April will be a relatively calm month for game releases. With GDC2019 (Game Developers Conference), taking over much of March, many studio teams take a break from the office and head off to sunny San Francisco to network, inspire, get inspired, educate and learn alongside their peers from across the world...
However, that's not to say we don’t have a few interesting titles hitting the shelves this month!
Our top picks this month includes a couple of hotly anticipated AAAs, as well as some bigger indie titles expected to be dropping soon!
To kick-off (pun intended), we have a new title in one of the best-known franchises of all time…
Mortal Kombat 11
I’m sure this title needs no introduction. Mortal Kombat is a franchise that will have timeless appeal; whichever console generation you played on, the general structure has stayed the same. Two fighters, mutants, or weird space lizard thing, face off in a 2D arena and proceed to beat each other to death.
It’s a simple premise, but one that ensures the game appeals to players of all skill levels, whether it’s a casual couch co-op session to a competitive fighting tournament, Mortal Kombat 11 is sure to return with its roster of colourful combatants and over-the-top violence that fans have come to expect.
Image credit: Steam
Mortal Kombat 11 will be unleashed on the 23rd on PS4, XB1 and PC. You can buy it here.
Super Meat Boy Forever
Going from a major AAA release to a re-imagining of an indie darling, Super Meat Boy was an indie title released back in 2010, and quickly gained mass popularity at the time for it’s tight and responsive control scheme, the huge range of levels and gameplay, not to mention it’s infamous hard-as-nails difficulty that claimed the responsibility of many smashed controllers thrown against walls!
Super Meat Boy Forever promises a return to its core, with over 7000 hand-crafted levels that introduce new bosses and a couple of playable characters to circumvent various buzz saws, never-ending pits, and inconveniently placed spikes.
Image credit: Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy Forever will be arriving on PC, PS4, XB1, Switch and even mobile, on an unspecified date in April – keep your eyes peeled for this one!
Days Gone
If you ask any gamer what genre you think doesn’t need more titles, it would be the zombie genre. From the classics like Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil to the more modern successors like Telltales: The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, the marketplace has become saturated with an insane amount of competition.
However, Days Gone has been heavily hyped up since its initial reveal back at E3 2016. Viewers fell in love with the dark and drab atmosphere, complemented by the stunning scenery and the graphical powerhouse of the new upgraded consoles (PS4 Pro and Xbox One X)
Days Gone looks to be a much more story focused experience emphasising the journey of the grizzled protagonist, Deacon, and other memorable characters. The gameplay itself takes inspiration from similar titles, with the combat being fast and brutal, and a huge open world that can be freely roamed on Deacons trusty bike.
Image credit: PlayStation
You’ll be able to jump back into the post-apocalyptic world on the 26th of April, releasing as a PS4 exclusive title. Pre-order here.
Weedcraft Inc.
Indie titles such as Stardew Valley have been able to appeal to a whole new target audience recently. It’s possible for gamers to not want to bother with high-pressure situations… such as taking down terrorist organisations or becoming the ‘chosen one’, entrusted with saving the world. Sometimes players want to kick back, chat to their neighbours, and spend an evening doing a spot of fishing in absolute serenity.
Indie titan, Devolver Digital, have recognized this, and are throwing their hat into the ring with their new “farming” game, in which players are given their own cannabis empire to build up and maintain. Although based around a sensitive subject, the game approaches it with a light-hearted, almost comedic tone, that many fans of management games are sure to enjoy.
Image credit: WeedCraft
Weedcraft Inc. is officially released on the 11th of April, just in time for 420… on PC exclusively. Get it on Steam.
Fade to Silence
And finally, a breath of fresh air in the survival-horror genre! Black Forest Games have been hard at work, hand-crafting a dying landscape, cursed by eternal winter, in which you and a friend must brave the elements, as well as some more eldritch horrors… Fade to Silence.
The game itself seems to wear many hats, introducing RPG, survival and even horror elements. Despite currently being solely open-world, the game will release with a full main questline and include couch co-op gameplay so you can share the pain with a friend.
The project has spent some time on early access on the PC for a while now, ensuring any bugs or balancing issues are all ironed out for its major release on all platforms, published by AAA studio, THQ Nordic.
Image credit: Steam
You will have the opportunity to uncover the mystery for yourself, on the 30th of April on PC, PS4, and XB1. Pre-order your copy here.
That's it for April! If you’d like to discuss any of these titles or chat about what’s coming out in May or you have something you’d like us to review… chat with @SansonWray on Twitter.
As well as playing games Sanson also recruits for the world of games! So, get in touch if you’re looking for a new role in the Games and Interactive Industry.
**All opinions are our own. If you love them too, great! If not - don't hate the player hate the game. Also, we have not been paid to review any of the titles included in this blog. Links are NOT affiliate.**
