Upcoming New Releases for February/March

[VA1N]

2010 has been one hell of a year for video game releases. It seems each passing week adds more and more hit games to the market and it's getting tough to just keep up. So far this year, games like Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, Dante's Inferno, and many others have shown just how far video games have come in terms of story, gameplay, and design. Well, we're not done yet. To make things easier for everyone and to let you know what is coming out in the near future, I'm going to list out the big releases that you may want to keep an eye out for. In the past I have listed some lesser known wii titles and things that no one really cares about. Not this time...now you're only getting the big ones. So, sit back, relax, and get your wallets out because you will be broke come April.

...February


Bioshock 2
February 9th
360/PS3/PC
-Players return to Rapture as a Big Daddy and live out events 10 years after the first game. To read our review of the game, visit this page: BioShock 2 Review



Dante's Inferno
February 9th
360/PS3
-Based losely (very) on the poem by Dante in the 13th century Inferno, players take control of a crusader who is cast into hell chasing after the damned spirit of his beloved Beatrice. We will have a full review of the game shortly on the site, but it's pretty good.

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Alien vs. Predator
February 16th
360/PS3/PC
-This reboot of the classic PC game will allow players to play as either a colonial marine, alien, or predator in three separate single player missions followed by a hearty multiplayer experience. The demo is currently available on all major consoles if you want to check it out.


Tropico 3
February 16th
360
-Already a very successful PC game with a couple awards under it's belt, Tropico 3 makes it's move to the world of consoles via the 360. In this game, you play as a dictator of a country (looks like Cuba) and you raise your country to power using whatever means necessary. This is sort of a Sim City type game if you aren't sure about it.

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Heavy Rain
February 23rd
PS3
-Considered by many to either be the next evolution of video games OR movies, this game sets out to open players eyes to a different way to play games. The game is basically a bunch of context sensitive button sequences where you control a character by walking around an environment and interacting with objects. The main characters can die and the story will continue. There is no do over screen apparently which results in multiple ways to play the game and multiple endings.


Risen
February 23rd
360
-Already out on the PC, Risen is a RPG game set in a medieval world.


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...March


Battlefield: Bad Company 2
March 2nd
360/PS3
-Battlefield Bad Company has been making a lot of waves about it's claim to compete with MW2. The demo has mixed reactions from a lot of people, so it will be interesting to see if it has the staying power to compete with industry giant MW2 and PS3 exclusive MAG in the multiplayer department. The single player on the other hand will be one hilarious outing just like the first.



MLB 10: The Show
March 2nd
PS3/PSP/PS2
-The best baseball game on the market (and my personal favorite sports game) comes back in 2010 with catcher Joe Mauer gracing the cover. If you want a baseball game, this is pretty much the only choice on the market as the other option (shown below) really doesn't cut it. Although, if you don't have a PS3, you'll be forced to play...


Major League Baseball: 2k10
March 2nd
360/PS3/Wii/PC/PSP/DS-Definitely the lesser of the two baseball games year after year, a lot of changes have been made to try and compete with the giant that is The Show (above). If you own a PS3, chances are you will be playing MLB The Show, but if you don't, this is your only other option for a baseball game.

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Final Fantasy XIII
March 9th
PS3/360
-For the first time ever, Final Fantasy XIII comes to the 360. While the 360 version will contain multiple discs (PS3 version has 1 blu-ray) the developers claim that the image quality will be the same. I'm sure as the date approaches we will be hearing a lot about the differences between the two. Get ready for a fanboy war unlike no other.


Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
March 9th
360/PS3
-Continuing the tradition of releasing a year old game with DLC for full price, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition hits stores on March 9th. It's the same game you played last year, plus some DLC and extra story missions and player skins. If you haven't played the original, then by all means this is a must buy. Resident Evil 5 is one of my favorite RE games and I liked it more than RE4 (although I'm in the minority). If you have played it though, look for the DLC on XBLA and PSN...I doubt this is worth the full purchase price.



Yakuza 3
March 9th
PS3
-Yakuza 3 was released in Japan last year to a lot of fanfare. The game is basically a GTA type game, but a little more involved. It takes place in Japan and you perform missions for the Japanese Yakuza. It's all in morn times as well. If you like GTA type games, this is going to be one you're not going to want to miss.

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Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight
March 16th
PC
-Command and Conquer is a huge game on the PC and the fourth installment hits store shelves on March 16th. Expect to see a 360/PS3 release in the future, but as of right now no word has been mentioned about it.



God of War 3
March 16th
PS3
-It's the game PS3 owners have been waiting for years to play. Kratos returns as the God of War and makes his debut on next gen consoles for the first time (the 1 and 2 reboot don't count). This is going to be a game a lot of people buy a PS3 for since the first two were so damn popular.



Resonance of Fate
March 16th
PS3/360
-RPG game developer by Tri-Ace. Tri-Ace do some nice work and I'm looking forward to seeing more about this game as the date approaches. The screenshots and videos look amazing.


Metro 2033
March 16th
360/PC-Metro 2033 is a sci-fi first person shooter set in a post apocalyptic world. The game is said to have action, horrorr, and role playing element mixed into it. I haven't heard much about it, but just that combination right there sounds tempting.

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Just Cause 2
March 23rd
360/PS3/PC
-Players take control of Rico, a freedom fighter taking on the man. The major claim to fame of this game is the ability to jump from buildings and use your parachute. Nowhere is safe for the enemy as you can pretty much get to anywhere you want to go with enough height. Watch for this game to be a pretty good sleeper game in my opinion.


RUSE
March 23rd
360/PS3/PC
-RUSE is a WW2 strategy game that allows you to position units and create deceptive strategies (ruse's) to defeat the enemy.


Red Steel 2
March 23rd
Wii
-Red Steel 1 wasn't the hit that it could have been, but the developers are confident this game is a much needed change for the better. This game takes place in the Wild West where you wield a sword and a gun and use motion controls on the Wii.

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So, there you have it. The big boys of February and March. Which games are you guys looking to pick up? I already picked up BioShock 2 and Dante's Inferno, but I'm hoping to get Heavy Rain and Alien vs Predator via Gamefly. As for purchases, definitely FFXIII on the PS3 (can't see playing a FF game on anything but a Sony system) and MLB The Show. Just Cause 2 looks like a rent, but could be a buy depending on reviews and God of War 3 just might find it's way into my PS3.