January 22nd sees the arrival of Flock, Magical Delicacy, Tchia, The Case of the Golden Idol, and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on consoles for Game Pass Standard subscribers. They’re joined by Gigantic: Rampage Edition, playable for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, and Starbound. January 28th sees the arrival of two brand new titles – Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap and Eternal Strands.

Both are playable on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Shady Part of Me debuts on January 29th for all tiers, and Sniper Elite: Resistance sneaks in on January 30th for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The month caps off with Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector on January 31st for cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

But wait, there’s more, as Far Cry New Dawn will be added for all subscribers on February 4th. Of course, there will be titles leaving the service on January 31st. Check them out below.

• Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Broforce Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Death’s Door (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Maquette (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Sadly, it wasn’t a competitor to hero shooters like Overwatch or even Battleborn in terms of player counts. This isn’t to say it didn’t at least surpass the latter in terms of quality and overall presentation, but Motiga was targeting a different crowd. Gigantic was still a third-person title, though, one that incorporated shooter and hack-and-slash elements, but pushing with your team, not getting caught out, knowing when to back off and choosing heroes that could complement allies or shore up any weaknesses were key.

"Gigantic is set in the world of Gig, where two houses – Daevaedra and Aurion – battle it out via giant Guardians. As both descend onto the battlefield, your job as part of either house is to gather Power Orbs alongside your teammates."

Perhaps because there was so much fever for Overwatch and what it was doing, but Gigantic never found an audience despite launching a year later. It shut down in June 2018 and seemingly vanished forever, even as it built a niche dedicated audience. However, a brief invite-only event occurred in October 2023. Before we knew it, Abstraction Games and Gearbox Publishing (now Arc Games) announced it was back, dubbing it the Rampage Edition.

Is it a major comeback for Gigantic? Yes, but its current player numbers, peaking at 6112 concurrent players on PC via Steam, is nothing to shout about, even if it is higher than the original’s peak. The Rampage Edition is for fans to indulge in and enjoy for however long it lasts. The real question is how newcomers should approach it, especially in this day and age. Based on my time with it, Gigantic feels like it has a strong base to build off but falls short in some aspects while fumbling in others. Whether it has the opportunity to become something better is the real question.

Gigantic is set in the world of Gig, where two houses – Daevaedra and Aurion – battle it out via giant Guardians. As both descend onto the battlefield, your job as part of either house is to gather Power Orbs alongside your teammates. Once enough charge is gathered, your Guardian will assault the other in a Rampage, pinning them in place and exposing a giant weak spot. Deal damage to it, and the process repeats once more until victory. If the other team gathers enough charge, you must defend your Guardian from attacks. Alternatively, you could try and impede your opponents, buying precious time since they have to get to your Guardian to deal any damage.

In the neutral, you can summon creatures who provide healing, attack enemy players, or even create a portal to help get you to and from fights faster. You can upgrade these using Focus – the catch is that it’s used for your Focus ability, which is an Ultimate that can potentially turn team fights. Since you only get so much Focus in a match, it’s a tradeoff between making big plays or contributing to the team. Enemies can also destroy creatures, so defending the latter is a must, especially since some will periodically spawn Power Orbs for you in Clash.

"Each hero is suitably unique, whether it’s Tripp, an emo assassin with lightning powers, or Queen Zenobia, slithering onto the battlefield and inflicting elemental statuses."

As for the heroes themselves, each has five abilities and a talent at level 5. You’re gaining experience through various actions, like assisting teammates, badges for certain feats (like saving teammates by slaying their attackers), killing creatures or even collecting Power Orbs. Upon leveling up, Skill Points can upgrade abilities in one of two ways. Once talents become available, you can choose one of three to bolster your build. All-in-all, pretty standard MOBA mechanics.

Gigantic doesn’t otherwise have any mobs to farm, and while some creatures can qualify as “towers” to destroy, you can traverse the maps unimpeded. There is the concept of lanes and assaulting different positions to gather Power Orbs, usually where team fights play out, but battling other players is the goal. You could run up to the enemy guardian when it’s not a Rampage phase, but they’ll quickly beam you down unless invisibility is active.

The aesthetic is rather fetching – the Guardians and each hero look distinct and well-animated, while most environments feel like organic, lived-in places. Each hero is suitably unique, whether it’s Tripp, an emo assassin with lightning powers, or Queen Zenobia, slithering onto the battlefield and inflicting elemental statuses. Some can appear a little goofy – Uncle Sven and Pakko come to mind – but they don’t feel out of place.

It’s also a testament to the design that they all feel unique to play. Certain elements are reminiscent of characters from other hero shooters – Rutger can create walls and burrow underground for survival purposes, immediately bringing two Overwatch characters to mind. Nevertheless, they control well, especially when you get down to interrupting enemies with Tripp and dealing burst damage before turning invisible and slinking into the night.

"While support heroes that provide dedicated healing exist, this isn’t quite like a tank/damage dealer/support composition where you must fill each role."

That is unless you’re crowd-controlled to hell and back. Because of its MOBA bent, Gigantic leans heavily into crowd control abilities, status effects and damage over time (known as degens). It’s all you can do to enter a team fight and not get slowed, poisoned, bled, burnt, receive reduced healing, deal less damage, immobilized, ensnared – the list goes on and would honestly make an Overwatch 1 player feel like they had it easy. You can only do so much with your positioning because, unlike a MOBA, this is a third-person game, and your viewing angles are naturally restricted.

The sheer number of effects also causes visibility issues, which would probably be less annoying if you had a bird’s eye view of the action. To perhaps compensate, almost every hero has an escape ability to disengage. There’s also a stamina bar to let you flee, though it’s consumed by side-dashing or jumping.

On the one hand, I like that it encourages you to be thoughtful about your fights and creates some tension when struggling to run away and find healing. However, it feels like this weird push and pull, where each team tries to burst the other down before anyone can escape. It’s not always the case, especially in some of the smaller fights, and your experience can vary depending on the heroes played, but it happened more often than not for me unless I went super long-range.

While support heroes that provide dedicated healing exist, this isn’t quite like a tank/damage dealer/support composition where you must fill each role. If you feel like your team can rock with two ranged damage dealers and two frontliners, go for it, though success is far from guaranteed if the enemy team sticks together and has abilities to specifically neutralize you. The crowd-control effects, statuses and whatnot are annoying, but some heroes like Tripp, Wu and T-MAT could use some balance passes.

"There are also two new maps – while I wasn’t too enamored by the closed quarters and awkwardly placed jump pads of one, Picaro Bay is a different story."

Controlling each hero feels decent enough, but there’s something off about the hit responses. It can feel like you’re slicing the air, and shots lack impact, to the extent that I had to look at an enemy’s health bar to see if I was dealing damage, even in close quarters. Initially, it seemed no melee attacks were causing harm, while a noticeable delay was seen when shots landed and registered. It’s become less prevalent as additional servers become available, but that lack of weight when attacking still throws me off. At least my character isn’t rubber-banding as much as before, so that’s a plus.

Gigantic: Rampage Edition offers two main modes – the classic Clash, which plays out over multiple rounds, and the new Rush, a condensed version on smaller maps where all heroes are automatically at level 10, and creatures are already pre-summoned (though manually collecting Power Orbs). The latter is also more appealing because you can switch between heroes as the situation demands. It has its appeal, given the pacing, and while I can appreciate Clash for providing more freedom and strategic potential, Rush is good for some quick sessions.

You also have Practice and Custom Modes, though the latter is extremely odd in that you need to enter the matchmaking queue to start it. Friends can be added to your team, but if you want to fight against each other, you need to start the Custom Match and have them enter a match ID. At least there are options to auto-fill games with bots who can range from downright awful to eerily coordinated.

In terms of new content in the Rampage Edition, I spent a little time with the cat-like assassin Kajir, who employs illusions and offers an alternate means of singling out and taking down weak enemies. Roland, a bounty hunter with a drone, was more appealing simply due to the ability to grapple out of danger when required. His Blunderbuss takes some getting used to, but they’re both solid additions to the roster. There are also two new maps – while I wasn’t too enamored by the closed quarters and awkwardly placed jump pads of one, Picaro Bay is a different story.

"It’s also odd to see the frame rate capped at 60 FPS or being unable to see your ping. These aren’t the hallmarks of a competitive title in 2024, which only raises further doubts about Gigantic: Rampage Edition’s lifespan."

It offers multiple vantage points, different flanking routes and elevations alongside well-placed cover made for some fun engagements. There’s also the opportunity for environmental kills if you can push opponents into the water near the ship, but it’s thankfully more situational than the norm.

Microtransactions are gone, so now you unlock heroes with vouchers and earn Crowns by simply playing the game to unlock new skins and, oddly enough, creatures. Various challenges, known as Fortunes, are available, ranging from General to Weekly, which provide the currency and XP to level up your profile.

Each hero also has specific Fortunes to pursue, but the downside is that you must “watch” a Fortune for it to track, and you can only watch three at the same time. Won five Rush matches or went invisible 50 times as Tripp? It doesn’t count towards the Fortune if you didn’t watch it. While I can understand not wanting players to unlock everything immediately, there must be a better solution – maybe providing more slots for Fortunes.

At least there’s a statistics and match history page to keep track of my player record. Oddly enough, it’s showing zero hours played for my most frequently used heroes. Granted, it’s a minor issue compared to the beginning of the launch, where logging in felt almost impossible. I’ve also been fortunate enough to avoid crashes, unlike some other players, though the game occasionally can’t fetch match results. It’s also odd to see the frame rate capped at 60 FPS or being unable to see your ping. These aren’t the hallmarks of a competitive title in 2024, which only raises further doubts about Gigantic: Rampage Edition’s lifespan.

"However, it whiffs on the actual combat feel, parts of the hero balance, the approach to crowd-control effects and statuses and lack of essential competitive features."

When everything comes together – the matchmaking, the hero matchups and the strategies – Gigantic: Rampage Edition can offer an enjoyable experience. Its mix of hero shooter and MOBA, leaning further towards the latter, remains unique, with that itch to learn more (thankfully facilitated by in-game guides).

However, it whiffs on the actual combat feel, parts of the hero balance, the approach to crowd-control effects and statuses and lack of essential competitive features. Perhaps most important is that the areas it excels in don’t necessarily put it above the more well-rounded competitors, which have had years to iterate and improve their systems.

Of course, as noted earlier, Gigantic: Rampage Edition doesn’t feel like it will spark an influx of new players. It caters to those who enjoyed it all those years ago and want to engage with it once more: no more and no less. Abstraction does have some updates in the pipeline, and its $20 entry price looks appealing, but it’s a toss-up on whether you’ll garner enough value in its potentially limited lifespan, especially if you didn’t get into it all those years ago.

This game was reviewed on PC.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"We decided to bring back Gigantic not only because of the incredible fans of the original game and they’re amazing support over the years, but also to introduce a new generation of hero shooter and MOBA fans to the game for the first time ever."

What was behind the decision to bring Gigantic back with an enhanced and expanded version?

Maverick Bautista (Producer): We decided to bring back Gigantic not only because of the incredible fans of the original game and they’re amazing support over the years, but also to introduce a new generation of hero shooter and MOBA fans to the game for the first time ever. From the incredible response we received from players in their limited-time Throwback Event for Gigantic last year, it was clear that more than ever, players want a unique, microtransaction-free hero shooter to jump into. We feel now is the perfect time for the game to make a comeback, but this time as a premium title without microtransactions.

What can you tell us about Rampage Edition’s new heroes and what they bring to the table for the game’s overall roster?

Bart Vossen (Senior Game Designer at Abstraction Games & Game Design Lead on Gigantic: Rampage Edition): Roland is a bounty hunter who excels at short-mid range combat. Besides his strong shotgun, he can set traps for players and ambush or escape with his grappling hook. Kajir, on the other hand, is an air pirate who can be his own three-man crew. He’s a burst focused assassin with high mobility.

Baustista: To add to what Bart mentioned, Roland brings some charm and promise from the old days of Gigantic, it was a hero that was seen before but never saw the light of day due to skill issues. This hero brings another “ranged” hero with a unique twist on mobility and additional friendly support in the form of an attack drone. Kajir is another DPS assassin, similiar to Tripp, with a kit that provides a lot of stealth and deception. Kajir is the perfect hero to clean up heroes who move out of position and can get in and out of fights in a different way compared to other DPS heroes.

With the new Rush mode promising a more streamlined and accessible experience for players, can you elaborate a little bit on the sort of changes it makes to achieve that?

Vossen: Rush mode reduces the complexity and number of mechanics that players need to know about during the match. You start with all your upgrades, don’t have to worry about creature summoning, and can just focus on the fights at hand. There’s still strategy involved with which points to attack and trying to outplay the enemy team, yet for players that love more intricate strategies it’s better to play Clash mode.

This bigger focus on fights also allows players to focus on learning their heroes. We didn’t want to completely remove upgrade choices, which is why you can select your build on the airship. This removes the need to make upgrade choices mid-combat and instead gives you plenty of time between matches to think really your build through.

"This bigger focus on fights also allows players to focus on learning their heroes. We didn’t want to completely remove upgrade choices, which is why you can select your build on the airship."

What was the process like of designing new maps for Rampage Edition? How much of a benefit was it to be able to dive into fully made maps from the original game to get a feel for the sort of design style you need to be targeting for the new maps?

Vossen: Heaven’s Ward and Picaro Bay started off as maps that were in early development by Motiga. We looked at what the design intent was behind each and took that as the starting point. After that it was a lot of iterating and playtesting. The biggest challenge was making the map work for all the different heroes. For this, the existing maps were very useful to look at and see what did and didn’t work.

Beyond the new content, what are the biggest tweaks Rampage Edition makes to Gigantic’s core gameplay?

Vossen: Rampage Edition stays true to original Gigantic in terms of core gameplay. The biggest quality of life feature we added was the ability to create custom builds and auto upgrading for Clash matches.

Besides that, the tutorials got a revamp to gradually introduce each mode’s various features in an actual match context — which then also allows players to practice and learn all intricate details about each mode.

Progression was also largely overhauled, since there are no microtransactions in the game. The emphasis is on hero mastery, earning XP as you play matches and by completing Fortunes (a set of challenges). This enables you to unlock all cosmetics for a hero.

You’ve confirmed that you’ll be adding new skins and a ranked mode to Gigantic: Rampage Edition with free post-launch updates, but do you have any other content or updates planned beyond that?

Baustista: We’ve very excited to release new skins and a Ranked mode for free post-launch, especially Ranked mode as that was requested by many players of the original. We’ll share the release timing for the new mode and the skins shortly after launch. For additional content plans following that, right now, we’re currently focused on getting the game ready for launch, and the current post-launch content ready as well.

"I like to say the new progression system is similar to something found in something like Super Smash Bros. and how things are unlocked in that game – where you unlock things over time — that’s what we strived to achieve here with Rampage Edition."

With Gigantic going from a free-to-play experience to a paid one with this version, how will that affect things such as monetization, cosmetics, and the like?

Baustista: For starters, we completely removed all the microtransactions from the original and there will be zero microtransactions in Gigantic: Rampage Edition. Once you pick up the game, you can unlock all content, like heroes and cosmetics, just by playing the game. With Gigantic: Rampage Edition, we’ve revamped the Fortunes system to be a challenge-based progression system. After matches, you’ll make progress on various Fortunes (challenges in the game), you can earn rewards, including hero vouchers, Crowns and XP. Hero vouchers can be used to unlock new heroes, and crowns can be used to unlock various customization options. Additional game modes, such as Clash that will available at launch and Ranked available post-launch, can be unlocked by playing the game and leveling up via XP. I like to say the new progression system is similar to something found in something like Super Smash Bros. and how things are unlocked in that game – where you unlock things over time — that’s what we strived to achieve here with Rampage Edition.

Do you have any plans to eventually also bring the game to the Switch?

Baustista: Anything’s possible. As mentioned before, we’re currently focused on getting the game ready for launch on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Among the many franchises that Konami has ignored through the years is Suikoden, and though it’s remastering the first two games, the potential next chapter is coming from a completely different studio. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a spiritual successor, produced and directed by Yoshitaka Murayama, the driving force behind the first three games (who recently passed away).

It features three core protagonists – Marisa, Seign and Nowa – in the fantasy world of Allraan, where rune-lenses have become a popular commodity. With the Galdean Empire using them to command and conquer, it’s up to the trio to assemble allies from across the land to fight back. Cue over 100 different allies with unique stories and abilities, from the magical girl Mellore and her crew to CJ, Isha and Garoo from Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising.

Combat is turn-based, but battles play out differently based on the environment. If there are cliffs or other elevated positions, they can prove advantageous for long-range party members. This also affects the presentation of battles, giving them a cinematic flair. Players can also unleash Hero Combos to team up and deal devastating damage. On top of this is War Mode, which offers real-time combat over a larger scale, and the Alliance Headquarters, with mini-games and different activities available.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes launches on April 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Phantom Fury

You’re forgiven for not remembering Bombshell, an isometric character action game with a whopping 43 Metascore. Phantom Fury is the follow-up, releasing on April 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, but offers first-person shooter gameplay instead. It sees Shelly Harrison on a bombastic journey through the US, battling mutants, cyborgs and enemy soldiers to secure an artifact. While the standard handguns and shotguns are available, Phantom Fury has some unique options – like Bowling Balls and electric foam.

Weapons can be upgraded and modified, while Shelly can eventually unlock new abilities like a shield or punching enemy groups into a fine red mist. It may have some boomer shooter vibes, but with extensive interactivity (including playable arcade machines) and fast-paced combat, it may be a worthy FPS diversion.

Underspace

For many, Freelancer is the pinnacle of sandbox space combat titles, which very few have managed to compete with, much less surpass. While it’s too early to call Underspace a competitor, the prospect of a hand-crafted universe with cosmic horrors and Eldritch creatures to navigate (appropriately named Croft) is too enticing to ignore. Like Freelancer, you can pursue the main quest or be whatever you want, exploring the universe and solving puzzles, battling massive space serpents, interacting with more than 40 factions and venturing into the deepest reaches of space. And yes, you can engage in trade, shipping and piracy with co-op support.

There is a catch, though – Underspace launches on April 10th for PC in early access. The developer has clarified that extensive ship customization, several interiors and questlines, and even cockpit textures won’t be available. Multiplayer is also launching in a “very early state” without many key features. Early access will still offer plenty of campaign content, bosses, enemies, points of interest and more to explore, but further polish is still required. Even with all that in mind, we’re keen to try Underspace and embrace the void.

Sea of Thieves

Rare’s highly successful live service pirate title comes to PS5 as part of Microsoft’s new multi-platform approach. Since launching in March 2018 to a mixed reception, Sea of Thieves has undergone an exceptional transformation over the years, with new content, mechanics, cosmetics and even narrative-focused questlines with Tall Tales (which crossover with the likes of Monkey Island and Pirates of the Caribbean).

Don’t let its cartoony visuals fool you, as Sea of Thieves offers some realistic sailing to go with its combat and exploration. While it still doesn’t have a proper character creator, the new Safer Seas option allows players who don’t want to engage in PvP and explore the seas with their crew at their leisure, with some limitations. It’s out on April 30th for PS5, with Digital Deluxe owners receiving five days early access.

Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide

Final Fantasy 16 had a strong start when it launched last year and though its first DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, was pretty short, The Rising Tide looks to redeem it. Players explore a new region, Mysidia, with new locations, side quests and fresh enemies, including Tonberries. The focus of this DLC is on Leviathan, the forgotten Eikon, and along with a boss battle against it, Clive also gains new abilities, including one that has an Active Reload mechanic. An increased level cap is inbound, which should be helpful in the new end-game activity, Kairos’ Gate.

It’s a wave-based survival mode with increasingly tougher enemies and bosses, with new items and weapons as rewards. Beat all of the stages and a new secret boss becomes available. As a send-off to Final Fantasy 16, The Rising Tide is worth looking forward to when it launches on April 18th for PS5. Even for those who aren’t picking it up, a free update will go live, allowing you to create sets of Eikonic Skills, among other quality-of-life improvements.

Stellar Blade

Shift Up calls modern action games an inspiration for Stellar Blade which is pretty clear based on gameplay and the recent demo. Though sci-fi, the Earth is in ruins, and players explore linear levels and semi-open world segments alike, taking on requests while accompanied by a helpful drone.

For all its similarities, however, Stellar Blade offers high-fidelity visuals and detail with a crisp frame rate, and unique combat mechanics that mix Sekiro-like parrying with special attacks, perfect dodges and combos. The main campaign promises to last about 25 hours, with plenty of collectibles and unlockables to discover. Time will tell if Stellar Blade can rise further beyond its inspiration when it launches on April 26th for PS5, but so far, it’s looking good.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU

From smaller titles from relatively lesser-known developers to triple-A level games like Immortals of Aveum and Wild Hearts, the EA Originals label has seemingly come full circle with Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. The story involves a boy reading a tale by his late father about Zau, who explores the land of Kenzera.

As a 2.5D Metroid-style game, there are some stunning visuals with beautifully realized environments to go with fast-paced combat. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU promises to be a perfect encapsulation of what grief is when it launches on April 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Dead Island 2: SoLA Expansion

2023’s excellent Dead Island 2 received an expansion back in November of last year. Now it’s all set to released another one in the form of SoLA. Releasing on April 17, this expansion will takes players to a music festival in the heart of LA. Apparently, this festival is turning everyone into zombies. The SoLA expansion promises an interesting setup, so we are intrigued to see how it pans when we go hands on with it later this month.

TopSpin 2K25

It’s been over 13 years since the last entry in the acclaimed Top Spin franchise, but the wait is nearly over as TopSpin 2K25 nears release. Legends like Roger Federer and Serena Williams headline the 24-player roster with true-to-life venues like La Caja Mágica, Pala Alpitour and Foro Italico, and online multiplayer with cross-platform support. Solo players can venture into MyCareer and fight to become Grand Slam Champion, with MyPlayer offering an extensive range of options to customize your appearance, gear and more. TopSpin 2K25 launches on April 26th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Gigantic: Rampage Edition

Launched in 2017, Motiga’s Gigantic is making an unexpected comeback with Gigantic: Rampage Edition. Developed by abstraction and published by Gearbox for $19.99, it features the same MOBA-style gameplay loop, with teams of five players working together to take out the opposing Guardian. However, all microtransactions are now removed, with cosmetics acquired through gameplay.

It also adds two new heroes and maps, a new game mode called Rush and cross-platform play. Ranked Mode and additional hero skins are coming in post-launch updates. Gigantic: Rampage Edition launches on April 9th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC, and regardless of its long-term success, it’s good to see it return.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants

Playing like the Konami classics of old, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants features Turtle Power that builds upon defeating enemies and can unleash powerful screen-clearing attacks. Local co-op is supported for four players, on top of the original stages and boss fights, though Wrath of the Mutants adds three more stages and six new bosses. Launching on April 23rd, it could offer some fun for those who want more TMNT brawling action.

Freedom Planet 2

Following extensive acclaim with its PC version, Freedom Planet 2 is out now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on April 4th. The action platformer offers a new threat with Merga, the water dragon, and four characters – Lilac, Carol and Milla from the first game, and the now-playable Neera. Adventure Mode offers a mix of story cutscenes and a world map to explore, while Classic Mode focuses on the stages alone.

Boss fights are even more over-the-top than the first game – with the new Battlesphere Arena offering an extensive range of optional challenges. Thankfully, new Potions, Amulets and Charms can provide some buffs for one’s character, while a revival system offers a risky second chance. If you enjoy 2D Sonic the Hedgehog titles or want a fun action platformer, Freedom Planet 2 is well worth the time.

Inkbound

Roguelike turn-based combat in a universe where books act as worlds to be explored by the creators of Monster Train? That’s Inkbound in a nutshell, but there’s more. The combat allows free movement from players, but during online play, you can coordinate and act simultaneously with up to three other players. There are also several character classes, abilities and upgrades, hundreds of items and more to make each run feel fresh. Inkbound is currently in early access, but version 1.0 is out on April 10th for PC, adding new cutscenes, cosmetics and other content.

Sand Land

As set in a desert world, players control Beelzebub in SAND LAND, who ventures with Thief and Sheriff Rao to discover the Legendary Spring.

Though it’s an action RPG, the focus is on vehicle design, as players cobble together tanks, bikes and jump-bots from various parts depending on the need. The sense of adventure and aesthetic, alongside the combat, set it apart from the crowd, and we’re curious to witness the Sand Land’s world when the game launches on April 26th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Braid Anniversary Edition

The classic side-scrolling indie platformer from Thekla Inc. returns with updated visuals and gorgeous new backgrounds (with the old art style available to switch to at any time). However, there’s more to Braid Anniversary Edition than revamped sound effects, revised tracks, or the +15-hour developer commentary and interviews which discuss the design. It also features 35 new levels with new puzzles, though other additions remain to be revealed.

Hilariously, only four or five new levels were to be added before things got out of hand. Either way, Braid Anniversary Edition should satisfy long-time fans and draw in new ones when it launches on April 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.

Said content includes new heroes (Roland and Kajir), modes (Rush), maps (Picaro Bay and Heaven’s Ward) and even cross-play between all platforms. Some content will be “upgraded” while the core gameplay has seen improvements. Furthermore, there are no microtransactions – everything is earned by playing or spending currency earned in-game.

These include brand-new skins for heroes and weapons. If that weren’t enough, the developer is adding new hero skins and a Ranked Mode in free updates post-launch. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay footage of Gigantic: Rampage Edition en route to its launch.