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GTA V

Format: 360, PS3 | Developer: Rockstar | Publisher: Rockstar | Out: Spring

Grand Theft Auto V is the biggest game of 2013. No question. The first trailer revealed the setting would be Los Santos - a sprawling, beautiful sandbox as big as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption combined - while the second trailer layered things with additional glimpses of the city, as well as confirmation that there would be multiple characters. Oh, and you can fly jet planes too.

With Rockstar at the helm, you be assured of insane technical ambition and quality storytelling, but what's most impressive is their willingness to evolve: this takes the epic scale of San Andreas and GTA IV, but mixes it up with character switching, a series of heists and improved mission diversity. We're so excited about this, we're talking about it every Wednesday at 5pm. TW

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METRO: LAST LIGHT

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: 4A Games | Publisher: THQ | Out: Spring

Following on from where Metro 2033 left off, post-apocalyptic Moscow is once again the setting for Metro: Last Light. With the land above-ground still highly contaminated, survivors are forced to remain in the eponymous Metro system where much of the game is based. During a recent hands-off demo we saw two very different types of level.

First up was an underground industrial location, where stealth is the key and enemies must be eliminated silently while hiding in the shadows to avoid full-on armed confrontations. Following that was an outdoor section featuring a pitched battle against groups of mutants, which quickly descended into a frantic struggle for survival. The developers have said there will be a greater number of these external levels this time around, and the stark contrast between the two settings should definitely keep players on their toes.

If you wanted to skirmish online in the subterranean world then you may be disappointed as Metro: Last Light won't feature multiplayer at launch, although the developers haven't ruled out working on this once the game has shipped. The multiplayer component was dropped to allow the team to focus fully on the single player campaign, and if that leads to a better experience during the story then it's a decision we can definitely get behind. IW

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ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF

Format: 3DS | Developer: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Out: Spring

People play Animal Crossing to live virtual lives. They might go fishing for carp, decorate their modest house, or splash out on a fetching hat. Nintendo evidently has its finger on the pulse, as Animal Crossing: New Leaf boasts more cutesy lifestyle customisation than ever before.

You'll arrive in the village with nothing but a top hat and tent to your name. Apparently, you're the new mayor, but you don't look it. The meat of the game, like before, is a rags-to-riches tale, revolving around collecting items for people (butterflies caught with a net, flowers picked in the forest), reaping rewards, and generally living the life of every grey urbanite's dreams.

Now, though, there's more to interact with. As revealed in this 47-minute demo, you can customise your trousers and shoes in addition to shirt and hat, go swimming, hang objects on walls and even decorate the wider town to the inevitable dismay of everyone else (well, you are mayor). Add to this new 3D effects which gives the world tangible depth, and expanded multiplayer features letting you visit other towns online, and you have what promises to be the most comprehensive Animal Crossing game yet. BG

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STAR TREK

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Digital Extremes | Publisher: Namco-Bandai | Out: Spring

This space adventure is set in the world of Star Trek as envisioned by JJ Abrams' recent series reboot, with events taking place between the 2009 film and upcoming sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness. The actors, including Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, are supplying their voices and likenesses so there will be plenty of familiar faces on the bridge of the Enterprise.

For the first time in a Star Trek game you'll be able to take control of either Kirk or Spock, and the two mismatched characters will have to work together in order to defeat legendary enemy race The Gorn. An immersive co-op experience is promised for two players teaming up, and as each has their own distinct abilities they'll need to help each other out - Kirk may have the superior firepower, but you'll also require Spock's mind control and environment scanning skills to succeed. Oh, and there'll be laser combat and planetary exploration too. IW

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GRID 2

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Codemasters | Publisher: Codemasters | Out: Spring

Two things to remember about Race Driver: GRID 2: it's fast, and it's gorgeous. While other racers have been putting increasing focus on making the cars crash, GRID endeavours to keep you on the track - the series' trademark Flashback function returns, allowing players to rewind collisions and correct the errors leading up to the fatal moment. There'll be some changes to Flashback, but Codemasters are keeping tight-lipped until nearer release. Other, brand new features include LiveRoute, which will dynamically change the route of a track between laps of a race, and the integration of Codemasters' cross-game online service, RaceNet.

GRID 2 is shaping up to be a stunning racer, with the PC version a genuinely next-gen experience. We've loved what we've seen of it so far. JH

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SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Obsidian | Publisher: THQ | Out: Spring

Following a solid tower defence outing - South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play! - and a less solid platformer - South Park: Tenorman's Revenge - on XBLA, the South Park license is now in the hands of Fallout: New Vegas devs Obsidian, who are offering the most promising videogame interpretation of the license to date in South Park: The Stick of Truth. With series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker acting as creative advisers to the game - prepare for humour ranging from the socially satirical to the scatological - hardcore fans have every reason to get excited about this expansive RPG set in the South Park universe. (Especially as CVG's sister publication, GamesMaster, cited it as being "the most controversial game of the year". Sounds great.)

Here's how it works: you're the new kid in town, and having custom-crafted a character look in the iconic style of the show, you pick from one of five classes and then take to the turn-based battleground alongside Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. Support comes from a raft of series favourites such as Mr. Slave, whose "Wrecked 'em" power-up eliminates enemies by, er, inhaling them with his... bum. The most high brow release of 2013. JH

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THE LAST OF US

Format: PS3 | Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony | Out: May 7

The Last of Us is Naughty Dog's apocalyptic vision of the future; a marriage of The Road and I Am Legend, where nature has retaken our cities. To prove it, Boston has been stripped of its population and turned into a literal concrete jungle, and scattered amongst the ruins are a few hardy survivors (some friendly, some not) and an army of Infected: mushroom-headed zombies (think 28 Days Later's red-eyed sprinters, rather than Romero's shambling hoardes) who have fallen foul of a deadly plague-like fungus.

At the centre of the game is mysterious loner Joel, and the girl he's ended up protecting, Ellie, a beautifully-pitched father-daughter-like relationship, powered by a sharp script and equally good voice acting. Ellie is entirely AI, and as Joel you're tasked with keeping her alive, using a mixture of gunplay, melee combat and stealth. It's taut, frenzied stuff, though, every fight a desperate struggle, every bullet you use up, a bullet you don't have for the next encounter, but as fellow end-of-the-worlder The Walking Dead proved with Lee and Clementine, there's fewer more powerful motives for staying alive than the protection of someone you love. To round things off, the game will even change depending on how you play it.

We love what we've seen of it. And so, apparently, does Hideo Kojima. TW

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REMEMBER ME

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Dontnod | Publisher: Capcom | Out: May

Looking past the Uncharted-inspired chase sequences and Batman: Arkham City-esque combat shows an intriguing premise dictating the design of Remember Me. You play as Nilin, an expert memory hunter who has been robbed of her own recollections and thrown in the Bastille. But as with any game that opens in a prison, Nilin soon busts herself out - cue cartwheels, climbing, and the more unique mechanic of memory manipulation. One such sequence sees Nilin taking out an assassination target via memory alteration - led to believe he killed his girlfriend, the target takes himself out in a moment of utter despair.

Whether the grand premise of Remember Me can sustain itself across the campaign remains to be seen, but the developers certainly talk a good game. JH

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PIKMIN 3

Format: Wii U | Developer: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Out: Summer

With great power comes great possibilities, and in Pikmin 3 the biggest will be allowing four players to lead their garden armies simultaneously. The goal: to explore caves, forests and beaches in efforts to collect scrap for their spaceship and chart a route home.

Physics and visuals have been beefed up too, with walls no longer crumbling in canned animations but at the exact point of impact, and crisp HD visuals combining with lush depth-of-field effects to make this one of the Wii U's most graphically advanced games, one played on two control schemes: Wii U Gamepad or Wii remote (with Wii MotionPlus) and nunchuck.

Pikmin 3's newfound power has limitations. Four-way multiplayer is confined to offline mode, as online, Nintendo have stated that framerates wouldn't keep up with the sheer number of Pikmin being flung around (and with new rock and flying critters, that number rises). Still, this is Nintendo finally wielding current-gen tech - expect something special. BG

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ROME 2: TOTAL WAR

Format: PC | Developer: The Creative Assembly | Publisher: Sega | Out: October

The devs describe Rome 2: Total War as the "Saving Private Ryan of the ancient world". This is because you can now zoom into a soldier's head and view battles through their eyes with the new first-person camera. From above - the view you'll be using most of the time to organise your units - it looks awe-inspiring, but it's just as impressive at ground level. Whenever you're in a soldier's head, little real-time cut-scenes play out around you. Generals shout orders, and your pals talk nervously about what lies ahead.

Shogun 2: Total War was great, but the developers freely admit that they held back on the scale to polish the tactics. But now they have a new engine, they're dedicated to making this the most epic Total War game yet. AK

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THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE

Format: PC | Developer: Bethesda | Publisher: Bethesda | Out: 2013

ZeniMax, owners of Bethesda, put together a crack team especially for The Elder Scrolls Online, the first ever online game in the series. Led by MMO veteran Matt Firor (Dark Age of Camelot), the game is set across the entirety of Tamriel. You'll visit familiar locations including Skyrim, Morrowind, and Cyrodiil, as well as some making their first appearance in a modern game.

As the first gameplay footage shows, combat's been designed so that you have to watch enemies and read their attacks to defend, rather than rely on gear bonuses or robotically tapping the number keys. Characters can mix and match skills, so you aren't stifled by the class system and can, for example, roll a double-handed axe-wielding mage. Bethesda haven't totally ruled out a console version either. Did someone say next gen? AK

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LOST PLANET 3

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Spark Unlimited | Publisher: Capcom | Out: 2013

Capcom may have farmed out this prequel to western developer Spark Unlimited, whose CV includes shonky twosome Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and Legendary , but Lost Planet 3 looks decent. As Jim Peyton, a rig worker on planet E.D.N III (the location of the first game), Capcom promise story-orientated action that will not only shed more light on the ice-coated scarescape, but bring plenty of (really quite gorgeous) action to the party too.

Gameplay is like a cross between Dead Space and Monster Hunter with horror, suspense and collectibles lurking around every corner. Look out for 'struggles' (read: QTEs) where you have to free yourself from the grasp of deadly Akrid aliens, and huge and devastating mechsuits. With the chance to upgrade these by completing side-quests in an open world, as well as new weapons and other goodies, it could yet be one of next year's better games. NI

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FORTNITE

Format: PC | Developer: Epic | Publisher: Epic | Out: 2013

Fortnite will be the first game from Epic to run on their mega-powerful Unreal Engine 4, which is slightly at odds with its fun, frothy visuals. Beneath the hood this is a sandbox shooter centred on exploration: players scavenge for resources during the day, before building a fort to fend off waves of monstrous creatures at night. Like COD's Zombies mode crossed with I Am Legend.

Taking a lighter graphical cue from Team Fortress 2, the developers are drawing further inspiration from Valve's game in terms of how they support Fortnite, promising plenty of new features post-release and, before that, a Beta early in 2013. For anyone beginning to feel a little burned out on Gears of War, Fortnite will definitely offer something a little different from Epic's recent menu of monster-chested marines. JH

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ARMA 3

Format: PC | Developer: Bohemia | Publisher: TBC | Out: 2013

ARMA 3 is the hardest of hardcore military sims, taking place in the 2030s during a conflict between NATO forces and 'Eastern armies' led by Iran. It's set on the Greek islands of Lemnos and Ai Stratis, which Bohemia are recreating using maps and reference photos.

In fact, their quest for realism resulted in two developers being arrested for espionage by the Greek government for taking photos of military bases. ARMA's remit is realism, and you'll not only control ground infantry, but air and land vehicles as well - all with authentic handling and physics. The enormous environment covers 270 square kilometeres, and will feature over 50 towns to explore and crush under your tank treads. AK

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RAINBOW SIX PATRIOTS

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Ubisoft | Publisher: Ubisoft | Out: 2013

Since the target footage was revealed in 2011, everything has gone dark on the next Clancy-tinged action-fest, Rainbow Six Patriots. Perhaps not surprising given that, behind the scenes, four frontline members of the dev team have - worryingly - been whacked, including the creative director, David Sears. Ouch.

We're hopeful that Patriots will still break cover in 2013 as the premise has potential. The bleak, yet powerful idea of every day folk becoming ruthless terrorists is a welcome break from highly trained military drones being pumped out like a human Kalashnikov in the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter, although being able to play from the perspective of both killers and counter-terrorism units definitely gives it a sniff of the CODs.

Ubisoft reckon it could yet be a next gen game. Our bet? It'll straddle both generations... though of all the games that could suffer delays, we reckon this one is right at the front. NI

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STAR WARS 1313

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: LucasArts | Publisher: LucasArts | Out: 2013

It seems inevitable that Star Wars 1313, LucasArts' visually stunning, mature-themed descent into Coruscant's criminal underworld, will either shift in its entirety to Xbox 720 and PS4, or at the very least cross generations when it releases at the tail end of 2013. (If it releases then. With PS4 unlikely until 2014, we'd say there's a good chance the game might be pushed back beyond December.) Why? Because, more than any other game in this list, 1313 relies on its technical wizardry as much as its ideas, and it's hard to see how the current generation of hardware will possibly cope without serious, perhaps experience-ruining, compromises.

Running on a mega-PC at this year's E3, the game sees you playing a Bounty Hunter on an express elevator to hell: 1313 is a seedy, decaying part of Lower Coruscant, a hive of scum and villainy one thousand, three hundred and thirteen levels below the surface of the planet. This isn't the Star Wars of Jar Jar Binks and Wicket, this isn't even the Star Wars of Force powers and lightsabers - it's a brutal, no-holds-barred metropolis full of hard face-punching and big guns.

If that's a neat spin on recent, pre-Disney Lucas fluff, then the supreme combo of eye-melting, trouser-ruining graphical effects and incredible performance capture elevate it further. Even if the game, at heart, is pretty standard Uncharted-a-like, LucasArts' stellar use of visuals and sound make this a game we simply can't wait to see more of. TW

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KILLZONE: MERCENARY

Format: PS Vita | Developer: Guerilla | Publisher: Sony | Out: 2013

Killzone: Mercenary first surfaced at Gamescom 2012 with a mainly live action trailer, showing soldiers infiltrating a Helghast gulag to extract a prisoner. It's then revealed that the captive is being freed in exchange for a bounty payment, as these are not ISA soldiers - they're mercenaries. You heard.

The actual gameplay shown reveals impressive visuals, as you'd expect from Guerrilla, and the Vita version is running on the same engine that Killzone 3 was built on. In addition to the twin-stick FPS controls we're all familiar with the developers are promising "interesting new gameplay possibilities" using Vita's other inputs, such as matching swipes on the touchscreen to deliver brutal melee kills with your knife.

As you're playing as a mercenary character, for the first time in Killzone you'll be fighting alongside both ISA and Helghast forces, depending on who's paying the most. You have the freedom to decide how you complete your contracts, unlocking new weaponry and that all-important cash as you progress. But where will all this dirty work lead us? We'll have to wait until 2013 to find out. IW

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DARK SOULS II

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: From | Publisher: Namco-Bandai | Out: 2013

A single trailer? Tentative talk from the From Software camp? Right, Dark Souls II speculation time. One: the astonishing CGI reel which debuted at the VGA's hints at an overall budget boost for the purposely paced fantasy RPG - Namco know it has a major franchise on its hands.

The scant words from new helmers Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura suggest the sequel will take a new direction, and be "more straightforward and more understandable" than the first two. Let's hope that doesn't translate into too easy, thereby sacrificing the game's design crux. Shots of the protagonist battling off numerous enemies using dual wielding, and ripping arrows from his torso, might point to a newly accessible bent, but one that could have the side effect of shedding light on vague franchise mythology. Actually, the Kingdom of Lordran, wherein Dark Souls takes place, is quite literally illuminated early on in the trailer, albeit from a distance. Could this be your first pilgrimage to the place, making this... a prequel?

Also, who's the female? Robed and hooded, she resembles a pyromancer, but surely her inclusion in the trailer suggests a role of importance - a fire keeper perhaps? After all, most of the firekeeper souls you get in the game are from women. And what of the focus on the porcelain-masked foes? Descendants of Lord's Blade Ciaran, up until now the only exhibitor of made-in-china headgear? Expect questions to be answered in 2013. BG

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BAYONETTA 2

Format: Wii U | Developer: Platinum | Publisher: Nintendo | Out: 2013

People aren't happy Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive, but, hey, that's videogames. The industry has been doing console exclusives for decades. They're a hardware selling point. In fact, Platinum is counting on you buying a Wii U for it - again, that's the point. They've retained development duties following the first game, arguably the best (not to mentioned maddest) hack-and-slasher ever, and the project's in safe hands under the legendary Hideki Kamiya, responsible for Okami, Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 2.

Nothing's been revealed barring a logo, but if the original's anything to go by, expect planet-sized bosses, the almost pornographic exploitation of a sultry witch who purchases guns, axes and swords from an underground bar analogous to the gates of hell, brutal finishers, demons conjured from hair, jaw-dropping set-pieces and some of the finest fighting ever devised. BG

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BEYOND: TWO SOULS

Format: PS3 | Developer: Quantic Dream | Publisher: Sony | Out: 2013

Quantic Dream's follow-up to Heavy Rain spans fifteen years and stars Ellen Page as shaven-headed mystery girl Jodie Holmes, who's searching for the answer to life's most unanswerable question: what happens after we die? On her journey she's accompanied by invisible entity Aidan, who she can use as a kind of makeshift telekinetic power, knocking cups off table and, as she learns to understand him/it further, flip cars and (we suspect) kill.

Project lead David Cage kept his cards pretty close to his chest as he revealed Beyond: Two Souls to the world at E3 2012, but from the initial gameplay demo (and the shaky cam footage filmed on the showfloor), it's obvious that the game bears more than a passing resemblance to Heavy Rain. Even so, Cage promises the game will have "more exploration" than its predecessor, even though it will be similarly driven by story and QTEs.

Whatever the truth, it'll be one 2013's most intriguing, if divisive, games. And, if all else fails, you can always rely on Willem Dafoe to deliver the goods. TW

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WATCH DOGS

Format: 360, PS3, PC | Developer: Ubisoft | Publisher: Ubisoft | Out: 2013

Like Star Wars 1313 at the top of the page, Watch Dogs - revealed in a stunning nine-minute video at this year's E3 - is a tantalising glimpse of the future, running on a high end PC and, despite claims to the contrary by Ubisoft, hard to see as anything other than target footage for what next gen consoles might be capable of. Most likely scenario: again, like 1313, it'll cross generations, with 360 and PS3 receiving a pared down version of the game.

A cross between Grand Theft Auto IV and Splinter Cell, the game sees you playing Chicago hacker Aiden Pearce, a man capable of spectacularly manipulating the city's grid: surveillance cameras, mobile phones, computers, traffic lights, they're all at your fingertips, and in July's first reveal he caused a multi-car pile-up, raised a bridge to escape the police, and jammed phone signals to enter a nightclub. The game makes your environment a weapon - although you'll also be capable of flattening noses and spraying lead around - but, beyond what we saw five months ago, Watch Dogs has been locked up tight. Maybe not surprising, given that the studio have been busy staffing up. Expect more soon. TW