Top 100 Biggest Games of 2013

See the Top 100 Biggest Games of 2013 in the overview below. I love making this list every year. Mainly because 2013 is looking to be yet another awesome year for us gamers!

Anticipation without means, is half the fun or so it seems. While you are now looking forward to a great many games, at the end of 2013 we believe the listed 100 titles are the games you will fondly remember playing. Both logical and indeterminable factors taken into account are: Hype, developer potential, nostalgia, recent critical successes, a series’ past sales and average review scores, all counted towards this unbiased Top 100 of big games you can expect to see in 2013.

Please comment to let us know: What are your favorite games of 2013?

No doubt one of your favorite games is missing*. We want to emphasize this is not our personal opinion, we’ve had to cut about 100+ games from the original overview in editing the past 20 hours. But we’re really happy with how the Top 100 turned out and hope to play all of them this year (all of us at VGB own all systems). If your favorites aren’t high enough in the list we look forward to seeing what your Top 5 looks like in the comments. Release date are listed behind each game’s systems overview. If you’re looking for more info from a certain game, click on its preview link. With that said…

* The long disclaimer about why certain games are/aren’t included:
The following games don’t have a clear launch window yet, are on hold, or aren’t expected to arrive until 2014: The Last Guardian, Agent, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Half-Life 3, Beyond Good & Evil 2, DOOM 4, Prey 2, Duke Nukem Begins, Cyberpunk 2077, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, The Legend of Zelda HD, Dark Souls II, Guillermo Del Toro’s InSane, Tomonobu Itagaki’s Devil’s Third, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium, Persona 5, ObsCure 3, Monster Hunter 4, BioShock Vita, Duke Begins, next Prince of Persia game, next Assassin’s Creed game, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, Fable 4, Fallout Online, Fallout 4, Thief 4, and The Agency. — Then there’s all the awesome downloadable content releases that I didn’t know where to place. Remakes like HD Collections & Ports were excluded, since the focus is mainly on new releases. We wished to included more iPhone/iPad/handheld titles and more games from Indie developers, but they are often not announced until nearly complete. E3 2013 will also hold surprise announcements we don’t know about yet. What remained is what you see below and while all these games are wildly different, we truly believe these games will all be on par with each other with 8, 9 or 10 out of 10 scores.

Runners Up:
Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, Tales of Xillia, Dragon Quest X, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2, Killer is Dead, WWE Brawl, Total War Rome II, Killzone: Mercenary, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, The Witness, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Dynasty Warriors 8, Fuse, Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler, Anarchy Reigns, MechWarrior Online, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, Monster Hunter 4, Project Draco, Dragon’s Crown, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus, Dead or Alive 5 Plus, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, The Witch and The Hundred Knights, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, God Mode, TrackMania 2: Stadium, Neverwinter (2013), Rise of the Triad (2013), Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, Toki Tori 2, Guacamelee, Dust 514, Zeno Clash II, Dungeonland, Spartacus Legends, The Dark Eye: Demonicon, Planetary Annihilation, Shadowrun Returns, Cities in Motion 2, X Rebirth, Routine, Corpse Party 2: Book of Shadows, ARMA 3, World of Warships MMO, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Project CARS, Europa Universalis IV, The War Z, OUTLAST, Among The Sleep, Girl Fight, Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar, Warframe, Kingdom Under Fire II, Sacred 3, Survarium, Mistborn: Birthright Video Game, Divinity: Original Sin, Sins of a Dark Age, Sky Legends, Team Meat’s Mew-Genics, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, Anarchy Reigns, Demon Tribe, Warrior’s Lair, Warface, Ryse, Matter, Fortnite, Mercenary Ops, Transformers Universe, DARK, Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded, Double Fine Adventure.

Top 100 Biggest Games of 2013

Let’s take a look…

#100. Slender: The Arrival
#99. Carmageddon: Reincarnation
#98. Game & Wario
#97. The Wonderful 101
#96. Phantasy Star Online 2
#95. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
#94. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
#93. Defiance: The Video Game
#92. Soul Sacrifice
#91. Fire Emblem: Awakening
#90. Dead State
#89. Wasteland 2
#88. Company of Heroes 2
#87. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate
#86. Tearaway
#85. Shinji Mikami’s Project Zwei
#84. Until Dawn
#83. Rain
#82. Puppeteer
#81. The Cave
#80. Yoshi’s Land
#79. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
#78. DOTA 2
#77. MLB 13: The Show
#76. Firefall
#75. Yakuza 5
#74. Real Racing 3
#73. Infinity Blade: Dungeons
#72. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
#71. Bayonetta 2
#70. XCOM (2013)
#69. Brothers in Arms: Furious 4
#68. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
#67. Deadpool: The Video Game
#66. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
#65. Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt Add-on
#64. Battlefield 3: End Game Add-on
#63. Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn
#62. Remember Me
#61. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Patriots
#60. Tekken X Street Fighter
#59. Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel
#58. Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon
#57. Metro: Last Light
#56. Aliens: Colonial Marines
#55. Sly Cooper 4: Thieves in Time
#54. Major League Baseball 2K13
#53. Football Manager 2014
#52. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14: The Master Historic
#51. The Sims 3: 70′s, 80′s and 90′s Stuff Expansion Pack
#50. LEGO City: Undercover
#49. Pikmin 3
#48. DmC: Devil May Cry
#47. NBA 2K14
#46. Command & Conquer: Generals 2
#45. GRID 2
#44. Wii Fit U
#43. Homefront 2
#42. Lost Planet 3
#41. Dead Island: Riptide
#40. Rayman Legends
#39. SimCity (2013)
#38. Star Trek: The Game
#37. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
#36. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
#35. Dr. Kawashima’s Devilish Brain Training: Can You Stay Focused?
#34. WWE 14
#33. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
#32. Skylanders (2013)
#31. Just Dance 5

#30. Beyond: Two Souls

Sales Previous Developed Game: 2 Million
Release Date: 2013
System: PS3
Developer: Quantic Dream
Genre: Action-Adventure, Interactive Movie

#29. Watch Dogs

Sales Previous Developed Game: 7+ Million
Release Date: 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Reflections
Genre: Open World Action-Adventure, Stealth

#28. The Walking Dead: The Game – Season 2

Info: The Walking Dead: The Game – Season 2 Announcement
Sales Previous Season: 1.2 Million
Release Date: 2013
System: PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, Mobile
Developer: Telltale Games
Genre: Point-and-click Adventure

#27. Crysis 3

Sales Previous Game: 3+ Million
Release Date: February 19, 2013
System: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: Crytek Frankfurt, Crytek UK
Genre: First-Person Shooter

#26. South Park: The Stick of Truth

Sales Previous Developed Game: 5+ Million
Release Date: March 5, 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment, Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Genre: RPG

#25. Plants vs. Zombies 2

Info: Plants vs. Zombies 2 Announcement
Sales Previous Game: Millions
Release Date: 2013
System: PC, Mac
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: MMORPG

#24. Saints Row 4

Sales Previous Game: 4+ Million
Release Date: 2013
System: PC, Mac
Developer: Valve Corporation
Genre: Action-RTS

#23. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity

Sales Previous Game: 4.1 Million
Release Date: March 24, 2013
System: 3DS
Developer: Spike Chunsoft, The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
Genre: Roguelike RPG

#22. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Info: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Preview
Sales Previous Game: 4.5+ Million
Release Date: March 12, 2013
System: PC, Mac
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Real-Time Strategy

#21. Diablo III Expansion Pack

Info: Diablo III Expansion Pack Announcement
Buy It: Only available as of yet is Diablo III
Sales Previous Game: 10+ Million
Release Date: Q2 2013
System: PC, Mac
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Action-RPG, Dungeon Crawler, Hack ‘n Slash

#20. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Sales Previous Game: 5+ Million
Release Date: February 19, 2013
System: PS3, Xbox 360
Developer: Platinum Games, Konami
Genre: Action, Hack ‘n Slash

#19. Injustice: Gods Among Us

Sales Previous Developed Game: 3 Million
Release Date: April 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Genre: Fighting

#18. Star Wars 1313

Sales Previous Similar Game: 7+ Million
Release Date: 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: LucasArts
Genre: Action-Adventure

#17. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Sales Previous Game: 3+ Million
Release Date: Q2 2013
System: PS3, Xbox 360
Developer: Square Enix 1st Production Department
Genre: Action-RPG, Action-Adventure?

#16. Tomb Raider (2013)

Sales Previous Game: 4.5 Million
Release Date: March 5, 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Genre: Action-Adventure, Platformer

#15. Madden NFL 14

Info: Madden NFL Series
Sales Previous Game: 5+ Million
Release Date: August 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PS Vita
Developer: EA Tiburon
Genre: Sports, American Football Simulation

#14. FIFA Soccer 14

Sales Previous Game: 16 Million
Release Date: September 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac, Wii U, 3DS, PS Vita, Mobile
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports, Soccer Simulation

#13. Need for Speed (2013)

Sales Previous Game: 8.5 Million
Release Date: November 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U, 3DS, Mobile
Developer: EA Black Box
Genre: Racing

#12. Battlefield 4

Sales Previous Game: 12 Million
Release Date: Fall 2013
System: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Mobile
Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE
Genre: First-Person Shooter

#11. Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Sales Previous Game: 11.5+ Million
Release Date: First half of 2013
System: 3DS
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Genre: Life Simulation

#10. Dragon Age III: Inquisition

Info: Dragon Age III: Inquisition Announcement
Buy It: Only available as of yet is Dragon Age II
Sales Previous Game: 5 Million
Release Date: Fall 2013
System: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: BioWare
Genre: Action-RPG

#9. Dead Space 3

Info: Dead Space 3 Announcement
Buy It: Pre-order Dead Space 3
Sales Previous Game: 2+ Million
Release Date: February 5, 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Visceral Games
Genre: Third-person Shooter, Survival Horror

#8. The Elder Scrolls Online

Info: The Elder Scrolls Online Announcement
Buy It: Pre-order The Elder Scrolls Online
Sales Previous Game: 10 Million
Release Date: Early 2013
System: PC, Mac
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda Softworks
Genre: MMORPG

#7. Gears of War: Judgment

Info: Mass Effect 3 Preview
Buy It: Pre-order Gears of War: Judgment
Sales Previous Game: 6+ Million
Release Date: March 19, 2013
System: Xbox 360
Developer: Epic Games, People Can Fly
Genre: Third-person Shooter

#6. The Last of Us

Info: The Last of Us Reveal
Buy It: Pre-order The Last of Us
Sales Previous Developed Game: 9+ Million
Release Date: May 7, 2013
System: PS3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Action-Adventure, Survival Horror

#5. God of War: Ascension

Info: God of War: Ascension Announcement
Buy It: Pre-order God of War: Ascension
Sales Previous Game: 5.2 Million
Release Date: March 12, 2013
System: PS3
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment Santa Monica Studio
Genre: Hack ‘n Slash, Action-Adventure

Why Play It?: Aside from the epic-looking single-player, God of War: Ascension is the first game in the series to feature multiplayer modes, a revamped combat & weapon system, and new gameplay mechanics are teased. Although the game has been called “God of War 4″, chronologically speaking it’s the first chapter of Kratos’ story.

#4. BioShock Infinite

Info: BioShock Infinite Preview
Buy It: Pre-order BioShock Infinite
Sales Previous Game: 4 Million
Release Date: March 26, 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Irrational Games
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Why Play It?: The studio behind the original BioShock is back! Set in 1912, before the other two games, but not as a prequel. BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky. On this adventure the mysterious protagonist will be tasked to save Elizabeth, a “great AI companion” with “near-human behavior”.

#3. Destiny

Info: Bungie Destiny Rumors
Buy It: Pre-order unavailable as of yet
Sales Previous Developed Game: 11.5 Million
Release Date: Fall 2013
System: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: Bungie
Genre: First-Person Shooter / Action-Adventure?

Why Play It?: The studio that built Halo signed up with Activision just to be able to make this brand new game, their first multiplatform title since leaving Microsoft. Word has it they are hoping Destiny will start a Trilogy that will rival the original Star Wars Trilogy in scope. It’s an ambitious project for sure, as you can see in this fan-made trailer with the game’s actual concept art animated.

#2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

Info: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Hints
Buy It: Only available as of yet is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Sales Previous Game: 25+ Million
Release Date: November 12, 2013 (estimate)
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U
Developer: Treyarch
Genre: First-person Shooter

Why Play It?: As part of a yearly release cycle, a sequel to Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is next on the table. COD is always a big deal because of it’s explosive campaign and endlessly entertaining multiplayer. Fan-made trailers aplenty, but some ideas for new locations across the world where Modern Warfare 4 could take place would be welcome…

#1. Grand Theft Auto V

Info: Grand Theft Auto V Analysis
Buy It: Pre-order Grand Theft Auto V
Sales Previous Game: 25+ Million
Release Date: May 14, 2013 (estimate)
System: Xbox 360, PS3; PC & Wii U being considered
Developer: Rockstar North
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sandbox, Third-Person Shooter

Why Play It?: GTA 5′s sandbox scale has been said to be “vast”, this is likely an understatement. We’re promised an “breathtaking entertainment experience” and “the largest and the most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created”. With a story set in a modern-day setting told by three different protagonists — and hookers just waiting to be run over (bad joke, I know) — fans have a lot to be excited about with the series returning to San Andreas and its surrounding areas.

What are your favorite games of 2013?