Balan Wonderworld

Sonic the Hedgehog programmer Yuji Naka made his return to the spotlight with Balan Wonderworld – a janky 3D platformer with an incomprehensible story, puzzling design decisions, shoddy visuals and the list goes on. Who are the main characters? Who is Balan? Why are the protagonists trying to save people who’s hearts are filled with darkness or something? Why is there an elaborate dance number at the end of every boss fight? Balan Wonderworld inspires many questions and answers almost none of them including the all-important “When does this get fun?”

Storm Ground brings together many of the aspects of Warhammer Age of Sigmar into an isometric turn-based strategy game. You can choose to play as one of three factions. The Stormcast Eternals are the most familiar and easy-to-use, while the Nighthaunt and Maggotkin factions are unlocked a little later and introduce a few extra elements. The Nighthaunt can use Wisps, for example, to heal allies or spawn new ones at a given spot, and the Maggotkin can use the power of corruption to increase their damage. I personally preferred the Nighthaunt because of its speed and agility, but I appreciate that each faction feels somewhat different. Within each there are a handful of different character types and items to play around with, so even within factions there is some room to make it your own.

"Storm Ground’s best aspects are often at odds with its most prominent, making itself more frustrating than anything. Existing fans will certainly find things to enjoy, but Storm Ground doesn’t stand out in its increasingly crowded genre otherwise."

You’re given a choice at the outset of which faction you want to use, and whichever you choose will face off against either of the other two in each single mission. Combat is turn-based, as you control each of your faction’s members moving around a hex board and attacking the enemies or working through the environment. Not every member of your team spawns right away, either. Instead, your hero spawns first, and you can choose when during the mission to add any of the additional troops using cards and a Power unit, and there’s some strategy as to where and when you’ll want to spawn new troops, since some abilities allow you to spawn in certain areas away from the original starting position.

Storm Ground is at its best when you feel strongest, often combining your faction’s powers and abilities to create significantly more powerful attacks. It’s very possible to use a magic power to build up an ally’s attack and take out multiple enemies at once. Even when you aren’t playing off each other, many attacks, especially from slower, more powerful enemies, have a satisfying weight to them, even though your main method of differentiation is just how many health bars the enemy loses. But the catch for the entire gameplay front is that Storm Ground is a roguelike, so if your faction hero dies or you fail to complete a mission’s objective, like capturing a control point within a certain number of turns, you start all the way over and choose again. While ambitious, Storm Ground’s roguelike elements are ultimately some of its biggest misses, primarily because it doesn’t capture the strengths of the genre.

Campaigns are split into stages that might take 10-20 minutes each on your first go, depending on the difficulty, and a full campaign run might take about 3-4 hours when you finally beat it completely, and each faction has three campaigns to beat. There is loot that you can find around each level or whenever you die that allows you to get stronger after every run or at certain intervals, but, despite this ability to have a higher chance of success during every run, I very rarely felt like I was really improving at the game or that it was facilitating me improving my skills. When I had runs that lasted deep into a campaign or ultimately when I finished the campaigns, I felt more like many pieces had fallen into place for me in certain ways. I was certainly becoming more familiar with certain move sets and team combos that would get me a little bit further, but more often than not, my deaths felt more or less inevitable. Enemy AI isn’t always consistent, and the fact that allies permanently die unless you revive them with a miracle gives a little more punch to your failures and compound the feeling that the game is putting obstacles in your way without providing you much in the way of growth.

One of the most frustrating aspects of Storm Ground’s gameplay is its pacing, specifically how slow and methodical the gameplay feels. Every character’s animations are excessively drawn out, especially for a game where the camera is zoomed out for the majority of the time. The speed is a good indicator of how the game wants you to think through every move and watch it play out, but as a roguelike, the slow speed makes everything feel twice as long as it needs to be, which makes every death that much more discouraging, especially after runs where I didn’t feel I learned anything. One of the strengths with roguelikes is their ability to make you feel like you’re learning how to breeze past levels until you inevitably beat the campaign, but the literal speed of the characters here brings that feeling down a few notches. It’s unfortunate because the slow pace and the general feel of gameplay would be great for a much more straightforward strategy game that lets you play each mission one-by-one, methodically moving through the levels and understanding each mission’s nuances to learn the strengths of your characters and the weaknesses of the enemies. Instead, it feels less like you’re making progress when you die and more like you accidentally turned on the permadeath difficulty setting.

"There’s a solid strategy game hidden under Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground’s many layers, but this final product doesn’t do its strengths much justice."

Visually, Storm Ground’s environments aren’t as diverse as they could be, but they are somewhat more enjoyable to move around as they expand. They don’t offer much in the way of verticality, aside from a single second level that provides whoever stands on the higher ground an advantage in combat. It makes things easier to understand at a glance, but this makes the environments generally uninterestingly laid out. Storm Ground’s story doesn’t add much to the experience, though it will offer some enjoyment for fans of the existing game. There are a handful of cutscenes that give a little more context to your faction’s missions and some dialogue at the start or end, but the story generally takes a backseat to the gameplay, since it doesn’t integrate the numerous runs into a single narrative.

There’s a solid strategy game hidden under Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground’s many layers, but this final product doesn’t do its strengths much justice. The things that I enjoyed most about the gameplay – learning many characters’ strengths and slowly using them to progressively improve my power – seem to be undermined by the roguelike structure, which feels like an almost separate experience from what Storm Ground keeps you doing over and over again. Deaths often feel less like a learning experience and more like an unwarranted punishment, and I can’t help but wishing I felt the desire to go for one more run, rather than giving a disgruntled sigh whenever my hours-long runs would end in tragedy.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is undoubtedly the biggest game release of the month, if not one of the year’s biggest. Set after the events of Resident Evil 7: biohazard, players once again assume the role of Ethan Winters in first-person. After Mia is seemingly shot dead and his daughter kidnapped by Chris Redfield, Ethan travels to the titular village for a rescue. Of course, things are horribly off – Lycans roam about, causing mayhem; and the imposing Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters occupy the castle.

Thankfully, Ethan will have a healthy arsenal to aid his cause with handguns, shotguns and sniper rifles on hand. Upgrades for these can be purchased from The Duke while players can also hunt and cook meals for increased stat buffs. Along with the main story, there’s the return of The Mercenaries for some arcade-style shooting action (with the free-for-all deathmatch mode Re:Verse seemingly releasing this Summer).

Resident Evil Village is out on May 7^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends

Legends live forever but outlaws reign supreme in Sumo Digital’s upcoming multiplayer title. As part of a heist crew in medieval times, players choose from one of four classes – the Ranger, Mystic, Hunter and Brawler, each with their own load-outs – and proceed to infiltrate heavily guarded locations to steal some treasure. The knights and Sheriff won’t make it easy though and the crew must combine their talents to locate the Vault, crack it open and make off with the loot.

Along with AI opponents, however, a rival crew composed of four other players will attempt to steal the treasure first, or hinder you during the escape process. So far, Hood: Outlaws and Legends looks to be a compelling mix of stealth, action and multiplayer chaos. It’s out on May 10^th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4 and PC with support for cross-platform play and even more content to come post-launch.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

After years of requests from fans, BioWare is finally delivering the original Mass Effect trilogy with remastered visuals and quality of life improvements. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition collects the first three games and almost all of their DLC into one single launcher. Along with 4K resolution support, graphical improvements to shadows, lighting, particle effects and so on, character models have seen big improvements. Mass Effect 1 has been given the remake treatment with improved combat, balance changes (like all weapons being usable by all classes), better tuned boss fights and so on.

This isn’t even taking into account Galaxy at War, which has been re-balanced with the absence of multiplayer in Mass Effect 3, and now factoring in decisions from the entire trilogy. More character customization options, unified character creation and of course Photo Mode have also been added. In short, if you’re a Mass Effect fan, the Legendary Edition is a no-brainer. It’s out on May 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC with some enhancements on Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Subnautica: Below Zero

Unknown Worlds’ follow-up to the critically acclaimed underwater survival title puts a colder spin on things. Set two years later on Planet 4546B, players explore the arctic region. Along with exploring abandoned research stations to collect logs and other information, you’ll need to build a base and craft items with whatever resources are available to survive.

Some interesting new mechanics include exploring frozen caves and snowy peaks along with the new Snowfox hoverbike. And don’t worry – there’s plenty of scary stuff to deal with as well, like the Shadow Leviathan. Subnautica: Below Zero is currently available in early access and fully launches on May 14^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo and PC.

Days Gone (PC)

After launching for PS4 in 2019, Deacon St. John’s quest to survive in post-apocalyptic Oregon comes to PC on May 18^th. The world is crawling with Freakers who can assail the player in hordes, becoming faster and more aggressive during the night. Deacon will venture across the landscape, destroying hives, completing bounties and even dealing with infected animals like bears and wolves while harboring hope that his wife is alive.

To accomplish this, he’ll have a motorcycle which must be maintained and modified to get the best mileage. In terms of enhancements, the PC version offers ultra-wide screen support, unlocked framerates, improved level of detail and foliage draw distance, and features like Super Resolution Photo Mode. Hopefully it turns out better at launch than Horizon Zero Dawn’s PC port.

Knockout City

While Rocket Arena faded into obscurity, EA’s Knockout City is looking more promising. Developed by Velan Studios, the competitive multiplayer title is more focused on Dodgeball-style combat. Throw balls – or other players – at opponents for a knockout. But it’s not nearly that simple – you need to think about your positioning and maybe charge up for an Ultimate Throw for better tracking.

With options like dodging, catching balls, fake throwing and whatnot, Knockout City could provide a nice diversion from the usual multiplayer fare. It launches on May 21^st for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch with six modes and five maps, cross-platform multiplayer and shared progression. New content will also be added in post-launch seasons.

Rust Console Edition

Originally released for Steam Early Access in 2013, Facepunch Studios’ wildly popular survival title would fully launch in February 2018 for PC. More than three years later, Rust is coming to Xbox One and PS4. In all honesty, the core gameplay remains about the same. Make a character, drop into a harsh open world with almost nothing at your disposal, and attempt to survive, crafting items from various resources and avoiding all kinds of death.

As you make clothes and procure food, you’ll build a base, explore radiation zones, get into a clan and raid other players. While known for being unforgiving, especially for solo players, and full of bugs, Rust is still an intriguing sandbox of emergent stories where trust and betrayal can go hand in hand. We’ll see how its console versions fare when they release on May 21^st.

Biomutant

Despite all of the delays and years of development, Experiment 101’s Biomutant still looks as captivating as ever. Set in the New World, a post-apocalyptic landscape where anthropomorphic animals rule, the player is tasked with saving the Tree of Life from death. Doing so requires cooperating with the different Tribes dotting the landscape, who each have their own different goals, and taking out the World Eaters responsible for polluting the tree.

Though boasting a large world to explore, Biomutant’s combat is akin to an action RPG as you utilize melee combos, long-range weapons and elemental attacks to gain the advantage. New weapons can be crafted, mutations can bestow new abilities and various vehicles can be obtained to explore the landscape. Biomutant releases on May 25^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, so we’ll finally see if it lives up to the hype after all this time.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster

The Conception has swept through modern day Tokyo, ushering in a swarm of demons. Meanwhile, the protagonist gains the power of a Magatama and becomes the Demi-fiend, able to wield powerful magic while also commanding other demons. Thus do you embark on a journey to remake the Vortex World, either by following one of three Reasons or defying everything for your own goals.

As a remaster of the PS2 classic, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster maintains the series punishing combat and unique aesthetic while providing higher resolution visuals and fully voiced cutscenes. Various quality of life features like Skill Transfer, Quick Resume and a new Merciful difficulty have also been added along with an alternate story branch for Raidou Kuzunoha of Devil Summoner fame. It’s out on May 25^th for PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch in the West.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground

It may seem like just another Warhammer title but Gasket Games’ turn-based tactics title is unique for being the first video game set in the Age of Sigmar. This is a dark fantasy where legends and monsters collide as players collect dozens of units to customize and command in several narrative campaigns. Each playthrough offers different routes to explore with rogue-like challenges and Ascension systems for replayability. You can also take your squad online in 1v1 battles. Though video games in the franchise are usually hit or miss, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground may be worth checking out. It’s out on May 27^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, the turn-based strategy from Gasket Games, has received a new trailer providing an overview on its gameplay. It also shines a light on the three unique factions, their abilities and uniq campaigns that one can play through. Check it out.

The three factions are the Stormcast Eternals who have mastery over lightning and heavy armor; Nighthaunt, which use large numbers to overrun foes; and the Maggotkin of Nurgle who spread infestation and alter the landscape. Each faction has its own unique units, abilities and play-styles. They also have unique campaigns, which sees the player choosing a route through an enemy’s fortress and encountering different enemies throughout.

Hero units are also important since they’re the first and most powerful unit, capable of executing strong tactics if you play your cards right. As you level up a  faction, new rewards are bestowed for customizing your army (including cosmetic changes for heroes). Then there’s online multiplayer which offers its own selection of maps and challenges.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is out on May 27th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.