February is coming to an end, and that means it’s time for us gamers to look ahead at what potentially good video games are set to release next month. If you’re an Xbox One gamer, the March release calendar is looking pretty great.
One of the potentially biggest games of 2016, The Division, is releasing in March, as well as a few other AAA games from the likes of Square Enix, EA, and more big-name publishers. Whether you’re an FPS-lover, racing game fan, or fighting game maniac, there’s a little bit of something for everyone releasing next month. So without further delay, here are the top 5 upcoming Xbox One games for March 2016:
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1. The Division
Developer: Ubisoft Massive
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 8
It’s hard to not look at The Division without wanting eyes, especially after our taste of what it has to offer from the beta. The Division shows a lot of promise, and we’re hoping it has solid post game content to keep us interested. The story follows a disease that spreads on Black Friday, causing the U.S. government to collapse in five days. You assume the role of a classified unit of tactical agents known as “The Division,” and your job is to do whatever is needed to keep society from crumbling. The missions we played in the beta were great, and it’s best experienced with friends. Hopefully, the final release is as formidable as we think it’s going to be. (If you plan on playing with friends, I highly suggest picking up one of these Xbox One gaming headsets).
Pre-order the Division here.
2. Hitman
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: March 11
We’re hoping that the Hitman delay will pay off handsomely when we finally get our hands on the upcoming game. Players will once again control Agent 47, the well-trained assassin, with the goal of eliminating high-profile contracted targets. The (sort of) open world game offers numerous options for how each mission is carried out, and you’d better believe we’re interested in finding every one of them. Although Hitman has a strange episodic release calendar, we’re still looking forward to seeing what unique missions IO Interactive has crafted up for us.
Pre-order Hitman here.
3. Trackmania Turbo
Developer: Nadeo
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 22
Ubisoft isn’t only interested in the hardcore gamer, as they’ve set their eyes on the racing game lovers as well with Trackmania Turbo. The game looks to be pure, unadulterated fun, and Ubisoft teases, “Easy to learn, hard to master.” The game comes with an absolutely fantastic track building toolbox unlike any other in the racing genre, and the arcade-style racing provides the opportunity for some high-octane fun. The game comes with 200 pre-built tracks, and there will be an online community filled with an infinite number of new tracks that have been crafted by other players. And, if you’ve ever played games like Super Mario Maker or LittleBigPlanet, you already know how crazy some of the community creations in these types of games can get. Trackmania Turbo is also family friendly, meaning it’s one of the best gaming gifts for boys for the month.
Buy Trackmania Turbo here.
4. Mortal Kombat XL
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Publisher: WB Interactive
Release Date: March 1
Last year’s Mortal Kombat X actually turned out to be a much better game than I thought it would. It is a brutal fighting game that contains over-the-top violence and gore, and it was the best new fighting game released in 2015. Now, Mortal Kombat XL is heading to consoles for those who didn’t pick the game up last year, and it will contain the original game and all of the previously released DLC characters (including the Xenomorph from Alien, Leatherface, Tri-borg, Predator, Jason Vorhees, Tremor, Tanya, Goro and Bo’Rai Cho). The game will also contain all of the previously released skin packs, two new character skins, and a Cosplay Pack, which reimagines Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs as Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu Ninjas. Awesome. It will be the quintessential version of the game, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it.
Buy Mortal Kombat XL here.
5. EA Sports UFC 2
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA
Release Date: March 15
Really, we can see EA Sports UFC 2 going either way, but the gameplay we’ve seen so far looks to be much better than the first game from a couple of years ago. And, we just found out yesterday that the game will have an interesting Knockout Mode, which virtually makes it feel like a Fight Night game. Players will also be able to craft their own events and create the dream card they’ve always wanted to see. As long as EA has a better solution for rage quitting in the online game modes than they did with the first game, I think it’s safe to say that EA Sports UFC 2 is going to be well worth the purchase.
Pre-order EA Sports UFC 2 here.