New Game Releases — Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Infamous: Second Son And More

Hopefully all of you are enjoying Titanfall and/or Dark Souls II. Now get ready for more new stuff coming this week.

This is actually a good example of one of the few things I don’t like about the video games industry right now. It’s so obsessed with what’s next that we just zoom right on to the next thing (and yes, sites like ours are often part of the problem and not the solution).

Fortunately, with Titanfall a multiplayer-only affair and Dark Souls II torturing people with its difficulty, those games should command plenty of attention for some time to come. And this week, PS4 owners finally get a noteworthy exclusive of their own, so they can join in the fun too.

Come to think of it, there’s something new for just about every platform over the next few days. Enjoy whatever you pick up, just don’t turn your back on the other titles that have come out over the past few weeks.

Deal? Cool. On to this batch of new video game releases:

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360) – March 18

Is it possible for a Metal Gear Solid game to get lost in the shuffle? You wouldn’t think so, but Ground Zeroes feels like it could be. Maybe it was the initial confusion over exactly what this game would be. As it turns out, it’s the first part of the two-game Metal Gear Solid V experience, intended to ease players into the idea of more open world play than they’re used to from this series.

With reports coming in that the game is pretty short, Hideo Kojima might be testing the goodwill of his fans. Still, Konami isn’t charging full price for this tale from Big Boss’ past, and if the open world play is compelling, it may end up stoking the flames of excitement for the next game. The fact that we’re even discussing it in those terms is interesting though.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3, Vita) – March 18

While we bide our time waiting for some true next-gen RPGs, Square Enix is dusting off Final Fantasy X and its sequel and giving them a shiny new coat of paint. That means dramatically enhanced graphics and a remixed soundtrack, plus some extra content you may not have played the first time around.

Japan got this new package before those of us in the West, and critical reaction was largely positive. If you simply need an RPG fix, this might tide you over, especially since you’re getting two games for less than the price of one new release. You’re at least intrigued now, right?

Shin Megami Tensei (iOS) – March 18

If you prefer your RPGs in more portable form, this is an option worth investigating. It’s notable for two reasons: not only does it allow iOS gamers to experience the beginning of the venerable Japanese series, it’s the first time the original game has received an official localization for the North American market.

Awesomely, the game is set in the year 199X, meaning it was the future when originally released but now takes place in the past. Or an alternate timeline maybe, I’m never really sure about how those things work. A third possibility is that we really did have a stretch during the late 90s where we became demon-fusing masters, but if that happened, I don’t remember it.

Infamous: Second Son (PS4) – March 21

Hey, it’s a PS4 exclusive! With Titanfall helping Xbox One steal all the current gen thunder as of late, this game couldn’t be coming out at a more opportune time for Sony. Set seven years after its predecessor, Second Son reveals that the Conduits weren’t all wiped out, which would have been a bummer for the future of this series.

Word is that your character can obtain smoke, neon and video-based powers, and that’s just for starters. Oh, and we get to kind of, sort of see noted voice actor Troy Baker, as his face was used for motion capture purposes. Anticipation seems to be pretty high for this one, so we’ll see if it lives up to the buzz.

Also releasing this week: SteamWorld Dig (PS4, Vita) – March 18; Borderlands 2 (Vita) – March 18; Pure Chess (Wii U, 3DS) – March 20; Pokemon Battle Trozei (3DS) – March 20