March 7
Kersploosh!
Platform: 3DS
EU: Out now
Make like a rolling stone in this action download for the Nintendo 3DS. Released in Japan as Hyu Stone in 2011, Kersploosh! will see players guiding a stone's descent down a well while avoiding weird obstacles and dangers in its path. Success will be rewarded with stone upgrades and the chance to control other objects such as coins, balls, and Russian nesting dolls as they hurl to their stoney deaths.
Kersploosh! has already landed for European 3DS owners under the name Splash or Crash.
March 12
Allods Online: Lords of Destiny
Platform: PC
The free-to-play realms of The Astral are about to get bigger with this incoming expansion from developer Astrum Nival. Fresh from its February 2013 public beta, Lords of Destiny is slated to be the largest expansion for the online MMORPG, bringing gameplay changes, additions to Allods Online's endgame, a level cap increase to 55, and all new overworld zones. In addition, the add-on will introduce eight new Astral Allods, complete with their own new dungeons ripe for the raiding.
Allods Online is the third title in the Rage of Mages series. It officially launched in April 2011 and is played free by players across the globe.
God of War: Ascension
Platform: PS3
EU: March 13
At long last, Sony's God of War is ready to reclaim his PS3 throne. This highly anticipated prequel is set a decade before the first God of War and follows the bloodthirsty Spartan as he fights for redemption and freedom from Ares' control after slaying his own family in a fit of rage. Throughout the journey, players will tear a swath through Greek deities and monsters, all presented in the grandiose scale the series has become known for. This time around, Kratos will even control the fabric of time itself with a Life Cycle mechanic that can manipulate time to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.
God of War: Ascension will ship with a multiplayer mode where players will scrap against human foes in a number of beat 'em up modes. Combined with a revamped combat and weapon system, these features promise to set Kratos up for glory in his new (and probably last) PS3 epic. Take a peek at the carnage to come in our God of War: Ascension: Hands-on the story mode.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
Platform: PS3
EU: March 15
North American fans of the cultish Hyperdimension Neptunia series will soon have the chance to catch up with Neptune's adventures in this localized sequel. Set in an alternate 1989 timeline, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory picks up on the events of Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 and finds Neptune, former CPU of Planeptune, stripped of her title and caught in a space/time snafu. Telling an original tale, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory will offer insight into the series' console wars and take players through an action RPG featuring a new gang of foes called the Seven Sages, who are determined to erase CPUs from existence.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Platform: PC
As the second chapter of StartCraft II's expansion trilogy, Heart of the Swarm jumps ahead two years after Wings of Liberty. It will star former Zerg leader Sarah Kerrigan as she adjusts to life a human and attempts to seize control of her former Zerg troops to enact revenge on the Terran Emperor, Arcturus Mengsk. Kerrigan's solo campaign will play out over roughly 20 missions and see the former Zerg matriarch hopping planet to planet to amass a devastating Zerg army. New units will join the battle including the fiery Hellbat, flying Tempest, and suffocating Swarm Host; while StarCraft II's multiplayer will also see some new additions of its own.
Binding the social experience will be a revamped Battle.net, allowing for greater gameplay variations with friends and strangers alike. Get caught up with Kerrigan and her plight in our rundown of StarCraft II's first expansion in Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty review.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
Platform: PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC
Take a breath, steady your hands, and take aim at this sequel to City Interactive's 2010 shooter. After multiple delays, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is ready to deliver what its developers call an “authentic, modern sniper experience”. In it, sharpshooters will control Private Security Consultant Captain Cole Anderson as he shimmies through exotic locales like Burma and Tibet picking off his objectives from afar. The action will focus on realistic sniper gameplay using authentic weapons, bullet physics, and camping techniques. Players will also be able to test their aim against human opponents in online sniper duels.
We already listed Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 back in January. Here's hoping City Interactive hits its ETA for real this time around.
