PORTAL 2

With a main story about 8-9 hours long, Portal 2 is nearly thrice as long as its predecessor, but just like its predecessor, feels like the perfect length. Valve’s ingenious puzzler sequel throws in plenty of new mechanics and design ideas on top of the first game’s foundations, and over the course of its meticulously chiseled runtime, gets absolutely everything out of all of its best ideas.

Terminator: Resistance Enhanced

Terminator: Resistance is a fun first-person shooter based on the popular movie which allows players a ton of flexibility in how they choose to go about the many encounters peppered throughout the story. You can choose to sneak through enemy areas and pick them off one by one, or you could just go in guns blazing, or anything in between. The Enhanced version soups up the original in a wide variety of ways, which makes it the best way to experience this underrated shooter.

Dying light 2

Developer Techland’s latest Dying Light 2 might not have fulfilled most of its promises, but it’s still a solid game that’s worthy of your attention. It excellently builds upon the foundations laid in the original, and meshes them well with new mechanics like paragliding and improved combat. Add to that some gorgeous graphics and oodles of content, and Dying Light 2 becomes a really great game that players can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into.

Haven

Released in 2020, Haven is an indie gem that tells the story of two lovers trying to make a life on a distant planet. It features a really charming story with beautiful characters, and while the gameplay mechanics are really simple – they work pretty well within the context of the game itself. Between this and a highly imaginative world, Haven has the capability to keep you engaged for a long time.

Bugsnax

Bugsnax looks like a rather childish game at first glance with its cartoony characters and Pokemon-style game, and while that notion isn’t completely wrong – it isn’t indicative of the full picture either. Bugsnax’s story can veer into pretty dark territory at times, and the gameplay revolving around constantly upgrading your snacks is surprisingly addictive for all age groups.

Weird West

WolfEye Studios’ Weird West is an action RPG that combines a familiar Wild West setting with dark fantasy elements that culminate in a world that looks like no other. The gameplay is pretty open-ended in its nature, and players are encouraged to come up with creative solutions for the presented problems. Add to that some quality writing, and Weird West becomes a really gratifying experience.

Aragami 2

Aragami 2 is one of the very few stealth games in the current gaming landscape, but what makes it special is the solid foundation of mechanics that it operates on. Aragami 2 is all about hiding in the shadows, carefully surveying your surroundings, and using your tools and abilities to pick out enemies and complete your objectives while being a complete ghost. The story might not be the most interesting, but the gameplay is engaging enough to make you want to keep playing regardless.

Evil West

Flying Wild Hog recently released Evil West to some great critical reception, but the game unfortunately never received the love and appreciation on a commercial level. Evil West puts you in the shoes of a cowboy hunting for monstrous creatures, and that weird premise has been wonderfully realized here – which makes for a fresh setting. Add to that visceral gameplay and high-fidelity graphics, and Evil West becomes a game that’s really hard to pass on.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy suffered from a lot of skepticism after Marvel’s Avengers flopped hard, which is part of the reason why it never got much mainstream attention. But those who have played it will most likely sing endless praises about the story and its simple yet fresh combat mechanics, and we can’t really argue with that. Guardians of the Galaxy is a really solid game that sadly flew under the radar for many gamers, but it is a game that is most definitely worth your attention.

Lost Judgment

The original Judgment was a fun spin on the Yakuza formula, and Lost Judgment does an equally good job of building upon those mechanics. The detective murder mystery at play never fails to keep one guessing, and those narrative beats are punctuated with some excellently choreographed fights and chase sequences – which makes for a thrilling ride through and through.

Chernobylite

Chernobylite is set 30 years after the disaster at the nuclear plant and focuses on a physicist that returns to seek out his beloved. Though players will have to deal with hostile soldiers, including Stalkers that roam the zone, they can recruit teammates to their cause. Crafting equipment and weapons is the key to survival but keep in mind that any character can die with a wrong decision. Two graphics modes are available for the PS5 version – Performance and Resolution. The former offers 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second gameplay with “higher graphics quality.” The latter is dynamic 4K and 30 FPS with ray tracing and improvements to shadows, environments and texture quality.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy: A Big Adventure was one of the PS5’s launch titles that sadly got overshadowed by the likes of Demon’s Souls and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a charming ride through some gorgeously knit levels, and the platforming also does a good job of introducing new kinds of obstacles at every turn. It’s a very relaxing game that doesn’t ask much from the player, and that alone has a very distinct kind of charm.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name might not be the franchise at its finest, but it is a game that has plenty of merits to its name. The gameplay transports us back to the series’ brawling roots, and the inclusion of multiple playstyles also makes combat a medium of personal expression. Of course, you also get a whole host of side activities to indulge in apart from the main story – so there’s that to consider as well.

Outriders

Developer People Can Fly’s Outriders is a pretty competent looter shooter that not only nails the shooting but also manages to create a progression loop where you are constantly getting more powerful and facing equally challenging obstacles. The story isn’t the best, and there are some balance issues here and there – but Outriders can be a really fun game to sink your teeth into, and it gets even better if you have a couple of friends raiding alongside you.

Solar Ash

Solar Ash takes place in a fantasy world where you must complete a series of challenges to save the world from imminent doom. Developed by Heart Machine, Solar Ash boasts a beautiful art style and a solid movement system with fluid animations and a great sense of flow to the gameplay proceedings. It has a few rough edges here and there, but it has its fair share of merits as well.

The Crew Motorfest

The Crew Motorfest aims to resolve most if not all of the issues with prior releases, and the end result is definitely remarkable. The smaller map means that it has been curated with plenty of attention to detail, and the selection of racing events also features some much-needed variety which ensures the gameplay doesn’t get stale after a while. It borrows a lot of ideas and elements from Forza Horizon 5, but that doesn’t make it a bad game by any means.

Originally released on PS4, PS5 and PC, Bugsnax was eventually ported over to the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch last year. The game has players exploring a mysterious island inhabited by half-bug, half-snack creatures. Characters can eat these creatures to replace parts of their bodies.

Bugsnax also saw an expansion, titled The Isle of BIGsnax, released back in 2022. The expansion was released as a free update to the base game, and will likely be making it to the iOS release on launch. The Isle of BIGsnax involves “supersized Bugsnax”, along with new challenges and decorations.

Bugsnax is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

God of War: Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica’s latest God of War: Ragnarok is easily a more than worthy sequel to the stellar original that was released back in 2018, and that statement alone speaks volumes about the game’s quality. The continuation of Kratos and Atreus’ tale through the Norse realms is grand and filled to the brim with a buffet of high-adrenaline moments and spectacular boss fights. The combat and exploration have been polished to an immaculate sheen, which makes God of War: Ragnarok perhaps the best game to play on your shiny new console.

In addition to that, as was leaked earlier this week, Ubisoft’s open world tactical shooter Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands also joins the service’s catalog on the same day. Subscribers can also expect multiplayer horror title Dead by Daylight, adventure title Bugsnax, and post-apocalyptic first person shooter Metro Exodus. Trials of Mana, UNO, Monopoly Madness, and Monopoly Plus are also included in the lineup.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Sony is adding any legacy titles to the PlayStation Plus Premium tier library this month. As for the Essential tier, it added a solid lineup of games earlier this month as well. Read more on that through here.

The Isle of Bigsnax expansion is also live on all platforms, taking players to a brand new island biome with larger variants of Bugsnax to capture. You’ll need to use a special substance called Shrink Spice to cut them down to size (along figuring out how to approach certain Bigsnax like the Clawbsteroni who can bounce the substance away).

Environmental puzzles, new activities accessible via the mailbox and a hut that players can decorate with certain items are also included. All in all, there’s about three hours of new content for players to chew through. Stay tuned for details on subsequent updates.

Next week is when things get spicy as 7 Days to Die launches on cloud, consoles and PC on April 26th. Turn-based action title Research and Destroy is out on the same day for consoles and PC. Then there’s Bugsnax for cloud, consoles and PC on April 28th, which coincides with the release of its free expansion The Isle of Bigsnax.

Unsouled, a “punishingly difficult (yet fair)” action RPG launches on the same day for consoles and PC. A number of titles will also be leaving Game Pass on April 30th so play them now while you still have the chance:

• Cricket 19 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Outlast 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Secret Neighbor (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Streets of Rage 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Young Horses recently confirmed that Bugsnax’s large-scale (and free) new expansion, The Isle of Bigsnax, will be launching on April 28. On that same day, the game will also launch for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, while also finally seeing its Steam launch, which was first officially confirmed in August of last year.

Meanwhile, Bugsnax will also be available via Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on the same day- and of course, The Isle of Bigsnax will be available as a free update on all platforms as well.

The Isle of BIGsnax update launches April 28th FREE for all Bugsnax players!

And that's not all…the newly updated Bugsnax is coming to Xbox One + Series X|S + PC Game Pass, Nintendo Switch eShop, and Steam the same day! pic.twitter.com/rnH6REwWG7

— Bugsnax Card Game LIVE on Kickstarter! (@YoungHorses) April 12, 2022

Bugsnax: The Isle of Bigsnax will launch later this month, on April 28, and in updates published on the PlayStation Blog and Xbox Wire, creative director Kevin Zuhn has also provided more details on what to expect from it. The expansion will add roughly three hours of new content, taking players to the titular Isle of Bigsnax, which is a completely new biome that, according to Zuhn, is twice as large as any of the base game’s biomes.

The new biome will place a greater emphasis on environmental puzzles, while of course, there will also be plenty of new Bugsnax to capture. Some of these, however, will be massive in size- called Bigsnax, these will have to be shrunk down to regular size by using a volatile substance called Shrink Spice (which explodes 30 seconds after you pick it up).

One of the new Bigsnax being introduced in the expansion is Clawbsteroni, a lobster made out of mac and cheese, sees a giant trampoline to bounce the spice away from its head. Meanwhile, other additions and expansions include your very own hut to decorate using things you find in the game, and get new activities to tackle via your mailbox.

Young Horses recently also announced that Bugsnax will be launching for Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles on April 28, the same day The Isle of Bigsnax releases. The expansion will, of course, also be available on those platforms in addition to PS5, PS4, and PC.

In October last year, Young Horses announced what they described as a “supersized” expansion for the game called Bugsnax: The Isle of BIGsnax. Coming as a free update to all owners of the game, it was announced with a 2022 launch window, and taking to Twitter, Young Horses recently confirmed that the expansion’s release date will be shared tomorrow, on April 12.

The Isle of BIGsnax is going to add plenty of new content to the base game, including a new biome, new challenges and quests, new Bugsnax to capture, new decorations, and more. We’ll likely learn more about the expansion when its launch date is announced imminently.

Bugsnax is available on PS5, PS4, and PC. Last year, its developers said they would “love to” bring the game to other platforms, but no announcements have been made on that front yet.

https://twitter.com/YoungHorses/status/1513589564996296707