February is not just about valentines and presidents. It can also be quite the month for entertainment, and it seems like this month is set to deliver this year.
Here are five big releases for February 2023 to keep your eye on.
Hogwarts Legacy
The Wizarding World and its titular school of witchcraft and wizardry are back in this new video game from Portkey Games and Avalanche Software.
The player takes on the role of a new fifth year student at Hogwarts, but academics are just a small part of the overall experience in Hogwarts Legacy. Learning new spells, brewing potions and fighting off a goblin uprising are only some of the antics one will find.
Hogwarts Legacy, despite facing some controversy, has managed to receive both critical and financial acclaim. Before the game officially released, Steam had a concurrent count of 500,000 players on average.
While the Wizarding World has been trying new things since the end of the Harry Potter films, this particular endeavor seems to have bore the fruit that the producers of WB Games, the publisher of the title, were been hoping for.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One April 4. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development and is expected to release in July.
“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania”
This film marks the beginning of phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While phase four did not receive much critical success after the climactic end of “Avengers: Endgame,” the third installment of Ant-Man’s adventures will introduce the next major villain for the entire MCU.
Kang The Conqueror is the main antagonist in this film and will also be the main antagonist for the overarching plotline of the MCU for the next couple of years. Jonathan Majors, who is portraying the big villain, made his debut in a less evil capacity in the Disney+ series “Loki,” but this version of Kang will be the dictator that fans of the comics know so well.
Early impressions of “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” vary depending on the publication, but one common thread found in each of the reviews is a surplus of praise for Jonathan Majors and his portrayal of Kang The Conqueror.
The film will release exclusively in theaters Feb. 17. You can expect to see a Disney+ release in April.
PlayStation VR2
The follow up to the 2016 Playstation VR headset has been met with a bit of disdain due to the pricing of the device. PlayStation VR2 is $550, which is expensive by itself, but you also need to own a PlayStation 5 in order to use the headset. PlayStation 5 models range from $400 to $500 depending on if you want a disc drive. Do the math and you’ve got to have at least $1000 in your bank account in order to experience it.
With all that being said, the crazy thing is that early adopters of the new headset say it’s worth it. While this has been toted by Sony as the best virtual reality experience on console, this may just become the best virtual reality experience on the market in general.
If you can get past the financial hurdle that comes with owning this piece of tech, keep an eye out when PlayStation VR2 releases Feb. 22.
“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”
When a character like Winnie the Pooh becomes public domain, one can’t help but imagine what kind of new takes on the character we will see. For instance, Pooh and Piglet deciding to eat all their friends in the 100-Acre Wood.
Hence, we now have “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its quest to bring a new take on a beloved character that you would never see from Disney.
“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,” which is in fact a slasher horror film, will release in theaters starting Feb. 15.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Something like Metroid Prime Remastered can be described as a dream come true. Not only did that dream come to fruition, it was also announced and released on the same day.
Metroid Prime Remastered is an enhanced version of the original Metroid Prime released on Nintendo GameCube in 2002. The player takes on the role of Samus Aran—a bounty hunter who doesn’t let anyone or anything get in her way of accomplishing her goals.
The player accomplishes said goals by exploring a planet rife with dangerous flora and fauna while collecting new weapons and upgrades for Samus’ power suit.
Needless to say, Metroid Prime is one of the best gaming experiences when it came out in 2002 and has only aged better with time.
Metroid Prime Remastered is available for Nintendo Switch through the Nintendo eShop and will be available physically starting Feb. 22.
2023 is already filled with variety through multiple mediums of entertainment, and it seems the excitement is far from over.
