Given the absolute barrage of big releases in the past three months, you’d think April would offer a slight lull. While true to an extent, there are still a number of games to look forward to, from the highly anticipated to the intriguing early access titles and indie games. Here are 15 titles worth checking out in April.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Switch)
As a remaster of the Nintendo Wii version, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed tells the story of Galen Marek aka Starkiller. Raised in secret by Darth Vader and serving as his apprentice, he embarks on missions to hunt down any rogue Jedi and kill anyone that gets in his way. While titles like Jedi Knight emphasized more grounded lightsaber combat, The Force Unleashed embraced hack and slash style combos and the power fantasy of hurling TIE Fighters at enemies. While it’s unknown if the Switch version will have motion controls or multiplayer duels like the Wii, it should be a fun way to revisit the franchise when it releases on April 20th.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Of course for those who want to experience everything Star Wars-related from a LEGO veneer, there’s LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. It packs all nine mainline films, from the prequels and original trilogy to the new trilogy, into one massive game with over 300 playable characters, 45 story missions and tons of side content. Venture to Tatooine and engage in quizzes to find out who shot first; roam space and get into a dogfight with Star Destroyers; or enter Freeplay mode and control whoever you like. It’s out on April 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.
The Serpent Rogue
The premise of Sengi Games’ action adventure is fairly straightforward – the Serpent Rogue is spreading its evil from Mount Morbus. Play as an alchemist known as The Warden and venture forth to defeat it. As you explore the dark fantasy world, you’ll gather ingredients, craft potions, pursue quests and even shapeshift to grow stronger. Be careful though since certain actions have serious repercussions, like ghouls being attracted to unburied corpses. The Serpent Rogue releases on April 26th for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The House of the Dead: Remake
The 1997 arcade rail-shooter is making a comeback, courtesy of Forever Entertainment. Along with remade visuals which give new life to the grotesque zombies of old, it also sports modern controls, local two-player multiplayer and multiple endings. A new game mode where players gun down hordes of the undead has also been added along with Photo Mode, Achievements, an armory with “unlockable” weapons and a gallery to better inspect all of the enemies and bosses. The House of the Dead: Remake launches on April 7th for Nintendo Switch.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch)
Releasing on April 14th for Nintendo Switch, Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is part visual novel/adventure and part real-time strategy with pause, teeming with mechs, time travel and much more. As the Kaiju invade Tokyo, it’s up to the 13 different characters piloting their Sentinels to stop them. Of course, there’s much more to the story than that as players unravel multiple perspectives and piece them together into a cohesive whole.
MotoGP 22
If you need a break from the Forzas and Gran Turismos of the world, then Milestone’s MotoGP 22 may be worth a look. Releasing on April 21st, it offers 120 riders and more than 20 circuits. Delve into the 2009 Grand Prix in over 17 chapters with legendary riders like Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa, or enter the Academy to undertake training and challenges. You can also create a team and manage everything, from customizing the bikes to hiring staff, or engage in some split-screen racing. MotoGP 22 will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Hologram
For a relatively unknown developer like Enlighteneer, Hologram looks intriguing. Set in the future, you play as Woner who must rely on the power of time manipulation to push back against the “evil horde.” Along with third person shooting, there’s mountain climbing, flying – which can be used to travel the length of planets – and “story-driven gameplay.” Despite some scuffness, it should be interesting to see how the full game is when it releases on April 26th for PC.
TIC-TAC: Twelve o’clock
Unfortunately, this isn’t a game about calmly playing Tic-Tac-Toe at bright and sunny noon. Instead, you’re exploring Bluebird Middle School, which has somehow become a hotspot for scary creatures and dark forces. Along with puzzle solving and checking your shelter, there are random events that will test your resolve. Survive enough nights and eventually, you’ll find out what’s really going on. TIC-TAC: Twelve o’clock releases on April 29th for PC.
Holomento
A curse has been wrought upon the land, caused by the strange book known as the Holomento. As a Traveler, you’ll take the book and venture through Eventide Hollow, restoring the region to its former glory. Fight off a variety of enemies (with weapons ranging from swords to grenade launchers, don’t ask) and explore the world for secrets, relics and other resources. Upgrade the Hollow for new stores and shops but beware – dying means starting over as a new Traveler (though you have multiple different classes to choose from). Holomento enters Steam Early Access on April 22nd.
MLB The Show 22
Sony San Diego’s vaunted MLB The Show series returns, releasing for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S along with PS4 and PS5 on April 5th. Featuring Shohei Ohtani as its cover star, it also includes a dynamic Stadium Creator for current-gen platforms, online co-op, and a new commentary team with Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton. This in addition to the classic gameplay that fans know and love along with crossplay, cross saves and cross-progression.
Chernobylite (Xbox Series X/S and PS5)
If you’re seeking that classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. feel, then Chernobylite may be worth checking out. Set in the Exclusion Zone, you play as Igor and search desperately for a loved one. That’s easier said than done though with mutants, stalkers and other foes prowling the area, not to mention the dangers of radiation. Recruit companions and assign tasks to them; build your base and craft weapons; and take a variety of approaches when playing through the story. The Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions are out on April 7th, and will include two graphics modes – 4K/30 FPS and 1080/60 FPS – along with ray tracing support. This is along with the Enhanced Edition PC, which is free for current owners.
Slipstream
A retro-style arcade racer in the vein of Sega’s OutRun series, ansdor’s Slipstream features gorgeous sprite-scaling and a pulsing soundtrack. It comes with five cars, 20 tracks, and four cups in Grand Prix Mode coupled with five additional modes like Time Trial, Battle Royale, Cannonball and more (along with online leaderboards). Though currently available on PC, Slipstream launches on April 7th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
Chinatown Detective Agency
Pixel art and gorgeous character portraits coincide with cybernoir and shady streets in this point and click adventure from General Interactive Co. Releasing on April 7th for Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch, it focuses on new PI Amira Darma who travels across the globe to solve cases. Puzzles and a reliance on real-world trivia are necessary for success, reflecting its Carmen Sandiego inspirations, but there’s a rich narrative to discover as well. Manage your resources accordingly though or bankruptcy will come calling.
tERRORbane
Meta gaming (no, not that one) is fairly niche but it’s produced some good games from ICEY to There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension. BitNine’s tERRORbane is the latest to join the pack, starting out as a fantasy RPG that quickly falls apart due to The Developer. Venture through the world and seek out different bugs, oppose The Developer at every turn, and exploit everything in the faulty code to progress. tERRORbane is out on April 1st for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising
A zombie horde slayer from D3 Publisher is hardly news but Ed-0: Zombie Uprising takes a roguelike survival approach to the proceedings. Set in Edo era Japan (hence the name), players choose from one of three characters – the Samurai, Sumo Wrestler and Ninja – and embark on randomly generated runs. Launching into Steam Early Access on April 4th, Ed-0 will have two playable characters to start with, three main quests and bosses (along with five sub-quests), multiple difficulty options and over 100 skills and items.