in years, thus cemented its place as one of the stand-out games of any generation.

We know very little about Bayonetta 2 so far. We know that it exists. We know that it’s a Wii U exclusive. We know that it’s published by Nintendo. But given exactly how brilliant and important the original was, the matter of its existence alone is all that’s needed to justify the sequel’s place on this list.

Rule the White House with an iron fist and/or Dubstep Gun in this continuation of the Saints Row series. Built on top of the canned Enter the Dominatrix DLC for Saints Row: The Third, the standalone chapter will reportedly feature a “f**k-ton more” content than its predecessor and a large sum of DLC content.

So the game is big, but what is it about? Aside from the fact that players will control the leader of the US within an alien-created virtual reality, we're not entirely sure. What we do know is Saints Row IV won't back down from its balls-out sandbox tone, this time adding super-powers, mech suits, insane weaponry, and the soon-to-be-infamous Dubstep Gun which--you guessed it--obliterates enemies with phat beatz and dope rhythms. This full sequel is scheduled to bring chaos to the free world this fall.

The games of director David Cage and his company Quantic Dream have always been inspired and full of promise in concept, but the company isn't known for fully delivering on that potential. Which is to say, games like Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy offered compelling set-ups, but plot holes, strange twists, and lost-in-translation moments have led to a good deal of anti-climax. Beyond: Two Souls looks like it could finally buck the trend.

Beyond has big-name actress Ellen Page playing Jodie Holmes, a young woman with a powerful, ghostly friend. The troubled young girl is on the run from the government, and the unseen threat, called Idan, defends her from the deadly attackers. An intriguing story that begs the question of what happens after you die, Beyond may truly bridge the gap between film storytelling and gaming, something Cage has been striving to accomplish for years.

Some gamers have alleged that the core Pokemon titles have stayed too static over the years, barely changing from the Game Boy entries up until last year’s Pokemon Black/White 2. That argument seems to have gotten much easier for Pokemaniacs to contest, because the just-revealed Pokemon X/Y looks like a huge step forward, thanks in no small part to the biggest graphical leap in franchise history. 2D sprites have been completely replaced with 3D Pokemon in a 3D world, a fitting update for its arrival on the 3DS.

Outside of the new starters and legendaries, little has been revealed about the game, though we pored over the trailer to find out every secret hidden within. If the gameplay can progress as much as the visuals, and if the developers keep focusing on deeper stories like they did in Black/White, X/Y could be the most important Pokemon entry since the series first launched.

No, we’re not $&#@ing with you. So far, everything we’ve seen about South Park: The Stick of Truth makes us think it might be one of the most entertaining games of the year. Yeah. Seriously. Developed by the same team that made Fallout: New Vegas, the South Park game is a massive RPG, with animation that looks to be pulled straight off of Comedy Central and combat that would be at home in a Paper Mario game.

Honestly, though, it’s really the game’s sense of humor that lands it on the list. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote the script for the game, and their love of gaming shines through in Stick of Truth. Every scene we’ve seen had us rolling with laughter, with awesomely meta jokes about gaming, fantasy, pop culture, and everything in between. And poop. There are high-quality poop jokes.

4A Games' freshman offering Metro 2033 (based on a Russian novel of the same name) introduced a post-apocalyptic world in which survivors took refuge in Moscow's monster-infested metro tunnels. More importantly, it delivered in spades what many of today's first-person shooters lack almost entirely: atmosphere.

The post-apocalyptic FPS was dark, gritty, and incredibly immersive--and what we've seen from the upcoming sequel, Metro: Last Light, has us excited to jump back into the dangerous, intense tunnels from which we were once so happy to escape.

Considering the six-year lag between the release of Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 3, it's odd to think that the next Battlefield is right around the corner. However, we can't help but be excited for the upcoming Battlefield 4 release later this year. Since BF3 has the modern-warfare era pretty well covered, that may be reason enough for BF4 to venture into another time period. And, well, blowing up players in brand new environments with an array of military death machines is always a good thing.

It's all speculation at this point, but the Battlefield series hasn't been afraid to explore various wartime eras. WWII, Vietnam, modern day, and even future warfare have already gotten dedicated games. Now the question is, "Where (or when) will EA Dice go next?" Maybe it's time they go all Marty McFly and head back to the future (Battlefield 2143, anyone?). We'll just have to wait and see.

Many Zelda fans were already excited for the Wii U remake of Wind Waker, but Nintendo had at least one other game in store for this year, and this one is original, even if it is clearly inspired by a previous Zelda hit. The 3DS is getting an original adventure for Link, but it’s a direct sequel to A Link to the Past, a game many (including us) call one of the BEST EVER. How does Nintendo intend to follow up such an iconic game? One way is that the publisher is fully embracing the 3D visuals.

Many no doubt remember that Link to the Past’s dungeons had multiple levels to them, so Nintendo is building on that by making Link’s world more vertical than ever. Though the graphics are the old school, top down style, Link will continuously be flying up into the screen when exploring, sometimes being flung up to another level of a dungeon. But Link isn’t all about three dimensions, as he has a new power that transforms him into a flat drawing that can stick to walls. We look forward to finding out the story behind that ability, as well as the real title for this game, before it’s out this holiday season.

The next entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise has just been announced, and it appears to take the series in new directions while also being a follow-up to Assassin‘s Creed III. The cover art for Assassin‘s Creed IV: Black Flag implies a return to the high seas gameplay that ACIII dabbled in, but the assassin of IV looks much more interested in pillaging people than protecting them. His look and the subtitle of Black Flag certainly match up with rumors that the game would be pirate themed.

It’s strange to see Ubi return with a new, numbered entry in the Assassin’s Creed series so soon after ACIII. And after the uneven finale of ACIII, we’re hoping the developers can fix some of the issues we (and many others had with the game). ACIV is a chance at a new beginning, and we’re really interested to see if the game will be hitting the next-gen consoles as well. Hopefully we’ll know sooner rather than later.

The announcement of Dark Souls II has us cautiously optimistic. On the one hand, series director Hidetaka Miyazaki is taking on the role of supervisor, leaving directorial duties to a duo of newcomers to the Souls franchise. On the other, it's Dark Souls II--a sequel to one of the most dauntingly brutal games to ever grace our gaming libraries.

We've discussed in detail what we want to see from Dark Souls II, largley because one of the new directors dropped the words "more straightforward and more understandable" in relation to his vision of the game. But so long as that applies merely to the harder-to-digest aspects of the game, like its crafting or Covenant systems, then we won't start flipping tables just yet. Still, the thought of testing our mettle against some of the most devious bosses and harrowing environments ever conceived has us practically cartwheeling in anticipation.

This ain't no Grand Theft Auto or Crackdown open-world situation: Instead of playing as a hardened criminal or a beefy supercop, you'll be roaming near-future city streets as the suspicious tech-genius Aiden Pearce. Rather than cause commotion with guns and vehicles--which we're so over until the release of GTA V--you'll be using Aiden's mastery over the technological domain to wreak havoc. Already we've seen some tantalizing uses for his techno-wizardry, from sneakily changing stop lights to info-bombing every cell-phone in a one-block radius. It's the kind of novel game concept that makes us utter a Keanu Reeves "Woah."

Watch Dogs also has something going for it that few big-budget games even attempt: a sense of the mysterious. Aiden's motives are insanely difficult to suss out, and it seems that he might be as skilled at brawling as he is hacking. Also, is he tailing assassination targets, or is he the one being followed? We're not quite sure--but we’ll know soon enough.

Naughty Dog’s follow-up to its Uncharted trilogy has been hotly anticipated since it was announced, and the enthusiasm has only grown in the last year. In an interesting turn, The Last of Us replaces the blockbuster, action-film feel of Uncharted with a bleak, desperate setting, where the last remnants of humanity are struggling to survive. You play as Joel, a grizzled survivor who remembers society before the fall. With you is Ellie, a young girl who has never known a world that wasn’t infested with flesh-eating monsters.

So far the game has made a name for itself by being intensely violent, including scenes of Joel brutally murdering other survivors. Can Ellie help him keep his humanity as they explore an eerily beautiful, overgrown world? Or will they fall in the face of such extreme odds? Or will it turn out that Joel is actually a near-future version of Nathan Drake? We can’t wait to find out.

Come spring of 2013 it'll have been five years since Grand Theft Auto 5 came out, making another entry in the esteemed series long overdue. Enter GTA 5. Taking place in Los Santos (the series stand-in for Los Angeles), GTA 5 promises big changes for the series.

First, the Southern California setting is reportedly the largest in franchise history, bigger than all the real estate in Red Dead Redemption, GTA 4, and GTA: San Andreas combined. And filling out that vast world are three different main characters that you jump between throughout the game. Based on the first trailer, the tone seems a little more comedic than GTA 4, but we bet we’ll still see the tragic downfall of at least one of the three high-stakes criminals that star in the game.

Whew! We’re exhausted. Are you exhausted? Because we’re exhausted. 2013 is shaping up to be one hell of a year, even without the inevitable next-generation of consoles and the announcements that will come out of E3 this year. What games are you most excited for this year? Let us know in the comments below!

And if you're looking for more games to hold you over until these come out, check out the best games of 2012 and the best games of all time.