Top Games Releasing in March 2019
By John Hansen
March is another great month for video games. It is following a February where we saw much anticipated releases of Anthem, Jump Force, Metro Exodus, and more. The following are some of the biggest games releasing this month.
Dead or Alive 6
Release date: March 1, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Our first entry is a game that has been active since 1996. Dead or Alive is a series that is probably known more for its sexualized characters over its fighting mechanics, but it must be doing something right to be going for over two decades, right? Team Ninja, the people that introduced “jiggle physics” for their well-endowed female characters is bringing that system back with Dead or Alive 6. Regarding the gameplay, according to the official Dead or Alive 6 website,
Fights in Dead or Alive are based on a triangle system: strikes beat throws, throws beat holds, and holds beat strikes. When you land an attack of one type that beats another type, like landing a strike when an opponent tries to throw, that attack becomes a Hi Counter attack and does even more damage.
Fans of the Dead or Alive series will have many chances to shell out their money for extra costumes and content. A season pass containing two extra characters and 62 costumes costs $93. If you feel that you want to spend almost an extra hundred dollars towards this game on mostly costumes, feel free to do so.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
Release date: March 1, 2019
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
What a nostalgia release. The original Toe Jam & Earl game released for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The game featured the titular aliens as they tried to collect their crashed ships pieces so they could leave earth. According to the game’s official website:
a funky fresh rogue-like adventure infused with old skool hip-hop and jam packed with awesome throwbacks to the 1991 classic. Original Funk Lord (and co-creator) Greg Johnson is back at the helm with the sequel that ToeJam and Earl fans have been waiting for!
If you have not seen the trailer for the game yet, they are really playing towards that nineties feel and nostalgia. Rogue-like games have been a very popular genre for video games in the last decade and everyone loves a good nostalgia game so anyone who was a fan of the original Genesis game be sure to give ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove a try.
Devil May Cry 5
Release date: March 8, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Devil May Cry is making its return. Capcom is bringing the first DMC game since the reboot in 2013, and the original Dante is back alongside Nero and a new character named V. Everything shown for the newest installment in the series has a lot of longtime fans excited and people (like me) who have never played a DMC game before very intrigued.
DMC is known for its stylish gameplay. Switching between sword and gunplay and keeping a combo going will better your stylish rank. The higher your rank, the more red orbs you gain which are used for upgrading your character, so the rank is important outside of bragging rights to show off to friends.
Devil May Cry 5 is introducing what they call the “Cameo System”. While the three protagonists will be taking their own paths through the story, there will be times where they meet at a crossroads and have to fight together. During these moments, you can play with other players. According to the DMC website, “Encounter players from all over the world, even battle alongside them in this new form of online play.”
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Release date: March 15, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
The original Division was a very hyped up game that saw its player base fall off fast after about a month or so. Even so, it was a very enjoyable game that millions played.
The sequel is changing locales from New York City to Washington D.C. Ubisoft is promising quite the capitol experience with its latest game as well. According to the Division 2 official website,
Unlike anything before it, The Division 2’s Washington D.C. is a 1:1 representation of the real city, making the game world more authentic than ever. The game’s map offers up-close-and-personal views of landmarks, natural landscapes, neighborhoods, and enemy hideouts.
Aside from other Division agents you will meet in the shared world, you will encounter four enemy factions. The True Sons are military experts looking to take over D.C. with their firepower. The Hyenas are a group of scavengers that prey on the weak and defenseless people. They take what they need and destroy anything left over so their enemies do not find anything valuable. The Outcasts are a group that were forced into a quarantine when the dollar flu started. They are looking for revenge against anyone and will murder indiscriminately and spread the sickness. Finally, Black Tusk is a secretive private military organization that operates on an unknown agenda. They have top of the line equipment and training that should make them the hardest foes in the game to take down.
The Dark Zone is making its comeback as the areas of the game where your group will fight both AI enemies and other groups while trying to retrieve loot. It was an overall disappointing section of the game in the first Division so hopefully with time Ubisoft has made it a more fun experience. All endgame content that is added throughout the first year of the game’s release will be free to everyone and there have been rumblings about raids coming to the game.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Release date: March 22, 2019
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the newest game from From Software, the makers of the Dark Souls and Bloodbourne series. This game has the players taking the role of the “one-armed wolf” and takes place in late 1500s Sengoku Japan. This character has had his arm ripped off after failing to protect the young lord he is bound too. After being saved from death, the new prosthetic arm he yields will be one of his greatest tools to get revenge on the Ashina clan and restore his honor.
Like From Software’s other games in the past, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will undoubtedly be a challenging experience. A nice change that I am sure many fans of the Souls games will embrace is the increased movement thanks to a new grapple hook. Souls games in the past largely have been slow moving games, but with Sekiro, you can zip yourself across many areas thanks to the new prosthetic arm.
The game is gorgeous with much more color than the Souls series and looks to have a very interesting story involving the main character, the Ashina clan, and a mysterious woman. Get ready to hear about nothing else but this game from the “Git Gud” people on the internet.
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Release date: March 29, 2019
Platform: Switch
The first big Nintendo Switch exclusive of 2019 is Yoshi’s Crafted World. Obviously drawing on inspiration from Yoshi’s Wooly World on the Wii U, this time Yoshi makes his way through a bunch of arts and craft worlds. According to the official Nintendo website the story of the game is as follows:
It all started when Kamek and Baby Bowser set out to steal a gem-set stone. Legend has it that this fabled artifact can grant the bearer their wildest dreams! But when the artifact’s gems are sent flying, it falls upon Yoshi and friends to find them.
Levels can be played in the traditional left-to-right style that Mario games have set as the norm, but this time there will be missions that Yoshi will have to work backwards in a flipped version of the level he just went through. It is a very interesting take since the developers will have to make sure the game experience while going through both ways is different enough to push the player to explore every inch of every world.
Yoshi can also interact with the environment in interesting ways. Throwing eggs at objects in the background can reveal secrets and the traditional gameplay of Yoshi gobbling up enemies to use as his fodder is present. An early demo of the game is available on the Switch now and after playing it, I was pleasantly surprised at how charming the game is. There is a piece of that Yoshi’s Island magic mixed in here that so many people love.
Yoshi’s Crafted World will also support cooperative play with the second player taking control of another Yoshi. A Mellow Mode is available for players not experienced with video games or just looking for an easy experience to find all the collectibles in the game. In Mellow Mode, Yoshi will be able to fly wherever he wants. Also, revealed in the latest Nintendo Direct was the fact that cardboard costumes can be unlocked for Yoshi by collecting coins throughout the levels.
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