It’s a solid lineup, by and large. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is perhaps the one blotch, but other games in the lineup more than make up for that, with Mobius Digital’s seminal Outer Wilds being the highlight. Another sci-fi adventure, Journey to the Savage Planet, is also offered, while WRC 10 also joins the list.

All of these games will be available to stream and download for PlayStation Now subscribers starting tomorrow, April 5, so if you’re subscribed, you’ll soon have plenty of great games to dive into.

Konami’s eFootball tops the list with a Metacritic score of 25 for the PC platform. Other dishonorable games of the year include Balan Wonderworld for Nintendo Switch (with a Metacritic score of 36) and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which has a score of 47 for the Nintendo Switch. Other notable releases such as the likes of Necromunda: Hired Gun and Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood also make the cut. The full list is as follows:

10. Necromunda: Hired Gun – 49 (PS4)
9. Demon Skin – 48 (PC)
8. Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace – 48 (PC)
7. I Saw Black Clouds – 48 (PS4)
6. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition – 47 (Nintendo Switch)
5. Of Bird and Cage (PC)
4. Taxi Chaos – 42 (PS4)
3. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood – 42 (PS4)
2. Balan Wonderworld – 36 (Nintendo Switch)
1. eFootball 2022 – 25 (PC)

Recently, as part of our own 2021 wrap-up, we also compiled a list of what we felt were the worst games of 2021, decided by an internal voting process. Check that out through here.

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar – Storm Ground

This shouldn’t be too surprising for Warhammer fans – games in the series tend to be more miss than hit. Nevertheless, a turn-based tactics title set in the Age of Sigmar, that too with different acts and routes, looked appealing. Storm Ground’s presentation and rogue-like mechanics – like gathering different units and powers during a run – were also pretty interesting from the outset. Delve deeper into the game, however, and you’ll find the rogue-like style of dying to be annoying, the campaign content lacking and way more bugs than players online. Even without these issues, the gameplay just doesn’t feel fleshed out enough, lacking many quality of life features and basic functions that other turn-based titles offer.

The World of Darkness universe is getting plenty of representation in the video games space, and will continue to receive more for the foreseeable future. The next game based on the tabletop universe, Cyanide and Nacon’s action-RPG brawler Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, has launched worldwide now.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood sees players stepping into the shoes of werewolf Cahal, who fights against the evil megacorporation Endron and put an end to their machinations. Cahal can take one of three forms – that of a human, a wolf, and a werewolf – and use each forms’ unique abilities in combat, traversal, and exploration. All the while, players have to manage Cahal’s rage meter as well and ensure he doesn’t go on a violent rampage on innocent NPCs. Check out the game’s newest trailer below.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can learn more about its combat, levels, story, and more in our recent interview with game director Julien Desourteaux through here.

The Nioh Collection (PS5)

Team Ninja’s critically acclaimed Nioh series is coming to PlayStation 5 on February 5th, the same day that Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition launches for PS4 and PC. The Nioh Collection offers much more though, bundling Nioh Remastered – The Complete Edition and Nioh 2 Remastered – The Complete Edition together. Both games with all DLC and updates are included along with 4K/60 FPS and 1080p/120 FPS modes. They’ll also take advantage of the PS5’s SSD for super-fast loading times and the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The $70 price tag is always pretty hefty, even for PS5 games, but it’s hard to argue against the value of The Nioh Collection.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood

Based off of White Wolf Publishing’s tabletop RPG, Cyanide’s Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood takes a more action-oriented approach with its gameplay. As Cahal, you’re fighting against the evil Pentex corporation, taking on missions in the American Northwest and even venturing to the spirit world for additional challenges. The main appeal is the shape-shifting – Cahal can choose between human, Lupus and Crinos modes, either sneaking and stalking his prey as a regular wolf or going berserk as a werewolf. The World of Darkness series hasn’t had the most stellar of releases in recent years but Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood could break the curse when it launches on February 4th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

More than three years after his last adventure, Adol Christin returns in Ys 9: Monstrum Nox. Instead of washing ashore on a strange island for the millionth time, Adol finds himself trapped in the prison city of Balduq and involved with the mysterious Monstrum. Much like Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana, players can control multiple party members with differing styles. Movement has also been expanded to be more free-form and vertical. Ys 9 is out on February 2nd for PS4 – hopefully, the English localization won’t be a complete disaster like the previous game.

Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 goes beyond The Maw and ventures to The Pale City with the bag-wearing Mono as the new protagonist. Six is still around but this time controlled via AI (and with no co-op available). The two will venture through various locales, solving puzzles and avoiding creepy figures like The Teacher and The Hunter en route to the Signal Tower. Who is the Tall Man and what is his plan? We’ll likely find out when Little Nightmares 2 launches on February 11th on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Continuing its trend of re-releasing Wii U titles for the Switch is Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D World. While it’s still the same excellent 3D platformer with improved visuals, the big difference is the addition of Bowser’s Fury. This new experience sees Mario and Bowser Jr. traveling to Lake Lapcat, a new free-roam area, to stop the rampaging Bowser. Along with collecting new Cat Shines, Bowser Jr. – who can be controlled by another player – can join in and attack foes. This is all for the sake of the Super Bell which Mario can use to turn into Giga Cat Mario and take on Fury Bowser in a true clash of the titans. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is out on February 12th for Switch.

Persona 5 Strikers

Omega Force’s Musou-style of gameplay is back again but hits a bit different in Persona 5 Strikers. Developed along with P-Studio, it features real-time combat along with pausing for utilizing Personas. Much of the gameplay from Persona 5, like switching between and fusing different Personas, the Third Eye and All-Out Attacks make a return. The story also takes place six months afterwards with the Phantom Thieves traveling to a strange new version of Tokyo to battle Shadows. Persona 5 Strikers arrives on February 23rd for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC.

Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)

Control has been available since 2019 while the Ultimate Edition launched for PC, Xbox One and PS4 last year. However, it launches for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on February 2nd, allowing new console owners to experience the supernatural adventure at last. Along with the base game and two expansions, The Foundation and AWE, there will be two graphics modes to choose from. Performance Mode offers 60 FPS gameplay while Graphics Mode runs at 30 FPS with ray-tracing and material quality improvements. If you haven’t played Control yet, then the Ultimate Edition is well worth picking up (even with the controversy surrounding the lack of upgrades for base game owners).

Ghosts ‘n Goblins: Resurrection

The return of Ghosts ‘n Goblins isn’t the most expected surprise of the year but it is definitely welcome. Ghosts ‘n Goblins: Resurrection is based on the first two entries in the series – Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Ghouls ‘n Ghosts – and features revamped visuals. Despite “taking cues” from those titles to create “something entirely new” as per Capcom, the brutal difficulty of the gameplay is still intact. Along with Knight Mode, there are two other paths – Squire and Page – for relatively newer players to jump in while Legend Mode promises the toughest challenge. Ghosts ‘n Goblins: Resurrection is out on February 25th exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

Bravely Default 2

Another big Switch exclusive is Bravely Default 2, developed by Claytechworks and presenting a brand new story and cast. Much of the same gameplay carries over, like the turn-based combat, Brave Point system and the ability to change characters’ Jobs. The overall presentation looks incredible, whether it’s Savalon, the Land of Drought with its sweeping desert, or Wizwald, the Land of Magic, with its forestation overrunning civilization. Bravely Default 2 releases on February 26th for Switch but you can download and try out the Final Demo now to see how it plays.

Destruction AllStars

Originally slated for the PS5’s launch, Lucid Games’ vehicular combat title is finally out this February. It’s also going to be available free to PlayStation Plus subscribers for two months but what exactly can you expect? For starters, there’s a roster of 16 AllStars to choose from, each with their own unique abilities. Matches are all about wrecking other racers but if you’re wrecked, there’s still a chance to come back. Each AllStar can dodge incoming attacks and eventually commandeer a new vehicle to continue with Hero Vehicles eventually turning the tide. Four game modes are available at launch – Mayhem, Carnado, Stockpile and Gridfall – which can be played offline with AI or online in multiplayer. Unique challenges against AI foes will also be available for unlocking new cosmetics and additional game modes, events and seasons are coming post-launch.

"The environmental part of the license will be at the center of the story we tell in our game."

Werewolf: The Apocalypse stories tend to have very strong and consistent themes, from social issues to environmental issues and a lot more. How much of a part is that going to play in Earthblood’s story?

Obviously, the environmental part of the license will be at the center of the story we tell in our game: Werewolves fighting for the Wyld spirit to protect Gaïa from an evil corporation, Endron – led by the Wyrm – devastating nature to gather all resources and feed their greed.

But Cahal will also have a more personal quest inside this big picture (which I won’t say to avoid any spoilers).

In the World of Darkness universe, while vampires tend to integrate themselves into human societies, werewolves tend to live more on the fringes. How will this play into the narrative, and how will it manifest in terms of gameplay mechanics?

In our game, Cahal left his former pack after a tragic event and serves the cause as a Ronin (a lone mercenary) with only but a few human allies.

But as his Caern (a sacred place in a Werewolf territory) is in great danger, he will join them back while seeking redemption, and will face Endron to protect their territory.

He will have to interact with werewolves and other NPCs, friends or foes, with whom he’ll have to talk or fight his way through in order to gain access to specific locations.

Of course, in case of failure during the dialog the combat is always a valid solution to pass any situation.

How much of an emphasis will the game put on player choice? Are there multiple endings that players can get depending on their actions?

The story is straightforward, but the player has to choose how Cahal will approach a situation, either by sneaking around doing some stealth assassination or charging on enemies in his Crinos form.

Also, during dialogs, he can choose the way he will answer to his interlocutors or the topics he wants to discuss.

And we have two different endings based on choices made by the player in specific situations.

"The story is straightforward, but the player has to choose how Cahal will approach a situation, either by sneaking around doing some stealth assassination or charging on enemies in his Crinos form."

The Rage meter mechanic is one of the most interesting elements of this game, and the idea of players not being in control of who they’re attacking and killing when their Rage overflows is a particularly interesting one. Can you talk about how this will play into things such as stealth, combat, and even conversations with NPCs? How dynamic can players expect this mechanic to be? Additionally, will this have any narrative impact or impact on how quests progress?

Actually, the rage is like a resource that you gather by doing stealth kills or using flasks you can find by exploring the levels. It will fill a rage bar that you can use to perform special skills when you are in Crinos.

While performing combos in Crinos (especially on the Agile Stance) you will gain Rage and Frenzy.

When the frenzy bar is full, you unlock a 3^rd stance that is the Frenzy, where Cahal is more powerful and has a great resistance until he empties his bar. But using this special stance will lock your special abilities and your combos you might lose a bit of control.

What has your approach been to world design in Earthblood? Roughly how large will the individual locations in the game be, and how varid can players expect them to be?

We alternate between huge areas where the player is free to explore and use his wolf form to navigate faster to do secondary missions within Endron’s facilities outposts, before entering other areas where he will reach for his main objectives.

What’s progression like in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood? How much control will players have over their upgrades and powering up and gaining new abilities?

By completing secondary and primary missions and serving or finding spirits, players will be awarded spirit points that they can spend in a skill tree with 2 main branches. One of them is more tactical and the other is dedicated to fighting.

Shapeshifting abilities are, of course, another one of Earthblood’s major draws. Can you talk about how much work went into ensuring that each of three different forms players can take felt meaningfully different from each other? How have you approached designing levels or combat and stealth encounters to ensure that players will have opportunities to leverage the unique advantages of each of these forms in different ways?

Each form is specific and is bound to several gameplay mechanics. The human form is about interacting with people and the environment, the wolf is great to sneak, travel quickly, or use narrow places to hide. Of course, when you fight you will use the more convenient form, that is the Crinos.

All areas (except for boss fights) are designed for the player to choose the way he wants to manage the situation he is facing.

But as I told before the fight is always a valid solution.

"By completing secondary and primary missions and serving or finding spirits, players will be awarded spirit points that they can spend in a skill tree with 2 main branches. One of them is more tactical and the other is dedicated to fighting."

With these shapeshifting abilities in mind, can players expect Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood to have immersive sim-style elements, where each objective can be completed in one of several ways, with plenty of room for experimentation and player choice in gameplay?

As the objectives are often about sabotage or destruction, we kept the freedom of approach but not really alternative ways to accomplish the objectives, except for a few missions where it is more about information gathering or terminating specific targets. In these cases, the player will find alternative ways to complete those missions.

Combat in werewolf form looks rather interesting, and quite different from anything we’ve seen in previous Cyanide games. Can you talk about the process of coming up with a combat style that felt punchier and more action-oriented, and what the game does to ensure that those aspects are highlighted?

It has been a long road to achieve this, because as you mentioned, it is the first action / combat-oriented game made by Cyanide. We really wanted the player to feel what it is to be a werewolf.

Since the beginning, we wanted a kind of Brawler with combos and special abilities, bound to a rage system with stance gameplay, allowing players to change them very quickly (even during a combo). We wanted to give the freedom of choosing to be agile and fast to earn quickly some rage to perform special abilities, or trading this mobility for strength and resistance. It is like playing a rogue and a heavy armored knight at the same time and switching from one to the other by only pushing a button!

On top of that, to challenge players, we have different enemy archetypes that will be more efficient against one stance or the other.

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood be?

It is quite hard to tell because it will really depend on how players like to take their time and analyze the situations they will encounter or explore the levels…

But roughly for a straight experience only focusing on the main objectives, it will last around 12 hours.

NOTE: In response to questions about the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S’ specs and tech-specific features and their impact on development, Desourteaux had this to say:

I think it is too soon to say because from our experience on the development of Werewolf – The Apocalypse: Earthblood, we could only see a great technological gap between the old and new gen and I think that the real difference might be done later or maybe at the end of this new console generations.

We’ll let you know as soon as we will ship our first games specifically targeted for those new consoles!

"Roughly for a straight experience only focusing on the main objectives, it will last around 12 hours."

What resolution and frame rate is the game targeting to run at on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S? Will the game have multiple graphical modes?

We will be 1080p with Vsync, so if your screen is 120Hz it will run 120 FPS, and less if you have a 75/60 Hz (75/60 FPS).

Cyanide Studios has debuted the first gameplay trailer for Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, showcasing the super-violent combat that players can expect. It also confirmed that the game would release on February 4th 2021. Furthermore, it will release for Xbox Series X and PS5 along with Xbox One, PS4 and PC (via Epic Games Store).

The story follows an eco-terrorist werewolf named Cahal who battles against Endron, an oil company seeking to destroy Mother Nature. Along with roaming around in human form, Cahal can transform into a hulking Crinos, a werewolf capable of ripping enemies apart. There’s also a regular wolf form that’s useful for sneaking.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is all about managing your rage as you fight various kinds of enemies. The trailer even showcases a brutal encounter with another werewolf with bloody results. Hopefully we’ll see more of the game’s action RPG elements, including the various skill trees and upgrades that can be unlocked. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Kicking off the first day of IGN’s Summer of Gaming expo was Cyanide Studio’s Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood. The action RPG has a new cinematic trailer, which sees our protagonist infiltrating Endron, a subsidiary of Pentex which is destroying nature. Check it out below.

Gameplay revolves around managing multiple forms, from the wolf and human to the werewolf. While you can use wolf form for tracking and stealth, werewolf form will be used for beating down foes. Of course, when you need to go incognito, the human form is best. Players will be able to customize their character with a variety of different skills and power-ups.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It doesn’t currently have a release date but more information will be shared at the publisher’s Nacon Connect in July. Stay tuned for more details and announcements from IGN’s Summer of Gaming expo in the meantime.