Drawn to Death
God of War game director and child prodigy David Jaffe is back to game direction for the first time since the disappointing 2012 reboot of the Twisted Metal franchise with his new game Drawn to Death. Supposedly taking place in the twisted mind behind a teenager’s notebook sketches, this third-person arena shooter is trying to bring back the charm and excitement of the arena shooters of the 1990s. Very little media coverage is available, but hopefully Jaffe’s pedigree as a designer shows and we get something really cool in Drawn to Death. Available on April 4th exclusively for the PS4.
Persona 5
Native Japanese speakers have been able to get their hands on the newest entry in the popular JRPG series for a few months now, but for the rest of us, Persona 5 has arrived. The first entry in the series for the PS4, making it the first game in the series on a console newer than the PS2 at launch. Expect teen angst, high school drama, and monster fighting, all with classic anime sensibilities. Persona 5 launches on the PS3 and PS4 on April 4th.
Yooka-Laylee
This tribute to Banjo Kazooie and the Rare 3D platformers of the N64 era, Yooka-Laylee represents a small but important categories: Kickstarter success stories. Despite some recent bad press around its association with divisive YouTube star JonTron, Yooka-Laylee looks to be a colorful and fun platformer that will take your nostalgia meter off the charts and hopefully have some fun along the way. Yooka-Laylee will have you jumping and collecting on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this April 11th.
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series
Took the niche market of modern adventure games, and used popular modern licenses to build a gaming empire. What started with Back to the Future and the wildly popular Walking Dead has turned Telltale into a multi-team studio cranking out multiple games a year. Piggy-backing on the new film sequel, the Guardians of the Galaxy adventure game hits digital store shelves April 18th on PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.
Puyo Pyuo Tetris
Not sure anyone else is really excited for this one other than me, but this classic puzzle crossover has finally made its way stateside after being only available in Japan for over a year. Along with giving access to 4-player competitive modes of both Tetris and Puyo Puyo (American gamers may have know this as Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine), a new mode that combines the game into a new unique puzzle experience. Clear some lines and squish some Puyos on April 26th for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
While it’s not a new entry in the series as a whole, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe marks the first Mario Kart game on the new Nintendo Switch. The original cups and characters are all included, and in addition to that, it contains all the DLC from the Wii U version, and expanded battle mode, and the return of some old characters that didn’t make their way into Mario Kart 8 originally. Red shell your way to the top on the Nintendo Switch on April 28th.
-Justin Wicker