For starters, tomorrow, INTERIOR/NIGHT’s interactive drama game As Dusk Falls will launch day one with Game Pass for PC, console, and cloud. On the same day, across all three platforms, the subscription service will also add Watch Dos 2, and only on PC, Stardock Entertainment’s RTS Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. Curiously, the image released by Microsoft for this batch of Game Pass titles seems to have erroneously mentioned Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion instead of the latter.

On July 21, Game Pass will welcome Milestone’s MotoGP 22 across PC, console, and cloud, and inXile Entertainment’s Torment: Tides of Numenera for console and cloud. Finally, on July 29, Game Pass subscribers will get access to Playdead’s seminal platforming adventure title Inside.

Horizon Forbidden West

In many ways, Horizon Forbidden West is more of what made Horizon Zero Dawn so good, just enriched further. The increased fidelity fits well with the wider variety of environments, like San Francisco’s coast and the dilapidated Golden Gate Bridge. But even when traversing the deserts and forests, everything looks so crisp and detailed, from sand particle effects to the foliage and skyboxes. Of course, the animation work also deserves a nod for how much it’s expanded and enhanced, particularly in cutscenes and interactions. It helps bring every encounter to life.

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

"Every year we have to work to improve riders, bikes and tracks and update them to the latest technologies. But this year we wanted to give a fresh look also to the environments “outside” the race."

(NINE) Season 2009 is one of MotoGP 22’s biggest new additions, and something that should appeal to fans of the sport. What was the process like of conceptualizing the mode? How did the idea for it first come about?

The road to the NINE was very long, something that I & the Executive Producer, Michele Caletti, started to conceptualize at least 2 or 3 years ago. MotoGP, like other racing games, already proposed historical modes in the past, but they always felt in some way “incomplete”, because what they usually proposed was a selection of the best riders/drivers of the past, without a proper context to enjoy them. The main idea was to give the player the chance to enjoy a full season, with all the riders, bikes and tracks that made that championship so exciting.

The second step was deciding which season include in the game, and 2009 came quite naturally. It was the year in which Valentino Rossi won his last title, so a great way to celebrate his career. But most of all it was a season full of exceptional riders (Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo) that brought the competition to a level never seen before.

The last step was understanding how to tell the story of that season, and also that part was surprisingly easy. We are both fans of Mark Neale (Faster, Fastest, Hitting the Apex) and we though that it would have been great having him directing some movies inside the game that will accompany the player through the story of that season.

Three years later, the dream has come true!

What are the biggest improvements that have been made to MotoGP 22 in terms of visuals and presentation?

Every year we have to work to improve riders, bikes and tracks and update them to the latest technologies. But this year we wanted to give a fresh look also to the environments “outside” the race.

Pits have been reworked to be more similar to the real ones; All the 3D faces of riders and staff have been made by scratch with new 3D face scan. And we added a new cut scene to represent the starting grid before the race start.

Racing sims, especially those that are as dedicated to authenticity is MotoGP tends to be, can be harder to get into for those who don’t have a lot of experience with the particular franchise, though MotoGP 22 is looking to address that with its new tutorials and an academy. Can you talk more about those and how they try and improve the onboarding process for newcomers?

The Tutorial is thought mainly for beginners. The first chapters help the players understand the basic maneuvers of the bike, but then goes deeper exploring specific rules and mechanics of the MotoGP world, like the “Long Lap Penalty” or the “Ride Height Device”.

The MotoGP Academy is the following step: once you have learnt how to control the bike, we teach you how to be fast. Every official circuit is split into sectors, and a series of hints explain how to face that portion of the track and which are the best trajectories to follow.

In addition to these two modes, the game includes also a new system that “evaluates” the riding style of the players after each race. According to performances, the game could suggest the player to activate some specific help or to try a specific tutorial.

"We are planning some additional online features… stay tuned for more details."

Can you tell us about some of the key ways MotoGP 22 is tweaking its on-track gameplay and customization options to build on its predecessors?

Every year we want to give the player the most realistic experience possible, and to follow this principle this time we added the “Ride Height Device” (RHD) into the game. The RHD is a mechanic system added to the MotoGPs in the last years, that allow the rider to compress the suspension and tower the center of gravity of the bike. RHD is used mainly on turns exit, to keep the bike lower, avoiding wheelies and allowing the vehicle to reach the maximum acceleration.

What are the biggest improvements that MotoGP 22’s Managerial Career mode makes over past games?

The main structure of the Career Mode is similar to the one last year. The player is free to build his own path to the world title: he can focus on being a rider, developing the bike and increasing his reputation to gain contracts with the best teams in the paddock; or he can try a managerial approach, finding contracts with sponsors, founding new teams, and managing junior riders and staff. In the past some players complained that can be quite long and difficult to manage all these different aspects, so we decided to give them the possibility to play “Short Seasons”. This year, at the beginning of each Career Season, the player will be asked to setup his own calendar, and he will be free to decide how many GPs he wants to go through before the end of the championship.

What are your plans for MotoGP 22 in terms of post-launch support and additional content?

First of all, we will provide full support to update all the official content to the 2022 season. In addition, we will add two other support classes with future patches: MotoE & RedBull Rookies Cup.

We have the official eSport championship going through all the season.

And we are planning some additional online features… stay tuned for more details.

Super Resolution is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. How do you think this will help game developers?

We have started evaluating this technology, but we need to investigate it further. For sure it’s something that can be helpful not just to improve game resolution, but also to keep frame rate more stable.

"We target 4K resolution on both consoles, at 60 FPS."

What frame rate and resolution will the game target on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?

We target 4K resolution on both consoles, at 60 FPS. The resolution is “dynamic”, it means that it scales according to the game situation to always guarantee a stable 60 FPS framerate. It’s basically something it can be useful in some specific situations, like starting sequences in Moto2 / Moto3 where you have 30 and more bikes on scene.

What are your thoughts on the Steam Deck? Do you have plans for any specific optimizations for the device?

At the moment we are not planning any specific support.

FIFA 22 rose to second place even with sales dropping 32 percent week-on-week. Pokemon Legends: Arceus also had a decent jump to third place despite a 20 percent sales drop. Last week saw a number of PS5 titles in the top 10 thanks to more PS5 stock but they’ve now suffered significant drops. Horizon Forbidden West has gone from third to seventh place as sales fell by 65 percent.

Gran Turismo 7 sales dropped by 75 percent, dropping it from second all the way to 11th place. The only new debut this week was MotoGP 22 but it came in at 39th place with 37 percent sales on PS5. Check out the full Gfk top ten in the UK for the week ending April 23rd below.

MotoGP 22 is not without some additions. Of them there are resurfaced tracks, a more refined suspension system, and more realistic tire deformation which all do ultimately make the experience more realistic, but the sum of all these additions is subtle at best and might not even be noticed by some players. Tinkering with different parts and stylistic tweaks does give you that sense of control over your ride that you want, but it’s a far cry from being any sort of a response to the unprecedented depth of last year’s RiMS Racing. Still, we do see all of the official tracks from the 2022 MotoGP season.

"The dependable handful of legacy modes and a few neat ideas with cautious tweaks around the edges do feel like just enough to make MotoGP 22 a ride worth taking for current series fans – even if its conservative approach to expanding upon the series formula is starting to wear thin."

From the ridiculously sharp turns in the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia, to Phillip Island in Australia, you won’t be left wanting in terms of simulating a real MotoGP season. The game also includes a new list of 70 historic riders and the 2009 season mode to mess around with for those looking for a bit of a nostalgia trip. The 2009 mode is particularly well-thought out with lots of genuine archive footage presented in a neat documentary style that leads into various events. Of course, you don’t really see faces during races so the legendary characters don’t add too much, but still recreating legendary moments in MotoGP history is a cool idea that hopefully sticks around as a new mainstay for the series. Same goes for the split-screen 2-player, which, while appreciated, is still a rather obvious and overdue feature. But, credit where it’s due.

Real-time racing gameplay is predictably in-line with what series fans should expect overall. The challenge of managing your turn curvature and acceleration while weaving your way to the front is as punishing as ever, rarely missing an opportunity to make you pay dearly for minor mistakes. In particular failing to wrangle the momentum of your bike to perform a perfect turn is still as costly as it is laborious. Having a turn completely ruined due to some microscopic oversight despite meticulously handling your brake zone and distance is still fair but heartbreaking.

The many control and braking options at your disposal can certainly take the edge off of that, but using them often feels more like altering the game to make it feel fairer, rather than having fun experimenting with different styles. So, people who need those options will likely spend more time messing with them than they want to, while series veterans who don’t need them, basically have no reason to even look at them. The AI of the opponents seems oddly more aggressive than last year perhaps, as I had multiple occasions of racers ramming me with the determination of a feral mountain goat right off the track across several different modes, forcing me to break my rule about ignoring the rewind feature more times than I care to admit, which was a bit frustrating at times.  And was compounded by the game pointing me in the exact wrong direction after being reset from crashes. Either way, I suspect the rewind feature is going to get more use from most players this time around.

"Real-time racing gameplay is predictably in-line with what series fans should expect overall. The challenge of managing your turn curvature and acceleration while weaving your way to the front is as punishing as ever, rarely missing an opportunity to make you pay dearly for minor mistakes."

The game seems to have improved its visuals from last year’s version by perhaps a hair more than it did over MotoGP 20. Colors seem to pop better and the grass that garnishes the sides of tracks seems a tad lusher, even when zooming past it. Perhaps this could be attributed to better implementation of HDR, improved lighting, or the assets themselves, but either way the general look of the game feels a little livelier than I remember last year’s being. Bikes and their parts are also polished to an absolute sheen in this entry, which at times makes the game nearly photorealistic on the PS5. But on the flipside of that, persistently mediocre weather effects, limited time-of-day options for the races, and stiff facial animations do continue to hold the overall presentation back a few notches from excellence – the latter of which is a particular shame because the character’s faces do look markedly more detailed than they did in 2021. New levels of facial detail can only go so far when they hardly show any sort of expression.

The game’s sound feels largely unchanged. While the sound effects generally get the job done in these games, the bikes still do come off a bit tinny for my taste. I know these aren’t cruisers but some of them just sound more like electric toothbrushes than motorcycles. On top of that, what little music is in the game is about as forgettable as it’s ever been. I can’t remember a single tune. Great music is not necessary for a bike sim to work, but it’s yet another opportunity missed to breathe a little more vitality into the series.

One thing that the series does seem to be making noticeable efforts in is its tutorials. Despite this being a notoriously simulation-focused experience aimed at only the most technically minded racers, the tutorial in MotoGP 22 is the most robust of recent memory. On top of that is the MotoGP academy- an even more in-depth on-ramp for those looking for one. Basically, every major facet of the game is isolated and explored between these two features, from the simple to the advanced. While it seems like a bit of a head scratcher for the team to expand more in this area than it does almost anywhere else, the effort is noticeable here, and it may very well ease new players in as intended – especially when combined with the return of an adaptive difficulty system which gives you several race and control modifiers that give you a lot of say over what the game expects of you.

"One thing that the series does seem to be making noticeable efforts in is its tutorials. Despite this being a notoriously simulation-focused experience aimed at only the most technically minded racers, the tutorial in MotoGP 22 is the most robust of recent memory."

Overall, I am pleased with the tweaks that are here, as well as the nostalgia-laden historic characters and 2009 stuff, but as usual, despite notable effort to make new players feel welcome, MotoGP still doesn’t quite cross over into being highly recommendable to anyone outside of the current fandom. That said, the safety of sticking to the format as well as it does continue to keep it from making very many actual missteps, and will likely make its few bells and whistles seem even more enticing to series veterans. A starving player will always appreciate the smallest of treats though, and it’s a bit of a shame that this series continues to leave so many stones unturned in the face of growing competition.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

With MotoGP 22, however, it seems Milestone is looking to improve the onboarding process and give newcomers better and more efficient ways to get familiar with the game’s ins and outs. A recently released trailer provides some new features focused on just that, including improved tutorials, the new MotoGP Academy, a new riding analysis system, and more. You can get more details in the trailer below.

MotoGP 22 is due out later this month, on April 21, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. More details on the game will be coming in the days ahead, so stay tuned for further coverage.

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 20^th.

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 1^st 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 26^th 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 7^th for Nintendo Switch.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch)

Releasing on April 14^th 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 21^st, 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 26^th 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 29^th 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 22^nd.

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 5^th. 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 7^th, 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 7^th 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 7^th 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 1^st 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 4^th, 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.