Spring into action...
THERE ARE GREAT GAMES TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS MONTH
APRIL is here bringing with it longer nights, warmer weather and nature waking from her winter slumber.
A new month means new games, and while flora and fauna are stirring there’s still not much life when it comes to big game releases.
While there’s not much news on the AAA game front, there is a glut of new titles this month that are well worth your time.
Next week sees the launch of the highly anticipated Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, then a remake of The House of the Dead lands for Switch players shortly after.
Seeing out the month there’s Nintendo Switch Sports, promising lots of family fun.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PEGI 7) PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC Release: April 5
This truly feels like a behemoth of a game. Spanning all nine Star Wars movies, it boasts 300 characters to play as you work through the story.
Unlike other Lego games which force you to play through linearly, here you can choose which of the trilogies you want to play through first – meaning you can put off having to see Jar Jar Binks for as long as possible.
Each episode boasts five missions, and combat has been revamped so that it doesn’t feel like a rehash of previous Lego Star Wars games.
Seven DLC packs have already been announced, adding characters from outside the original saga – themed around The Mandalorian, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Dripping with that wonderfully wry sense of humour we’ve come to associate with Lego, gamers of all ages will love this one.
The House of the Dead: Remake (PEGI 18) Switch Release: April 7
I’m super intrigued as to how this remake of the 1996 rail shooter classic will pan out.
This series – alongside Resident Evil – is credited with popularising not just zombie video games, but the surge of zombies seen in popular culture towards the end of the 90s and early 2000s.
There’s little to no plot here, the aim being that you simply have to survive wave after wave of shambling zombies as they approach on the screen. Graphics and gameplay have obviously been improved for the Switch, with developer Forever Entertainment confirming a new mode – Cowboy – has been added into the mix.
Released through the Switch eShop, three physical editions are also available through foreverlimited.com, including an exclusive collector’s box limited to 500 copies.
Skul: The Hero Slayer (PEGI 12) PS4, Switch Release: April 8
Humans have been attacking the Demon King’s Castle for eternity, but this time they’ve succeeded in destroying it.
All the demons have been taken captive, except one plucky little skeleton – Skul.
Inspired by the likes of Hades and Rogue Legacy, this roguelike, action platformer is as challenging as it is cute.
Battles can be fierce as Skul literally takes the Imperial Army head on to free his king.
Released on Steam back in 2021, console players will finally get a chance to see Skul in action.
MotoGP 22 (PEGI 3) PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC, Switch Release: April 21
If you fancy a break from your Gran Turismos and Forzas but still want some fast paced racing action, then this could be the title you’re after.
MotoGP is the latest entry in the long-running Grand Prix Motorcycle racing simulation series.
Boasting a roster of 120 riders, there are more than 20 real-world circuits to throw yourself around.
If you want to get to grips with riding, then you can work your way through the academy to build your skills before hitting the track.
There’s also The Managerial Career modem, which allows you to build and race your own teams, and develop your own bike which will hopefully carry you to victory.
Nintendo Switch Sports (PEGI 7) Switch Release: April 29
The Wii felt like a mini revolution when it came to sport simulation games, the controller allowing you to get much more physically involved in the sport.
The Wii may be no more, but Nintendo Switch Sports brings its proud tradition to a new generation of gamers.
With six sports to choose from, your real-world movements model your actions in the game. There’s bowling, badminton and tennis, football, volleyball and chambara – which see you trying to knock your opponent off the platform while attacking and defending.
And if the family has had enough and you still want to play, you can challenge other players online to a match.