2013: The Year Of The Shark

When Tomb Raider hit store shelves in March, there was a lot of talk about 2013 being the year of the bow and arrow. This weapon was prominently used in The Last of Us, and Crysis 3's Robocop wannabe wielded one too. The year started off strong for this primitive weapon, but the action games that released in the following months focused on modern armaments. Alas, it looked like 2013 was going to go by without a silly trend linking numerous games together.

That changed when Ubisoft released an Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag screenshot showing a gigantic great white shark attacking a small fishing boat. When I saw that screenshot, I was instantly reminded of the sharks in Grand Theft Auto V and Injustice: Gods Among Us. "Could this be the year of the shark?" I pondered. It sure as hell is! You'll be surprised just how many games have sharks in them this year. These terrifying, black-eyed beasts should be in everything...right next to dinosaurs. This cannot be argued.

Below is a year in pictures outlining why 2013 is the Year of the Shark for video games.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

Sharks play a large role in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's gameplay and economy. You can hunt them down in a minigame that is almost identical to Resident Evil 4's lake sequence, and you'll also have to avoid them stealthily in the diving bell sequences. Their bones can be used for crafting and can be sold for a pretty penny.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Your Animal Crossing characters won't get mauled by these sharks, and your villagers won't mysteriously turn up missing when they visit the island (how cool would that be?!), but rather, sharks are used mostly used to make bank. Catch them. Sell them. Donate one of each variety to the museum to remind them who the real predator is.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Aquaman's pet is easily the most terrifying shark seen in any video game this year. Just look at those teeth! He's also biting through Cyborg's metal skin. What a monster.

Grand Theft Auto V

You won't encounter these killers often, but when you do, you'll likely die a horrible death and will be rewarded with a 5-point achievement.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

These sharks certainly look fearsome, with their light bulb eyes, glowing teeth, and metallic skin, but they don't pose much of a threat for Sergeant Rex Power Colt. At the most, they make cool decorations in the aquariums of super villains. (Image from Far Cry Wiki)

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Yes, even Call of Duty dabbles with shark attacks during an underwater stealth sequence. These beautifully rendered beasts provide an unexpected jump scare if you get too close to them or take too much time to get to your next objective. Well done, Activision. You made sharks even scarier.

Lego City Undercover


Players are given fair warning that they will die if they swim too far out into the sea. This is a common design game developers use to keep players from traveling too far from land. The best part about this shark attack is the shark's sinister eyebrows, showing us once and for all that they aren't just feeding to stay alive; they are legitimately evil.