March 2023

PlayStation will air its first State of Play presentation of 2023 on Thursday, February 23. The event will spotlight PlayStation VR2, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and more.

The event begins at 1 p.m. Pacific/4 p.m. Eastern on Twitch and YouTube and will reveal five new PSVR2 titles. Beyond that, it doesn’t seem like we should expect anything first-party related. The announcement tweet states that third-party titles and indies will get a bulk of the spotlight. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which launches in May, will also have an in-depth segment with extended footage.

State of Play is back! Tune in Thursday at 1pm PT for:
☑️ Five new PS VR2 titles from partners
☑️ Hot indie and third-party reveals
☑️ An extended look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehttps://t.co/kMPyPpMhSk pic.twitter.com/mu8RX0ZJFk

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Developer: Mundfish
Release: February 21, 2023
Rating: Mature

After more than half a decade in development, Atomic Heart has arrived as the first title from developer Mundfish. This BioShock-inspired shooter is an impressive debut in many ways, and it wears its influences on its sleeve – for better and worse. The game’s dazzling world design, extraordinary production values, and fast-paced fights make for a solid campaign, but the derivative plot and often painful writing insist on dragging it down.

Atomic Heart’s premise is one of its most intriguing elements. The game takes place in an alternate-history Soviet Union that has become the world’s foremost superpower after World War II, thanks to the scientific innovations of Facility 3826. The player assumes the role of Agent P-3, an operative under the command of Soviet genius Dr. Dmitry Sechenov. When Sechenov’s latest social experiment goes wrong, P-3 is ordered to fight through the Facility’s rampaging robots and murderous mutants to reach the truth.

Pokémon Presents returns Monday, February 27, with 20 minutes of Pokémon news celebrating Pokémon Day 2023. 

The official Pokémon Twitter account announced this today, with a short 15-second video hyping up the presentation. There's not too much to glean from the video, but it does feature the main theme from Pokémon Red and Blue. Since the reveal earlier this month that Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games are playable on Switch via Nintendo Switch Online, fans have speculated that older Pokémon games like Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, and even Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald could appear on the service one day. Perhaps that's an announcement we'll be getting this Sunday. 

The next #PokemonPresents is on the way, Trainers! 🤩

Tune in to our official YouTube channel at 6:00 a.m. PST on February 27 for about 20 minutes of exciting Pokémon news in celebration of #PokemonDay 2023! 🎉

📺 https://t.co/Xo6KYjvSdj pic.twitter.com/FFrmk8a5z8

Microsoft has signed a binding 10-year legal agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players, presuming the company's colossal $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved. 

Since the acquisition announcement last year, Microsoft has been attempting to prove to government agencies like the U.S.' Federal Trade Commission that this acquisition does not fall into any monopolistic activity and would not harm competitors like PlayStation. However, Microsoft has had a bit of a rough go at it. To counter, though, the company has been proactive in attempting to get the greenlight from the FTC, going as far as promising PlayStation that Call of Duty games will continue to come to Sony's consoles and agreeing to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo hardware. 

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios
Release: February 8, 2023
Rating: Teen

Metroid Prime has long been considered one of the crowning achievements of Nintendo’s GameCube library. The series’ seamless transition to the first-person genre was defined by its frenetic action, massively explorable environments, clever puzzles, and daunting boss encounters. However, the subsequent two decades have worn on the original release, but much like Samus by the end of each game, Metroid Prime Remastered brings the title back to full power.

The release of the Pinocchio-inspired Soulslike Lies of P has been narrowed down to this August. A new story trailer introduces a seemingly villainous character, Simon, while highlighting some of the dangerous monstrosities waiting to dismantle players. 

Lies of P unfolds in the fictional, Belle Époque-era French city of Krat as players control Pinocchio, a mechanoid puppet on a quest to become human. A certain Mr. Geppetto might be able to help with that, but Krat has been overtaken by sinister creatures Pinocchio must cut down using his multi-purpose mechanical arm. 

The gameplay takes heavy cues from From Software’s work – Bloodborne in particular – as players take down enemies with deliberate sword attacks, while various mechanical arms grant abilities like firing lightning bolts or a grappling hook to reel in targets. Outside of battles, sidequests present the option of lying to characters, and the truthfulness of your answers alters the direction of these stories. 

Lies of P will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (including Game Pass), and PC. You can learn more by reading our hands-on preview from last year’s Gamescom. 

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Llamasoft
Release: February 21, 2023
Rating: Everyone

Akka Arrh is a reimagined version of a prototype Atari arcade machine from the ‘80s. Originally scrapped due to a lack of interest, the trailer for the re-release claims that only three cabinets have ever been seen. 40 years later, when Atari reached out to veteran designer Jeff Minter (Tempest 2000, Polybius) to remake one of its games, he chose Akka Arrh. The result is a reimagining of the original concept, fused with Minter’s signature psychedelic visuals and some modern-day improvements. While the game can be fun, its cluttered visual design heavily detracts from the experience.

Atomic Heart has been in development for a long time. From its initial reveal, it has always been a fascinating game that looks good – maybe too good. The game is finally releasing, however, and our first impressions are strong, even if we don't particularly like the protagonist. Join Kyle Hilliard and Marcus Stewart for a look at a portion the game taking place about an hour into the campaign.

For more previews and discussions of some of the biggest games of 2023 and beyond, be sure to head over to our YouTube page for NGTs about Metroid Prime Remastered, WWE 2K23, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, Tchia, Persona 3 Portable, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, Fire Emblem Engage, and more.

How to beat Team Go Rocket’s boss, Giovanni, this month

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All launch day titles and future PSVR games in one place

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I have never found myself so inexplicably attracted to a set of Lego Minifigs

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Gather around, wanderer

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Spoiler alert: The heat is a penis

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How to start Hydroponics Delta, Gilded Precept, and Thrilladrome

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Two more Regis are headed to Pokémon Go

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Dig up the grave to uncover the shotgun

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Enter the bunkers to collect the keycards

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In February, 2023, FuRyu teased a what seemed to be a new RPG. A teaser site noted that on March 1, 2023, all would be revealed. Now, NIS America and FuRyu came together to officially reveal the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC action-RPG Crymachina. It will appear in Japan on July 6, 2023, then show up worldwide in Fall 2023.

The stars of Crymachina aren’t human. However, they are hoping to become so. Each of the three E.V.E are based upon people who did exist centuries before. People will follow them through a place known as Eden to discover if it might be possible for humans to return to the world. However, they’ll face opponents as they do so, leading to fights against various opponents.

The companies also revealed the two artists whose designs are behind the characters in the game. One is Rolua, who worked on the characters. The artist’s work also appeared in the light novel Boushokuki no Ken and in Star Ocean Anamnesis. The other is Yoshi., who is also working on the Kodansha game Izon.

NIS America also released a few gifs showing off some of the characters that will appear in the game. However, it didn't provide any names for the individuals.
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="953219,953220,953221,953222" link="file"]

Here’s the Japanese PV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeUqt9RE0CM

God of War Ragnarok is the best game on the PlayStation 5 to date according to players, as noted by Sony in its latest PlayStation Blog post. As part of a Players' Choice: Best of PS5 survey, the company polled the active playerbase on what are the best titles available on the platform.

The survey was conducted between February 10-16, 2023. Sony asked players which games showcased the best of PS5's features, such as graphics and the new DualSense controller, across a number of categories.

Among the winners, God of War Ragnarok stood out not only as the best game but also as the one with the best graphics on the PS5. The sequel to God of War (2019) was very well-received by fans and critics alike. Siliconera’s Aidan O'Brien noted that it has "some of the most interesting and well-written figures in gaming".

The winners of each one of the categories are the following:

• Best PS5 Game – God of War Ragnarok
• Best PS5 Graphical Showcase – God of War Ragnarok
• Best PS5 Indie Game – Stray
• Best Use of DualSense Wireless Controller – Astro’s Playroom

Honorable mentions for Best Game also included Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut.

March 2023 is about to begin, which means a new Genshin Impact calendar. Each month, HoYoVerse releases an image on the Japanese Twitter account. This gives people a smartphone-style vertical wallpaper for their mobile devices. Every time, it features one person from the game as the "focus" and notes the character birthdays for the month. This March, the main character is Qiqi.

Qiqi is a five-star Cryo character that is always available in the gacha pool in Genshin Impact. People might happen upon her most often as a pity-breaker, as there is a 50/50 chance of getting one of the general pool five-stars or the focus five-star on any limited-time character banner.

Here is the full Genshin Impact March 2023 calendar image.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="953214" link="file"]
And these are the six character birthdays appearing this month. If you log into the game on that day, you will get a gift of food and an item in your inbox.

• March 3rd: Qiqi
• March 6th: Yaoyao
• March 10th: Shenhe
• March 14th: Jean
• March 21st: Noelle
• March 26th: Ayato

The February 2023 calendar featured the newly added Alhaitham.

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices. The 3.5 update will go live on March 1, 2023. When it does, there will be a Dehya banner and Cyno rerun banner.

Vtuber Tsunomaki Watame is the latest Hololive member to inspire a Nendoroid, a prototype of which was shown off at WonHobby 36 earlier in February 2023. Pre-orders opened on February 28, 2023 and will be available until on April 13, 2023. The figure will cost ¥6,600 from the Japanese store or $49.99 from the US one. She will come with several accessories, including a harp, a microphone, sunglasses and a faceplate of her 'gangimari' expression.

You can find the announcement tweet with more images below:

[embed]https://twitter.com/GoodSmile_US/status/1630410743928504321?s=20[/embed]

Known for her singing voice, Watame belongs to Hololive's fourth generation alongside Tokoyami Towa, Amane Kanata, Himemori Luna and retired member Kiryu Coco. Late in December 2022 she performed her 3rd anniversary concert Wata ROCKFES2022 alongside various other members of Hololive. Her Youtube channel can be found here.

Watame is not the only Hololive member to be turned into a figure. Good Smile recently announced that the Sakura Miko Nendoroid would get a rerelease. The Hololive EN branch member Calliope Mori Pop Up Parade figure is expected to appear in Summer 2023.

It was announced on February 28, 2023 that video game industry veterans Toshinori Aoki and Toshimichi Mori joined forces to found a new game studio known as Studio Flare. Operating out of Gotanda, Tokyo, the new company will be focused on developing console games for a worldwide audience of gamers. They will also be backed with funding from NetEase Games, who are the company behind such mobile titles as Knives Out and Naraka Bladepoint.

Both founders of Studio Flare are veterans of the video game industry with resumes featuring popular games from across the spectrum of titles and genres. Toshinori Aoki has served as a producer on several different games and was on the board of directors at Marvelous, the company behind the Story of Seasons. He will act as Studio Flare's president and CEO.

Toshimichi Mori is best known as the producer of the popular Blazblue fighting game franchise which he worked on during his time at Arc System Works. Mori left Arc System Works in 2022 to pursue other opportunities.

It is currently unknown what kind of games and projects might come from Studio Flare.  But you can experience Mori's work in the form of the last Blazblue game, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle right now. Cross tag Battle was originally released in 2018 for the PS4 and was later ported to PC via Steam and the Nintendo Switch. It will be ported to Xbox platforms in 2023.

The Switch port of PS3 and PC JRPG Mugen Souls will release on April 27, 2023 on the Nintendo eShop, developer Eastasiasoft has announced. Digital copies will cost $39.99/€39.99, depending on your region, with a 15% Launch discount active for a limited time. Playasia is also selling 3,000 limited edition copies expected to ship on the same date.

You can see the recently released trailer here. (Note that it might not be safe for work.)

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UArUcifWiI[/embed]

Originally released on the PS3, then later on PCs, Mugen Souls is an anime-style, turn-based JRPG with extensive character customization. It was developed Idea Factory and Compile Heart, companies that also make the Hyperdimension Neptunia games. Eastasiasoft's Nintendo Switch Port was originally announced back in November 2022 and will feature "content true to the original Japanese release." This will include DLC and content previously censored in western versions of the game.

Nintendo released the patch notes for the latest update for Splatoon 3. Version 3.0.0 of the game released to coincide with the start of the Fresh Season and the release of the Inkopolis DLC. Nintendo also confirmed the release of a new profile banner for those who purchased the DLC.

The patch notes detail a lot of changes to Splatoon 3, including new weapons and gear for the new season. There are a few changes to some weapons, including certain specials dealing more damage to the Crab Tank special, Burst Bombs now slowing ink refills and reduced special requirements for some weapons. Terrain changes have also been made to stages to reduce the effectiveness of long-range weapons. There are also a few bug fixes in place. The full patch notes can be found here.

The big addition is the new Pool feature, where players can gather in groups using codes and phrases. In addition to entering standard multiplayer matches with these players, the Pool feature will also allow players to play Tableturf Battle together. This feature will also allow players to watch other games of Tableturf. A jukebox has also been added to the Lobby allowing players to change the music.

Earlier in February 2023, Bandai Namco announced a new piece of Bleach Thousand Year Blood War merchandise. It confirmed Renji Abarai would join the Bleach SH Figuarts figure line. At the time, it didn’t even offer a silhouette as a teaser and only noted an August 2023 release window. Now the character’s been completely revealed.

Here’s a closer look at how this Renji Bleach figure turned out. He will come with his Zanpakuto Zabimaru. It is in its Shikai state for two of the poses. However, it also looks like he can also be posed with it in its sealed katana state. (It is unknown if there will be a full sealed form for him to “wield.”) There will be five face plates with different expressions with the figure. From left to right in the example, they let him display stoic, smiling, stunned, shocked, and angry emotions.

Renji Abarai from "BLEACH," as seen in the Thousand Year Blood War arc, joins S.H.Figuarts! Featuring fine detail and flexible parts that don't get in the way of its high posability. Pre-orders open this week!#Bleach #TamashiiNations #SHFiguarts pic.twitter.com/keJDuVQLrc

— TamashiiNations (@TamashiiNations) February 28, 2023

Back in August 2022, a spin-off Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World anime adaptation showcasing Megumin was revealed. It's essentially a prequel focusing on the Arch Wizard. Now, it has a release date and new trailer. The video also revealed the opening and ending theme songs for the show. On April 5, 2023, it will begin airing in Japan.

First, here’s the new trailer for the show. It begins by showing her with her family, which consists of Hyoizaburoo, Yuiyui, and Komekko. Then, we see her among the Crimson Magic Clan, attending classes, and pursuing Explosion magic. The show will continue a look at this quest, showing how she comes to possess her signature attacks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBvVH-5hOdE&ab_channel=KADOKAWAanime

The song “Stay Free” by Machico is the opening theme song. It appeared at the one minute mark in the video above. The ending theme is “Jump In,” and both Rie Takahashi and Aki Toyosaki will perform it. The two of them also appear in the Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World Anime anime, as Takahashi voices Megumin and Toyosaki plays Yunyun.

The Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World anime will begin airing in Japan on April 5, 2023. The light novel is available in English via Yen Press.

Japanese outlet Famitsu recently talked with Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida, Director Hiroshi Takai, and Combat Director Ryota Suzuki about how long it would take to beat the length of the game and the content included. The main story will take roughly 35 hours to complete. The overall total will be about double that amount when all side content is included. The main Final Fantasy XVI story will include 11 hours of cutscenes. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Director Takai declared in the interview that completing the main story of Final Fantasy XVI will take players around 35 hours to beat. Meanwhile, Yoshida added that finishing it with a hundred percent completion and seeing all cutscenes might take between 70 to 80 hours. While the length of the main story was initially expected to last around 20 hours, this number increased during development.

With the inclusion of side content, the average length it might take a player to complete Final Fantasy XVI eventually grew longer. The developers also said that FFXVI will include 11 hours of cutscenes. That number doesn’t include custscenes included in side quests and other events unrelated to the main story, so the total number of custcene time will be higher than that.

In addition, Yoshida talked about the strict schedule the development team has been working under, saying that the team has been “working to death” in order to get the game finished by Summer 2023.

Spike Chunsoft revealed more about Master Detective Archives: Rain Code characters, as well as the English voice actors for the game. In addition, there will be a digital novel to go along with the game.

Check out the Master Detective Archives: Rain Code character trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlbzb0QrO0

The trailer detailed more characters involved in Rain Code, including Yuma Kokohead and Shinigami, who were introduced in prior reveals. Their info also includes their "Forte" (a special detective-related power) and their English voice actor.

A new tankobon collecting chapters of the Mega Man Battle Network manga will appear in bookstores from late April 2023. The title is Mega Man Battle Network New Stories 2023. As the title implies, there will also be new chapters that did not appear in its original Monthly CoroCoro Comic medium. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The reason why the New Stories 2023 tankobon will come out in April 2023 is because that’s around when the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection will debut. As a reminder, its release date will be April 14, 2023 and it will come out for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC (via Steam).

There will be a total of five chapters in New Stories 2023. They are:

• Lan Gets Amnesia?
• Operation: Make Rock & Roll Friends Again
• Fear! Uncover the Secret of Phantom Isle
• Proto Man Runs Away From Home
• Hanayashiki Mission 2: Destroy The Cause of The Rampaging Panda Car!

Ryo Takamisaki is the creator behind the Mega Man NT manga series. Thirteen tankobon appeared in Japan from 2001 to 2006, with the English versions appearing from 2004. Viz Media licensed it for North America.

A lot of the Octopath Traveler 2 side stories are straightforward. However, every once in a while there’s a multipart endeavor. Partitio’s Scent of Commerce gramophone quest and the “Procuring Peculiar Tomes” side story are two of them. However, I think I’d consider “A Young Girl’s Wish” one of the most potentially frustrating Octopath Traveler 2 ones. So much so that it was only after a friend offered an assist that I stopped losing my mind and found the last part. (Thanks, Chris!)

In “A Young Girl’s Wish” in Octopath Traveler 2, you’re dealing with the Apathetic Girl in Conning Creek. (She’s at the cemetery near Osvald’s former home.) She’s dying and essentially has a bucket list of things she’d like to experience before she goes. Which means you need to make her wishes come true.

In an interview on the Japanese Playstation Blog, Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida clarified his previous words regarding the possibility of the game getting a PC release. Final Fantasy XVI is going to be a PS5 timed exclusive for a period of six months after its release on June 22, 2023. During the interview, Yoshida said that the game won’t release on PC immediately after the exclusivity period, but that the development team is interested in eventually making a PC port.

Here is a direct quote from Yoshida about FFXVI, the six-month exclusivity period, and a possible PC version:

I want to make it clear that the PC version will not release in six months [after the initial release date.] (…) We would like to release [a PC version] eventually, and I think we will, but right now we are not at a stage where we can say when.

Yoshida wanted to clarify his previous statement from back in January 2023, when he told people to buy a PS5 if they wanted to play the game. In this new interview, the producer said that he didn’t mean to imply a PC version was out of the picture, but that the hypothetical PC version wouldn’t release immediately after the exclusivity period, as it would take more than six months to optimize the game for PC.

There's a new The Super Mario Bros Movie release date. Illumination, Nintendo, and Universal announced it will now be out earlier than expected. The film was supposed to launch on April 7, 2023. However, it will now appear in many countries on April 5, 2023. The Japanese release date will remain April 28, 2023.

Here’s the official The Super Mario Bros Movie release date announcement. It also noted that more countries will get the film later in April 2023 and May 2023, but didn’t name which ones will see its release then.

Wahoo! The #SuperMarioMovie is moving from April 7 to April 5 in the US and in more than 60 markets around the world. The movie hits theaters in additional markets in April and May, with Japan opening April 28. pic.twitter.com/CjlikfC3cu

— The Super Mario Bros. Movie (@supermariomovie) February 28, 2023