March 1 – BROK The InvestiGator (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch)
March 3 – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
March 6 – Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch)
March 7 – Romancelvania (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch/PC)
March 8 – Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – The Last Sarkorians (PC)
March 9 – Session: Skate Sim (Switch)
March 9 – Ib (Switch)
March 9 – The Last Spell (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
March 10 – Bleak Faith: Forsaken (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
March 14 – Valheim (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One)
March 16 – The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (PSVR2)
March 17 – Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (Switch)
March 17 – Diablo IV Open Beta Early Access (PS5/XboxSeries X|S/PC)
March 21 – Remnant: From the Ashes (Switch)
March 22 – Have a Nice Death (Switch/PC)
March 24 – Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
March 24 – Diablo IV Open Beta (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
March 28 – The Last of Us Part 1 (PC)
March is such a tough month to craft a witty opening paragraph about. It has none of the early year charm of January and February and is itself too early for the “oh god it’s already X month” truisms. So, in honour of March’s complete lack of identity, let’s just dive in. The WellPlayed crew is back with a look at the tastiest releases hitting the gaming market this non-descript month. While we wait for the cooling winds of autumn to arrive, we venture into a month that feels as if it were designed to get out of the way of one particularly beefy release. James, Mark, Adam, and Zach are all about to wax poetic about the highly anticipated arrival of Resident Evil 4 remake but don’t let the shadow of Capcom’s favourite son distract from the humble bounty the rest of March has to offer.
James
It’s already been a banger year for Koei Tecmo’s menagerie of imitations and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty looks set to continue the trend. Team Ninja has a well-earned and deserved pedigree in action titles and specifically riffing on China’s Three Kingdom history is a unique and compelling addition to their growing catalogue of fantasy-historicals. No Longer Home is making its way to PlayStation this month too, finally giving me a chance to catch up on its personal tale of leaving home behind and the lasting impact both friends and institutions have on us as humans.
Speaking of games making their way to new platforms, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is breaking free from the Wii and dropping on almost every major platform (also via Koei Tecmo, the banger house). Fatal Frame has largely slipped by me but in a month built around fabled horror genre returns, it feels like the right time to dive in. The Wreck looks to be exploring some existential horror this month too, with a point-and-click narrative adventure built around a pivotal moment in a young writer’s life. Seems deeply moody with a killer art direction and the potential to trigger some complex emotions in my tender, writerly heart.
I’ve danced around it long enough; I think we all know the game that has my jorts unreasonably tight this month. It’s spooky, it’s mechanically dense, it looks a million bucks and pits one man against an onslaught of unspeakable horrors and precise item management. It’s Dredge. Taking charge of a small fishing boat and doing your best to revitalise the economy of a small cluster of island towns, Dredge has quickly become one of my most anticipated titles of the year.
Resident Evil 4 looks alright too.
Mark
Destiny 2: Lightfall. Ah, sorry, that’s still on the brain. What are we talking about? Oh, March Jorts! Well, I suppose there might be a few things that could very well distract me from saving the Traveller this month. I did love me some Dead Cells back in the day, so mixing that together with a little Castlevania certainly sounds entertaining and a perfect excuse to rediscover one of the best modern indies. Meanwhile, Have a Nice Death shuffles its way out of early access and onto my Nintendo Switch, just another brilliant reason to own that joy of a console (look, if Valve can get Steam Decks officially out here, I’d consider changing my tune, but we all know how stubborn they can be). By all reports the procedurally generated Death Incorporated will be a treat to explore as Death himself brings his minions back in line, scythe and all. And having already brought a certain cultish Lamb into my heart, I’m ready for another mascot anti-hero.
If that wasn’t enough, we have Dread and Resident Evil 4 right around the corner too, no doubt I can see myself losing plenty of hours to both of those. But I’ve got to give a quick shout-out to one of the weirdest crossovers yet when Powerwash Simulator brings the world of Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar to its calming, water-pressure cleaning concept as an affordable DLC pack to kick off the month. I can guarantee you no one had that on their 2023 bingo card, but here we are and I’m all for it!
Adam
The Showcase of the Immortals, the Greatest Spectacle in all of Sports Entertainment, the Granddaddy of Them All, WrestleMania. The lead up to WWE’s biggest event of the year is the one time where I just let my guard down and allow my wrestling fandom flag fly. In anticipation of the gigantic grapple in April, I’ll be booking my own show virtually in WWE 2K23, because if the Fed isn’t brave enough to put Sami Zayn in the main event then I’ll do it myself.
Outside of the terrific tussle, I’ll be busy with the macabre and the menacing. Have a Nice Death is getting a full release after some time in early access, so I’ll be channelling my inner reaper when that launches, but the heavy horror hitter this month is easily Resident Evil 4. Leon has never looked better, and the tweaks and changes made to the already excellent game have me salivating to go knife-to-chainsaw with Dr. Salvador.
While Resi will steal most of the spotlight, I don’t want people to sleep on Dredge. When you say that you’re excited about a fishing game, some folks raise an eyebrow, but watching this New Zealand-developed cosmic horror gem in action for more than a few seconds will have you…hooked. Sorry.
Zach
We’re finally here. Ever since the remake of Resident Evil 4 has been rumoured, I’ve been waiting for the day to come when I would have it in my hands, and March 24 is that day. Resident Evil 4 is not only one of my favourite games (like top three favourite) but it’s a game that really propelled my interest in gaming to new heights. I can’t wait to see how Capcom has reimagined a game that revolutionised the third-person action genre back in 2005. Another game that I am super keen to check out is Crime Boss: Rockay City, a co-op shooter in the vein of Payday with a cast that includes Chuck Norris, Danny Glover, Kim Bassinger to name just a few action icons; and you all know I am sucker for Payday-like games. Like everyone else at WellPlayed, I’m keen to sink some time into Dredge, which is a unique Lovecraftian fishing game with a very neat aesthetic. Lastly, I recommend everyone and anyone interested in point-and-clicks and beat ‘em ups check out BROK the InvestiGator when it lands on consoles on March 1.
