There are a couple of big budget AAA titles this month to take note of with a very Eastern emphesis on those releases. The most obvious being Final Fantasy XIII that will be available on the PS3 and XBox 360 consoles. A few others include Way of the Samurai 3, Yakuza 3 and God of War 3!
To find out when they are going to be released, and on which consoles, read on.
Way of the Samurai 3
Formats: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: 5th March
Genre: Action-Adventure
This title looks to be an interesting one due to the sword-fighting style gameplay and the storyline taking place during the feudal period in Japan. As this is the 3rd game in the series, there is a range of returning characters and the game mechanics are similar to past games, but with improvements or alterations.
One of the most interesting features is the ability for the player to make choices with the dialogue and their actions. This has a direct effect on the storyline and the ultimate outcome once the game has been completed. In terms of replay ability, this is a bonus as there are 22 different endings.
Final Fantasy XIII
Formats: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: 9th March
Genre: JRPG
The big release of the month, and possibly the year for certain Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG) fans, Final Fantasy XII is As this is the first ‘core’ Final Fantasy game to be released on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and having received rave reviews in Japan, this one should not be missed.
As with the other Final Fantasy games, you control a team of characters and battle monsters in a turn-based fashion. Unlike older titles in the series, these battles are not random and are instigated when the player walks in the vicinity of a monster, however unlike Final Fantasy 12 the battles take place in a separate plane similar to all games prior to, and including, Final Fantasy 10.
Yakuza 3
Formats: PS3
Release Date: 12th March
Genre: Action-Adventure
The original version of this game was released in Japan during 2008, and although it has a wide range of reviews, from pretty average through to be pretty awesome, I’d suggest this one is more for fans of these types of games. So if you’re into your 3rd person adventure games, crossed with Japanese organised crime syndicates and a bit of exploration sprinkled on top, this may well be right up your ally.
God Of War III
Formats: PS3
Release Date: 19th March
Genre: Hack & Slash / Action-Adventure
A lot of people have followed the God of War series from the first game and this one follows the usual traditions as Kratos returns to fight his way through a world of Greek Mythology. All the usual faces appear but this release is said to be the last of the core trilogy. A special edition release will be available that includes Playstation 3 ports of the last 2 games that were originally released as Playstation 2 exclusives.
The gameplay is more of the same, with the usual high level of polish, new environments, bigger bosses to fight and several new weapons. Definitely one for owners of the Playstation 3 console to keep their eyes on as it launches later in the month.
Red Steel 2
Formats: Wii
Release Date: 26th March
Genre: FPS
There are only a handful of similarities between the original Red Steel title on the Wii and this follow up. The first is that it takes the original swordplay battle system, builds on it and adds in the use of the Wii Motion Plus peripheral. This simply means that all of your sword motions are directly related to what you see happen on-screen, leading to a more involved and rewarding game. The second is that this game has been developed by the same team that created the original over at Ubisoft.
Everything else is different, from the storyline, to the setting and the artstyle. If you missed the first game in the series there is no need to worry, pick up this title and have a go as a game rental or purchase.
About final fantasy xiii (13)
i have been playing ff13 on the xbox 360 and the graphics are amazing (and i mean AMAZING), the story is gripping and the gameplay is even better. don’t be put off by the new fighting system if your an original final fantasy player, it seems weird at first but you soon get used to it and find that it actually has been improved. most definately a double thumbs up!