It’s another month without a bevy of blockbusters. Thankfully, even if open world first person shooters aren’t your thing, there’s still plenty to look forward to. From plague survival stories to space station dramas, let’s take a look at the top games releasing in May.
RAGE 2
Easily the biggest release of May – and one of the more anticipated titles of the year – RAGE 2 is a direct sequel to id Software’s original open world shooter. This one is co-developed with Avalanche Studios and sees players taking on the role of Walker, the last ranger, as he runs afoul of the Authority and other enemy factions. Employing a more DOOM-like approach to its shooting, RAGE 2 features a variety of powers to rip foes apart, an Overdrive meter for added damage and healing, and interesting weapons like the Grav-Dart Launcher to send enemies flying. That’s of course not including the vehicular gameplay. RAGE 2 is out on May 14th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. And yes, despite being published by Bethesda, it’s coming to Steam.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
A smaller yet intriguing title that’s garnered attention over the past few months is A Plague Tale: Innocence, developed by Asobo Studio. It’s set during the Hundred Years War with the Black Death taking over Europe and follows the siblings Amicia and Hugo. The two are on the run and attempting to survive, dealing with guards from the Inquisition while avoiding the ravenous rats. There aren’t just a handful of rats either – the game is teeming with the little critters, though you can fend them off with fire and have them devour your foes instead. A Plague Tale: Innocence looks good – let’s just hope it plays as well when it launches on May 14th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC)
A remake of one of the greatest PS2 games ever made and arguably the best game in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is coming to PC on May 9th. Along with all the improvements, additional content, a standalone adventure for Goro Majima and stunning visuals, the PC port will have its fair share of options. These include customizable controls, support for 4K resolution, unlocked framerates and much more. If you care even the least bit about a solid action adventure with excellent side quests and story-telling, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is highly recommended.
Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 3: Wastelands
The emotional tale of Sean and Daniel Diaz continues as they head further south to their father’s hometown in Life Strange 2. In Episode 2, the brothers had a brief stopover in Oregon where they meet Chris Eriksen aka the protagonist of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. As for what’s next, you can expect the same difficult choices with varying consequences as the brothers struggle to survive. Life is Strange 2 – Episode 3: Wastelands is out on May 9th for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Team Sonic Racing
Sumo Digital’s latest entry in the kart racing franchise seems to tick all the right boxes. It has 21 tracks based on classic zones, Grand Prix mode for earning points and Team Adventure mode to embark on an epic campaign. There’s a decent amount of customization, 12 player online support and co-op support in Team Adventure. However, it seems like a step down from Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed with no guest characters or transformations, instead focusing on coordination as teams rack up points together. We’ll see how it pans out when the game launches on May 21st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Total War: Three Kingdoms is the next big title in Creative Assembly’s series, exploring a brand new era and introducing a bevy of new mechanics. The turn-based management and real-time battles are still very much intact as players choose from one of 12 factions in their quest for dominance. Some of the new mechanics include generals dueling each other and “guanxi” which requires you to meet their demands to maintain happiness lest they defect. If that weren’t enough, the game offers two modes – Romance, which makes the generals a lot stronger in keeping with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms fantasy; and Records which is a more historically accurate experience and prevents generals from being controlled separately. Total War: Three Kingdoms arrives on May 23rd for PC.
Blood & Truth
As a follow-up to The London Heist, one of the few major VR experiences for PlayStation VR, Blood and Truth is pretty much more of the same. It features a dedicated campaign where players control a former SAS soldier on a rampage and lets you tactfully select cover during firefights. Gameplay-wise, it might seem a bit dated but Blood and Truth should be worth checking out when it releases on May 28th for PlayStation VR.
Observation
From the team that brought us Stories Untold, Observation has a rather unique premise. It sees Dr. Emma Fisher investigating the fate of her crew in a space station with the help of an AI called S.A.M. The twist is that players control S.A.M, guiding Fisher through various cameras and controls in the stations while also investigating its own quirks. Observation is out on May 21st for PS4 and PC via the Epic Games Store.
Close to the Sun
Perhaps it’s the historical period that feels more old-timey as players explore the Helios, a mysterious ship created by Nikola Tesla. Perhaps it’s the environments that are a shadow of their former brilliance, completely ruined by human excess. Whatever the case may be, you’ll need to survive and solve the mystery of the Helios. Close to the Sun releases on May 2nd for PC via the Epic Games Store – it will arrive later this year for Xbox One and PS4.
Pathologic 2
A re-imagining of the first game, Pathologic 2 is actually split into three parts with the first releasing on May 23rd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Players head to the Town-on-Gorkhon as Artemy Burakh and must deal with accusations of murder while unraveling other strange incidents. The previous game dealt with a plague unfolding over 12 days as players struggled to survive and either influence events or let the town fall into ruin. With two additional protagonists and their stories to experience, it should be interesting to see where Pathologic 2 takes us.
