Winter video game preview: Releases embrace older technology

Though the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have finally settled into their new spots in the eighth generation of video gaming, it doesn’t seem like the developers have settled in with them. Many games releasing this month are backtracking to the older consoles, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, due to their untimely progress in development.

That should make PC fans happy. But, for those who already wish to move on, it shouldn’t come as too much of a burden: The video games of March are taking big steps in advancing their gameplay and their graphics with new engines and new styles of play – along with some crude humor mixed in. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated games coming out in the following month, and what gamers can expect from all the hype.

“Dark Souls II”
PC / PS3 / Xbox 360
Bandai Namco Games
March 11

“Dark Souls II,” the sequel to 2011’s “Dark Souls” and a spiritual sequel to 2009’s “Demon’s Souls,” is going to be an evolved game. Running on a more impressive graphics engine than its predecessors, and with tougher artificial intelligence, developer FromSoftware delayed the PC release of the game to fix errors that the PC port of “Dark Souls” received criticism for.

But all the same, “Dark Souls II” will remain honorable to its players. Known for its painstakingly frustrating difficulty, the action-adventure role-playing game about searching for relief to the character’s curse retains the same control scheme and gameplay styles while upping the ante. New players will be thrown into the depths of survival game difficulty. Veteran players will take the new developments in stride, learning how to strategically maneuver harder obstacles as they have in the past. Either way, it will be frustrating, and it will probably be great fun for “Dark Souls” fans.

“Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster”
PS3 / Vita
Square Enix
March 18

“Final Fantasy X,” first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, is a revered role-playing game, and is now commonly referred to as one of the classics of the series. The first “Final Fantasy” game to receive its own sequel, “Final Fantasy X-2,” Square Enix is upgrading both versions of the game and packaging them into a must-have for any “Final Fantasy” fan who owns a PlayStation 3.

Included in the bundle: redone high definition graphics of the originals’ gorgeous artwork, new missions that were previously only available in the international versions of each game, support for trophies and new cutscenes. Originally announced in late 2011, “Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster” has had a long gestation period to coast along. But with impressive sales for the game’s early Japan release, it will surely prove to be worth it. Plus, with the release date of “Final Fantasy XV” on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One a distant dream, the HD package will need to supply “Final Fantasy” fans their role-playing fill for some time to come.

“South Park: The Stick of Truth”
PC / PS3 / Xbox 360
Ubisoft
March 4

Every time that Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the wildly popular “South Park” series and Tony Award winners for “The Book of Mormon,” appear in the news, it seems to be for something controversial. “South Park: The Stick of Truth,” the latest in their series of seemingly random video game adaptations, holds true to that idea. Based on the “Lord of the Rings” parody episode “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers” and recent “Game of Thrones” parody episodes, it features a healthy amount of crude references, with offensive language, sex, nudity and even swastikas aplenty.

But that’s what Parker and Stone are aiming for. Developers of the “Fallout” series Obsidian Entertainment are keeping true to the 2D, paper-like style of the television show. The opening of the game asks, based on an offensive recurring joke, whether the player wants to play as a fighter, thief, mage or Jew. It’s all over the top silliness, and to fans of the show, exactly what the doctor ordered.

“Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes”
Kojima Productions
PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox One
March 18

Where “Dark Souls II” wants to throw its players into the fray completely unaware of the danger they might face, Hideo Kojima, director of the “Metal Gear Solid” series, wants to take things in the opposite direction. Split into two parts, “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” is the prequel to “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” to be released in the indeterminate future. Together, they form “Metal Gear Solid V,” one of the most anticipated games of the generation, continuing the story of Naked Snake, or Big Boss, as he infiltrates an American black site, a military location where secret operations happen.

But Kojima’s “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” serves its own purpose as well – introducing players to the mechanics and open world environment that make up “Metal Gear Solid V” at half the price of a standard retail game. It will still include the gunfights, violence, blood and mayhem that “Metal Gear Solid” is known for, but in a new light. With the new elements and advanced capabilities of the next generation Fox engine, “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” will be a notable stealth experience for the series, and for this generation of video gaming.

“Titanfall”
Electronic Arts
PC / Xbox 360 / Xbox One
March 11

“Titanfall” is the ambition of Microsoft hard at work. An online multiplayer-exclusive game set in a futuristic warring world of mechs and fast-paced action, it heavily utilizes the cloud system for saving data and quickening loading times, which are healthy for its impressive graphical state. The golden child of the Xbox One at last year’s E3 Press Conference, “Titanfall” will expand on the traditional aspects of single player shooter campaigns with multiplayer layouts, expanse and storylines.

So far, the pros have outweighed the cons – despite developer Respawn Entertainment’s occasional maligned choices, including the narrowing of multiplayer fields down to 12 players rather than the traditional 16, they ran a recent closed beta for the game with very positive overall reception. “Titanfall” could single-handedly put the Xbox One ahead of the PlayStation 4 in this generation’s slow starting console race and be the first step in a potentially exciting year for Microsoft’s new entertainment experience aspirations.