March 18
Lego City Undercover
Lego City Undercover blends Grand Theft Auto gameplay with the charm of TT Fusion's Lego game series (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, etc.), and we're excited to see how it all fits together. Starring undercover cop Chase McCain, the open world title will find players protecting Lego City from bad guys using Lego structures, costumes, vehicles, and special tools to bring criminals to their stubby knees. The game will also commandeer the Wii U GamePad to be used as Chase McCain's portable mapper, secret finder, and criminal tracker.
As the first Lego game to be published by Nintendo, Lego City Undercover promises to give Wii U owners a custom built Lego experience as well as a few Nintendo nods along the way.
March 19
Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington - The Betrayal
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Ratonhnhaké:ton's (aka Connor Kenway) Animus adventures continue in part two of Assassin's Creed III's The Tyranny of King Washington DLC trilogy. Entitled The Betrayal, this downloadable chapter will build upon the alternative timeline story introduced in The Infamy (part 1), wherein Ratonhnhaké:ton awoke in his village to find George Washington has abandoned his noble goals and appointed himself king of the United States of America. In this new reality, Ratonhnhaké:ton must topple Washington without the benefit of assassin training, relying on animalistic traits and skills to save his village from the new, insidious King of America.
The Tyranny of King Washington DLC has been deemed canon by Ubisoft, so expect the events of The Betrayal to shed light on this alternate Animus reality. The trilogy will conclude with The Redemption in April 2013.
The Croods: Prehistoric Party!
Platform: Wii U, Wii, 3DS, DS
Groove along with Grug, Eep, Ugga, Thunk, and the rest of the prehistoric Crood family in this gaming spin-off of DreamWorks' 2013 animated movie. Taking its direction from the film, The Croods: Prehistoric Party! will star the Crood clan competing in a “survival of the Crood-est” contest of over 30 minigames. It is being developed by Australia's Torus Games, which has experience making movie-to-console adaptations like 2012's Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game, 2012's Madagascar Video Game, and 2006's Spider-Man for the DS.
Dead or Alive 5 Plus
Platform: PS Vita
EU: March 22
Love Dead or Alive 5, but hate having to abandon your game for a pesky job or class? Developer Team Ninja has the solution in the form of this PS Vita version of the PS3 fighter. Dead or Alive 5 Plus will star all of the PS3's characters and its cross-platform functionality will let players compete online with friends no matter their Sony machine of choice.
Dead or Alive 5 Plus will feature gameplay perks exclusive to the PS Vita's hardware, like the ability to fight in first person perspective and use the touchscreen to land hits in the game's Touch Fight mode. Other extras, like the Tutorial Mode and Combo Challenge, will further flesh out the PS Vita's Dead or Alive 5 experience, placing this handheld version in a class all its own.
Gears of War: Judgment
Platform: Xbox 360
Experience the Locust War during its infancy in this massive prequel to the Gears of War series. In a departure from other Gears of War games, Judgment will swap the main heroes Marcus and Dominic for Lt. Damon Baird and Pvt. August Cole; both of whom must contend with the aftermath of Emergence Day and the stigma of being labeled as traitors for their actions in Halvo Bay.
On top of a new single player storyline, Gears of War: Judgment will bring new elements to the franchise's popular multiplayer component. The new modes include OverRun, which will split players between Locust and COG in a defense style match; and Free-For-All, which will pit COGs against COGs in a “last man standing” test of grit. Excited for a new Gears of War game? Fuel the hype with in our Gears of War: Judgment hands-on campaign preview.
Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 3D
Platform: 3DS
Cradle of Egypt 2 3D is the next release in the popular Jewel Master series. It will set its match-three puzzle formula in the heart of ancient Egypt, wherein players will solve over 100 levels with a backdrop of iconic Egypt monuments. Developed by Cerasus Media, Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 3D promises to improve on the series' gameplay, while taking fans through a tour of Egypt's most recognizable hotspots along the way.
