Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

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In the gaming industry, the time between February and November is referred to as the "dead season". Normally during this time, not many big game releases hit the shelves. This season, however, has interesting titles for the big three: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 will have two titles being released on March 9 that will have many gamers heading to their local game store. The first title is the epic role playing game (RPG), Final Fantasy XIII. The Final Fantasy series has always been innovative with its games. This game brings an Active Time Battle system, similar to older titles such as Final Fantasy VII. The game promises to have an impressive story, entertaining characters, and intriguing gameplay. The other title being released on March 9 is Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. If you are a fan of the Resident Evil series and did not pick up the original Resident Evil 5, this would be the title for you. Along with its immersive and exciting cooperative gameplay (both on-line and off-line), this edition will also have all of the downloadable content that is available online. This includes two extra playable episodes (Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape), extra costumes for the characters and a revamped Mercenaries mode which is as exciting as the first. Both of titles are going to be available for PlayStation 3 as well.

But, if you are a PlayStation 3 owner, you probably already know about God of War 3 which remains a staple on Sony consoles. God of War 3, which will be released on March 16, is the epic conclusion to the God of War trilogy. The game puts the player in the shoes of Kratos, a warrior betrayed by the Greek Gods, who seeks revenge and will kill anyone in his way (definitely a mature title). After God of War 2, the development team went back to the drawing board and made a great game even better by revamping the game engine and graphics. The result is a crazier, bloodier, more exciting game than previous titles. Also coming for Sony's system is the third installment of the Yakuza story: Yakuza 3. This is a series about Kazuma Kiryu, a struggling Yakuza who, for some reason or another, everyone wants to mess with. The series is interesting for its amazing storyline, RPG elements, and brawler-esque fighting system. Granted, this title will not be for everyone but the series has one of the best stories and Yakuza 3 will be sure to keep with that tradition (March 9).

And don't fret Wii owners, you're going to get your piece of the revolution. March 23 is going to be the day to pick up the sequel to Red Steel: Red Steel 2. This game keeps with the ideas of the first game which mixes gunplay and swordplay for an epic action game. It will utilize the Wii Motion Plus (the game will not work without it) but making the movement ratio 1:1 will make the gun and swordplay work together harmoniously. If you played the first one and are worried about the story, they scrapped the story from the first game and crafted a whole new one. The other game Wii owners should mark their calendars for is Super Mario Galaxy 2. Although it is going to be released May 23, it is going to be the game that every Mario fan will want especially for its platform gameplay, new galaxies, and the ability to find fan favorite Yoshi on particular levels. If you are a fan of the first game, this game is for you.

So, my fellow gamers, this season will be full of appealing games. There will be a game for every type of gamer on the map. Go to your local game store and start asking how to get these titles and more.

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