March 19
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
It's only taken a year and a half, but soon western monster wranglers will have the pleasure of diving into Capcom's Monster Hunter 3 expansion. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will ship with the ability for 3DS and Wii U owners to swap gamesaves between the systems; and both systems will support multiplayer questing. That said, the 3DS will be limited to local multiplayer support.
In terms of gameplay, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will differ from its predecessor with the addition of new monsters, location changes, minor gameplay tweaks, and a Target Camera that will grant hunters a better viewpoint when tracking their prey. Read our Monster Hunter Tri review for our impressions of Monster Hunter Ultimate's inspiration.
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U (NA: March 26)
EU: March 22 (Wii U: March 29)
Rick is handy, but for our money the real hero of AMC's The Walking Dead is Daryl, the cross-bow wielding redneck with a heart of a gold. Thankfully, Terminal Reality (Kinect Star Wars, Ghostbusters: The Video Game) shares our love for zombie-killing hillbillies and is giving both Daryl and his (less likable) brother Merle their due in this first-person shooter. The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is set before the start of the TV series and follows the Dixon brothers as they fight and sneak their way past walkers on the road to Atlanta. Along the way, players will contend with zombie swarms, interact with survivors, deal with dwindling resources, and make decisions that will have an impact on their survival.
Unlike last year's adventure game, Survival Instinct takes its cues from the show over the comic books. That may irk diehard fans, but fortunately it looks like Terminal Reality will adopt the gritty, hopeless tone that has made the graphic novels and Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure games famous.
March 22
Resident Evil 6 (PC)
Platform: PC
Resident Evil 6 is making its long awaited trek to PCs this month. The non-console version will arrive with all of its content intact, along with an exclusive mode entitled The Mercenaries: No Mercy that will ramp up the body count in The Mercenaries. PC players will also have access to all the free updates currently available on consoles and the opportunity to purchase the upcoming Siege DLC.
North American players will get Resident Evil 6 as a digital download, while Europe will have the option of picking it up in physical form too. In all regions, the digital version will take advantage of Steam perks like cloud saving, steam achievements, leaderboards, and social support. Read why the latest chapter in Resident Evil's story is worth an install in our console Resident Evil 6 review.
March 24
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
Platform: 3DS
EU: March 28
When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Luigi, of course (who else?). In this sequel to 2001's Luigi's Mansion, the green-clad Mario brother returns with his Poltergust 5000 to rid five haunted mansions of their ghostly inhabitants. Similar to the original, gameplay will consist of stunning ghosts with the stroboscope and wrangling ghosts into the vacuum. This time around, Luigi will be able to contend with more spirits at once and developer Next Level Games has indicated there will be a stronger emphasis on puzzle solving.
Ghostbusting friends can also get in on the frightful action via local multiplayer. In it, each will player will control a different version of Luigi and compete in various tests of skill inside the ScareScraper mansion. Scared? Probably not. Excited? We are.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Platform: 3DS
EU: May 17
Poke-hunters, start packing. The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is making its comeback on the 3DS, introducing an all new way to explore Pokemon Paradise and its loveable residents. Once again, players will wake up in the fantasy world as a Pokemon and join familiar characters in exploring the dungeons that surround their home. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity will showcase a new 3D design and incorporate the 3DS' AR technology to unlock dungeons by scanning items in the real world.
Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is the latest in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, which has been around since 2005. Buzz from Japan (where it was released last November) is it represents a dramatic evolution in the series. We'll find out when it makes the trek to western shelves.
March 26
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
EU: March 29
The Mexican cartel La Guadaña is out of control and only two operatives have the stones (and death-wishes) to put them in their place. Enter: Alpha and Bravo, operatives with the Tactical Worldwide Operations (T.W.O) and the new leading men of the Army of Two brand. Thanks to former leads Salem and Rios taking a more advisory role, The Devil's Cartel boasts a new duo who must clean up the streets of Mexico. As in previous games, The Devil's Cartel will emphasize co-operative play, challenging friends to work in tandem to blast enemies, solve puzzles, and reign destruction down on La Guadaña members.
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel is the first game in the series to be powered by EA's Frostbite 2 game engine. It also marks the arrival of Visceral Games as the franchise's lead developer. Watch GR give the new engine a go in Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel preview: Hands-on with the bloody co-op shooter.
