Games you missed out on in March 2023

Some smaller titles from the month you might want to try

The Resident Evil 4 remake was the standout release of March, while sports fans were inundated with WWE, MLB and PGA titles. With all these huge games being released, it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller games that are still worth your time. We’ve rounded up all the games that caught our eyes this month, so you can quickly see which ones are worth playing.

Here are the five smaller games that we played this month.

Paranormasight - GY

Square Enix

Paranormasight takes the best elements from all the greatest visual novels and mashes them together for a gripping supernatural thriller. It has the branching timelines of Virtue’s Last Reward, the terrifying atmosphere of Death Mark, and the fourth wall breaks of Danganronpa. There are some sections where I felt bogged down in the amount of spoken exposition, compared to being allowed to piece the puzzle together myself, but this is overwritten by the positives. The atmosphere is perfect, from the way the characters’ eyes dart unsettlingly to how you search through files like a detective. The less you know, the better, but just trust that it’s a game you should try.

Score: 8/10

Version tested: Nintendo Switch

Bayonetta Origins - GY

PlatinumGames / Nintendo

A far departure from the mainline Bayonetta games, Bayonetta Origins is a Metroidvania which gives further background to the events of Bayonetta 3. The art style is beautiful, and the gameplay is in a form I have never encountered before. You control two characters simultaneously; Cereza with the left half of the controller, and Cheshire with the right. This takes some getting used to, but is incredibly rewarding once you learn how to use it effectively. Platforming and puzzle-solving only sweeten the intriguing central storyline. I would recommend it more highly, but the map screen is a confusing mess which makes post-game exploration a chore.

Score: 7/10

Version tested: Nintendo Switch

Hellscreen - RW

Uk_resistant

This unique-looking boomer shooter launched in Early Access this week, and it’s already got a lot of great content to pull you in. Don’t let its simplistic graphics put you off, as this is quite unlike other shooters, thanks to the rear-view mirror that is at the top of your screen at all times. You see, you do double damage to all enemies while moving forward, but that usually means you run right into them. That is, until you realise that you can shoot behind you as well, meaning you’re essentially playing on two screens at once.

It takes a lot of getting used to, but eventually, you start to sink into what the game wants, and it gives you some great fast-paced action. There’s even a few Metroidvania elements thrown in, as you’ll need to take abilities from later levels to get essential collectibles from older ones. Its content is a little simplistic right now, but this is definitely a game to watch as it develops.

Score: 6/10

Version tested: PC (Steam)

9 Years of Shadows - RW

Freedom Games

I’ve had a hankering for a solid indie Metroidvania for a while now, so I jumped on 9 Years of Shadows the moment I saw it - I can’t wait forever for Hollow Knight: Silksong, after all. It’s a game all about restoring color to a world in shadow, so it’s no surprise that it has such a warm and bright visual flare. The visual designs alone pushed me to discover each new area.

Rather than having a traditional health bar, you have a mana bar that slowly drains when you get hit. If you take a hit when your mana is empty, you’ll lose a notch of health, of which you only start with two. However, your mana also works as ammo for a ranged weapon, so there’s a fun balancing game between offense and defense. Also, you recharge your mana by hugging your teddy-bear companion. Adorable.

Combat uses the kind of controlled button mashing that makes fighting satisfying in these types of games. You’ll gradually learn more combat moves as you progress too, so things slowly grow in variety. The dodging is pretty annoying, though, as you can only dodge backward, which goes against every instinct 2D action games have ever taught me, where you dodge in the direction you’re pointing the analog stick. This led to countless situations where I’d instinctively end up “dodging” directly into the thing I wanted to avoid.

9 Years of Shadows can be frustrating in places, but if you’re looking for a 2D Metroidvania with solid combat, enjoyable platforming, and beautiful world design, it ticks all of those boxes.

Score: 7/10

Version tested: PC (Steam)

Tchia - OB

Awaceb / Kepler Interactive

Inspired by the beauties of New Caledonia, Tchia is the kind of game you don't see very often. Sure, it's got all the trappings of an open-world adventure game – exploration, combat, unique abilities, and even minigames – but it's really all about the vibe of it all. Sometimes you just need to relax, calm down, and breathe in the culture, and Tchia lets you do just that. It's got its issues, the technical side of things is a bit lacking, and the combat can become a bit tedious with time, but when you're just wandering, seeking out new stories, taking in all the world has to offer, everything else falls away.

Score: 8/10

Version tested: PS5