BARGAIN HUNT
May sees many independent games that’ll give AAA titles a run for their money
WE’RE already into the glorious month of May, with its lighter nights and bookend bank holidays.
For all its positives, May is traditionally a slow month for big game releases, with the AAA studios favouring October and November to push their titles.
It can lead to the feeling there’s a bit of a gaming drought, when in fact, there are plenty of new games if you know where to look.
I’ve always been an advocate of indie games, titles from smaller studios which often get overlooked in favour of the bigger releases.
Not only are they as fun as the AAA titles, they can often be much better. They are also gentler on your pocket, meaning you can get your gaming fix for a fraction of the cost.
So, if like me, you’re always on the hunt for a gaming bargain, I humbly suggest you take a look at these indie releases this month.
Surmount: A Mountain Climbing Adventure (PEGI 3) Switch, PC Price: £12.14
I still haven’t gotten over watching Free Solo, the incredible documentary about Alex Honnold and his bid to be the first person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without ropes. His ascent up 7,573ft of vertical rock gave me vertigo from my couch, so I’m hoping Surmount is much gentler.
This game sees you striving to be the first climber to reach the top of the highest mountain in the world – meeting an eclectic bunch of characters on your journey.
There’s a definite Donkey Kong King of Swing vibe about this – for those of you old enough to remember that Game Boy Advance title – with your climber anchored to the rock face with one hand, while the body flails wildly around looking for purchase elsewhere.
There’s a local co-op mode, so you and a friend can tether yourselves together to scale the heights.
Animal Well (PEGI 7) PS5, Switch, PC Price: £20.99
One of a crop of unique-looking games out this month, this metroidvania has you exploring a dense, interconnected labyrinth
in a bid to unravel its many secrets.
The work of a single developer, Billy Basso, this is a passion project that’s been in the making for seven years.
On your journey you’ll collect items that can be used to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. But you have to tread carefully, as not every creature you’ll encounter is friendly.
With gorgeous, almost neon graphics to convey an underground glow, this promises to be a fun experience.
Hauntii (PEGI 3) PS5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC Price: TBC
This charming title sees you play as Hauntii, a brave little ghost who sets out to find the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
Hauntii lives in Eternity, where a mysterious race of glowing creatures guide lost souls to an omi
nous-looking central tower where they appear to ascend to a higher plane.
These ‘Eternians’ look like angels, but no one really knows who they are, or where they’ve come from.
As a spirit, you can use your ghostly powers to manipulate not just living creatures, but the environment itself.
Graphically it looks stunning, with blacks and greys used to incredible effect against single hues of blue, turquoise and pink.
Nine Sols
(PEGI 7) PC
Price: TBC
This stylised action platformer blends elements of cyberpunk and sci-fi with Eastern mythology.
With metroidvania elements, it has a surprisingly complex combat system. Inspired by the fighting in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it heavily leans towards rewarding deflection, requiring you to deflect and parry attacks.
The charming 2D graphics are hand drawn, while the plot seems surprisingly complex.
Due out at the end of the month, there’s already a free demo you can download on Steam.
With gorgeous, almost neon graphics to convey an underground glow, this promises to be a fun experience
Cheryl On Animal Well
Cryptmaster (PEGI 16) PC Price: TBC
Cryptmaster is another uniquelooking May release, with its monochrome, sketch-like graphics.
In this bizarre dungeon adventure, words control everything, so you have to think fast.
Fill in the blanks with text or voice to uncover lost abilities, embark on strange quests, and solve mindbending riddles to conquer the crypt. There are multiple solutions to every encounter, but finding the right word is the real key to success.
As with Nine Sols, there’s a free demo already available on Steam to give this game a whirl.