"The graphics are mostly pretty simple and flat, which might seem like it would be at odds with the darker tone of the game’s atmosphere but it’s really not. The washed-out colors and understated effects create an interesting vibe despite coming off decidedly low-budget a lot of the time."

With a visual tone that might not seem like much at first, there’s actually quite a lot of effective world building here. Mount Morbus is a dreary place full of gloom and danger. Fog swallows much of it, keeping your view limited to the area you currently occupy. Plus, there’s the corruption that ultimately needs to be cleared in whatever way seems best to you. The graphics are mostly pretty simple and flat, which might seem like it would be at odds with the darker tone of the game’s atmosphere but it’s really not. The washed-out colors and understated effects create an interesting vibe despite coming off decidedly low-budget a lot of the time.

As your guide Solomon warns you, your initial steps will indeed be the hardest. This translates pretty well to the fact that the game throws you to the wolves for the most part after this introductory segment. Crafting, melding, resource farming, item management and the world’s various side quests just sort of present themselves and expect you to figure them out. Thankfully, if you’ve ever played a game that contains these elements then their basic structure will come pretty naturally to you, but a somewhat redundant assortment of menus that aren’t particularly intuitive do make the process a little more arduous than it needs to be.

This hands-off approach continues as the game’s many side activities and main questline issues present themselves, and though it clearly wants you to feel like you’re in an open-ended situation, most of the game’s challenges ultimately only have one or two ways to overcome them so its openness can feel a little superficial at times. With that, it becomes more about discovering what those methods of advancement are rather than discovering your own way forward. Even still, the uphill climb of experimenting with different solutions and systems to get the results you want is surprisingly addicting at times. As you stumble across items, creatures, and various ingredients and thus get access to different potions and actions, your experimentation is often rewarded with anything from a great dish to an effective weapon. Turning into a wolf to blaze past certain enemies or be more effective in attacking other ones, discovering helpful recipes out in the wild that you can then use to make a weapon or a dish, and other multi-step milestones you cross give you just enough of a dopamine hit to want to keep venturing further into the world and seeing what’s next.

"This hands-off approach continues as the game’s many side activities and main questline issues present themselves, and though it clearly wants you to feel like you’re in an open-ended situation, most of the game’s challenges ultimately only have one or two ways to overcome them so its openness can feel a little superficial at times."

With experimentation tends to come a series of failures though and The Serpent Rogue is certainly beholden to that. You often die even when you’re not necessarily trying to take a risk. Early on this can create some frustration as a status ailment eats your health away that the game has not warned you about nor given you any clear solution to. This causes you to frantically look around in your several inventory management screens to see if you have anything that looks like a solution before certain death. Also, weak enemies are often mixed in with extremely powerful ones, giving you even less of an on-ramp to the game’s many challenges. Certain players might like this sort of thing, but I felt like it mostly distracted from an otherwise well-crafted system of mechanics. In any case, said deaths will result in you losing everything in your inventory but with a single chance to get it all back if you can return to the area of death before dying again.

If you die again before you get to them then they’re gone forever. Dying in a dangerous area of course creates a situation where you’re even less likely to survive it on your way to your items, but if you manage your resources well you should have backups stashed in a safe area. If not, then you’re doomed. Plus, the occasional corruption storm will also end up ravaging the game’s more tumultuous areas creating an extremely dangerous situation for you if you get caught in it. If you’re very far from an exit this could spell certain doom. Once again, I feel like this will be a divisive element to most players, as people tend to either really like this sort of difficulty or really hate it. Either way, while it’s not really my favorite thing, nor is it implemented particularly well here, it does work for what it’s trying to do and I can certainly respect the game’s dedication to this approach.

Other peripheral activities like taming wild animals, learning alchemy recipes, discovering chests full of important resources and more also await you to pursue them as you see fit, but of course the more you are able to learn early on the better you will do when big problems inevitably show up. Some of these things the game explains to you better than others though, as discovering different recipes for potions or dishes seemed more or less up to blind luck for me, while other things like finding an ax to chop down trees and get wood were far more telegraphed.

"The Serpent Rogue succeeds in making a challenging game that leaves enough things unexplained to feel like a constant mystery, but I can definitely see it struggling to hold the attention of most gamers past those few introductory hours."

The Serpent Rogue succeeds in making a challenging game that leaves enough things unexplained to feel like a constant mystery, but I can definitely see it struggling to hold the attention of most gamers past those few introductory hours. If you really like survival games and/or chipping away at understanding a game’s mechanics on your own, I think it might fit very well into your library. Sadly, I don’t think it does nearly enough to cater to very many other sensibilities than that. The combat and crafting aren’t particularly fun, the story isn’t particularly engrossing, and despite some moderately addicting loops here and there the progression oscillates a bit too much between being decent and dragging its feet.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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.