Leaving the month of March behind only means one thing for our avid gamer eyes. Yep, that’s right, another four weeks of crazy releases to anticipate. April is surely looking great for God of War fans, no doubt, although there are a few other titles that should remain on your radar for various reasons.
Want to know which ones are those? Then scroll down the article and let our list of upcoming games begin!
Raiders of the Broken Planet: Hades Betrayal
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: April 4
We start the month with the third DLC pack for Raiders of the Broken Planet, Mercury Steam’s latest hit. Hades Betrayal is a stand-alone campaign for the original multiplayer game but the cool thing here is that is bringing a decent amount of changes to the core experience as well, which is a nice plus.
In a nutshell, the development team is using Hades Betrayal to completely overhaul the game’s progression and reward systems. At the same time, they are including many new features that will allow players to rank up for more rewards and further customize their weapons. Mercury Steam has been very adamant about implementing changes based on their community’s feedback. So it’s definitely nice to see improvements in that direction.
Story-wise, the Hades Betrayal DLC will take players to four action-packed missions that will pit the Raiders against a heck of a galactic enemy: The Hades Division. All missions are playable in single-player, 4 player co-op or the nightmarish 4vs1 Antagonist mode. If you enjoyed Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and Lords of Shadow 2, make sure you check this one as well!
Extinction
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: April 10
Toying around with ideas seen in Shadow of the Colossus and Attack on Titan comes Extinction, the next game from developer Iron Galaxy. This title is all about defeating towering ogres who are a menace to the main protagonist, a tiny warrior called Avil, and everything he has ever known. Your main job is to finish these beasts off before they start their waltz of destruction. And you do that by cutting and dismembering them piece by piece, dodging your way through their attacks. This, far away from being gruesome, is strangely rewarding…
Think of it as a horde-mode game that alternates waves of different giants with their smaller minions, which are quicker but easier to kill. Extinction also brings a story-driven campaign, side quests and daily challenges to keep you entertained for a while. If you are intrigued by this game, have a look at their reveal trailer and their latest gameplay video, in which you can see the movements of Avil in action.
Super Daryl Deluxe
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: April 10
Heading into indie territory here. Super Daryl Deluxe is one of the most original propositions for this month but classifying what it offers is somehow complicated. Defined as an “RPGvania with brawler-style combat” game, Super Daryl Deluxe follows the adventures of a rather bizarre new kid trying to become the most popular in town. Of course, you also have to save everyone’s lives on top, which speaks tons about Daryl’s multitasking schemes.
When looking down to the essentials, this title is an action platformer in 2D. Similar to the metroidvanian siblings it’s emulating, we can unlock up to 40 skills to adapt to any situation and combat style. We can also traverse through levels to test our mettle or lose ourselves in a big world populated with secret zones, goofy NPCs and nothing else than 15 hours of storyline. In the end, Super Daryl Deluxe is for those who seek random but intense combats, a catchy soundtrack and lots of stylish bell-bottomed trousers.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: April 17
We move now to one of those series that do not need presentations. Finally coming after a last-minute delay, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is the 7th entry in the saga. Allegedly, it’s also the final journey of the main hero that has fuelled this amazing franchise for over ten years, Kazuma Kiryu. If you are one of his devotees, this game is a total must. If you are new to the series, you may as well start here since its storyline is self-contained. Plus they are already working on a brand new Yakuza, which means we are not yet to say farewell.
The plot continues the events of previous games and has us following Kiryu as he tries to unveil what happened to his surrogate daughter, who’s now in a comatose state. Beyond all these emotional tides (and there are plenty in this installment) there’s also the turf war between the Tojo Yakuza Clan and the Saio Triad, adding violence and corruption to the mix. All in all, Yakuza 6 adds to the formula we already know, while signing off a very dignifying goodbye for the protagonist we have come to love.
We had the chance of trying already The Song of Life here, in The Game Fanatics. If you are interested in knowing our fanatical opinion, you can check Tyler’s review.
God of War
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: April 20
What do you do when you have torn the whole Greek pantheon apart? Well, you move somewhere northern, grow a beard to keep you warm and discover the knocks and crannies of parenting. The fourth title in the legendary PlayStation franchise God of War follows Kratos as he takes on a new mythology to overcome, the Norse.
The main novelty here is the presence of Kratos’ son, Atreus, who will accompany us throughout the whole game. This God of War brings winds of change with its focus on character development and the relationship between generations. But while this game unveils a deeper, more layered Kratos, there’s also lots of good slaying action along the way. After checking some gameplay trailers, there’s no doubt that God of War is looking incredible and we cannot wait to try it out.
Nintendo Labo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: April 20
Ok, sure, Nintendo Labo is technically not a game. However, this bizarre do-it-yourself proposition has something to do with how we play games so it has made it to our list. Nintendo has gone quite creative here, offering a gaming project that allows players to change their Switch experience into something new via the use of… cardboard. Yeah, no one saw that coming.
From piano tiles to robot suites, there seem to be plenty of Toy-Con options inside each box. The premise is oddly basic. You build new game controllers with the use of instructions, insert your Switch device and enjoy a game that is specifically designed to be played with whatever it is that you have created. Whether this is a revolution or just a marketing wave, time will tell. For the time being, I am pretty sure lots of gaming families will get themselves occupied decyphering first those building instructions…
The Swords of Ditto
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: April 24
The other indie gem of the month is The Sword of Ditto, a compact action RPG that generates new stories, adventures, and characters every time you play. If the proposition sounds interesting, have a look at its gameplay trailer. The Sword of Ditto is an eye-catching game that brings together blends from Zelda and Half-Minute Hero with a delightful art style of its own.
Each “micro-adventure” starts with the player awakening to the arrival of the evil Mormo. You are given three days to finish off the menace she poses to the world and plenty of freedom to roam around it, accepting quests and leveling up. Also, a nifty sword to kick off your challenges and a co-op component for those who like to team up in groups of two. Its developers have also confirmed that each adventure ties to a heroic legacy and has implications for the ones to follow.
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: April 25
We close our list with another action RPG but this time, we are heading into a much darker place. Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption is a boss battler title where we play a lone warrior who has to face eight different bosses in his own quest for atonement.
Sacrifice for Redemption echoes the good deeds of Dark Souls and even a little bit of Team ICO’s dreamy creations albeit with its own twist. In this case, its developers have created a “level-down” gameplay mechanic, that pushes you to sacrifice a stat and a level before entering combat, injecting an extra layer of strategy to the mix.
And that will be all for our list of upcoming games for the month of April. Which ones are you going to try out first? Do you have any other title you are playing these weeks that is not on this list? Let us know in the comment section down below and game on!
