Games

New Game Releases 03/18/25 – 03/24/25

Top Releases:

  • Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 20th
  • MLB The Show 25 (PS5/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 18th
  • Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch) – Releases Mar. 20th
  • Atelier Yumia: Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (PC/PS4/PS5/Switch/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 21st
  • BLEACH Rebirth of Souls (PC/PS4/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 21st

It’s a big week for new releases, I hope you’ve been saving up because everything is $70 bucks (or more) and you certainly won’t be the coolest kid in the Twitch chat if you haven’t played all of these.

The biggest game of the week is Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, the nearly twenty year old franchise that is FINALLY being set in Japan after years of begging from fans. However, all isn’t well for Ubisoft at the moment, with Shadows being embroiled in many controversies in the lead up to its launch.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 20th

Developed by: Ubisoft Quebec
Published by: Ubisoft

While you may have different opinions on which controversy is the biggest, we can’t deny that the game being delayed, TWICE, isn’t front of center on many of our minds. Initially, Shadows was supposed to release in November. However, the poor sales of Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws was enough to scare the company into making sure that Assassin’s Creed: Shadows didn’t befall the same fate, pushing the release to February. The team polished as many bugs as they could find, supposedly removed several microtransactions, and tweaked the stealth gameplay that marred Outlaws. Then a preview event in January showed that the game still had performance issues and the release got moved to March, so everything should be good now, right?

Of course there are other controversies, both large and small, real and imagined, from the blatantly racist (a black samurai?!) to the blatantly sexist (a female ninja?!). There have been controversies about Ubisoft’s stance that they make painstaking efforts to be historically accurate but then pivot to say that Assassin’s Creed is a fantasy/sci-fi series that shouldn’t be considered a historical document when questioned about some of the story choices (and building designs) they made. They’ve made gaffes with the game’s artwork, from culturally insensitive physical pre-order items, to using symbols owned by reenactment groups without their permission.

I don’t have the time or energy to go over everything that people seem to hate about this new video game that they haven’t even played yet. Here’s what we’re going to get; you’ll play as an assassin in a historical setting that changes events to make them fit into a cohesive plot. There will be a giant map with the same 10 icons spread across it that will allow you to do “stuff” and, eventually, you’ll get bored and move on with your life. It’s the same shit that every AssCreed games does except the big difference here is that, well, there appears to be A LOT riding on the success of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

The rumors are that if Shadows does not meet sales expectations then Ubisoft could be in major trouble, leading to anything from a buy out to a complete shutdown of the company. As we saw multiple times in 2024, the video game industry is in a very volatile state at the moment. High profile failures (or underperformers) have led to the gutting of many studios. The high cost of making games, with bloated teams and tightly focus tested games, leaves very little room for creativity, leading to safe, bland games. That might have been okay ten or twenty years ago, but not anymore. The constant desire to show financial improvement, pushing profits ahead of a quality game, is going to kill the industry; but what do I know? I didn’t even finish community college.

MLB The Show 25 (PS5/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 18th

Developed by: San Diego Studio
Published by: Sony Interactive Entertainment/MLB Advanced Media

If you want to avoid the controversy of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (and instead pick it up for $14.99 at Walmart on Black Friday) why not immerse yourself in America’s greatest past time, racism gun violence baseball! Yes, folks, it is time for Sony’s annual baseball game, MLB The Show 25; yay! While the game is basically the same as it always is, one major addition to this year’s game is the ability to play as college teams. This is the first time, that I’m aware of, that you’ve been able to play college baseball teams in a video game since MVP 07: NCAA Baseball.

If you’re looking to have another massive RPG in your life, Nintendo is back with another Wii U remaster for the Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. What makes this the definitive edition? Well, you get new story content, updated graphics, an on-screen guide to help you perform combos, new character customization options, the ability to swap between English & Japanese VO audio at will, the ability to choose what the weather will be, an improved HUD, new map segments (including treasure points & tyrants), and that’s not even everything!

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch) – Releases Mar. 20th

Developed by: Monolith Soft
Published by: Nintendo

If one giant RPG wasn’t enough for you, or you don’t like robots, you can check out Atelier Yumia: The Game With Too Many Words After the Colon. While new protagonist Yumia isn’t as thicc as previous protagonist Ryza, you can still easily jack off to her image. Last up, we’ve got the game BLEACH Rebirth of Souls, which is a, uh, fighting game, maybe? Rebirth of Souls retells the entire BLEACH story, I think, which sees the rise of swordsman Ichigo. You know, Bandai Namco didn’t really market this game very well. It’s almost like they expect BLEACH fans to just buy it on name alone. Just buy it. Come on, buy it. Buy it! BUY IT!!

Atelier Yumia: Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (PC/PS4/PS5/Switch/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 21st

Developed by: Koei Tecmo
Published by: Koei Tecmo

BLEACH Rebirth of Souls (PC/PS4/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Mar. 21st

Developed by: Tamsoft Corporation
Published by: Bandai Namco

Everything else:

Notable Releases from 10, 20, and 30 years ago:

Enough about new games, let’s check out some old stuff! What were the notable video games we were playing this week, 10, 20, and 30 years ago? I’m glad you asked, because you’re about to find out!

Games:

From 2015 we’ve got the action/adventure game Bloodborne from From Software. While not directly tied to From’s other major series, Dark Souls, Bloodborne carries much of the same DNA. Players navigate a brutally difficult world, killing enemies for currency that allowed you to level up, resting to replenish health and respawn enemies, and fight giant bosses. You grind over and over and over, getting stronger so that you can take on the next giant boss.

The reception to Bloodborne was overwhelmingly positive and would go on to be called one of the best games of 2015, even being nominated in the Game of the Year category at The Game Awards, The DICE Awards, The Golden Joystick Awards, and the Game Developers Choice Awards (it would lose three of them to The Witcher 3 and one to Fallout 4).

Since its release, Bloodborne has sold over 7.5 million copies, worldwide. Despite the strong critical and commercial reception, as well as player demand, a sequel has not materialized. Instead, From Software would go on to make Dark Souls 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Elden Ring, and Armored Core VI. Despite rumors/wishful thinking, Bloodborne has remained a one-and-done title.

Moving on to 2005, we’ve got one of the greatest PS2 games of all-time, God of War. Created by David Jaffe, who had previously given Sony the vehicular combat game Twisted Metal, God of War was a third person action game that, like Twisted Metal, was heavy on violence. Players take on the role of Kratos, an overwhelmingly violent soldier in the Spartan army, who has been killed in battle. However, Kratos pledges his loyalty to Ares, the god of war, in exchange for his life.

After being resurrected, Ares sends Kratos off onto increasingly violent missions, eventually leading Kratos to a village full of heretics. Unknown to Kratos, his wife & daughter are among the villagers, with Kratos accidentally killing them while in a blood rage. While Ares had hoped their deaths would free Kratos of his Earthly bonds and turn him into the perfect soldier, it instead enrages him and Kratos vows to kill Ares for his betrayal.

Jaffe says he got the inspiration for God of War after playing the Capcom game Onimusha, declaring that he wanted to make a similar game but using Greek Mythology. He took a lot of inspiration from the 1981 film Clash of the Titans but felt the tone was too tame for the kind of game he wanted to make. Taking inspiration from another early 80’s film, Heavy Metal, Jaffe filled God of War with copious amounts of blood, gore, and titties. Truly, this would be the perfect game.

According to critics, God of War was a perfect (or near perfect) video game, bestowing universal acclaim on the title. While critics were happy to see all of the sex & violence, the core gameplay of God of War was so well designed, so tight, and satisfy that it was difficult to put the game down. Some critics pointed out the similarities to Clash of the Titans and said that God of War was the best use of Greek Mythology since the 1981 film (it’s probably no coincidence that the 2010 remake of the film began production in 2006).

Multiple outlets named God of War one of the best games of 2005, while the two big award shows gave it multiple wins & nominations. At The Spike VGA’s, God of War won Best Action and Designer of the Year (for Jaffe), but lost Game of the Year to Resident Evil 4. Over at The DICE Awards (then known as the Interactive Achievement Awards), God of War did take home the top prize as well as seven other awards; Console GOTY, Action/Adventure GOTY, Outstanding Animation, Outstanding Original Music, Outstanding Sound Design, and Oustanding Character Performance for TC Carson’s portrayal of Kratos.

With the overwhelming success of God of War, both critically and commercially, a sequel was quickly green lit and released in 2007. In 2008, a PSP spin-off would release, followed by a PS3 remaster of the first two games. The original series would get three more titles before Sony rebooted the series in 2018, also to widespread critical acclaim. God of War has, over the past 20 years, gone through ups & downs, but you can’t deny that is has become one of the most recognizable franchises in all of video games, making it one of the greatest of all-time.

Our last notable game this week is 1995’s Shining Force CD for the Sega CD. A massive RPG for its time, taking anywhere from 30 to 45 hours to complete, Shining Force CD likely attributes its size to the fact that it is a remake of two Game Gear games (Shining Force Gaiden I & II) that were merged into one, while adding two more chapters that are about equal in size to the Game Gear titles.

Part of the Shining series of RPGs, the Force sub-series is known for its tactical combat, similar to Fire Emblem. Upon release, critics weren’t quite sure what to make of the game. While it received praise for its gameplay and graphics, critics felt that Shining Force CD did not differentiate itself enough from its Genesis and Game Gear predecessors. Despite the criticism, one critic from Next Generation magazine noted that Shining Force CD was one of the best games for the Sega CD and should be owned by everyone who had the system. Unfortunately, Shining Force CD is very difficult to play today, with only a port to the Sega Genesis Mini II being your best option to play it (aside from emulation).

Movies:

In notable films, 2015 gave us the live action remake of Disney’s Cinderella, a totally fine movie that you can watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Cate Blanchett as the evil step-mother is great casting, but she’s given very little to work with.

From 2005, we’ve got the Korean film Oldboy, which was originally released in that country in 2003. Masterfully directed by Park Chan-wook, the film is part of his “Vengeance Trilogy”, which also include the films Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance. In Oldboy, a man who has been held captive for several years is finally freed, with no explanation given as to why he was being released nor why he was kidnapped in the first place.

One of the greatest films of all-time, Oldboy is a violent, bloody, suspenseful action/thriller that will have you gasping in horror by the end of the film, questioning everything you’ve just watched. Spike Lee directed an American remake in 2013 that you can ignore; in fact, I don’t even remember what I was talking about.

From 1995, we have one of my favorite movies, Major Payne, starring Damon Wayans. Released in the hey day of comedies about kids being obnoxious (thanks, Home Alone), Major Payne tells the story of a hyper violent soldier who must train young cadets at a military academy. Payne’s method’s are brutal & unorthodox, with the kids hating him. However, over time, they learn to respect him while Payne learns to soften his heart a little bit. It’s cheesy, predictable, and fucking hilarious.

Albums:

In notable albums, 2015 saw the release of Eclipse, the third major release from singer/songwriter George Lewis, better known as Twin Shadow. The album came right on the heels of Twin Shadow’s song “Old Love/New Love”, as well as Lewis’ turn as DJ for Radio Mirror Park, receiving a positive reception for its inclusion in 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V.

Eclipse was a critical success for Twin Shadow, though it failed to reach the commercial heights of his previous album, Confess. Still, with singles “To the Top” and “Old Love/New Love” doing well, with “To the Top” even appearing in the film Paper Towns, Twin Shadow was able to run a successful tour.

Unfortunately, in April of 2015, Twin Shadow’s tour bus was involved in an accident, sending two band members to the hospital and Lewis needing reconstructive surgery on his hand. Since then, Twin Shadow’s career hasn’t been able to match the early success, with his next three albums failing to hit the Billboard Top 200. His latest release, Georgie, was just recently released and features a very stripped down sound compared to his early albums. While not my cup of tea, I am glad to see that Twin Shadow is still around making music, as Eclipse meant a lot to me back when it released.

From 2003 we’ve got the fourth album from Queens of the Stone Age, Lullabies to Paralyze. After the massive success of 2002’s Songs for the Deaf, Queens of the Stone Age were now one of those bands where people waited with bated breath for their next release, which likely helped the album reach #5 on the Billboard Top 200.

While Songs for the Deaf certainly helped with the success of Lullabies to Paralyze, its driving lead single, “Little Sister”, which peaked at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 (the only song on the album to reach that chart). The song was an homage to the Doc Possum song of the same name, though QOTSA’s version is far more sexual in nature.

“Little Sister” would receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Hard Rock Performance category, but would lose to System of a Down’s “B.Y.O.B.” (other artists nominated in that category, Nine Inch Nails, Audioslave, and Robert Plant).

Finally, from 1995, we’ve got the album Relish by singer/songwriter Joan Osborne. If the name “Joan Osborne” isn’t familiar to you then I’m going to assume you were born after 1990 because this lady’s single, “One of Us” was EVERYWHERE in 1995. Shit, it was everywhere for at least the next decade and is probably still used today.

Still not sure who Joan Osborne is or what the song “One of Us” is about? Does the phrase “What if God was one of us?” ring any bells for you? Do you have it now? I bet you do. What you might not know is that Osborne did not write the song, that honor goes to a guy named Eric Bazilian. Initially, Bazilian wanted the band Crash Test Dummies to record the song, but after showing the song to a record producer, as well as Osborne, the producer suggested Joan sing the song and the rest is history.

At the Grammy’s, Osborne would receive five nominations, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Best Female Rock Performance (for “St. Teresa”) and then Record of the Year & Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “One of Us”. She would not win any of the awards, but that didn’t stop Osborne from continuing her career, consistently putting out albums over the last 30 years and earning two more Grammy nominations.

Bloodborne (PS4) – Released Mar. 24th, 2015

Notable Film Release: Cinderella – Starring Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Stellan Skarsgård, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Twin Shadow – Eclipse
Click here to listen to the album

God of War (PS2) – Released Mar. 22nd, 2005

Notable Film Release: Oldboy – Starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kang Hye-jung
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Queens of the Stone Age – Lullabies to Paralyze
Click here to listen to the album

Shining Force CD (Sega CD) – Released Mar. 1995

Notable Film Release: Major Payne – Starring Damon Wayons
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Joan Osborne – Relish
Click here to listen to album

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