We’re solidly into 2021, and the launch of two next-gen video game consoles—the Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5—is well underway. Understandably, we’re getting a lot of announcements of what’s to come. And with the exception of one or two titles, the biggest releases in March 2021 are ports from the previous console generation.
Now’s the time to get the definitive, high-resolution repackagings of last year’s best games. Beyond that, we have the newest entry in the acclaimed Monster Hunter franchise, and the latest co-op game from Josef Fares, following his successes with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out.
Here is your monthly video game news roundup for March 2021.
Xbox Live Gold Free Games for March 2021
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Xbox One
Warface: Breakout (March 1-March 31)
This is a first-person shooter with a multiplayer focus on “Search and Destroy” mode. One team tries to set off a bomb; the other team tries to destroy it.
Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse (March. 16-April 15)
In this top-down, rogue-like game, take on hundreds and hundreds of angry, carnivorous llamas in a tank mecha.
Xbox 360 (backwards compatible)
Metal Slug 3 (March 1-March 15)
A throwback run-and-gun, move-from-left-to-right-and-shoot-everything-that moves game, with cartoonish graphics that will remind you of your Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis.
Port Royale 3 (March 16-March 31)
Set in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, this game lets you build up a small town into a crucial city, which you accomplish through trade, land development, business dealing, and piracy.
Playstation Plus Free Games for March 2021
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Final Fantasy VII Remake (March 2)
One of the most critically acclaimed, top-selling games of 2020 is coming to PlayStation Plus. Covering about a third of the original 1997 game’s narrative, this should whet your appetite for the yet-to-be-announced sequel.
Maquette (March 2)
An object-based puzzle game, this is a brand new game with scenarios that are reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland.
Remnant: From the Ashes (March 2)
This is a post-apocalyptic third-person shooter about a human survivor after humanity was decimated by an alien force from another dimension known as The Root.
Far Point (March 2)
This is a virtual reality experience, where you play as a human exploring a hostile alien planet.
Google Stadia Free Games for March 2021
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PixelJunk Raiders (March 1)
This is a Stadia exclusive third person shooter with procedurally generated alien worlds
AVICII Invector (March 1)
This music rhythm game has bright, colorful visuals against black space. Think Tetris Effect, but with beats instead of rotating parts.
PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle (March 1)
This is a massive Pac-Man Battle Royale, where you try to outlast and outwit up to 64 other players in a massive, interconnected maze to be the last Pac-Man standing.
Reigns (March 1)
A decision-making game casts you in the role of a king, who must make simple decisions about complex subjects and suffer the consequences for doing so.
PlayStation 'Play At Home' (March 1)
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For the next four months, Sony will be reviving its Play At Home initiative, encouraging people to stay home during the pandemic by playing video games. To kick things off, the first free game that is available for any PlayStation user to download (non-Playstation Plus players included) is Ratchet & Clank.
Re-Release of 2020 Games on next generation consoles (Varied)
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This month, several of the best games on the previous generation’s consoles will be re-released, with better graphics and consolidated features on the brand-new consoles, giving players who are behind on their gaming the opportunity to catch up. Here are the main titles getting a brand new release:
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon (March 2)
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (March 12)
- Marvel’s Avengers (March 18)
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 (March 26)
'Harvest Moon: One World' (March 2)
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The latest installment in the farming simulation franchise is coming to Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. On this go-around, in addition to your farming duties, you travel a diverse world across deserts, volcanoes, and snowy landscapes in search of the Harvest Goddess and brand new seeds.
Hawkeye DLC on 'Marvel's Avengers' (March 18)
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The developers behind Marvel’s Avengers are committed to rescuing it from its rocky launch, and are slowly, steadily adding new content, new levels, new missions, and new characters. So far, we’ve gotten Kate Bishop as the first DLC character. Now Hawkeye and his numerous, multi-purpose arrows will be joining the fray.
'Monster Hunter Rise' (March 26)
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Exclusive to Nintendo Switch, Monster Hunter Rise refines the mechanics of the prior games, adding new options for training, eating, and customizing for battle. The big feature innovation is the Palamute, a rideable, dog-like hunting companion that can traverse ground, climb walls, and attack.
'It Takes Two' (March 26)
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Josef Fares is clearly fascinated by the idea of duality, as evidenced in his games Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out, a prison break game that required two players working in coordination. His latest offering, It Takes Two, also requires co-op—ideally, split-screen couch co-op with a partner. You and a friend will play as mother and father getting a divorce, who try to escape a fantasy realm they’ve become trapped in and return to the real world.
'Kena: Bridge of Spirits' (TBD)
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A third-person action-adventure, you play as Kena, a young spirit guide whose job it is to guide souls from the physical realm to the spirit realm. You defeat evil forces, upgrade your staff, and help lost souls work through their trauma and unresolved business in order to cross over.
