Release Recap for April 24 – April 30: Mario Drifts Again; Edith Searches for Fam Secrets
April ends with a pretty big blowout as the perennial favorite, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe drops for the Switch. Beside the Nintendo giant release, there are plenty of quirky indie games to play as well. Overall, it’s a pretty heavy week for game releases with plenty of experiences, AAA and indie.
Dragon Quest Heroes II
Consoles: PS4
Release Date: April 25
Ahh sequel to Dragon Quest’s answer to Dynasty Warriors starts us off here. If you weren’t sold on playing a mussou-type game with Dragon Quest swapped in, then, then Dragon Quest Heroes II may not do enough to change that. But, for fans of the first game, this looks to be a day one-purchase. The world exploration is even updated in the sequel to mimic the world exploration of the original series with a world map to explore.
Outlast II
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: April 25
Some streamer is getting rent money this week as Outlast II releases this week. The game takes place in a desert, which is actually a pretty uncommon setting for the horror genre in games. It’ll be interesting to see if the sequel will be able to capture the zeitgeist once again like the creepy original one.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Consoles: PS4, Switch
Release Date: April 25
Puyo Puyo Tetris may not have as much cache here in the West, but it’s big in Japan. Although it’s out for PS 4 too, the Switch version may be the winner here as the OG GameBoy can attest to this winning combination: puzzles + handhelds.
What Remains of Edith Finch?
Consoles: PS4, PC
Release Date: April 25
Mystery, eerie, and even a dash of melancholy too, there are some quick adjectives that attempt at describing What Remains of Edith Finch?. But, you know words can only fail to describe the je nais se quoi of the gameplay that lets you play as a girl who imagines herself as a shark at one point. The first person narrative-heavy game will be a nice palate cleanser to all the big blockbuster games with its quiet pace and mysterious nature.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
Consoles: PC
Release Date: April 27
The RTS genre may a bit past its hey day, but Dawn of War III trudges on. The game has seen some glowing reviews from press, and it’ll no doubt be nice for RTS fans to have another meaty mouseclick-testing game in their hands.
Little Nightmares
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: April 28
There’s just something pretty delightfully and deliciously dark about Swedish horror, no? Check out Goodnight Mommy and Let the Right One In for more proof. So, from Swedish Tarsier Studios, comes Little Nightmares, an atmospheric and macabre horror title that lets you play through some rather ghoulish scenarios. It’s definitely a different sort of horror experience than Outlast for sure.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Consoles: Switch
Release Date: April 28
Closing out the month, it’s Switch latest big AAA title, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a game we reviewed and loved.Switch’s portability factor comes into play again for making that purchase. Plus, they even resurrected the Battle Mode too. Nuff said.