Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

This game doesn’t get what it means to be a superhero, full stop. Incremental powerups to characters who should already be suited to high-level meant this generic paint-by-numbers shooter was always destined to underwhelm. Most disappointing with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League though is the fact Rocksteady were at the helm. The Arkham developers crafted multiplayer shooter when atmospheric single players are their bread and butter. The reported $200 million loss on the game hasn’t perturbed WB Games though who seem strangely hellbent on going all-in on live service for their future titles.

15. Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs

Considering how successful Pac-Man 99 was, it’s understandable that Bandai Namco Entertainment sought to make a follow-up. Chomp Champs even took a multi-dimensional approach, allowing players to escape the confines of their mazes and devour the opposition (and their Ghosts). However, this isn’t so much a spiritual successor as a port of PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle, which launched in November 2020 and sank alongside Google Stadia.

All these years later, Chomp Champs is little more than the same experience for other platforms but with cross-play. The gameplay can be fun for a bit and performance is solid, but the overall package is so barren that it’s impossible to ignore the flaws. Whether it’s the embarrassingly low-rent user interface, lack of offline modes, the bland music or the terrible Ranked experience, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is imminently forgettable.

14. Graven

Boomer shooters are common these days, but the sheer variety and creativity many exude is great. As a spiritual successor to Hexen, Slipgate Ironworks’ Graven seemed like a winner from the moment early access was announced. Sure, there were some rough edges but there was hope that subsequent Acts would be even better. However, the final product is left wanting.

A reliance on checkpoints instead of a traditional save system seems fine until you’re hard stuck or puzzles begin to break, setting progress back by a fair amount. The immersive sim elements are intriguing but ultimately lacking, the stamina system is restrictive, and the enemy design is frustrating. Couple this with numerous bugs and glitches, some game-breaking, and Graven fails to measure up to its inspiration.

13. Endless Ocean Luminous

As a follow-up to Endless Ocean: Adventures of the Deep from 2009, Endless Ocean Luminous could have offered a relaxing aquatic exploration experience with some bits to help you learn more about various species underwater. Unfortunately, its focus is all over the place, bogging down the overall product. There is a story, but progression is an annoyance due to the clunky scanning, which you must constantly engage with. The lack of realism to the whole affair is also a bummer, and the dull visuals don’t help either.

12. Alone in the Dark

Not only is it another failed attempt to bring the classic survival horror franchise into the new generation, but the developer shut down shortly after due to its lackluster reception. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the reboot just wasn’t good. Combat feels unpolished and rough, but given the lack of compelling challenges, it’s more of an inconvenience. The sheer amount of bugs with the audio alone is enough to keep fans away, and despite the intriguing set-up, the writing and performances from its lead actors are simply lackluster.

11. Sker Ritual

Have you ever played Maid of Sker and felt, “Hm, this needs a first-person shooter spin-off with multiplayer”? Probably not, but that didn’t stop Capcom and its awful Resident Evil multiplayer modes. Thus we have Sker Ritual, which essentially borrows the round-based format from Call of Duty’s Zombies mode. However, it’s lacking in many ways, from the matchmaking and UI to the glitches and messy visuals. Couple this with an issue at launch where the host could retain their XP on quitting while other players couldn’t, and it’s easy to see why Sker Ritual is essentially dead.

10. Outpost: Infinity Siege

Team Ranger’s Outpost: Infinity Siege is a genre mash-up that could have worked with more focus and less tedium. A tower defense/first-person shooter hybrid can be great – as evidenced by the beginning of the game, despite the laughable dialogue and increasingly absurd plot. However, once the rogue-like and extraction shooter elements come into play, things fall apart. The horrible AI, dull map designs, grindy progression and numerous glitches on release didn’t help either. Though it’s seen many improvements and updates since then, Outpost: Infinity Siege needs a rethink of its fundamentals.

9. Die by The Blade

Outside of Tekken, Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and whatnot are more niche fighting games that could use some exposure. Die by the Blade isn’t one of those games. It’s not even in the same stratosphere based on the mechanics alone, with clunky combos and movement that feels like molasses. Matches devolve into little more than rock-paper-scissors, and the lack of content beyond that, including no campaign or proper ranked mode, results in a tedious experience.

8. Undead Inc.

Ndemic Creations’ Plague Inc. was one of my favorite mobile games back in the day, and there was some hope that Undead Inc. from Rightsized Games would channel some of that nostalgia. It doesn’t, unfortunately, and can’t even provide a compelling management experience on its own. Numerous bugs, lackluster content, be it in the biomes or facilities, crashes, horrible interface – the list goes on. What is a compelling concept that could have explored the darker side of pharmaceutical companies ends up way out of its depth.

7. Winter Survival (Early Access)

Yes, it’s early access, but Winter Survival is seemingly set on doing everything wrong with its survival sandbox premise. An empty world lacking in much to do, a lackluster crafting UI, awful combat that focuses on timed strikes and often ends in disaster – it’s all the worse when you’re constantly nagged about having to sleep, eat and drink. The injury and trauma system could have been something unique, but as it stands, Winter Survival has a ways to go with its fundamentals.

6. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

For all the backlash it received after its initial gameplay reveal, you would think Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would have something on its sleeve to win players. Honestly, the opening hours of the story were intriguing, even if each squad member, their CO, Amanda Waller, the Rogue’s Gallery, the brainwashed heroes, you name it, couldn’t go five minutes without chatter. Once the Elseworlds kick in, the plot promptly falls off a cliff. The awful boss battles and recycled open-world activities further kill the enthusiasm (even if the gunplay was passable).

Even with the marketing might of Warner Bros. Discovery and recognition of the Suicide Squad property, Kill the Justice League fell short of expectations, contributing to a $200 million impact on revenue. Its first season is a dud, and player numbers range in the hundreds on Steam nowadays. On the bright side, at least WB is committed to completing the current roadmap. After that? It could end up joining the likes of Anthem and Marvel’s Avengers.

5. Skull and Bones

What are the chances that February would bring not one but two long-in-development, live-service titles that failed to resonate with players? Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed with Skull and Bones, announced at E3 2017 and facing multiple delays, reported reboots, leadership changes and more throughout its nightmarish development.

The fact that it finally launched is shocking enough…until you play the game and grind through the menial labor that is the story. Activities served as little more than sailing from point A to point B, shooting some ships and/or mythical creatures, and maybe plundering a few hapless souls. The loot felt menial; the actual pirate aspects felt empty and soulless, and the game is just the same grind with a dash of PvEvP thrown in. Skull and Bones didn’t exactly have every opportunity to succeed but seeing it flop so succinctly is sad.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants

As a port of Raw Thrills’ 2017 beat ’em up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants seems unassuming enough. Then you see that GameMill Entertainment of The Walking Dead: Destinies and Skull Island: Rise of Kong is involved. While not a disaster on the level of those two titles, it’s still a miserable experience. The combat is terrible. The movement is terrible. The visuals are bland and the distinctions between characters are almost non-existent. Even if all those issues were shored up, there isn’t enough content or replay value to justify revisiting it.

3. Bulletstorm VR

How do you mess up Bulletstorm, one of the most fun first-person shooters ever made? As it turns out, very easily. Though original developer People Can Fly published it, Bulletstorm VR is developed by Incuvo, who worked on Green Hell VR (released to a mixed response on Steam). The gunplay is cooked right out of the gate, from its horrid aiming and reload mechanics to the lackluster impact. Then there were the crashes, missing textures on Quest headsets and poor performance.

If that wasn’t enough, several missions were outright cut. Remember your emotional bond with Waggleton P. Tallylicker and controlling it to wreak havoc on enemies? Gone. Not even the extra missions focused on Trishka could salvage this mess. Several updates were released to improve the experience and even add the vulgarity back in but alas, it’s too little, too late.

2. Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator

Nacon’s had some pretty horrendous releases over the years like Gangs of Sherwood and Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, but it’s also had winners like RoboCop: Rogue City and Session: Skate Sim. Taxi Life unfortunately falls into the former, as part of the publisher’s iffy “Simulator” series.

The “simulation” part has its share of problems, from the unrealistic behavior of the traffic and passengers to the infuriating pedestrians, who will walk in front of you when the light is green with joyous abandon. The lack of support for many steering wheels is bad enough yet the default controls are equally shabby. Performance, despite the admittedly decent-looking visuals, leaves much to be desired. Creating any sim is a tall task, but Taxi Life makes it seem like a herculean effort.

1. Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash

Imagine being able to launch a video game based on the popular Jujutsu Kaisen series, that too just a few months after the conclusion of the Shibuya Incident. What better publisher than Bandai Namco Entertainment with its success on other shounen franchises like Naruto and Dragon Ball? Unfortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash isn’t it. It’s little more than a shameless cash-in, existing for no other reason than to cash in on a peak moment in the series’ popularity.

The combat is exceedingly dull, marking a new low for any sense of depth an arena fighter could have. The balance is all over the place, the visuals are ugly and the Story Mode does a horrendous job of representing the first season and Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Any hope of deriving fun from the online multiplayer is quickly dashed by the terrible netcode. Even if you’re a die-hard fan of anime games, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is little more than cursed.

The story centers on the player venturing to Mount Washington State Park for a hike during the Winter (spoilers) with his friends, Mike and Joel. Things quickly go wrong, and the friends end up separated as ravenous wolves and a bear give chase. Though initially with Joel, players are left alone and must locate both friends, presumably outlaw trips to any parks for the foreseeable future, and also get new friends.

"It’s understandable if the player doesn’t care about characters and dialogue, but suddenly going from sleeping in a cave after hiding from a bear to being tossed out in the snow alone is jarring."

Unlike many survival crafting games, Winter Survival has a voiced protagonist. It may not seem like a big deal, but it quickly disrupts any tension or immersion. It’s hard to feel any dread from wolves when the main character shouts “Run!” to no one in particular on seeing them. Similarly, managing your hunger, thirst and rest levels can be annoying as your character will say out loud, “I should eat something,” “I’m starving,” “I’m thirsty”, or “I set up half a bonfire, and now I’m tired and need to go home for a nap-nap.”

I know I opted for Survivalist, which promised a more brutal survival experience, but I could do without reminders to stuff my face (in-game, of course). It’s a shame because the voice acting is pretty decent.

The only other mechanic is stench, where you need to remove your clothes and bathe, lest your health starts dropping. Relatable, though my periphery vision clouding up with the stench feels a little too overdone. Whether I prefer that over a whiny reminder is honestly not a question I thought would ever crop up when fighting for my life.

Of course, the writing suffers in other areas, particularly the pacing and structure. It’s understandable if the player doesn’t care about characters and dialogue, but suddenly going from sleeping in a cave after hiding from a bear to being tossed out in the snow alone is jarring. No explanation – just a smash-cut montage of panicked tumbling. The “quests” are your rudimentary “craft this, gather that”, as you discover a walkie-talkie and attempt to track down your friends.

"Early access provides the “first large area of the game,” so having materials to put together rough sleeping mats or set up campfires is essential, right? Well, no."

Suddenly, the next major issue with the current state of the early access version is revealed – the lack of base-building capabilities in the early going. You quickly navigate to a cabin and use that as a base, so don’t worry. Forget setting up your own or modifying it heavily – you can’t even move crafting stations around freely.

It’s possible that as the story receives more content, you won’t have this luxurious cabin around, and building presumably becomes more important in the long term (since it’s tied to your Adaptation Level). There are also scenarios in Endless where you have to build, which is problematic in a different way, but we’ll get to that. The game also tries to offer some unique twists, like campfires attracting wild animals when cooking. This falls under “events”, which includes running into a pack of wolves. What sets these apart from the emergent gameplay of other sandbox titles is a whole different story.

Early access provides the “first large area of the game,” so having materials to put together rough sleeping mats or set up campfires is essential, right? Well, no. The first free-to-explore area is medium-sized at best, to the extent that some quest objectives are a hop, skip and jump away from your cabin. I counted one other abandoned cabin to explore, two cave structures, some fields, a broken bridge and a guard tower. Oh, and a hot spring, water stream, and one spot with buried treasure (where the main character pretty much pointed to where I should dig, dispelling any mystery).

You can cook canned food to consume later, and there are plenty of raw vegetables for immediate replenishment (though both can spoil if left for too long). So the only real danger is getting to bed for some shut-eye, which is pretty easy, even with no in-game map.

"Then there’s combat, where you hold a spear, charge it with the left mouse button and release it before a wolf leaps at you. Time it wrong, and they’ll deal damage while causing you to stumble."

Crafting is the other essential part of the experience, and Winter Survival has the bare fundamentals down, at least. You gather materials for your backpack, refine them on your own or set up stations like a Mill for higher tiers like cloth patches and bone needles used to sew your clothing. Fabrics can also be combined with medicinal herbs to create bandages for healing, and there are recipes for more intricate meals that provide bigger gains for your health, temperature and appetite, though some require pots to cook. Some quality-of-life features include pulling directly from your stash while crafting in a cabin, which is nice.

Unfortunately, the UI and other aspects need some work. When collecting materials like logs, you must press E to pick up every single one. No holding down the key to collect them all. It also doesn’t help that the icons for required materials are super small with no label, which is annoying if you’ve never seen the item before. You have to hover over them manually to see what they are and then commit to crafting.

After acquiring tools like a stone axe, it’s time to cut down trees…which may very well be the most sluggish chopping I’ve seen in this genre. However, it’s oddly fine when holding down the button and making continuous chops. Then there’s combat, where you hold a spear, charge it with the left mouse button and release it before a wolf leaps at you. Time it wrong, and they’ll deal damage while causing you to stumble.

Time it right, and you’ll impale them. Now, you only need to do that three or four more times to take them down. Again, I know this is supposed to be Survivalist difficulty, but it stretches credulity when a single wolf, bathed from head to toe in its blood, still puts up a fight after plunging a spear into its vitals.

"You can only climb on specific parts of the environment, usually denoted by some leafy growth, which leads to frustration when your character can’t even clamber over waist-high obstacles."

Throwing spears is a waste, both because the throwing distance is abysmal and the damage is terrible. Don’t even think about sneaking and stabbing them while they snooze, since they’ll immediately pop up and take you down (which was admittedly hilarious when I had very little health left). My other favorite part is charging the spear, waiting for the wolf to strike…only for it to wait for my stamina to deplete and then attack. Ten out of ten would die again.

The alternatives include setting a trap beforehand or waving a torch, the latter also being hit or miss. While it works to drive wolves away, their pathfinding makes it so that they end up near you again. At one point, a wolf’s AI seemingly broke, and it was too scared to move, simply cowering in place. I got one solid hit in with the axe before it suddenly sprang to life, biting a neat chunk out of my health. After I ran away, it stayed outside the cabin and threw temper tantrums for a few hours. As hilarious as this all seems, it’s unintentional at best and annoying at worst.

While combat is janky and unwieldy, the exploration is only mildly better. You can only climb on specific parts of the environment, usually denoted by some leafy growth, which leads to frustration when your character can’t even clamber over waist-high obstacles.

The addition of Instinct Mode is good since it can highlight materials to gather and nearby threats, but, along with some stealth aspects, it further removes any real sense of danger. Crouching in tall grass makes you damn near invisible to nearby wolves, even if they’ve been recently alerted. Be careful not to jump more than a few feet down, since it can lead to sprains or even severe fall damage.

"As you accrue trauma, whether it’s through encounters with wolves, the extreme cold or staying cooped up in your cabin, various permanent debuffs can occur, including hallucinations."

The wolf AI isn’t much better when they’re out patrolling since they outright ignore you, despite being a few feet away. Why are singular wolves even patrolling anyway, that too in a defined path? Despite some nice weather effects, the world’s ecosystem feels so fake. Wolves aren’t hunting deer or rabbits for food – in fact, they go about their business and only really react to you, that too if you’re close enough.

Perhaps the only noteworthy mechanic that sets Winter Survival apart is the sanity system. As you accrue trauma, whether it’s through encounters with wolves, the extreme cold or staying cooped up in your cabin, various permanent debuffs can occur, including hallucinations. You could hallucinate less threatening animals like deer when hunting, which disappear when attempting to interact with them. However, you can choose the trauma and potentially work around its effects.

It’s an intriguing system that encourages you to adapt, but neither gets enough time to thrive in the current story nor offers much counterplay since it’s permanent. Compare this to the Adaptation Disorders, which hit you with debuffs to the perks gained on leveling up. You can recover from them by completing challenges and reverting that perk to normal, but when it comes to the traumas, you’re out of luck.

Some of the traumas could use further balancing. What sounds like the better choice? Hallucinating parts of the environment that are revealed upon getting closer? Or getting jump-scared by hallucinatory wolves and boars? Maybe blurry vision when activating Instinct Mode unless you shake your mouse? With how little time is spent actively gaining traumas in story mode, there’s no merit in taking any of the more crippling choices.

"That leaves only one other mode – Endless. The start is arguably way more intriguing as you choose different conditions and even interpret a Rorschach inkblot test to customize the experience."

However, as disturbing as the hallucinations are hyped up to be, I barely encountered any phantom deer after taking the corresponding trauma (outside of that one story instance), never mind illusory wolves and boar. Audible hallucinations can occur as part of the story, and they’re suitably creepy but eventually devolve into yet another reminder system for your warmth, hunger, etc.

Once you complete the story quests, a bear attacks the guard tower you’re in and before you can ponder the next jump cut, it’s “Thanks for coming, exit through the gift shop.” Yes, the story ends on a cliffhanger before it gets going. Again, it’s early access, but it took roughly two hours to go through each part of the tutorial, the prologue and this first Act (deaths included). Even if the story isn’t too compelling, the available amount is downright woeful. You could reload your save and continue exploring, but as noted already, there isn’t much to see.

That leaves only one other mode – Endless. The start is arguably way more intriguing as you choose different conditions and even interpret a Rorschach inkblot test to customize the experience. So whether you seek an exploratory life starting in a cave or one more objective-based, like acquiring sap syrup to quell your recurrent illness, it allows the mechanics to breathe some more.

Alternatively, you can modify several parameters to make Endless more or less challenging. Ironically, this also fixes some of the more annoying aspects of the experience, like wolves dying with a single stab or only needing to charge the attack instead of charging and releasing it to stab them. Increase your capacity for hunger, thirst, and whatnot to get rid of those annoying alerts from your character. Max out the stamina and run to your heart’s content, or adjust the trauma gained and experiment with all the different debuffs.

"Endless is only for those who can’t get enough of the core gameplay, and issues like base building becoming available only after grinding your Adaptation Level don’t feel great."

Nevertheless, the same problems rear their head – there isn’t really much space to explore. At one point, I could spot some buildings in the distance, but couldn’t leap across the rocks to reach them. After landing in the water and recovering, I discovered an invisible boundary wall, preventing me from going forward. Couple this with the lackluster content in the sandbox, and it starts to feel dull after a point, even after fiddling with all the different options.

Endless is only for those who can’t get enough of the core gameplay, and issues like base building becoming available only after grinding your Adaptation Level don’t feel great. If you started in a cave, that’s your home for a good chunk of the Endless run. You could tweak the XP gained and max out the Adaptation Level to unlock the building, so there is that, but it feels like a fundamental rethink of the progression is needed. There should be a range of basic essential options, with each Adaptation Level providing more – from weapons and building to recipes and crafting stations – instead of locking the essentials to higher tiers.

Then there are the bugs, from icons suddenly turning dark when going through the inventory to charged attacks uncharging even with some stamina remaining and the “Transfer All” key not working. On one occasion, the music for a dangerous encounter started playing, but I saw nothing. Upon returning to the cabin, a single angry wolf was waiting, seemingly stuck in place until struck a few times.

It’s nothing game-breaking for an early access title, though other players have reported issues like the fireplace despawning, which is only fixed by reloading your save. Performance is pretty decent even on Medium settings with so many options enabled. However, the animations for some actions, like chopping a tree into smaller logs, are outright missing. Hopefully, they’ll be expanded down the line.

"As intriguing as it first appears, this is one winter excursion that you’re better off skipping."

From the core mechanics and world design to the combat and UI, Winter Survival needs a lot of time to cook. The developer plans to release the “first massive update” to the world within a few weeks of launch. Early access is meant to last for about six months but could go longer, depending on feedback. Given the current state, I hope it gets more time to breathe. The characters may be milquetoast, but there is some potential for this kind of set-up, and I’m interested to see if the protagonist’s slow descent into madness has a deeper meaning.

Endless mode can provide a bit more value for the current package, but as it stands, Winter Survival doesn’t offer enough to stick out in a crowded market, much less compete with some of the genre’s greats. If you’re keen on a survival game with a wintery twist, pick up Sons of the Forest and wait for it to snow. As intriguing as it first appears, this is one winter excursion that you’re better off skipping.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Hi-Fi Rush (PS5)

Step aside Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – the true best Xbox exclusive is coming to PS5 on March 19th. Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush already cemented itself as one of the best character-driven, hack-and-slash action-adventure titles ever made when it suddenly dropped last year. The addition of rhythmic elements to the combat with a gorgeous art style and fun humor, made it all the more endearing, but PS5 players can experience the Arcade Challenge! Update! for more challenges and replay value right out the gate.

Outpost: Infinity Siege

If you’re a fan of sci-fi tower defense and base-building, then Team Ranger’s Outpost: Infinity Siege may be worth checking out. Story details are lacking at the moment, but it involves gathering resources, managing units and fighting for survival across multiple sci-fi zones with unique hazards, with a mix of first-person gunplay and overhead commands. You can customize your Protoslag Gun in different ways and team up with friends in co-op, including an endless Horde-mode style mode. Outpost: Infinity Siege is out on March 26th for PC.

Winter Survival

Between Palworld, Sons of the Forest, Enshrouded, Nightingale and Pacific Drive, there are plenty of survival crafting games to jump into. DRAGO Entertainment’s Winter Survival is another potentially worth noting as players fight for survival on a hike gone wrong in Mount Washington State Park. Hunt the wildlife, stave off the cold and hunger, and explore the area to find refuge. Random events can also occur, for better or worse, but the real challenge is managing your sanity, especially when hallucinations start to manifest. Winter Survival launches on March 6th for PC via Steam Early Access, where it will remain for at least six months.

Lightyear Frontier

Of course, those seeking something less stressful can look into Lightyear Frontier. The farming title sees players venturing to a far-off planet for farming purposes. Despite having a mech, it’s more of a multi-purpose tool, allowing you to plough the fields, clear out pollution, plant new trees, and much more (and yes, you can also build a home). With co-op support, it should be interesting to see how Lightyear Frontier fares when it launches into early access on March 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

WWE 2K24

Controversies loom heavily for the WWE following a lawsuit against its former chairman, Vince McMahon. Wrestlemania season rolls on regardless, though, and a new WWE 2K title is out on March 8th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K24 offers a new 2K Showcase highlighting 40 years of memorable Wrestlemania matches; new match types like Ambulance, Gauntlet, Special Referee and Coffin; and various new features for MyGM, MyFACTION and Universe Mode. Even Backstage Brawl has been revamped to feel more brutal.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is out on March 22nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Combat is real-time and includes new Vocations like the Mystic Spearhand, Warfarer and Trickster, powerful skills and Pawn actions, the world has limited fast travel and a hefty amount of side content that players may miss. Dragon’s Dogma 2 could be a stand-out RPG in this highly competitive quarter.

Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s biggest project yet and seven years in the making. It’s an open-world action RPG that takes several combat cues from Nioh, particularly its Styles and weapon types while adding a glider, Grappling Hook and even character switching. As a Veiled Edge in the Bakumatsu era of Japan, players must side with different historical figures and carve their path, with multiple decisions deciding their fate.

Forming bonds with characters can alter the course of the story and unlock new endings. However, the developer also promises extensive side content and detailed cities like Edo, Yokohama and Kyoto. It’s out on March 22nd, exclusively for PS5, and with a character creator, four-player co-op and different difficulty options, we can’t wait to see how it pans out.

MLB The Show 24

It wouldn’t be a year of sports follow-ups without a new MLB The Show. Launching on March 19th for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, MLB The Show 24 offers 400 new animations, including new pitcher animations, revamped base sizes, and multiple other gameplay improvements. Modes like Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show, Franchise, and March to October also return, while this year’s Storylines sees the addition of Derek Jeter’s 1995 to 2000 seasons.

Outcast – A New Beginning

Appeal Studios’ Outcast – A New Beginning is a dream come true for long-time fans of the 1999 adventure classic, especially after the cancellation of Outcast 2: The Lost Paradise. Cutter Slade returns to Adelpha, and he’s once again on a mission to save the Talans. With extensive weapon customization, different abilities, a large open world with secrets to uncover and extensive wildlife, and a jetpack for quick exploration, A New Beginning promises an extensive amount of freedom like the original. It launches on March 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Contra: Operation Galuga

The Contra series hasn’t had the best track record lately, especially 2019’s Contra: Rogue Corps. However, Contra: Operation Galuga is a vast improvement, as WayForward embraces the 80s-style run-and-gun action complete with big bosses, several playable characters, three difficulty options and eight stages for players to test their mettle. New weapons, Overlord abilities and stackable upgrades also sound enticing, and there’s even support for up to four players in Arcade Mode. Contra: Operation Galuga arrives on March 12th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, with a free demo currently available.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

If you liked Snowrunner and wanted more of the same, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game…isn’t exactly that. Instead, it’s more of an exploration title where you work with a research team to explore three massive maps. Unearth treasures, transport equipment, help other truckers – the list goes on, with several new tools to help navigate the dreaded landscape and Specialists to lend their knowledge. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is out on March 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition (PC)

After Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s now the turn of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West to launch on PC. The Complete Edition includes the acclaimed base game and expansion, The Burning Shores, while supporting 21:9 and 32:9 displays alongside 48:9 triple monitor set-ups. PC players can also look forward to Nvidia DLSS 3 and DLAA support, in addition to AMD FSR and Intel XeSS being supported. If nothing else, Nixxes Software being in charge should mean a much better port than the original when it arrives on March 21st.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach finally gets her time to shine as the protagonist again when Princess Peach: Showtime! arrives on March 22nd for Nintendo Switch. The action-adventure title sees her utilizing various transformations to defeat Wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch, from the deadly Ninja Peach to the martial arts of Kung Fu Peach. You can even don a detective hat as, well, Detective Peach and duel with Swordfighter Peach. Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime! looks like a massive step up from 2005’s Super Princess Peach in every way.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition

A console re-release of a Frontier Developments’ management title on PC from 2019? Odd as it may be, Planet Zoo: Console Edition is out on March 26th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It features the same content that fans of the original love, from creating different habitats in your dream zoo to caring for various animal species (complete with console-centric controls). The Frontier Workshop also gets cross-platform sharing, providing even more content to download, but there’s also a Season Pass for a whopping 14 additional DLC packs for console players.

Open Roads

Previously set to launch in February, Annapurna Interactive’s Open Roads is now out on March 28th for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. The story of Tess and her mother, Opal, still looks endearing as they embark on a road trip and revisit the past (unearthing some secrets along the way). With a uniquely gorgeous art style and an atmosphere that evokes the nostalgia of simpler times, Open Roads should be worth checking out for adventure game fans.