Come what May …
The arrival of a new month brings plenty of titles for gamers to get their fix
A NEW month has arrived, bringing with it the promise of warmer weather and taking us a step closer to summer.
May also boasts two gloriously long weekends, as we get two bank holidays to spend with our families.
If all that wasn’t enough, there’s a smattering of new games hitting the market.
May is traditionally a slower month for releases, and that feels more so this year than ever.
Driving fans have EA Sport F1 to look forward to at the end of the month, but before that Switch fans can finally discover what all the fuss was about Biomutant when it arrives mid May.
Here’s our pick of what to look out for over the coming days and weeks.
MotoGP 24
(PEGI 3) PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC, Switch
Release: May 2
This year’s release is the latest entry in the long-running Grand Prix Motorcycle racing simulation series.
It’s the 12th MotoGP title developer Milestone has worked on since acquiring the videogame licence back in 2013.
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.
A new AI will see new riders coming through ranks being hungrier for success, while veteran riders will be more strategic.
Milestone also proves it’s been listening to fans by introducing a feature that they’ve been requesting for years – rider transfers. Playing in Career Mode, you’ll finally be able to transfer riders between teams, something that’s being seen as a bit of a game changer.
Biomutant (PEGI 12) Switch Release: May 14
Biomutant languished in limbo for four years before arriving on the Xbox X/S and PS5 in 2021.
Now Switch players can get in on the act as this open-world, postapocalyptic kung-fu fable RPG lands on the handheld console. You play as an adorable furry warrior, which can be heavily customised from the start. Combat is a unique martial arts-styled affair, allowing you to mix melee, shooting and mutant ability action.
As the game’s name suggests, you can continue to tweak and tune your protagonists’ abilities and looks with mutations and biomechanical body parts, such as attaching robotic legs, wings and claws which can be used to get various advantages against certain enemies or at certain locations.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut (PEGI 18) PC Release: May 16
One of the absolute must play titles on the PlayStation in recent years, Ghost of Tsushima is finally arriving on PC this month.
With stunning landscapes and beautifully fluid animations, it has cemented itself as one of the best samurai games of all time.
Using the history of feudal Japan for inspiration, the game follows Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai on Tsushima Island during the first
Mongol invasion in the 1270s.
Set in a large open world, there are no waypoints – allowing players to explore without guidance. A horse allows for quick travel, and Jin is armed with items which make traversing and investigating the world easier – like a grappling hook to access difficult to reach areas.
The plot is a slow burner, allowing you to savour Jin’s gradual transformation into the eponymous ghost, and the sword combat is some of the best I’ve ever played.
This PC version will have a host of updates compared to the PlayStation versions, including ultrawide monitor support, and resolutions for triple monitor setups.
System Shock
(PEGI 18) PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC
Release: May 21
The remake of influential ’90s sci-fi shooter System Shock is finally arriving on consoles this month.
It started life as a Kickstarter campaign, with developer Nightdive Studios raising $1m to make it a reality. Even after the money was raised it had a troubled path to release, taking nearly eight years to actually arrive in gamers’ hands.
Set in a cyberpunk-inspired future, the game plays out aboard a spacecraft where you play a nameless computer hacker caught attempting to access restricted files.
It’s a fairly faithful remake of the original, reframing the action with a horror tilt that should prove fun for newcomers to the title.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (PEGI 7) Switch Release: May 23
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since this title first landed on the GameCube.
The second game in the Paper Mario series, it’s been given a makeover for the Switch.
After Princess Peach asks for his help on a treasure hunt to find the legendary Crystal Stars, Mario heads to the town of Rogueport.
But he arrives too late to stop the X-Nauts from kidnapping Peach.
The usual cast of colourful Nintendo characters join you on the quest to find the treasure and rescue the princess.