This not-so-limited 8th edition of my anticipated releases is brought to you in part by Josef Fares, a man who said "F*ck the Oscars," then proceeds to release his game in the same month as the Oscars.
Welcome back to the March edition of my top five anticipated releases in video games. What does this month bring to the table? Let's find out. But just like any good person would do when playing a multiplayer game and is given an optional tutorial; let's go through the rules.
Rules are fun and for everyone. Here they are: the game has to be released on at least one of the major systems (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch). The game has to be new, so no remasters or re-releases onto new systems. One thing I do count is a game either entering or exiting early access, but that game can only be counted once. If a game does have multiple release dates like Destiny 2 or GTA 5, then I will only count the earliest release date. Finally, it has to be a game, not a DLC. With the rules out of the way, let's look at my top picks for March.
5. Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E. 2 is the sequel to, you guessed it, Q.U.B.E. in which you are back in a strange block alien landscape solving more puzzles. But more than just new puzzles, Q.U.B.E. 2 is shaping up to be an upgrade in most ways above the first game. A new and deeper narrative (I played Director's Cut, so I'm not just saying this because I didn't experience any story), more mechanics to the puzzles, new environments that are more diverse and run down, and more. Q.U.B.E. has always felt like Portal to me with its style of puzzles and environments, but it also feels unique enough with its mechanics and story to keep it from being a Portal knockoff. To me, I think Q.U.B.E. 2 to Q.U.B.E. is like Portal 2 to Portal, which has got me excited. Hopefully the game delivers more than the first (just like any good sequel should do), but that can only be found out when it releases on March 13th.
4. Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Speaking of sequels to games I have played. And just like Q.U.B.E., Warhammer: Vermintide 2 looks to be an upgrade over the first game. A new enemy faction as well as keeping the old, new and better looking levels, new loot and upgrade system, careers on heroes, and more. Where I saw Q.U.B.E., I see this game like Left 4 Dead without being a direct knockoff. To me, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to Warhammer: Vermintide is like Left 4 Dead 2 to... you get the point. Still, I am excited to see how this game turns out when it releases on March 8th.
3. A Way Out
A Way Out is an action adventure title being made by yours truly, Josef Fares in which you and a friend play as two escaped convicts from a prison in the 70s. The big reason why I am so interested in this title and why it is on this list is because it is so damn interesting and unique. From the always splitscreen gameplay even if playing online to the fact that only one person has to purchase the game if both want to play, this game is all kinds of crazy but in a great way. I always love games that push the boundaries, and I find it especially funny to see that totally not greedy EA publish a game that can have a one-game-to-two-people buying ratio. But beyond being boundary-pushing, I think its story and setting as well as its varied gameplay can prove to be a great time with a friend. It looks like a great balance between narrative and gameplay, and I cannot wait to get my hands (or have my friend get my hands) on a copy when the game releases on March 22nd.
2. Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is a a first person action adventure game in which you and some buddies (or just you) go as pirates across the seas seeking treasure, with the hurdles including other players seeking that treasure as well. Since this isn't a sequel and I can't relate it to a Valve game, I must talk about things that aren't improvements. That won't be hard, because everything about Sea of Thieves looks and sounds awesome: from the gorgeous visuals and art style to the fun looking gameplay that feels both like a perfect pirate adventure and a great experience generator. Just about everything, from the premise to being shot out of a cannon sounds great about the game. Hopefully, I can have my friends shoot me out of a cannon when the game releases March 20th.
1. Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5 is a first person open world action game in which you try to liberate a county in Montana from crazy religious people. As a fan of the Far Cry series, it's a no brainer that I put this game on top. I have a lot of hope for this game that it will be great, and I don't have a lot of doubt that it will be great. Above all else, I am familiar with the series, so I know what to expect. Still, Far Cry 5 brings meaningful changes that got me to put this game at number one besides the fact that I am a fan. The new setting looks great, new mechanics like a more robust flying system and bigger outposts improve upon the formula, and the new story is one that I already like more than all of the others. Far Cry 5 isn't taking any big leaps, but that was something I loved about the Dishonored series. It didn't try to radically change the game because they knew that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Finally, even though it is a bit unfair considering the other games haven't released their DLC plans if they had any, Far Cry 5's DLC sounds pretty great. From Mars to zombies to Vietnam and even a re-release of Far Cry 3, I can say that Far Cry 5 has a pretty good sounding plan for future content even before the main game even released. You can certainly bet I will be playing this game when it releases on March 27th.
The games I have missed
What's hard about making this list is that their is no perfect place to see every video game release and some games don't announce their game early enough. So here are some games that fit that category. Now these games may or may not have reached my top five list, but they would've at least been strong contenders for my top five.
Mount Your Friends 3D: A Hard Man is Good to Climb
Hunt: Showdown
Papers, Please Short Film (I know it isn't a game release, but it's still worth mentioning)
Deep Rock Galactic
Again, these games may or may not have reached my list. These are just games that are serious contenders for last month's list and/or games that I have been interested in for awhile.
Well, that is it for my top anticipated list for March 2018. What are yours? Put yours in the comments down below and see how they compare. Thanks for checking out my list and I will be back next month for a new list for April.
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