WRUB: The guide to February’s biggest games

WRUB: The guide to February’s biggest games

Dead Space 3 and Fire Emblem: Awakening

Microphone dropped. While February and March this year may seem like Christmas Gaming Part 2, the big news will obviously be taking place on February 20th, when we anticipate the next Playstation will be announced. Thankfully, we at least won’t have to wait until the Fall to experience great gaming. February is packed with stellar new releases, and we’ve got the guide to the month’s best and most interesting.

Instant Analysis

There is SO MUCH to look forward to this month. However, there’s also a ton of new games coming in March to keep in mind. The reason is undoubtedly that publishers want to squeak out as many games as possible to impact their fiscal year results. With that said, it’s perhaps wise to be frugal right now with games, as April through July might be a bit more lackluster and provide a few more deals on games released this month and next. The games that everyone wil probably be talking about this month are Dead Space 3, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. They’re going to cause the most conversation amongst the mainstream gamers, and with DLC planned they may have a nice amount of longevity through the month. Other than that, get back to some of the games from the past holidays. There were heavy hitters and gems from October and November that always seem to be on sale now. It’s a short month, and it’ll be March before you know it. Thankfully, none of the games are going to take all that long to complete.

Verdict: Save your cash. Grab 1-2 shorter console games and 1 longer portable game.

Console Gaming

CHOICE: Dead Space 3 – This is our premiere title this month. It’s the third game in the massive series, and you can’t really go wrong with it if you like solid controls and storytelling. The first two Dead Space games (and even the Wii’s Extraction) were excellent efforts. They’re not so much horror as they are action titles, but a far better mix than the last few Resident Evil games. Reviews arrive shortly, so keep your eyes peeled. Arrives Feb 5.

CHOICE: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – It’s another Metal Gear game. And, while it may not necessarily be as much a sneaky shooter as previous titles, it still fills that Metal Gear itch. The visuals look great, the action looks fast, and developer Platinum Games has a good track record of handling other IPs with dignity. Arrives Feb 19th.

Under the Radar Pick: Omerta: City of Gangsters – Omerta looks to be one of those unique games that will get passed by because of its release date. Melding strategy and RPG elements with the 1920’s Atlantic City underworld, it’s a game that deserves a look. Release: Feb 12th

Aliens: Colonial Marines – As a sort of “in-canon” game in the Alien franchise, Colonial Marines throws us into a battle against xenomorphs and gives us all of the weapons we’ve only dreamed about ever using. Expect tons of creatures and Queens to battle, and mechs to powered. Release: Feb 12th

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time – It’s finally a new Sly Cooper game. Though it seems like a decade since the last one, the past can be put behind us as we jump in headfirst into the latest  edition. Though the game is focused on some aspects of time travel, it also manages to travel across consoles as well. Pick up Thieves for the PS3 and get the Vita version as well. At $40 for the console version, that’s not a bad deal at all. Release: Feb 5th

Crysis 3 – While the original Crysis was playable only on the best of the best PCs on the market, the latest versions have managed to share the love across even mid-range PCs and consoles and still manage to look incredible. With Crysis 3, expect the best-looking game, especially on your TV screen, until the new consoles arrive this Fall. Release: Feb 19th

Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 – If you’re sick of the established brawlers and street fighters, then the Fist of the North Star series could be for you. It’s heavily focused on the manga series and its plot, and the fighting mechanics are fairly refined and offer up a little bit of creativity. It’s not going to end up in tournaments, but it’s a solid game to kill time with. We hope. The first one was, anyways. Release: Feb 5th

Portable Gaming

CHOICE: Fire Emblem: Awakening – It’s already grabbing some fantastic reviews, and the demo was a great little battle. The Fire Emblem games are always fantastic portable tactical RPG bliss, and this latest in the series offers up options that may well expand the audience without killing the core game. It’ll be a great game to keep loaded on the device all month. Release: Feb 4th

Under the Radar Pick: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan – The Etrian games have long been favorite RPGs for DS owners. Now, coming to the 3DS for the first time, the classic JRPG series can thrive with better visuals and a neat Streetpass card game. Release: Feb 26th

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus – Yes, it’s a port of a remake. Yes, the Vita is already heavy on those. But, NGS2P sports new motion and touch screen controls and a few new modes, that could make for some fun diversions when killing other ninjas is never enough. Release: Feb 26th

Brain Age: Concentration Training – With a goal like “5 minutes a day”, our guess is that if you’re able to last that length of time with a Brain Training game then you’ve probably already mastered concentration skills. Regardless, there are thousands of brain training games out there. Nintendo tends to make the best ones, but they’re also not very affordable compared to the rest. Hopefully they release the individual modes separately. Release: Feb 10th

So, what are you buyin?