On the face of it, March of 2019 seems to be a bit of a slow month for gaming – but it is that lack of AAA title numbers this month which will instead allow for some of the indie gems to shine through. With that in mind, have a gander at 7 of the most anticipated Xbox One titles releasing throughout March 2019.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Okay, so we start with one of those AAA games.
America is in ruins – immersed in a modern apocalypse brought about by a deadly smallpox pathogen. It is up to you, and the group known as The Division, to utilise the most modern of military technology and restore the country to a state of stability.
If you played the first The Division title, then this would all feel very familiar, as this was the basic plot of 2016’s RPG offering. This time, however, the city of New York has been replaced with an uber-realistic, 1:1 recreation of the capital. Yes, Washington D.C. is under threat from new factions, rising up to take control of the city as the central government falls victim to a devastating plague. The Division, the elitist of soldiers, are the last line of defence – you just so happen to be one of the best and brightest of members!
Gameplay-wise, and like most open-world online RPGs such as Destiny and the recent Anthem, your main port of call in The Division 2 will be focusing on PvE missions, which can be taken on solo or with online randoms/friends. These campaign missions will be the main way you will level up your character, get to unlock new abilities and (most importantly) gain better and shinier gear to take on the biggest of baddies with. It’s that basic formula of missions and loot expanded out into a highly realistic and bustling world, full of enemy factions to take down and objectives to meet. And then, of course, once you reach the endgame, the opportunity for loot only gets larger, as you can specialise your character in certain abilities.
But if your loot-fueled addiction reaches a point that the PvE cannot satisfy, then Washington also contains separate Dark Zones. These are areas where PvP is enabled, and they also hold some of the most powerful of items. It’s risk and reward in the tensest of environments!
PvP also extends out to smaller, more concentrated team-based modes, common to almost every online shooter. At release, Skirmish (TD2’s answer to team deathmatch) and Domination will be available here.
Fans of the original The Division won’t need me to tell them how much there is to discover in The Division 2 – but for anyone new to the series then expect an exhilarating, action-packed, loot-fueled romp through Washington; one that is especially enjoyable with friends.
Final Fantasy VII
The one that kicked it off for so many. The one that really brought Final Fantasy to the mainstream audiences. Final Fantasy VII will soon be available to play on Xbox One – and it’s a port of FF7 in its purest and most nostalgic of forms.
If you somehow aren’t clued up on Final Fantasy, then explaining the entire series would probably take up a good few hours of your time, so let’s just focus on the seventh mainstream title, which some hold close to their hearts as the best in the extensive franchise.
Following the adventure of Cloud and his buddies, intent on stopping the terrifying superhuman that is Sephiroth from destroying their home planet, FF7 takes us on a colourful journey through the majestic planet of Gaia, and is all sewn together nicely through the satisfying and engaging turn-based combat Final Fantasy is known for. Throughout the course of the game, Cloud will be joined by a number of unique characters, which can be added to your combat party, contributing their own diverse abilities when it comes to the fight. Whether it is Cait, Aerith, or indeed Cloud himself, each character can offer something important in combat – it’s up to you to experiment and see who works well for your party.
Final Fantasy VII will go down as one of the best games of the late 1990s, and a title that revolutionised the scene of Japanese games and RPGs globally. A fan of JRPGs or not, it’s worth giving it a go to see what the monumental fuss was, and still is, about!
Dead or Alive 6
Whether it’s Mortal Kombat, Tekken or good ol’ Street Fighter, everyone likes a good fighting game, and Team Ninja are hoping to make Dead or Alive 6 innovative enough to push it into the limelight. For the sixth entry into the series is the introduction of Dead or Alive’s first ever super meter, the Break Gauge, allowing players to deploy advanced offensive or defensive manoeuvers, a ton of diverse stages and characters to learn and master, as well as an in depth story of hidden darkness and sinisterness are the key features that are hoping to captivate DOA fans.
Focusing specifically on the aforementioned Break Gauge, DOA 6 is taking a leaf out of the ‘Book of Fighting Games’ by giving players a super meter to fill and use in combat. Once the gauge has been filled, players can choose between a devastating offensive Break Blow to counter-attack against the enemy, or the more defensive Break Hold which again gives the advantage in combat your way. These moves integrate into the overarching ‘Triangle System’ – an easy to learn, hard to master rock-paper-scissors format that dictates how moves are carried out. Throws > Strikes > Holds > Throws – this understanding is needed as using the wrong kind of move against your opponent can end up harming you more than your opponent. Combining an array of moves, using the Break Gauge and working with the interactable parts of each stage will be key in coming out on top of your opponent when the fight ends.
Between fights, whether they be locally or online against others, you may wish to head down to DOA Central to customise your roster – each character can be equipped with a number of styles, so it’s worth checking it out in order to make each character feel unique and stylish.
Dead or Alive 6 is shaping up to be another solid offering in the series, with plenty of features and the opportunity for scalability, especially on the online side of proceedings.
Xenon Racer
The world may not know when flying cars will turn from a dream to a reality, but for those in the world of Xenon Racer traditional wheeled cars are on the out, with their hovering counterparts becoming more commercial. And it’s only 2030!
To give the loyal wheeled cars one last send off, a huge championship has been organised, giving racers from across the globe the chance to participate and become the ultimate automobile racer. Fueled by Xenon gas – the lifeblood of vehicles in this futuristic Earth – the cars will be hurtling down the neon streets of iconic cities at breakneck speeds. Think of it as future F1: lightning fast reflexes and a love for all things quick will be needed!
Whether you are engaging in some light-hearted local multiplayer, taking it online to become the ultimate Xenon Racer, or simply working your way through races against AI, there is a constant emphasis on driving fast, driving recklessly and driving in style! Expect to see crashes aplenty, cars drifting round corners and tackling straights at 100s of miles per hour, and there is also plenty of opportunity for customisation. Each car can be coloured just how you like it, given the once-over with a number of paint finishes and designed just how you like it to a T. What’s the point of winning if you can’t do it looking your best?
If you tire of standard races and pimping your rides, then the Checkpoint Attack mode offers a different challenge – this seems to be the main port of call for those wishing to master each track, shaving mere seconds of each time in order to obtain the quickest possible lap times.
Xenon Racer certainly looks the part – but only time will tell whether its high-octane, rubber-burning action will allow it to contend with the big daddies of console racing.
Outward
Published by Deep Silver, Outward is here to redefine the survival genre, providing the most hardcore of survivalists a challenge to get-by in a sprawling and expansive world, full of monsters and harsh environments that have an equal chance of killing you.
But this isn’t your typical Ark: Survival Evolved, or Subnautica, as Outward brings to the fore magical abilities and spellcasting that you must use in order to thrive in this supernatural landscape. Only a mastery of magic, monsters, weapons and traps will suffice if there is any chance of you making it through the first day. And, of course, intertwined with all the exciting magic and complex spell-casting come the mundane but necessary acts of maintaining thirst, hunger, fatigue and the like. After all, you are just a feeble little human, not some towering magical monstrosity from the offset, and only through exploring, learning and leaping out of your comfort zone will you find reward and satisfaction in Outward.
However, it remains to be said that you don’t have to go about your struggles on your own, as a local or online co-op buddy can join in on the action, progressing their own character and abilities while adventuring through with you. Overall, ideas of Monster Hunter, The Witcher and the sort spring to mind, but it seems that Outward could require more of a grind and slog than is first thought.
It’s certainly one for veterans of the survival genre – but what’s to stop anyone jumping in and giving it a go? But you have been warned!
And if you want to know more about it, make sure to check out our exclusive interview with Guillaume Boucher-Vidal, the creative lead on the game.
Black Desert
If it is a huge, and I mean huge, open-world MMORPG that you crave, then Black Desert is one such title that may tickle your fancy.
While Black Desert does tell an underlying story of two warring factions fighting over mythical stones in a medieval fantasy environment, each and every player will go into Black Desert to carve out their own story. Will it be one of trials, tribulations and triumph with combat aplenty? One of social life, interacting and questing with the multitude of players in your world? Or maybe you just want a peaceful existence, learning life skills such as fishing, horse taming and bringing up pets? It really is up to you – from the extensive character customisation to the people you meet and the activities to do, everyone’s Black Desert is their own to cherish and enjoy.
But if it is the life of exhilaration and war you so wish for, then the intuitive and in-depth combat system is one you’ll be wanting to make the most of. A variety of combat skills are available, specific to the character class you choose at the start of the game, and throughout Black Desert you could be tackling huge world bosses and enemy factions with friends, controlling the trade routes by focussing your attacks on certain points, or indeed taking the fight to other players in PvP.
And then, after your epic adventuring is done, you can head home and settle down, designing your dream house, bringing up pets, fishing and the like. Of course, this side of the game could be put on the backburner, or conversely all your time could be invested into decorating your space to the maximum! It really is up to you, and the point of freedom and exploration with little hand-holding cannot be stressed enough.
So, in that case, in many ways Black Desert is for everyone, whether they like wide-scale MMORPGs or not. It’s definitely worth giving it a go – you might just become addicted and live in the Black Desert world forevermore!
Devil May Cry 5
It’s years after the events of Devil May Cry 4, and a new hellish threat is appearing in Red Grave City, leeching the city’s residents of life. It only seems natural, in that case, for the devil hunters to come to town, and shoot the smithereens out of the hellish demons that plague the lands!
Well, that’s exactly what tale DMC 5 tells, as young Devil Hunter Nero returns to the DMC limelight. Equipped with his signature Red Queen Sword and Blue Rose Revolver, as well as a new weapon known as the Devil Breaker (which also doubles up as his right arm), the demons of the underworld have no chance!
In typical DMC fashion, the fifth main instalment into the series brings with it uber-stylish slash-em-up action, with Nero combining use of his sword and guns to compile together massive chains of moves. In fact, there is now a dedicated Stylish Rank, which increases as your combo widens and you dispose of more enemies. More style equals more red orbs – the currency in DMC 5 that allows Nero to progress and power up. These red orbs have even more importance when it comes to the Devil Breakers – a range of unique gun-arms that each serve a different purpose in combat. These robotic appendages will have a limited amount of ammo, and will need to be restocked regularly – use them frugally!
Typically Devil Breakers will be used to keep combos afloat, as is the case with the base weapon, which holds the Wire Snatch ability to pull foes towards Nero for a quick follow-up attack. Devil Breakers can also be destroyed deliberately to evade certain moves – a mastery of them calls for experimentation and repeated use to really figure out which weapons call for which situation.
Devil May Cry looks again to be another solid addition into the series, and definitely builds upon the lore of the franchise, especially with fan favourite Dante included in the story as a second playable character.
If you are looking to expand upon your DMC repertoire, and wish to get involved in the hacking and slashing fun, then Devil May Cry 5 will be releasing in early March.
There we have it and these are 7 of the most hotly anticipated Xbox One games releasing in March. However, these are, of course, just our opinion, so feel free to mention down in the comments or on the usual social media channels any titles that you felt have been missed.
And be sure to check back at the end of March for our rundown of what April has to offer – it promises to be a decent month in the gaming world and for Xbox One players in general.
