Xbox Games With Gold for March includes 'Evolve,' and 'Borderlands 2'

By Gabe Gurwin February 22, 2017

Xbox - March 2017 Games with Gold

The world and other planets can be miserable, dark, and violent. Microsoft apparently wants us to remember this, as March’s Xbox Games With Gold offers a heaping helping of death in a variety of flavors.

From March 1 through March 31, Xbox One owners can acquire the “psychedelic horror” game Layers of Fear. Originally released for the console last year, it was praised by reviewers for its scares and atmosphere, and it offers a more subdued take on horror than some of its contemporaries.

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Also available for Xbox One owners in March — March 16 through April 15 — is Evolve Ultimate Edition. The asymmetrical multiplayer shooter from Turtle Rock Studios contains the base game as well as the “Monster” expansion pack and two “hunting seasons” containing additional hunters and monsters. The whole package typically retails for $50 on the Xbox store. If you just want the standard version, however, and don’t subscribe to Xbox Live Gold, you can find it at GameStop for just $10.

From March 1 through March 15, Xbox 360 owners will be able to download Borderlands 2. As with all new Games With Gold picks, it’s also fully playable on Xbox One, but doesn’t contain the enhancements seen in the Handsome Collection version of the game, nor does it pack in any downloadable content.

Following Borderlands 2 from March 16 through March 31 is Heavy Weapon, a cartoony shoot-’em-up originally released in 2007. Though a tad older than some of the other games we’ve seen given out via Games With Gold, its retro-inspired action appears to have aged better than much of the Xbox 360 library.

With a selection of old releases and inexpensive indie games, March isn’t the strongest lineup we’ve seen Xbox give us through Games With Gold. What do you think of this month’s games? Are you satisfied, or are you hoping for newer games like Quantum Break and Halo 5 to make the list? Let us know in the comments.

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Gaming

Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now

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Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition."
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.

Gaming

PlayStation VR2 adds even more games to its launch lineup

Gameplay from Sushi Ben, an upcoming PlayStation VR2 game.

Sony has finalized the launch lineup of the PlayStation VR2 headset just before its February 22 release. With that comes the confirmation of the new games coming to the PSVR2 platform throughout the rest of 2023, including a sequel to a critically acclaimed PlayStation VR title, as well as many exciting ports.

Starting with the newly confirmed launch titles, ports of the Viking rhythm game Ragnarock, 1980s anime-themed motorcycle combat game Runner, sci-fi simulator Startenders: Intergalactic Bartending, medieval sword-fighting game Swordsman VR, and VR Guitar Hero-like Unplugged: Air Guitar will all be available on February 22. This cements the following list as PlayStation VR2's 43-game launch game lineup.

Gaming

MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March

Jazz Chisholm's cover art for MLB The Show 23.

Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28.
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row.
MLB The Show 23 - Cover Athlete Reveal
As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year.
So far, there's not a lot that actually seems new about MLB The Show 23, but this reveal concludes the genesis of a new era for the long-running baseball series. MLB The Show 23 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 28.