February was a bumper month for PC games, wasn’t it? As if Elden Ring wasn't enough game to be getting on with, we also had strategy behemoth Total War: Warhammer 3 alongside surprise hit Lost Ark. You could argue that after a month as busy as February, we could all do with a bit of space to actually play these enormous games before we throw anything else onto our already bursting backlogs.
Sadly, I come bearing terrible news. March is yet another jam-packed month for new releases, with huge titles such as GhostWire: Tokyo and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands threatening to tear our attention away from the wonderful Elden Ring. And that’s before I tell you about promising indie releases like Tunic and Weird West!
There's a lot to talk about, so let's not waste any more time, eh? Here are the top 10 video games launching for PC in March 2022.
If you like moving images set to words and music, you can have a watch of the video above. But, if you prefer text, then read on.
Far: Changing Tides (March 1st)
Who's it by? Okomotive
Where can I get it? Steam | Epic Games Store
How much is it? £15/€20/$20
Kicking off the month we have Far: Changing Tides. The much-anticipated sequel to Far: Lone Sails (often hailed as one of 2018’s hidden gems) Changing Tides charts the adventure of a young boy and his boat as he traverses troubled waters in search of a new home. You’ll spend the majority of your time within the hold of your ship, a hulking mass of scrap metal that needs to be fixed, upgraded and refuelled in order to progress ever forwards towards your elusive goal. In our review, we slapped a Bestest Bests badge onto Changing Tides, praising the game’s painterly landscapes and hard-hitting narrative. Don’t miss it.
Shadow Warrior 3 (March 1st)
Who's it by? Flying Wild Hog
Where can I get it? Steam | GOG
How much is it? £35/€45/$50
We’re living through something of a retro-shooter renaissance at the moment. On the one hand, we have games like DUSK and AMID EVIL, which aim to replicate both the visuals and mechanics of classic 90’s shooters to great effect. On the other hand, we have things like DOOM Eternal, which focus instead on modernising the design principles of classic shooters for fresh audiences. Shadow Warrior 3 falls very firmly into the latter camp, offering a visually stunning arena shooter sure to delight those who like blasting big gooey enemies with ridiculous weaponry. On a quest to stop an evil dragon (because, of course) returning protagonist Lo Wang must shoot a load of bullets and do some big swipes with his katana in order to save the world. As a huge fan of big dumb shoot-em-ups, Shadow Warrior 3 looks like my kind of thing.
Babylon's Fall (March 3rd)
Who's it by? PlatinumGames
Where can I get it? Steam
How much is it? £60/€70/$60
Platinum’s live-service debut has been met with its fair share of scepticism since its initial reveal. Can a company that traditionally specialises in tightly designed single-player action games apply its magic to a Destiny-like format? Will their specific flavour of high-octane combat feel as spectacular when you're buddied up with three other players? Will the game’s painterly visuals help or hinder when the on-screen action undoubtedly ramps up? Only time will tell, I suppose, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hopeful. PlatinumGames rarely miss, after all. Tasked with ascending the Mythical Tower of Babel, you and up to three friends can battle baddies, unlock cool loot and master new abilities thanks to the ridiculously named “Gideon Coffin”, which is basically a supernatural backpack. Here’s hoping Platinum surprises us all when Babylon’s Fall launches on March 3rd.
Distant Worlds 2 (March 10th)
Who's it by? Code Force
Where can I get it? Steam
How much is it? £30/€38/$45
I’ll admit to not knowing too much about Distant Worlds 2, an upcoming space management sim that launches on March 10th, but smarter folks than I here at the RPS Treehouse reckon it’s shaping up to be something fans of the genre won’t want to miss. Distant Worlds 2 is one of those ridiculously massive 4X grand strategy games that give players an entire universe to conquer, either via diplomacy or by shooting massive lasers out of dinky little starships. With seven factions to choose from and 2,000 star systems to explore, it’s unlikely two games will ever be the same. But just in case, Distant Worlds 2 also allows you to fully customise everything via an in-game editing tool. Following a recent hands-on, Sin said the game was “a light in an age of shadow”, praising its fresh UI, 3D graphics and general improvements compared to its predecessor.
Tunic (March 16th)
Who's it by? Andrew Shouldice
Where can I get it? Steam
How much is it? TBD
Five long years after its original reveal, the gorgeous Tunic finally launches for PC on the 16th of March. Heavily inspired by The Legend Of Zelda, Tunic sees a tiny fox embarking on an epic quest through a mysterious land. Along the way, players will face off against huge monsters and brain-teasing puzzles in order to secure additional items, treasures and even helpful manual pages. Yes, you read that right. You see, Tunic’s in-game language is completely incomprehensible, forcing the player to piece together the game’s manual within Tunic itself in an attempt to make sense of everything that’s happening. A meta adventure inspired by Zelda and starring an adorable fox? Sign me up. I can’t wait.
The Settlers (March 17th)
Who's it by? Ubisoft Blue Byte
Where can I get it? Ubisoft Store | Epic Games Store
How much is it? £50/€50/$50
The Settlers make their triumphant return in the imaginatively named, uh, The Settlers on March 17th. With the series approaching its 30th birthday, this unnumbered semi-sequel aims to deliver a refreshed version of the classic Settlers experience while still remaining true to what came before. Players must (ahem) settle down in a previously untouched area of land, constructing buildings and putting their citizens to work chopping wood and picking berries. Production chains lie at the heart of The Settlers, with each resource required to go through a number of transformative stages before it can be used to upgrade buildings or made into useful tools. Combat also makes its return, with armies able to destroy rival settlements in order to reign supreme. Powered by Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine - the same tech behind The Division 2 - The Settlers looks stunning. Animations are a particular highlight, with each individual settler performing realistic actions as they go about their daily tasks. As a long time fan of all things Settlers, I’m excited to see what Ubisoft Blue Byte have in store.
Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (March 18th)
Who's it by? Team Ninja
Where can I get it? Epic Games Store
How much is it? £50/€50/$50
Chaos jokes are so last year, so I’m going to do my best to avoid them if that works for you. Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a bonkers Final Fantasy spin-off that combines the combat mechanics of a Souls game with… Limp Bizkit. The more I see of Stranger Of Paradise, the more I start to think it has the potential to be something utterly magnificent. Developed by the same team behind the excellent Nioh series, Stranger of Paradise sees protagonist Jack and his edgelord companions on a journey to kill chaos in a bizarre reimagining of the original Final Fantasy. With the latest trailer featuring a backing track of Frank Sinatra’s My Way (see above), Stranger Of Paradise looks set to be one of 2022’s more unusual releases.
GhostWire: Tokyo (March 25th)
Who's it by? Tango Gameworks
Where can I get it? Steam | Epic Games Store
How much is it? £50/€60/$60
GhostWire: Tokyo, the latest by The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, comes to PC on the 25th March. A slight departure from the team’s previous work, GhostWire: Tokyo swaps out third-person zombie shooting for first-person demon hunting. Equipped with a range of flashy magical powers, it’s up to you to fight supernatural horrors on the streets of Tokyo. In a recent hands-on, Alice B noted that the game feels a little more action-packed than your traditional horror fare, but was impressed by how unashamedly strange it all is. Spearheaded by Shinji Mikami, the creator of both the original Resident Evil and best-game-ever-made Resident Evil 4, GhostWire: Tokyo looks like a winner.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (March 25th)
Who's it by? Gearbox Software
Where can I get it? Steam | Epic Games Store
How much is it? £55/€55/$55
It’s odd that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands doesn’t have the word “Borderlands” in its title, considering it's a canonical spin-off from the long-running looter-shooter series. I guess it just goes to show how much of a household name Borderlands has become that the team over at Gearbox can simply use a character’s name as a replacement instead. Anyway, Wonderlands is Borderlands by way of Dungeons & Dragons. Framed as a tabletop game hosted by Tiny Tina herself, Wonderlands pits players against dragons and other mythical creatures. Combat still focuses on gunplay, but the introduction of melee weapons and spells promises to make things distinct enough to still excite long-time fans.
Weird West (March 31st)
Who's it by? WolfEye Studios
Where can I get it? Steam | GOG
How much is it? £31/€40/$40
Who said immersive sims had to be viewed from a first-person perspective? Certainly not the team over at WolfEye studios, that’s for sure. Played via an isometric perspective and developed by the co-creators of Dishonored, Weird West takes place in an alternate reality version of the Wild West where Cowboys rub spurs with fantastical creatures. Offering a simulated sandbox that players can tackle any way they choose, alongside a storyline that dynamically changes based on your actions and decisions, Weird West certainly has a lot of potential to be something very special indeed.
Do you know how hard it was to keep this list limited to just 10 games? I had to leave out a couple of interesting things like Elex II, Aperture Desk Job and Anno: Mutationem. I could go on, but I won't, because I'm keen to know what you're planning on picking up this month. Are you excited to use a lovely piece of magical string to defeat demons in GhostWire: Tokyo? Are you and a few friends going to buddy up to tackle Tiny Tina's Wonderlands? Perhaps you've booked some time off to rattle through Tunic? Let me know in the comments below!