The Games of March 2020
The third month of the year is upon us and that means even more games to look forward to playing, from high profile titles like DOOM Eternal and Animal Crossing, which are both out on the same day, to new games like Bleeding Edge or perhaps the return of a classic series with Half-Life Alyx. No matter what you are looking to play, there should be something for you this month, so let’s begin.
There are countless spin-offs from the mainline Pokemon games, but perhaps none more popular that the Mystery Dungeon series. With randomly assembled dungeons created, each time you enter them, there is always something new to discover.
It has been a few years since the last one released on the Nintendo 3DS, but it seems to have not bothered Nintendo as they are rebooting the series, by remaking the first title. There is a demo now available on the eShop, if you can’t wait until the end of the week for it as well.
A game that has been many years in the making, the sequel to the almost perfect Ori and the Blind Forest was first shown off back in 2017 and since then, with each showing the hype just seems to increase, something which I am sure the developers are very aware of.
Taking everything that made the first one grand, but ramping it all the way up to 15, the game aims to continue the combination of solid gameplay, and visual wonderment. The last time that I played it was back at E3 2018 and I have been eagerly awaiting the full release since then.
My Hero Academia is the current hit anime that seems to want to cross the line between cartoon and sensation, so games inspired by the source material are a given. The fact that we are onto the second in just a short time, proves how versistal the manga is.
Covering more of the storylines from the manga and the anime, players will get to relive their favourite fights, as many times as they choose, plus with over 40 playable characters, there will be no shortage of superhero team ups to enjoy.
Set as a prequel to the first game, Nioh 2 will once again let players create their own character, complete with yokai spirit history, then with a range of weapons, they will set forth and attempt to save Japan from destruction.
Being able to fight evil yokai and power up from their abilities, means that each play through has the chance to be quite unique, plus add to it the vast and dizzying array of moves you can pull off, making sure players around the world will remember this is Team Ninja at their best.
If you want sports games, there is a brand for each, you want Basketball, then its the NBA 2K series, for Soccer it is EA’s FIFA and for Baseball it is MLB The Show and it is back again for another spectacular season. Having dropped the Online Franchise mode last year, the developer is offering up Online Custom Leagues.
On top of that of course, you can enjoy the wonderful baseball action that the series has been known to deliver over the years, with Sony taking great care on both the players and stadiums, making it one of the most authentic sports games out there. This might also be the last year that the game is exclusive to PlayStation, as MLB seem to want to expand the series to more platforms.
At this point you are either on board for Animal Crossing: New Horizons or you are dead, the game is taking the tried and true formula of the series, but kicking it in a new direction entirely. Starting you on an island with no preset buildings or locations, means everything is up to you
The staple gameplay will still be here, but rather than making decisions for the residents, you will have to decide where they build their houses, where bridges go, or even if you want a river in that location. Plus with the addition of multiplayer, it seems to make this one of the grandest games Nintendo has built, which is saying something.
Talk about a juxtaposition of themes, on the same day that, perhaps the cutest game of the years is released, so is the bloodiest one. DOOM Eternal is taking everything that we loved about DOOM 2016 and kicking it up to 666, more enemies, more weapons, more locations, it is just bigger and more badass.
On top of that, the gameplay has been smoothed out, meaning you can run and gun much smoother than ever before, plus new multiplayer modes and more, makes this one of the most packed games of the month, if not the year. If that were not enough, DOOM 64 will also release the same day for all platforms, making it the first time the game has come back since it was released on the Nintendo 64.
It has been 13 years since we last got new Half-Life, when Episode Two of Half-Life 2’s DLC was released and since then, there have been demands, pleas, petitions and more, asking for more Half-Life and Valve have finally caved, which brings us to Half-Life Alyx, a VR title that is set before the events of Half-Life 2.
This new entry might be VR only, but there is still the quintessential heart of Half-Life in there, Alyx is the star this time and she must help the resistance, long before Gordon Freeman arrives in City 17 and with the game being in VR, you can interact with the new Gravity Gloves, like never before.
When developer Ninja Theory was picked up by Microsoft, most people assumed they would work on franchises that the big M wanted them too, which made the opening game of E3 2019 a surprise, add to it that it was a new IP and an online game, it grabbed the attention of a lot of gamers.
On top of that, the studio’s pedigree for melee combat, thanks to DMC and Heavenly Sword, was put front and centre, as this is not a shooter with a melee option, but the other way around. With 12, very different characters to choose form, it seems a little Overwatch in its basis, but with the fast melee action, things only look that way, until you play.
This next entry in the Pirate Warriors series, comes 5 years after the last one, but continues the crazy and over the top action that the One Piece series has come to be known for. As a game heavily influenced by the musou genre and with over 40 playable characters, laying the beat down on waves of enemies, has never looked so good.
Plus, players will be able to enjoy the entire One Piece story from the beginning and if that is not appealing, you can also now play the game with friends, laying a smackdown on the countless enemies and with destructible buildings, the game is set to demolish all those that came before it.
Perhaps ending the month on a high, Persona 5 Royal will take the game that players have already fallen for and make a return to the spotlight. With a series of enhancements, this is the ultimate version of Persona 5.
With a new phantom thief, a new palace, new music and new story elements and beyond, there is a lot more to experience than just some tweaks. Plus the game will support PlayStation 4 Pro properly, something the original release didn’t.
