Games: March 2012

I sincerely hope you managed to try out all the new releases for February, as March is set to be just as busy: there will be clear hits, dark horses, strong middle-tier games, and probably a sea of trash. The genre diversity of the new releases is also encouraging: from wargames, simulators, action games, and shooters, to fighting, racing, and even platformers. And, of course, there will be another addon for [The Sims 3](/games?search=The Sims 3).

P.S: only PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 games were considered.

● Vessel - March 1

arcade.puzzle

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Another upcoming small masterpiece created by the hands and minds of just a couple of people: a designer and a programmer. The main character of the game, Professor Akrayt, has spawned so-called mechanized liquid robots which, as often happens in science fiction, gained their “self” at one point, rebelled against humans, and turned the world into chaos. The professor decides to correct his mistake, arms himself with his powerful invention - a water pump gun - and embarks on a long journey with all the flowing (in the literal sense) consequences. The gun will be useful in battles against the evil liquid robots, but for the most part, it will rest from work - Akrayt will face a considerable number of various puzzle challenges. In such moments, a spray pump will come in handy, allowing the professor to create friendly “liquid beings” ready to perform simple commands. Overall, purchasing Vessel is recommended for everyone who cares about excellent indie games.

● [Silent Hill](/games?search=Silent Hill) HD Collection - March 15

horror

Xbox 360, Playstation 3

In February, Konami revived the [Metal Gear Solid](/games?search=Metal Gear Solid) series, and just a few weeks later will release an HD remaster of the second and third parts of [Silent Hill](/games?search=Silent Hill).

● [I Am Alive](/games?search=I Am Alive) - March 7

survival.action

Xbox Live Arcade

A very intriguing action game set in a city of Chicago that has experienced an earthquake. As you can easily guess, the main character finds himself at the epicenter of the disaster, and now he is doing everything in his power to survive; therefore, not only agility and strong character (moving through the city) but also firearms (fighting against enemies) will be necessary. During gunfire, the camera will automatically shift to first-person; during walking and talking, however, we will observe the protagonist from behind. It’s hard to make any conclusions right now, but the first and most obvious drawback immediately stands out when watching videos on YouTube - the project is significantly lagging in technical aspects (design, animation, detail).

● [Mass Effect 3](/games?search=Mass Effect 3) - March 7

action.rpg

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

I’ll be the Captain if I say that [Mass Effect 3](/games?search=Mass Effect 3) is the main game of March and one of the main contenders for “Game of the Year.” In February, everyone interested could touch the last part of the trilogy by launching the demo version, but personally, I ignored the thought of “hurry up and download, install, and play” and decided to wait for the release, as it’s just around the corner. And one of the authors of “Game Country” aptly stated in his article: “playing everything again will not be boring, rather, it won’t be as interesting.”

● The Second Guest - March 8

adventure

PC

A very simple (budget) adventure that will be released in episodes. The main character, who was named Jack Ice without much thought, receives a mysterious telegram that propels this young student into a stream of adventures.

● Top Gun: Hard Lock - March 9

arcade

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

A kind of remake of the original Top Gun from 1987, which was released on computers and NES. Its charm lay in the spectacular (well, perhaps, back then players marveled at the ability to shoot down enemy planes and perform stunts) aerial battles, and that’s exactly what the authors of Hard Lock want to offer gamers in March (of course, adapted for the times). It’s worth noting that the Top Gun series counts seven games, but the latest project in this line to come to “big platforms” dates back to the distant 2001 (TP: Combat Zones on PlayStation 2). All subsequent series releases were developed for DS, Game Boy, and iPhone.

● [Street Fighter X Tekken](/games?search=Street Fighter X Tekken) - March 9

fighting

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Another crossover where characters from different universes clash: this time it’s fighters from SF and Tekken. Since the developer is Capcom, don’t be surprised that what’s happening will remind you of the fourth part of the [Street Fighter](/games?search=Street Fighter) series.

● Warp - March 13

action.puzzle

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Last year, Electronic Arts announced its intent to publish Warp. At that time, the project was shown to the press for the first time, and it must be said that journalists were generally impressed. Warp is a charming action game where the main role is played by a cute alien named Zero, who is captured by ruthless human scientists. The hero, who for some reason reminds me of Pikachu, feels that there are other aliens on the site and decides to help not only himself escape but also rescue his brethren. The gameplay revolves around Zero’s ability to teleport through objects, as well as into living people (the latter can be gruesomely torn to pieces and, thus, vividly paint the grim laboratory walls in bright red). Absolutely all the guards are informed about the escape of one of the aliens, so the little protagonist (i.e., the player) will have to be clever to ultimately leave the humans in the dust and bring his fellow beings to freedom.

● [Silent Hill: Downpour](/games?search=Silent Hill: Downpour) - March 13

action.horror.adventure

Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Downpour is just that dark horse that we will only be able to properly assess on March 13, but not earlier. That’s when we will form our objective opinion. Right now, however, the internet is full of negative comments from fans of the series who, after a poor trailer for the game, turned against the developers with cries of “kill yourselves.” The journalists’ situation is similar. You read one preview and get one impression of the new part of the series. You read another and get a different one. The press is now divided into two camps. The first group is shouting at the top of their lungs that Downpour is terrible and hardly a [Silent Hill](/games?search=Silent Hill) game at all. The others (for example, one of the authors from “Game Country”) hold a different opinion: they remain satisfied with the gameplay and atmosphere of the project but left skeptical about the plot - it was impossible to assess its quality based on the press version.

● Journey - March 14

adventure

Playstation 3

A new project from Thatgamecompany, which “gifted” gamers with the beautiful Flower in 2009. In Journey, players will explore a new mysterious world, needing to unravel the history of an ancient civilization. And the journey will certainly not be boring, especially in cooperative mode, which supports up to two people. The only nuance is that co-op in Journey is anonymous: no communication, no connection, only a joint solution of the most interesting puzzles.

● Commander: The Great War - March 15

strategy

PC

A wargame dedicated to the events of World War I. Under a terrible graphic shell lies what is supposed to be a deep strategy. I haven’t checked it; I don’t know, so we await (if we’re awaiting at all) The Great War with caution.

● Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle - March 16

adventure

PC

Another simple quest, this time with a pirate theme. Numerous locations are promised (charming, judging by the screenshots), an interesting plot, and various mini-games.

● Yakuza: Dead Souls - March 16

action

Playstation 3

In the district with a funny name Kamurocho, hordes of zombies invade, which, as fans of the series would guess, is a spin-off from the usual Yakuza game scenarios. The gameplay now resembles that of Resident Evil, though with higher speed and more statistics on the screen (every time a player blows something up or kills someone, the game displays a multitude of numbers). Authors’ penchant for spectacular scenes accompanied by bright explosions remains intact. In general, if you like games like [Dead Rising](/games?search=Dead Rising), it's worth checking out Yakuza: Dead Souls.

● Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - March 23

action

Xbox 360, Playstation 3

What was seen at the Capcom Party hardly resembled previous Resident Evil games. Operation Raccoon City is a moderately dynamic third-person action game where zombies are not the main characters of the action but just another element for victory. Playing against computer opponents is extremely boring, so if you launch ORC, it should be only the licensed version.

● [Armored Core V](/games?search=Armored Core V) - March 23

action

Xbox 360, Playstation 3

The Armored Core series, dedicated to battles of huge mechs, has more than twenty releases, but this includes versions for mobile platforms. The fifth part, as the authors assure us, will adhere to the traditions of the first parts: urban-type locations will bring more tactical depth to the project. For example, in certain episodes, it may be more logical to sneak through an area using alleyways. So far, [Armored Core V](/games?search=Armored Core V), judging by the gameplay video, looks fresh; however, it is unclear how long the bland gray levels can keep the gamer in the desire to continue playing.

● [Ninja Gaiden 3](/games?search=Ninja Gaiden 3) - March 23

action

Xbox 360, Playstation 3

The new installment of the famous hardcore series, which unfortunately seems to be taking steady steps toward the casual gaming audience. The project’s authors, Team Ninja, claim they are preparing “rather a revolution than an evolution” for the series. In terms of gameplay, everything is more or less familiar (blood and a dynamic meat grinder), but the visual style of [Ninja Gaiden 3](/games?search=Ninja Gaiden 3) will become darker and more realistic.

● [The Dark Eye](/games?search=The Dark Eye): Chains of Satinav - March 23

adventure

PC

The main adventure of the month. From the creators of such wonderful projects as [A New Beginning](/games?search=A New Beginning), The Whispered World, and Edna & Harvey. It will undoubtedly be a very beautiful quest, centered around the search for the origins of evil. To solve the next puzzle, players will need to utilize not only their brains but also magic. The character will be allowed to dress up in various kinds of gear, which will affect not only the external appearance of the hero. In what moments will companions come in handy, and how useful will various clothing items be? Answers to these questions will be revealed with the release of the first classic quest in the [The Dark Eye](/games?search=The Dark Eye) tabletop universe.

● [Total War: Shogun 2](/games?search=Total War: Shogun 2) Fall of the Samurai - March 23

strategy

PC

The most anticipated and already the best strategy of March. Japan, despite the height of a civil war that has divided the country into two warring camps, is experiencing a tumultuous scientific and technical advancement: kilometers of railroads stretch across the territory, watercraft are being enhanced with sheet steel, and on the heights stand Gatling guns - one of the first automatic weapons (perhaps you remember the power of this gun from the movie “The Last Samurai”). However, simply acquiring all of the listed items will not be handed to the player. They will need to build an effective economy, in simpler terms - raise the level of their faction's development. To complicate the gamer’s task, the developers endowed the Japanese populace with a highly unpleasant trait: as one preview writer, Alexander Yuryevich, put it, the common folk “cannot calmly tolerate the sight of smoky factory chimneys and clanging railroads.” Be ready to promptly quell any attempts by the populace to rebel or rise up.

● [Rayman Origins](/games?search=Rayman Origins) - March 29

platformer

PC

Ubisoft has arranged a holiday for all PC owners by announcing the PC version of [Rayman Origins](/games?search=Rayman Origins) - the best platformer of 2011. Stunning design, bright characters, and engaging gameplay will keep you glued to your monitors for long hours. And, to anticipate the most popular question, I answer right away: “yes” - [Rayman Origins](/games?search=Rayman Origins) will be available on Steam.

● [Ridge Racer Unbounded](/games?search=Ridge Racer Unbounded) - March 30

racing

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

The first [Ridge Racer](/games?search=Ridge Racer) to be released on personal computers. I don’t know how the project is doing now, but the demo of the racing game presented at Igromir 2011 did not appeal to me at all. Flatout is brighter, Burnout is more dynamic, Split/Second is more spectacular. I hope my opinion about Unbounded was mistaken.

● [Test Drive](/games?search=Test Drive): Ferrari Legends - March 30

racing

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

The [Test Drive](/games?search=Test Drive) series is abandoning the “prospects” of an open world and returning to its hardcore roots. This time the developers are Slightly Mad Studios, who were previously responsible for [Need for Speed: Shift](/games?search=Need for Speed: Shift). The lineup of cars, as can be guessed from the title, is strictly defined - the best and most varied models from Ferrari. Consequently, there will be such racing disciplines as rally, Formula 1, and GT.

● Inversion - March 30

action

Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Ladies and gentlemen, our compatriots are releasing a big game; we can be a little proud of our Russian game dev - not everyone is running to online, there are still partisans! By the way, the developers - Saber Interactive - are known for such decent shooters as Will Rock and TimeShift, as well as for last year’s best remake - [Halo: Combat Evolved](/games?search=Halo: Combat Evolved) Anniversary. Yes, skeptics regularly point out that the oil on Saber’s developer skillet has been burned for a long time, and Inversion is literally turning out tasteless, but still, I personally do not share their viewpoint. Simply because my knowledge of this game is quite superficial; I haven’t played the demo at Igromir, which means I'll be a patriot, believing in the success of already many people’s Inversion. It will hit the shelves at the end of March.

What else: Deponia (March 2), SSX (March 2), [FIFA Street](/games?search=FIFA Street) (March 15), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (March 30), [Warriors Orochi](/games?search=Warriors Orochi) 3 (March 30), [The Sims 3](/games?search=The Sims 3): Show Business (somewhere in March), Birds of Steel (March 31).