Welcome back to our monthly feature, The Big 5, where we look at the biggest games on the release schedule for the coming month. April, the first full month of Spring. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining just a little more and we’re pulling out of the long winter slump of not many new game releases. We’ve been lucky this year with March seeing a lot of amazing games hit shelves. Last month brought us Tom Clancy’s The Division (REVIEW), EA Sports UFC 2 (REVIEW and CONTEST!), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, Hitman, and Adr1ft in our Indie Spotlight. Not bad for the winter ‘slump’, right? Well buckle up kids because Spring has sprung with a bunch of killer games on the horizon. No matter your platform, you have something to be excited about this month. AAA to our Indie Spotlight selection, let’s get this show on the road.
Dirt Rally – Deep Silver – April 5 (Multiplatform)
Available on PC since April of 2015 in Early Access with the final version dropping in Dec 2015 we finally see Codemasters’ Dirt Rally hit the PS4 and Xbox One as well. Drop the clutch and keep ‘er pinned on April 5th as you play what some are saying is the single best game to ever grace the ‘Dirt’ franchise. Reviews came in high with the Metacritic average settling at around 86. With a focus on rally racing (obviously) you compete in timed stage events on tarmac and off-road terrain in varying weather conditions. On release, the game featuresd 17 cars and 36 stages from three real world locations giving players the most realistic rally game to date and now we can look forward to seven new cars, two new race series, new liveries and more. For those of you uninitiated in the ways of the rally, expect the learning curve to be steep, but once you get it this will likely be one of your favorite racing games.
Star Fox Zero – Nintendo – April 21 (Wii U)
Star Fox is on the Wii U. Did you hear me? Star Fox has finally come to the Wii U. Fans have been waiting on this game since the announcement of the console. The sixth game in the storied franchise, Star Fox Zero largely follows the classic gameplay of its predecessors, such as Star Fox 64, in which players control Fox McCloud as he pilots his Arwing craft through various levels. Falco, Peppy and Slippy are back too, aiding Fox at every turn. Of course you’ll still have to contend with the Star Wolf team. Look for a ton of fan service in the biggest game the series has ever seen. Hitting the Wii U on April 21 it also comes with Star Fox Guard, a tower defense game co-developed by Nintendo EPD and Platinum Games.
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