Check out our list of the notable gaming releases for this month.
Quantum Break - April 5th
The television and gaming cross-media experience
promised at the Xbox One launch is finally here. Control Jack Joyce with his
slurry of time powers in this third-person, cover-based, action shooter. Make
decisions to shape the future of the world, throw around time grenades, and
watch full-length television episodes between missions. Quantum Break is available now on Windows 10
and Xbox One.
Enter the Gungeon - April 5th
Lovers of Roguelikes, bullet-hell shooters, gun
porn, or even just referential game comedy, look no further. Enter the Gungeon
has you control one of many ‘warriors’ of different video game tropes as your
delve through the ‘gungeon’ shooting bullets.. at other bullets.. who shoot bullets
at you. It has a cheeky and fun style to it, and has the roguelike elements of
permadeath and randomized levels and upgrades. If you enjoy titles like Binding
of Isaac, Spelunky or Nuclear Throne, it will be right up your alley. Available
now for PC and PS4.
Dark Souls III - April 12th
The supposed finale to the Dark Souls trilogy is
finally here. The slow and purposeful combat and systematic challenge of boss
battles has returned in all its dark and gothic glory. The third installment is
not re-writing history here (or is it?) but, soul’s games fans will find a game
dripping with new experiences and throwbacks to past games in the series, and
even a nod here and there to 2015’s Bloodborne. Dark Souls III is
rumored to be the most approachable in the series without removing the
flexibility and challenge that fans have grown to love. Available April 12th on
PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Ratchet & Clank - April 12th
Insomniac Games’ throwback to the PS2 classic in
both mechanics and namesake, Ratchet & Clank launches this month on PS4.
Touted as a remake of the first game, and developed along-side the Sony
Pictures new Ratchet & Clank film, this new downloadable title features
what fans loved about the game: goofy writing, crazy custom weapons, 3d
platforming action, and a lovable lombax. Available for download on April 12th
on PS4.
Bravely Second: End Layer - April 15th
Return to the world of Luxendarc and control the
hero Tiz once again in the second installment of the relatively new Square Enix
RPG series Bravely Default. Directly following up the last title, Bravely
Second boasts new characters, jobs, abilities, bosses and even more of the world
to explore. There is a demo available now on 3DS, and the full version will
launch on April 15th.
The Banner Saga 2 - April 19th - PC
The Banner Saga 2 continues immediately after
the events of the first title, and uses the same beautiful hand-drawn style. It
continues in the footsteps of its predecessor with unrelenting difficulty and
an overall downtrodden tone, but contrasts it with its deep tactical combat
system and RPG elements. While it isn't necessary to play it, some progress and
decisions made in the first game effect the goings on of the world in the
second game, akin to games like Mass Effect. This somber tactical RPG is available April 19th on Steam.
StarFox Zero & StarFox Guard - April 22nd
For the first new traditional space combat
Starfox game since the disappointing StarFox Assault, Nintendo teamed up
with Platinum Games to make StarFox Zero. Zero looks to be playing on some fans
love of the N64 StarFox classic, and has what you would expect from a new entry
in the series: linear levels, robots and aliens to shoot, secrets to unlock,
and the like. A unique thing about this is that it comes packed in with StarFox
Guard, a side project first announced at E3 2014 that uses the WiiU Gamepad in
tandem with the television to manage multiple defendable locations in a
wave-based survival mode. This StarFox twin-pack is available on disc or download
April 22nd on the Wii U.
Hitman: Sapienza Mission - April 26th
The new Hitman game has been shrouded
with confusion since its canceled pre-orders and movement to an episodic
format, but the first episode was fun and, for my money, proved the decision to
be a success. There was only one mission in the first episode, but with variable
difficulty, different achievements, and countless ways to complete it, it felt
deep and caused some players to repeat the content when they may not have in
the past. The new mission is available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on April 26th.
Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge -
April 28th
If you are one of the kind of people who have
amassed a small fortune worth of Amiibo and are feeling like they aren't much
more than toys, then Amiibo Challenge will give you another opportunity to use
your precious Mario and Peach statuettes. It is a little more kid-focused and
simple, similar to the recent Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, but if
you love your Amiibos or mini-game collections it might be the game for you.
Available for both Wii U and 3DS on April 28th.
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