Skip to main content

This week in gaming: Unleash the chaos of ScreamRide

this week in gaming march 6 screamride
Image used with permission by copyright holder
This week’s new gaming releases offers up head-scratching puzzles, tense mysteries, and explosive thrills. The line between portable and living room games is also thinner than ever, with new titles like Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood all available both for consoles and handhelds, catering to a wide range of gamers. Like last week, some of this week’s new games also hearken back to the 1990s, with Mario vs. Donkey Kong calling back to the classic Lemmings.

What will you be playing?

Recommended Videos

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

3DS/Wii U (March 5)
Guide an army of wind-up toy Marios safely to the exit of each level. Like lemmings of old, the toy characters are helpless to navigate on their own, walking in a straight line until obstacles dictates otherwise. Using the Wii U or 3DS touch screen you can draw lines between fixed points, creating platforms or walls to nudge the automata through the level to safety.

Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars - Overview Trailer (Japanese)

This is Nintendo’s first cross-buy title, meaning that purchasing the game on either Wii U or 3DS will get you a download code for the other platform. Players can also create and share levels. Tip someone with stars you’ve earned if you like their level, which they can then use to purchase components for designing more creative levels.

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2

PS3/PS4/Vita/Windows/X360/XB1 (March 4)
Taking the chapter structure of the previous Revelations and spreading it out over a series of weeks, the classic survival horror of Resident Evil is now an episodic experience, encouraging fans to discuss each chapter’s events while waiting for the next.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 - Episode 2 Trailer (PS4/Xbox One)

The mysteries run deeper in episode 2, as Claire, Moira, Barry, and Natalia must now reckon with this strange and dangerous island on which they find themselves trapped.

OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood

PS4/Vita (March 3)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Canabalt had a baby, and it’s the 2D skater OlliOlli. Skate, grind, and jump your way through a series of fantastical levels while trying to rack up the highest score from tricks. This sequel adds larger, more complex levels, local multiplayer, and a wider range of tricks for you to pull off.

OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood - Official Trailer

Although this entry is a PlayStation exclusive for the time being, the original OlliOlli  will be coming to 3DS, Wii U, and Xbox One at some point in the next few months with Curve Digital developing the ports.

ScreamRide

X360/XB1 (March 3)
Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier Developments follows up with a very different, but no less compelling game with this spiritual successor to RollerCoaster Tycoon. Build massive, Rube Goldbergian amusement park rides from the ground up, solving engineering problems with a robust physics engine.

Screamride Announce Trailer

The real fun begins, though, when you want to bring those creations crashing down. Set that physics engine loose with rampant destruction, earning points for the amount of chaos and terror you can cause by creating cataclysmic structural failure.

What else is coming:

  • Helldivers (PS3, PS4, Vita/Mar. 3) — Magicka creator Arrowhead Games has created this top-down, twin stick co-op shooter, in which players must complete a series of objectives throughout a procedurally-generated open world.
  • White Night (Linux, Mac, PS4, Win, XB1/Mar. 3) — Set in the 1930s, this is a survival horror mystery with plenty of puzzles and a stark, black and white aesthetic.
  • Shiftlings (PS4, Win, XB1/Mar. 3) — Play solo or co-op in this colorful platformer about two dim-witted alien janitors on a quest to clean up the galaxy.
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
How to fix reputation in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Two groups pointing at each other in Stalker 2.

Unless you played any of the previous games, it might come as a surprise to learn just how many immersive sim elements are in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. In a lot of ways, it is closer to a more hardcore Fallout game than a pure FPS title, with lots of loot, quests, and characters to meet and talk to. One somewhat hidden mechanic is the reputation system. Stalker 2 won't stop you from opening fire on anyone you want, but not without consequence. Upset someone from a particular group, and you'll find yourself being hunted by them until you do something about it. There are enough things in Stalker 2 trying to kill you so if you accidentally angered a group and want to get back in their good graces, here's how you can fix your reputation.
How to fix your reputation in Stalker 2

If you've intentionally or accidentally shot or hurt a friendly NPC from one of the main groups in Stalker 2, you will instantly be put on their "shoot on sight" list if it lowers your reputation enough. Thankfully, there are ways to get yourself a second or third chance, but only two.

Read more
The 10 best gaming monitors of 2024: tested and reviewed
Alienware ultrawide OLED on a desk.

Editor’s note: Gaming monitors are always hot sellers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We're expecting some really great discounts on some of the top models, including high-end OLED gaming monitors, super-fast refresh rate screens, and more budget-oriented fare. There are tons of fantastic monitor deals available now, and they're bound to get even better on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make sure to check out our other Black Friday deals or Cyber Monday deals for even more bargains on TV, headphones, and more.

A good monitor is essential for gaming due to its significant impact on the overall experience. There are a ton of options if you are on the hunt for one of the best gaming monitors, but for us, Alienware's 34 QD-OLED still takes the cake in 2024. It's not the display for everyone, though, and after reviewing dozens of the top gaming monitors, we've settled on a list of displays that offer great gaming performance for any budget or purpose.

Read more
20 years later, the Nintendo DS remains one of gaming’s best devices
Nintendo DS on a pink background.

It's a special day. Today, November 21, 2024, marks the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo DS' launch in North America.

It’s hard for me to believe it’s been that long, because Nintendo's dual-screen handheld device defined my childhood more than any other device. While I started my gaming journey on the original Xbox and Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS is what truly made me fall in love with video games. It was an innovative piece of technology that drew my attention in ways none of my other childhood toys could. These were formative gaming experiences that I’ll always remember.

Read more