February Releases | 2021
In a blink of an eye, the month of January ended, and at least for us gamers, things are still moving in short and slow steps. There were very few major launches at the beginning of this year and the industry tends to continue like this for at least another month or two, as expected.
But this does not mean that this month will not bring some very promising titles and some little surprises. So, without further ado, check out the list of the top releases from February.
When I write these texts, I always try to get out of rereleases, whether from old games, ports to other platforms, or collections. But my personal taste spoke louder, and I couldn’t help myself but comment of Nioh, one of the most fun and challenging souls-like I’ve ever played.
At the beginning of February, more specifically on the 5th, we will be awarded two versions of the title. Nioh II, released last year, will finally hit the PC’s (Steam) in a complete edition, with all its expansions.
And, on the same date, the Nioh Collection will be launched exclusively for the Playstation 5, a collection that brings, with more polished graphics and a better frame rate, the two past games of the series, as well as all its DLC’s already released.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
This is another relaunch of the month, but given the importance of the franchise, one of the most popular in the industry, I couldn’t ignore it. Originally released in mid-2013, for the forgotten Nintendo Wii U, Super Mario 3D World, will receive, on the 12th of this month, a new chance in the market, only this time, in the company’s new console, the Nintendo Switch.
The game, like several others in the series, is focused on platforms, offering the player a fun experience, full of scenarios, new powers, challenges, and playable characters, such as Princess Peach, Toad, Luigi, and of course Mario. This new version of the game will also feature online multiplayer for up to four players plus a completely unprecedented adventure called “Bowser’s Fury”, in which our musty protagonist will face a gigantic version of his biggest enemy, Bowser.
Unfortunately, I’m going to have to break my rule once again, as this February, the spin-off of the last game in the Persona series, the long-awaited Persona 5 Strikes, will be released. This title can be defined as a combination of the franchise with the musou genre, focused on the combat against hundreds of thousands of enemies.
Even though it is a spin-off, Persona 5 Strikes tells a completely canonical story, which takes place months after the end of the events of the original. The game promises an experience as deep as the one presented earlier, with plenty of interaction between characters, dungeons, secrets, and, thanks to this new outfit, frantic real-time combat.
Its release is scheduled for the 23rd, for PC (Steam), Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Continuing the list of releases, for real this time, we have Little Nightmares 2, the sequel to the acclaimed horror game developed by TarsierStudios, released in 2017. The game, like its predecessor, blends elements of terror, present in its aesthetics and character design, with more limited gameplay, focused on the exploration and solution of puzzles, quite similar to games such as Limbo and Inside.
In this adventure, the player will follow the story of Six, a little girl who wears a yellow raincoat, but this time she will be accompanied by Mono, a young boy with a paper bag on his head, who together will cooperatively explore locations infested by bizarre individuals and dangerous creatures.
The game promises, like its predecessor, to address, subjectively, issues very important to our society, such as technology consumption and the consumption of information. Its release is scheduled for February 10, for PC (Steam), Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch.
On February 2nd comes, exclusively for the Playstation 5, Destruction Allstars, a multiplayer game, focused on car fighting. With its more than five game modes and about 16 characters, each with its unique abilities and vehicles, the title offers for the player a fun experience in which you will be able to destroy everything and everyone on your way to win a series of prizes.
This seems to be a great recommendation for those who like competitive games, but at the same time more uncompromising, as is the case with Fall Guys.
The newest game in the acclaimed YS franchise gets another chapter this February. The story of this JPRG dates back to the mid-1980s, and, amazingly, everyone follows the same narrative — Telling the story of Adol Christin, a young man possessed by an evil entity known as Monstrum.
Like its predecessors, YS IX promises a fantastic adventure, full of new characters, enemies, places to be explored, and more, all these novelties tied to the mechanics already known to fans, such as exploration, real-time combat, and character exchange. The game will be released for Playstation 4, PC (Steam), and Nintendo Switch.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Earthblood
The game is a clear inspiration from the famous series of table RPGs of the same name. Mixing elements of exploration and combat in the third person, the title will tell the story of Cahal, an ecoterrorist who is also a werewolf. With his Lupine powers, the protagonist will face the Pentex corporation, a business conglomerate that has been ravaging planet Earth.
Its release is scheduled for day 04, for Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and PC (Steam).
A sequel to the peculiar game developed by Analgesic Productions, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, it presents itself as an adventure that combines the cinematic narrative, very present in 3D games, with a design, of both characters and scenarios, mostly 2D.
With these elements, Anodyne manages to create a look quite similar to those seen on old consoles, such as the Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64. In this new adventure, the player will control Nova, a Cleanse Nano, on his quest to prevent Nano Dust from destroying life on the island of New Terrândia. I know this all seems a little confusing but try to understand that this game is very experimental, which certainly makes it’s one of the highlights of this month.
Its release is scheduled for the 18th, for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch.
Another JRPG to fill this year’s long list. The game tells the story of a continent divided between five kingdoms, placing the player in this team made up of four characters, the sailor Seth, the princess Gloria, the scholar Elvis, and the mercenary Adelle; each with different classes, abilities, and stories.
Different from what its name makes it seem, Bravely Default II is not a direct sequence of any of the other three games predecessors, meaning its story is completely new. Despite this, the mechanics characteristic of the series, such as artistic design and turn-based combat, are still present.
The game arrives on February 26, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Ghost ‘n Goblins: Resurrection
The return of this classic is scheduled for the 25th, in the Nintendo Switch. Ghost ‘n Goblins: Resurrection, is a clear attempt by Capcom to revive one of the most longing and challenging series that has ever been created by its developers.
With elements that promise to please both old and new players, such as difficulty customization and modern graphics, much more stylized, the company will recount the saga of Arthur, a small knight, in his journey to rescue a princess from the forces of evil.
Closing this second list of this year, I bring to you one of the most interesting indies of the month, Hiro’s Escape. The project, developed by Studio T-REX, is set in feudal Japan from mid-1467, during Ōnin’s Civil War, and tells the story of young Hiro, a boy on the battlefield, who is trying to find his lost family.
Focusing on stealth, Hiro’s Escape brings an interesting story, in a period poorly explored by the gaming media, with beautiful pixel art that refers to the classic games of the late Game Boy. The release day has not yet been confirmed, but the studio has said that it will be in this month.
[Some images used in this article were taken from Google or from game community profiles on Steam]
