Our Five Most Anticipated Games of 2013

2013 is shaping up to be another great year for video games, possible even better than 2012. With major releases in every genre and for every system, as well as rumours of some impending console announcements, 2013 should be an exciting year for gamers. Continue after the break to see our five most anticipated games of this year.

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Dead Space 3 Reveals New Weapon Crafting Bench

A lot of information is being released about Dead Space 3, Visceral's next big game. Along with announcing the release date, February 5th, Visceral has released a video showing off the new mechanics of the weapons bench and upgrading system. You'll now be able to choose your weapon's frame, engines, barrels, and other add ons, giving you  much more control of the customization and functions of all your weapons. If you want a more in depth look at the options available, you can check out the online weapon builder here, and even enter your custom gun into a contest. What is your favorite gun from the Dead Space universe so far? Let us know in the comments!

Oculus Rift Kickstarter Gives Real Hope for Virtual Reality

A day-old kickstarter page for an upcoming virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift, has already exploded past its goal of $250,000. The project, now at well over $500,000, gives new hope to making affordable and immersive virtual reality... a reality. The Oculus Rift is still in the prototype stages of development, so there's no telling how quickly the average consumer will be able to get their face in one. However, the development kits of the prototype headset made available through the Kickstarter are priced around $300 to ship in October. Hopefully these details indicate a consumer launch in 2013 around this price range. The headset's goals are commendable, its capabilities are impressive, and the praise from big names from Epic Games, Valve, and Guitar Hero is just that more reassuring. A project promising to change the future of gaming is easily worth checking out. And judging by the video, I'd say we geeks can safely get excited for the future of virtual reality. 

Dead Space 3 Leaked?

It seems a game retailer in South Africa would let you pre order your copy of Dead Space 3 yesterday. EA has yet to announce a sequel to last years Dead Space 2, but given success of the franchise to date it seems like we should be expecting a sequel at some point, and it looks like that point could be approaching quickly.

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Adventures from the Bargain Bin: Jericho

Happy Easter everyone! Is there a better way to spend a long weekend than playing and writing about a seven dollar video game? The answer is probably. But hey, that's what I'm going to do. At least for some of it. And if you're reading this, that means you're using up your long weekend time to read what I say about a seven dollar video game, so you cant be one to judge. If you're reading this after the long weekend is over then you aren't a loyal reader. Shame on you. I hope you feel terrible inside now. You deserve it. I've spent a bit of time in the last week playing Clive Barker's Jericho, and you're going to hear about it.

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Mass Effect 3: Resurgence

EA and Bioware recently announced they would be releasing a new Extended Cut DLC to adress issues with the ending of Mass Effect 3, and now they've also announced additions to the multiplayer part of the game. The Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack will be a free DLC released on April 10th, and will include six new characters, two new maps, new consumable equipment, and three new weapons. The maps will be available to play immediately, while characters and weapons will have to be unlocked by purchasing booster packs through the multiplayer store, wither using in game credits or Microsoft points.

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"Age of Booty" Ready to Plunder Mobile Platforms

Age of Booty, a critically appreciated Xbox Live Arcade game that failed to generate significant sales back in the fall of 2008 is making the move to iOS and Android. Original developer Certain Affinity announced that they are working along with Chaotic Moon to create a version of the game for tablets and mobile phones. This release will be a "freemium" version of the seafaring pirate strategy game, featuring a full single player campaign, as well as cross-platform multiplayer play. I was a fan of the original, because it was an RTS that didn't stray far from its board game roots. It offered action that isn't achievable on a tabletop, while also preserving the satisfaction of decision making in classic European board games. The game map is also layed out using our favorite shape, the hexagon! No release date has been given, but I can't wait to return to the high seas on my iPhone.

(via Certain Affinity)

'Ticket to Ride Pocket' Review

While browsing games in the iPhone App Store, I came across a title that caught my attention - Ticket to Ride. I knew that an iPad version of the popular gateway board game had existed for quite some time, but news of the iPhone release eluded me last November. I hesitated before pressing buy, as I had already purchased Ticket to Ride twice; I own both the physical and Xbox Live Arcade versions. I decided getting on board with the iPhone version couldn't hurt, as it's priced at only $1.99. Was it worth my time and money? Find out after the break.

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Kinect Coming to Windows on February 1

Microsoft's surprisingly successful motion sensing peripheral, Kinect, is making the official jump to the Windows OS next month. Microsoft announced at their CES keynote that starting Februrary 1st, you'll be able to pick up a Kinect for Windows sensor for $249.99 US. "Why the price discrepancy from the Xbox version?" - you may ask. Since the Windows Kinect SDK was released last June, the Xbox version of the product has worked fine for industrious early adopters of Kinect programming. This new Windows version comes with a change in licensing that permits it to be used for commercial applications. This will be the Kinect to pick up for potential developers and businesses. Microsoft claims that the Xbox version of Kinect is $100 cheaper because it is subsidized by the extra income generated on selling Kinect enabled games. Regardless of how much it costs, I'm happy that Microsoft is pushing towards Kinect/PC integration in a big way. Kinect is a very versatile and innovative product, and gaming only scratches the surface of what it can accomplish. Microsoft also announced that 66 million Xbox 360s have been sold to date, as well as 18 million Kinects.

(via Major Nelson)

Bring Dark Souls to PC!

A thread recently popped up on the Namco Bandai forums asking if there was a possibility that games like Dark Souls and Demon Souls could be ported to PC with a bit of a mixed response from the company's employees. It was initally said that there will not be a PC port, but later posts suggest that if they see that there is enough demand, it MIGHT be considered. TotalBiscuit, creator of the popular youtube series 'WTF Is..', presents a clear, well thought out argument as to why this serious would flourish on PC, bringing up important points such as the power of modern PCs in comparison to the current generation consoles and the type of longevity of many older games that can't be found on any other system. I would absolutely love to see these games come to my gaming platform of choice and I know a massive number of other gamers would as well.

Dark Souls for PC petition

Original thread on the Namco Bandai forums

(via TotalHalibut)