2013 is set to be a defining year: Croatia will join the European Union, India will launch the Mangalyaan spacecraft to Mars, and Australia will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. However, by far the most significant part of 2013 will be the release of a new batch of first person shooters, with some thrilling titles expected.
BioShock: Infinite February 2013
When the first BioShock game was released in August 2007, the eponymously titled debut, along with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, transformed general expectations of what first person shooter should be. The fluid storyline led the gameplay rather than being led itself and the stunning virtual world created by developers 2K Games and Irrational was in beautiful contrast to the widely battlefield dominated genre. It’s a philosophy that is being upheld in the fourth release of the series, Infinite. The title was set for a 2012 launch, however, to ensure optimal gaming quality, which will include more gameplay scenarios than ever, it was pushed back to February 2013. While the latest storyline of an ex-agent sent to save a damsel in distress may seem hackneyed, if previous versions in the series are anything to go by, Infinite will be anything but unoriginal.
Aliens: Colonial Marines February 2013
Also out in early 2013 is Aliens: Colonial Marines, the sequel to the film of the same name. Although this is at the same time that BioShock: Infinite will be released, the two games are diverse enough to ensure that they won’t eat into each others market share too much. Developed by Gearbox, Colonial Marines is a traditional shoot em up, with an alien twist. While the game may not be groundbreaking, it will nonetheless be hugely anticipated, not just for its engrossing gameplay and razor sharp graphics, but for its, almost, intolerable levels of suspense, an element of the genre that is often neglected. As well as plenty of spine tingling apprehension, Colonial Marines also features a slick multiplayer option, a very important aspect for any modern shooter.
Battlefield 4 Autumn 2013
Developed by EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment, Battlefield 3 was a massive hit, taking numerous titles at the 2011 IGN People’s Choice Awards, including Best Shooter and Best Multiplayer Game. During a keynote conference in the same year at the University of California, the president of the gaming giants EA, Frank Gibeau, revealed that the there would be another installment of the series, without giving out any specifics. Since then, anticipation has been steadily growing, so by the time Battlefield 4 is finally released in the autumn of 2013, fans should be nauseous with excitement. However, EA look set to live up to the pressure with a game that will again push the boundaries of possibility with incredible graphics and a flawless game engine.
Latest Call of Duty Unspecified 2013
The biggest and most anticipated release of all has not yet even been confirmed. However, as sure as night turns to day, the next iteration of genre giant Call of Duty will get its annual run out in 2013. The series has been a massive part of the first person shooter landscape since its inception ten years ago, and the most recent version, Black Ops 2, hit unprecedented levels of success, with 16,000 midnight openings globally, racking up $500 million in 24 hours to break the previous record of $400 million, held by it predecessor Modern Warfare 3. There’s no reason that this trend shouldn’t continue, so the franchise is set for another record breaking release when the latest CoD comes out sometime in 2013.
