This is it. The motherload. With nearly 40 new games on the way, March is easily the busiest release month of 2013 so far. And considering it includes new God of War, BioShock, Tomb Raider, and Gears of War entries, it could also be the most important month of the entire year.
What will you play? What will you skip? The options are many, but we're here to help with our jam packed guide to the games of March 2013.
March 5
The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition
Platform: Wii U
EU: March 8
Activision's friendly neighborhood wallcrawler is finally coming to the Nintendo Wii U in this super-sized version of last year's movie adaptation. The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition will swing in for Nintendo's new system with enhanced Wii U features like the ability to use the GamePad as Peter Parker's cell phone, city map, and skills manager. The edition will also come with four DLC packs, including the Stan Lee Adventure Pack, starring Marvel's main man in a race across New York; the Lizard Rampage Pack, featuring Dr. Connors and his scaly alter-ego; the Rhino Challenge, featuring the rampaging Rhino; and the Oscorp Search and Destroy Pack, an add-on that will toss new mini-games and costumes to the Spidey mix.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition is the ideal version for Wii U owners who are itching for a solid superhero game and everything Spidey's latest virtual appearance had to offer. Read our impressions of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions in our The Amazing Spider-Man review
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemists of Dusk
Platform: PS3
EU: March 8
Atelier's North American fans will soon have a chance to catch up with cult RPG series, now published by Tecmo Koei. The Alchemist of Dusk returns players to the franchise as a young girl named Ayesha who leaves the safety of her workshop to search for her missing sister. The gameplay will focus on collecting alchemy recipes, gathering ingredients, and wielding new offensive and defensive concoctions in turn-based combat. An updated synthesis system will also grant Ayesha the power to learn new skills to tinker with items in her inventory.
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk (aka The Alchemist of Twilight Land) was developed by studio Gust and originally released in Japan in June 2012.
Castlevania Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
Platform: 3DS
EU: March 8
Set a quarter of a century after the events of the first Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Mercury Steam's sequel will follow Trevor Belmont, Simon Belmont, and Alucard as they work in their individual timelines to stop their ancestor-turned-Dracula, Gabriel Belmont. All four characters will be playable at different intervals in the game, and their success (or failure) will set the stage for the meatier sequel, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which is slated for PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year.
The game will mark the series' first use of stereographic 3D visuals. However, the actual gameplay will be carried out in Castlevania's more traditional 2.5D side-scrolling style. Catch a glimpse of how the Belmont clan will handle their next outing in our Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate preview.
Major League Baseball 2K13
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Want to a win a million bucks? Warm up those pitching thumbs. 2K Sports' tentpole baseball franchise is returning for its annual installment, and with it the chance to win $1 million by pitching a no-hit game in the slightly reworked promotion, The Perfect Game Challenge. In addition to promises of riches, MLB 2K13 will boast gameplay refinements, including enhancements to its trademark analog pitching controls and the My Player, Franchise, and Postseason modes.
Lastly, Rays fans can rejoice--MLB 2K13's cover will be graced by recent Cy Young award winner David Price of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
MLB 13 The Show
Platform: PS3, PS Vita
March is calling up two new ways to get your digital baseball fix. If 2K's take isn't you style, you can always suit up for SCE Studios San Diego's MLB 13 The Show. The latest iteration of “The Show” franchise, the game will feature an all-new beginner mode, a more streamlined approached to matches, and a new postseason mode that will allow players to skip right into playoffs and enjoy what's being touted as a more amped up game presentation.
Outside of the main games, the 2013 edition will sport a much deeper franchise mode, featuring individual player training, a deeper scouting system, and enhanced player development mechanics; the sum of which will give armchair managers a more in-depth baseball sim experience. MLB 13 The Show will also come ready for cross-play compatibility with the PS Vita, allowing fans on both Sony systems to challenge one another to its Home Run Derby mode.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
EU: March 8
The Shinobi World War wages on in this continuation of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series. Building on the main series' plot, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 will carry players through the Five Kage Summit Arc beginning with a desperate skirmish against Nine-Tails on the steps of Konoha village. Over 80 characters will be playable, rendering this chapter the largest of its kind. Additions like an Instant Awakening perk and tweaks to the Team Attack System will also improve the game's combat flow; while the story mode will allow for players to explore different paths via “The Ultimate Decision” system.
Lost? Confused? Have no idea who this Nine-Tails guy is? Catch up with our Nauto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 review.
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