VGChartz Most Wanted Games of 2013

You know how you've been voting on your five most wanted games since December 2012? Well, here is all the data I've gathered in the past 12 months put together. Enjoy!

Rather than just doing a list, I'm going to a dramatic countdown! Here's the top 25 most anticipated games in 2013, based on the total number of points they received over 12 months. Platforms are combined, so if a game got 2 points on the PS3 and 7 on the 360, it would have gotten a 9 here.

25. Kingdom Hearts 3 (154 Points) - Announced at E3 2013, Kingdom Hearts 3 is the long-anticipated sequel to 2005's Kingdom Hearts 2. Little has been seen of the new game so far, but the series legacy alone is enoguh to propel the game to the #25 spot, with only half a year of data to support it. Hopefully, it gets released within the next 7 years. Otherwise, it might have to be renamed, like a certain other Square Enix title further up the list.

24. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (163 Points) - Many people were disappointed when they heard that Retro's big secret project was the fifth Donkey Kong Country 2D ploatformer. However, others remembered that 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns was a great game, and a sequel to that was more than worth being excited about. Not much seems to be changing for this next iteration in the series, but with at least one new character and swimming making a return, this is a game worth being excited over.

23. Bioshock Infinite (171 Points) - Bioshock Infinite was released back in March, and yet STILL managed to get on this list. That's how anticipated this sequel to the 2007 classic Bioshock was. Rather than changing the face of the FPS or returning to Rapture for a third time, Infinite created a new world, set in the skies, inspired by the best and worst of the USA circa 1900. Plus, it held the promise of an interesting new character, Elizabeth. If the game's Metascore of 94 is any indicator, this was worth the wait.

20. Tearaway (181 Points) - Three games each had 181 points over the past year, earning all three of them the #20 spot. Yeah, they all win. Aren't I politically correct? Anyway, Tearaway was the most anticipated Vita exclusive of 2013, even more than Ys or Killzone. With good reason! This creative game came from the makers of LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule. It defied a single genre, instead carving its own path. It had charming graphics (something I found lacking in LittleBigPlanet). And considering the great reviews the game got in the end, I'd say the anticipation was worth it.

20. Metal Gear Solid 5 (181 Points) - What's this? The next MGS game is only at #20? Yeah, I was surprised too. This is one of the few games on this list that you'd think would be higher, considering the praise laid to its predecessors. I mean, look at what we know of MGS5! You have a big open world, new interesting characters, refined gameplay, and Big Boss! Maybe people are just tired of cutscenes? Maybe people are simply voting for another five games instead? I dunno. Maybe it's the name. "Phantom Pain" sounds more like a lame Star Wars prequel than "Guns of the Patriots."

20. Destiny (181 Points) -The second new IP on this list, Desitny is being created by Bungie, the creators of Halo. Although FPS's aren't my thing, I can see why people are hyped about this. It's essentially a traditional FPS crossed with Borderlands crossed with an MMO. It might be the first game of the 8th generation consoles to take great advantage of their true online capacities. Plus, look at that logo! It kind of looks like a guy hugging us!

19. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD (184 Points) - The most anticipated remake of 2013, Wind Waker HD was announced early in the year and released in September and October, giving it loads of time to pick up points. As somebody whose played half of the game so far, it deserves this placing. Not only is it a remake of a great game, it is a prime example of how to do a remake. The increased power of the new Wii U is used to improve the textures and lighting, the GamePad is ideal for switching through menus and looking at maps, and Miiverse is well integrated in the game. Plus, the actual game was changed at one or two points to make it a better experience. Swift Sail Anyone? (I don't actually use it, but still!)

18. Tales of Xillia (189 Points) - Although released in 2011, the latest Tales game... actually, this isn't even the latest Tales game anymore. Darn these late localizations! Anyhow, Xilia was anticipated since 2010 or so, and it finally came out for the PS3 in August. It's an RPG in the signature Tales style of incorporating action elements in battles. Like many similar games this generatio0n on consoles, it got merely good reviews, but is a fan favorite. So yeah.

I haven't actually seen much of this game, so I can't really comment much on it...

17. The Witcher 3 (191 Points) - The original Witcher game was pretty well received, but the 2011 sequel was considered possibly the best RPG of 2011. You know, the year Pokemon Black/White and Skyrim came out. So it's no wonder why people got excited for the sequel, considering what CD Projekt Red is promising. A world 30 times large than its predecessors, and 20% bigger than Skyrim. A complex story that puts other RPG's to shame. No loading screens. In other words, this may be the ultimate open world RPG. So, in short, it deserves a spot on this list.

16. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD (210 Points) - "Wait Salnax, didn't you say Wind Waker was the most anticipated remake of the year?" Yes, but this is a remastered compilation! It's totally different! Anyway, Final Fantasy X is one of the more loved game in the series, and is considered by some to be the last truly great game in the main series. I personally liked the graphics and gameplay, and was one of the few people to like Tidus's laughing. As for X-2... I guess it's a nice bonus? I didn't like it. Oh, and the graphics are admittedly getting a nice facelift for a mere HD remastering.

15. Killzone Shadowfall (211 Points) - The star of the PS4 launch, this is kind of Killzone 4, but not really. Still, as somebody who has admittedly been harsh on the PS4's launch, even I have to admit that this game looks great, and has some impressive parts.  It's arguably the first REAL 8th generation FPS, in the same way Call of Duty 4 was the first REAL 7th gen FPS, this game truly screams "Next Generation." Running at 1080p and 60 FPS with such incredible effects, it truly yells "The PS4 is more powerful than those other consoles." And it looks like fun too!

14. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (216 Points) - The second most anticipated 3DS game of the year (you get one guess what the most anticipated was), the first non remake Zelda for the 3DS was announced at a Nintendo Direct in April 2013. Between the announcement and the game's November launch, more and more information about the game became available, making the game all the more alluring. A new gimmick that took full advantage of the 2.5D graphics? An open-ended structure where you get to tackle dungeons in your chosen order? A merchant who cosplayed as that fourth playable character from Super Luigi U? Sign me up! The result: one of the best-rated handheld games of all time, especially if you don't count console ports/remaks like those that littered the GBA. Fun Fact: Game Informer has given two handheld games perfect scores in its history: This and 2002's Metroid Fusion.

13. Mario Kart 8 (228 Points) - Mario Kart 7 was considered by many to be among the better Mario Kart games ever. It had great gameplay, vehicle customization, fun courses, pretty graphics, etc. So when this game was announced in January, and first shown at E3, we were pleased to see what this game offered: the best of Mario kart 7 with 12 player races, anti-gravity racing ala F-Zero, and glorious 1080p and 60 FPS graphics. This game truly deserves being the most anticipated racing game in 2013.

12. Pikmin 3 (240 Points) - Originally, we thought this was going to be a Wii U launch title. THen, we thought it was going to be a March release. Finally, we got it in July and August. Well, this is one of those cases where late was better than never. Pikmin 3 built upon the formula of the original game, taking full advantage of the Wii U's many control schemes. In fact, some reviewers suggested using two controllers at once, simply becuase both the GamePad and Wiimote/Nunchuck controls worked so well.  In addition, Pikmin 3 included micromanaging up to three teams at a time, with two new distinct Pikmin types, some amazing boss fights, and fun local multiplayer and challenges. Honestly, if this game had online multiplayer, it might have gotten into the top 10. As it is, number 12 is not a bad spot for this, one of the best strategy games in console history.

11. Dark Souls 2 (250 Points) - One of the surprise hits of the 7th generation was the Souls series. If you told me back in early 2010 that gamers would fall in love with a truly punishing Action RPG in this day and age, I'd assume that you meant some Mass Effect spinoff's hard mode. Anyway, Dark Souls 2 was announced towards the end of 2012, and has slowly but steadily earned a major place on this feature. The game promises to be similar to its predecessors, but with a bigger world, better graphics, more advanced AI, and a release on not only the PS3 and 360, but also the PC. That last platform in particular is one of the reasons this game scored so well on this feature; without the PC vote, it would only have been number #18 or so on this feature.

10. Super Mario 3D World (278 Points) - This one was a bit odd. When the next 3D Super Mario game was announced in January, people were already getting a bit excited. When they saw the E3 trailer, however, few people were blown away. Why would they be? What they saw was Super Mario 3D Land with a new power up. Hardly worth getting hyped over. Thus, up until the November eidtion of this feature, 3D World didn't even garner 200 points. Then, Nintendo made a readical decision. "What if we released a trailer for this game that didn't suck?" The result was a Nintendo Direct trialer in early October that nearly single-handhedly made this game the next big thing. In its last month, 3D World dominated the charts with over 100 points. And considering how it's currently the best rated 8th generation console game... I think it deserves this spot.

9. Infamous: Second Son (332 Points) - Seocnd Son was one of the first PS4 games ever shown, as early as February. The third game in a popular open world superhero series, this game appears to be the star of the early PS4 lineup. And with good reason. In many ways, it seems to be an evolution of what made the PS3 entries in the series great. Aiming has been refined, graphics are amazing, and apparently, new advanced tech is being used for characters' faces. Sounds like the formula for one of the first great open world games of the 8th gen console to me!

8. Beyond: Two Souls (346 Points) - The latest game from David Cage, Beyond: Two Souls is an oddity of a game. The spiritual sucessor ot titles like Heavy Rain, Beyond does not emphasize its story: it lives and breaths it. As much of an interactive drama as a game, Beyond is a rare breed of electronic entertainment. The game starred Ellen Page, an award winning actress, as the lead character, and delved into a nonlinear narrative. The game may ultimately have only gotten mediocre reviews, but even haters agreed: there was very little else like Beyond: Two Souls.

7. Super Smash Bros 4 (393 Points) - This game is the sequel to the best-selling fighting game of all time. It is a flagship title for the Wii U and 3DS alike. And it is probably going to be the best Mega Man game since 2008 or so. Seriously though, Super Smash Bros is a big deal. When the Wii was announced, Nintendo also announced the next Smash Bros game... even though Sakurai hadn't started work on the game yet. Years later, Nintendo announced the Wii U and a new Smash Bros... once again before consulting Sakurai. Still, the reveal of the game at E3 2013, not to mention the lack of new characters so far, could have killed the title's hype. Au contraire, the three revealed characters so far have become memes, people are speclating which version of the game will sell a few million more copies, and everyone is marvelling at tghe Wii U version's 1080p and 60 FPS. Now all we need is more than three new characters and a release date...

6. Watch Dogs (406 Points) - One of the pleasant surprises of E3 2012, people in virtually every gaming camp have been eagerly awaiting this next-gen open world game. With no single platform garnering a majority of the game's points, this game seems to be universally anticipated. Possibly the Assassin's Creed of the 8th generation, Watch Dogs promises to bring a revolution in how open world games are played. You don't just steal cars: you hack into a city's traffic network to make all the lights ahead of you green. You don't just run around a city; you use parkour in the style of Assassin's Creed. You don't have to buy a new system to play this game; it will be available on 7th and 8th gen consoles and the PC.

5. Final Fantasy XV (414 Points) - Technically, I'm including points for Versus 13 in this total, but even without them, Final Fantasy 15 would get in the top 10 most anticipated games of the year. Final Fantasy XV will be the first series entry since 2009/2010, and will be a big change for the series. The style looks to be darker and more realistic than many prior games in the series, the game will include action as well as RPG elements, and the world will be much bigger than that found in entries such as X and XIII. If anything, it resembled a PG-13 Kingdom Hearts with thet Disney characters switched out for a futuristic setting. Considering the legacy of the Final Fantasy series, the promise shown in this game's trailers, and the accomplished team behind the game, I think we can all agree that this will be a Game of the Year contender in 2020.

4. X (546 Points) - Nope, Final Fantasy 15 was not the most anticipated RPG of 2013. It wasn't even the top console JRPG! That title belongs to X, the next project from the studio behind Xenoblade. You know, the best-rated JRPG since Chrono Trigger, and possibly the most expensive Wii game around. X itself promises to be an HD open world game, much like several others. But those other games don't have mech suits you can fly around! They don't have graphics that the Wii U shouldn't be capable of producing! And they don't come from one of the most acclaimed RPG teams in modern times. If there is any justice in video gaming, X will be the hit that Xenoblade was sabotaged from being.

3. Grand Theft Auto V (602 Points) - Grand Theft Auto V can be seen as the swansong of the 7th generation of consoles. Announced as early as 2011, this game was widely expected to be a spring release. However, it was delayed to September, giving it a few extra months to garner a ton of votes. The ultimate product was worth it. Simply put, upon seeing some of the final trailers of the game, people suspected that GTA5 had been pushed onto the PS4 and One. The final release was amazingly well received, and is one of the best received games of the 7th generatton in both terms of sales and critical reviews. This was one of the most successful games ever, and its placement at #3 simply illustrates that.

2. Pokemon X/Y (618 Points) - We all knew that this game would show up in this feature, but its coming in at #2 surprised even me, the guy who follows these numbers more closely than anyone else. In retrospect though, it makes sense that this title would be so anticipated. Pokemon is one of the biggest brands in electronic enertainment, including THE leading RPG series, Final Fantasy and Warcraft be damned! This also happened to be the first truly 3D entry in the series, making it the biggest leap in terms of presentation in series history. New promised features, ranging from character customization and Pokemon Amie, to Mega-Evolutions and new forms of training, made this seem like a huge evolution for the series in more ways than one. And to top it off, this game was announced in Janurary, giving it a long time to garner points. Only one other title in 2013 was more anticipated...

1. The Last of Us (628 Points) - People who started following this feature halfway through the year might be surprised to see The Last of Us at the #1 spot. However, they didn't see how incredibly this game did up to the June edition. They didn't see how at points, this game had over 10% of the monthly points. They probably don't remeber how anticipated this game really was. Which is to say, a lot.

Remember when this game was announced in 2011, and shown at E3 2012, people were applauding like crazy? How the game promised to combine the best of survival horror and action-adventure elements? How the game actually delivered, and brought an amazing story to boot?

This game got dozens of perfect scores from reviewers. Along with GTA5 and Super Mario 3D World, it was among the three best-received games of 2013. And in many ways, this was the game that showed what the 7th generation of consoles could do at their best. Deliver great gameplay, stunning presentation, and a touching story. There's a reason people are still talking about this game, and it's not the DLC.

I hesitate at first, but then I was like "Let's post just to pester him" and I did.

Meow ^^

Oh you!

Anyhow, a message to everybody who keeps track of the various parts of this feature: I'm really sorry that the usual stuff was a day late and I can't finish this yet. This is one of my busiest times of year, and it just so happened to coincide with the most work this feature has ever taken. Compiling a year's worth of info takes a bit of time.

I'll finish the OP two-parter ASAP.

Number 25 is my most wanted.

Sorry Salnax, but I'm posting. Otherwise I'll forget about this thread.

It's curious the triple tie at 181 points. And those 3 games couldn't be more different!

Anyway, we all know which game will be the nª one, don't we?

Actually, there were three games in the top range of 600 to 630 points. So it was actually fairly close!

I'm going to use this thread to finish posting data, and then make a new fresh thread that's got a nicer layout.

With Blackjack and Hookers!

I'm all for it!

The last part I mean

Ha, I knew it!

But I didn't expect The Last of Us to win by only 10 points.

Can I say that I'm surprised to see Watch_Dogs so high? I know launching in almost every platform has this advantage, but I didn't realize how hyped this game was.

Great job as always Salnax. This thread is the celebration of excellent games we played this year and the ones we are eagerly anticipating but there is barely any interest in this thread.

Thanks for doing this. You also might want to change the title. Maybe more people will be interested and take a break from Cranky Kong.