April 4 – GrimGrimoire OnceMore (PS5/PS4/Switch)
April 4 – Meet Your Maker (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
April 4 – Fire Emblem Engage – Expansions Pass Wave 4 (Switch)
April 6 – Curse of the Sea Rats (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
April 6 – Everspace 2 (PC)
April 6 – Pupperazzi (switch)
April 7 – Resident Evil 4 Remake The Mercenaries DLC (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
April 11 – Process of Elimination (PS4/Switch)
April 11 – Sherlock Holmes The Awakened (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
April 11 – Tron: Identity (Switch/PC)
April 12 – Ghostwire: Tokyo – Spider’s Thread (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
April 12 – Ghostwire: Tokyo (Xbox Series X|S)
April 13 – AFL 23 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
April 14 – Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (PS4/Switch/PC)
April 14 – Inout (PC)
April 18 – Minecraft Legends (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
April 19 – Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (PS5)
April 21 – Dead Island 2 (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC)
April 21 – Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch)
April 25 – Trinity Trigger (PS5/PS4/Switch/PC)
April 26 – Honkai: Star Rail (PC/Android/iOS)
April 27 – Bramble: The Mountain King (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
April 27 – The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC)
April 28 – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC)
April 28 – Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One)
A pretty alright Christmas carol once (rather boldly) stated that “war is over, if you want it,” a sentiment Nintendo has apparently adopted in finally deciding there’s enough peace in the world to warrant the release of its Advanced Wars remakes. It’s far from the only long-awaited drop this April, with Dead Island 2 shambling into the light after close to a decade in development and Star Wars once again poses the question – what if there was a Jedi who survived? It’s a massive month of anticipated releases peppered with some neat indies and a serving of Aussie rules to go with them. Keep your eyes on the goal as the WellPlayed crew kicks a snag from the fifty-metre line – even more impressive when you consider how hard it is to get your legs up in a pair of tight Jorts.
Mark
April fools, I’m still playing Resident Evil 4! I probably am still knee-deep in my second playthrough by now, but I see there are a few games listed here that are hoping to pull me away from Leon’s loving gaze. They can certainly try.
First up, Mercenari…hey, wait a minute, that’s just more Resident Evil! It’s like Capcom planned this, knowing I’d be side-eyeing Cal Kestis in Respawn’s second attempt at the Star Wars license Star Wars Jedi Survivor. The title certainly has a better ring to it compared to Jedi Fallen Order, and to be fair you can tell they’ve learnt a lot from the first outing based on the early previews, but don’t tell Capcom lest they find out I’m cheating on Leon with another imaginary character.
*cough* Annnnnnyway, Mercenaries. It’s a good mode and all, but to be fair it isn’t quite as creative as Minecraft Legends, as story-driven as Tron: Identity, nor a classic like Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (it’s about damn time). But I’m certainly not going to complain about it, just as I won’t complain about more Aloy adventures in Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores.
Jokes aside, it’s another solid month, but I feel like we’re in the eye of the storm as a massive May and June looms on the other side…
Holly
Anything Star Wars is right up my alley, and the much-anticipated sequel Star Wars Jedi Survivor is high on my list for April. I can only live through Order 66 so many times, and it will be great to see a more rugged and grizzled Cal Kestis. I’m excited to see how the game will expand and incorporate Star Wars lore.
I have never been a huge Minecraft fan but the story-driven Minecraft Legends has piqued my interest as my mind gets a little lost in the wide open world. I look forward to diving into the Minecraft world and fighting the little Piglins.
I did my waiting, 12 years of it. Now we’re ready to jump back into the sand, sea and undead with Dead Island 2. California has never looked more alive and dead at the same time.
Meet Your Maker has been a nice little surprise for April. Building and raiding with friends while fighting deadly creatures on player-created maps sounds like chaos, and I love it. What’s great is that Meet Your Maker is coming day one to PS Plus!
Filthy Animals Heist Simulator looks like an absolute blast. A physics-based heist game where you solve puzzles with your mates in order to grab the glorious loot at the end. It seems like a game to sit back and just completely chill out on.
Zach
It’s madness to think that it’s April already, and speaking of madness, the remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened launches on April 11. This time around everyone’s favourite suave gumshoe is caught up in an investigation with ties to the Cthulhu Mythos, so can Holmes crack the case before his sanity cracks? It’s been a while, but on April 13 the newest AFL game – AFL 23 – will hit shelves, and you best be sure I’ve got my short sport jorts and deep heat ready to go.
Dead Island 2 is another game finally launching after a long time in development, and having previewed the title and enjoyed the visceral combat and pulpy horror vibe I’m keen to check out the full experience. Rounding out the month are two tasty looking indies – Bramble: The Mountain King and The Last Case of Benedict Fox. Inspired by Nordic folktales, Bramble: The Mountain King is a story-driven adventure where players assume the role of Olle, a young boy on a mission to rescue his sister who has been kidnapped by a troll. It’s got a breathtaking yet creepy aesthetic and I can’t wait to get around it. The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a Lovecraftian side-scrolling Metroidvania where our titular protagonist is bound to a demon and can explore the memories of the deceased. With a combat system that uses weapons and demonic powers, and a Burton-inspired art style, The Last Case of Benedict Fox has tons of potential.
Nathan
GrimGrimoire OnceMore is a remake of an earlier 2D Vanillaware game. The cult favourite developer is beloved for their 2D hand-drawn art. Also dropping courtesy of publisher NIS is Process of Elimination, a visual novel to satisfy that genre pick I indulge in a couple of times a year.
The rose-tinted gaming memories of my later primary school years will be relived with the decades-old Battle Network and Advance Wars games both getting modern releases. While Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection provides a frankly absurd amount of tactical roleplaying hours in the electrical matrix world of suburban Japan, Advance Wars ReBoot Camp 1+2 is getting a subtle yet modern visual reimaging that has me eager to experience it anew.
It’s never a jorts month without my other favourite “J” noun making an appearance: the JRPG. I jest. Kind of. Trinity Trigger is a new RPG from Japanese dev Marvelous. I know nothing about it, but something had to fill the gap.
The other handful on my jort-dar is Dead Island 2 for some mindless mayhem with friends, Honkai Star Rail because turn-based sci-fi Genshin sounds rad, Jedi Survivor can hopefully iterate on its solid Souls-lite predecessor, Minecraft Legends‘ strategy premise seems an unlikely yet intriguing fit for this brand, and lastly, The Last Case of Benedict Fox has the look of a visually stunning Lovecraftian Metroidvania that can capture lightning in a bottle with its unsettlingly purple presentation.
What games are you keen for in April? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
