Spring is fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate it than to enjoy some of the most exciting games the year has to offer?
While January and February played host to excellent titles such as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Persona 3 Reload, 2024 is just getting started, as March’s upcoming lineup demonstrates.
No matter what platform you’re playing on, there are plenty of games to look forward to as spring kicks off, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the best games you can check out in March 2024.
Life by You (PC – March 5th)
For too long, EA’s The Sims series has stood effectively uncontested in its sphere, but that might all be about to change with the release of Paradox’s Life by You.
Naturally, the game will be launching into Early Access in order to give players a chance to stress-test what appears to be a group of very complex systems.
Paradox is promising realistic conversations driven “by you”, as it were, as well as the ability to build and control every aspect of your characters’ lives, including their homes, their jobs, and more.
If you love The Sims, then Life by You feels like a no-brainer to kick this March off.
WWE 2K24 (PC, PlayStation, Xbox – March 8th)
Visual Concepts returns to the series that might as well be called its flagship with WWE 2K24, which will hopefully also continue the studio’s recent run of form.
Much like WWE 2K14 before it, WWE 2K24 lands close to a WrestleMania anniversary, and you know what that means: a career mode based on some of the event’s most iconic moments.
If you’re not interested in WrestleMania, you’ll also find the usual slew of career modes, options, and playable wrestlers here, ensuring that WWE 2K24 will likely be as close to the definitive wrestling sim as you can get.
Unicorn Overlord (PlayStation, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch – March 8th)
If you’ve played any of developer Vanillaware’s previous games – GrimGrimoire, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Odin Sphere – then you’ll know that the studio’s games are always worth talking about, if nothing else.
Unicorn Overlord looks altogether more conventional than we’ve come to expect from Vanillaware, eschewing the insane plotting of 13 Sentinels in favour of a more grounded Fire Emblem-style political plot.
You play as Alain, an exiled prince who must reclaim his kingdom from the usurper General Valmore. To do so, you’ll need to gather allies, engage in real-time strategy combat, and build relationships amongst your army in order to reach your full potential.
Alone in the Dark (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S – March 20th)
Starring actors David Harbour and Jodie Comer, Alone in the Dark promises to return the ailing survival horror franchise to its influential roots.
It’s effectively a retelling of the original 90s classic, but don’t worry; this modern version promises to be much less clunky than its forebear, even if it does retain the focus on survival horror rather than action.
That means you can look forward to an atmospheric mansion to explore, complete with tons of puzzles to solve, as well as resource management-based combat in which every bullet counts.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S – March 20th)
The original Dragon’s Dogma was released back in 2012, and it’s proven to be an enduring cult classic, likely thanks to its innovative (if strange) pawn system and solid combat.
This sequel promises to iterate and improve on many of the original’s systems, including the Monster Hunter-style giant enemy fights, as well as the Vocation system and more.
If you love the original Dragon’s Dogma, then you’ll likely find much of the same lovingly-crafted, Eurojank-inspired fantasy RPG action here. Just don’t expect an Elden Ring level of polish and you’ll have fun.
Princess Peach: Showtime (Nintendo Switch – March 22nd)
It’s been quite a while since Princess Peach got to star in her very own game, but Princess Peach: Showtime looks like a very different beast to 2005’s Super Princess Peach.
Where that game was a fairly straightforward 2D platformer, Showtime is a 2.5D cinematic extravaganza that seems to share much of its DNA with Klonoa and Luigi’s Mansion, among others.
Peach can access a range of different costumes in Showtime, each of which grants new abilities, and she’s going to need them all if she’s going to get to the bottom of villain Wicked Grape’s schemes.
Rise of the Ronin (PlayStation 5 – March 22nd)
Launching alongside Nintendo’s adorable-looking Princess Peach adventure game is Rise of the Ronin, an altogether grittier and darker affair created by Team Ninja.
This PS5 exclusive takes place in Edo-period Japan, and sees players rubbing shoulders with legendary figures from the period in a manner not dissimilar to Team Ninja’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
Unlike that game, though, this one’s not a Soulslike; it’s an open-world action-RPG that seems to share its DNA with Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. We’ll have to see how it pans out, but the trailers and screenshots look promising.
Prison Architect 2 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S – March 26th)
Prison Architect is a rather curious and niche simulator, but it managed to attract a cult fanbase upon its release in 2015, so the fact that it’s getting a sequel probably shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The sequel shifts the action into 3D, granting new possibilities for construction as extra floors of buildings are now available to you.
Gameplay systems have also been expanded, with prisoners now expressing their needs in more complex ways. You’re going to need to approach Prison Architect 2 with your best warden hat on if you want to build the best prison you can.
