7 video game gems you don't want to miss this March

Mar 6 2018, 12:24 am

March’s video game releases will have players engaging with everything from shootouts, with zealots in Montana to drunk shenanigans with your pirate crew.

In gaming news, Game Developers Conference (GDC) returns on March 19. This industry-focused convention lets developers divulge development secrets, premiere new footage of their game, and share a war story or two at some San Francisco bar.

To help you pick a winner from spring’s video game crop, here are 7 noteworthy video game releases in March.

Ways of the Passive Fist

Image: Household Games Inc.

Developer: Household Games Inc.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: March 6

Ways of the Passive Fist is a beat ‘em up with no direct attack buttons! Instead, your passive fighter opts to dodge, parry, and dash to counter enemy attacks.

Besides that, a nice modern perk is the game’s wealth of difficulty modifiers to fully customize you progress. Outlast raiders, mutants, and sun zealots in this clever spin on the ’90s arcade brawler.

Sea of Thieves

Image: Rare

Developer: Rare
Platforms:  Xbox One, PC
Release Date: March 20

Grab some mates and set sail in Sea of Thieves, a pirate-themed, open-world adventure game. Less concerned with your kill-death ratio, this refreshing multiplayer experience is far more interested in fulfilling your pirate-themed fantasies with some good pals.

Prepare to get drunk on grog, raid ships, fire ship cannons, collect sweet loot, and raise hell all across the oceans. Be the pirate you’ve always wanted to be in this rambunctious Microsoft exclusive.

Valkyria Chronicles 4

Image: Sega

Developer: Sega
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date: March 21

Trench warfare with an anime twist. Valkyria Chronicles 4 continues the series’ flair for tactical strategy combat: a nice mix of real-time aiming and turn-based combat.

The tense battles will have you dive for cover, lob a grenade at a camping sniper, and roll onto the battlefield in a tank. Plus, a new explosive, grenade-loving, combat class joins the ranks of commandable soldier types.

Focusing on a new cast of characters, this entry is newbie-friendly too as the game takes you through a whole new war campaign.

Ni no Kuni 2: The Revenant Kingdom

Image: Level-5

Developer: Level-5
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: March 23

Ni no Kuni 2 is undoubtedly 2018’s first big JRPG release as this grand adventure gently blends beloved JRPG traditions with a magical Ghibli-like art style.

The second entry ditches turn-based combat for real-time action. Thus, you’ll need quick reflexes rather than a high dexterity stat to dodge an incoming enemy attack.

For fans of the genre, you won’t want to miss Ni no Kuni 2 as you help the cat-eared Evan Pettiwhisker reclaim his throne.

A Way Out

Developer: Hazelight Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: March 23

One of the more innovative games this season, A Way Out is a hard-boiled story revolving around two desperate brothers on the run after a prison escape.

Its most remarkable feature is that the third-party action title can only be played cooperatively, either locally or online, as both players must work together through the story.

The developers even let you share the game with another player so you can both fully enjoy this tandem experience for the price of one.

The Alliance Alive

Image: Cattle Call

Developer: CattleCall
Platforms: 3DS
Release Date: March 27

Want a portable JRPG that hits nearly every prerequisite for a good PlayStation One-era JRPG?

The Alliance Alive features an over-world map with optional dungeons, a multitude of vehicles including an airship, different weapon types, and a colourful cast that includes a horned lizard fighter.

Thankfully, the game also has modern additions like the ability to speed-up battles and quick-save anywhere as you rescue another world from certain doom.

Far Cry 5

Image: Ubisoft Montreal

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: March 27

Far Cry 5 takes the FPS series to new lands as the game takes on rustic Americana with its locale, Hope County. Trekking through the wilderness, you must dethrone a dictator and his violent religious cult by any means necessary.

Along the way, you’ll meet new buddies with their own battle perks to fight enemies which even include wild bears! With plenty of vehicles to drive, players will take the fight to the land, sky, and water across Montana.

As a series first, the campaign mode can be played in its entirety through online co-op to make untangling Hope County’s extreme religious roots a less lonely affair.

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Kenny ChiaKenny Chia

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