New Game Releases — Titanfall, Dark Souls II, Yoshi’s New Island And More

If you’re a regular reader of this weekly post running down the best in new video game releases (hi Mom and Dad!), you know I’ve been promising the floodgates were really going to open once we hit March. Well we’re knee deep in March now, and this is the biggest week of the year so far, particularly if you own an Xbox One.

Yet this is an equal opportunity week, as people like me who only have last gen consoles get a much anticpated sequel guaranteed to make us die over and over again. There’s a notable 3DS release as well, and PC gamers have it good too since they can play that Xbox One console exclusive I was referring to in the opening paragraph.

Will it be a game changer in terms of Xbox One sales versus the PS4 or revolutionize shooters in some way? I can’t say, but does it really matter? From the first time I saw game footage, and particularly when I saw the full size Titan in the lobby on the way out of the Xbox presentation last year at E3, I thought to myself, “Now that is a good idea!”

Agsin, this seems like an exciting week, the first one like that in 2014 but definitely not the last. Let’s get to it …

Titanfall (Xbox One, PC) – March 11

Oh man, Titanfall is finally upon us. Or as I like to refer to it, the FPS that just looks too cool not to play, even for people like me who usually avoid FPS games like the plague (for reasons of personal suckiness). I think what Respawn looks to have gotten right is that fighting on foot looks as fun as fighting in the Titans; a lesser developer may have bungled that balance.

All I know is that if you do a game with giant robot suits in it really well, I’m interested regardless of the genre. Please keep in mind when you’re cackling with glee into your headset that even though you’re killing me for the 10th time in some match, I’m still having fun. I’m not sure how many people are going to buy Xbox Ones just because Titanfall is coming out, but I bet nearly everyone who does have an Xbox One is getting this. It’s going to be big.

Dark Souls II (PS3, Xbox 360) – March 11

I know some people who are really looking forward to Dark Souls II. Those people are known as masochists. There’s a reason the press copies of the game shipped with a stress relief ball shaped like a skull.

Just kidding, sort of. The diffculty of the first Dark Souls was a big part of its appeal, but while I’m certainly agreeable to the argument that modern video games coddle players too much, I’m not sure I was demanding something that swung the pendulum so far in the other direction. It appears Dark Souls II made things tougher by smartening up the AI instead of just being unfair, which sounds promising. The idea of an undead character fighting to not be undead is also cool. Sounds like dying repeatedly could be back in vogue.

Yoshi’s New Island (3DS) – March 14

What the heck happened to Yoshi’s old island? I don’t know much about this other than the fact that it retains the grade school art class visual style of its predecessors, and that Baby Mario and his baby friends are involved again. Cuteness overload!

I’m not sure where, and the Google is letting me down, but I saw someone opining that Yoshi was actually a lot more violent than some video game characters known for their violence because he swallows enemies whole. So if this game seems too cute for you, just think of Yoshi as an unstoppable devourer, and you’ll be fine.

Also releasing this week: Putty Squad (PS4, PS3, Vita) – March 11; Vessel (PS3) – March 11; TowerFall (PS4, PC) – March 11; Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemist of Dusk Sky (PS3) – March 11