After an intense couple of months, the video game world takes a well-earned break and slows down on the premium releases in April.
Though while you won’t find a heap of blockbusters inbound, there is still plenty to enjoy.
First up on Tuesday April 4 is Persona5(PS4) [below]. It’s a relatively niche title, but fans can expect to run around in modern-day Tokyo with a high school student who also doubles as a phantom thief. On the same day, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 blasts itself onto PS4, XBO and PC, placing you right in the middle of an Eastern European conflict.
Should you be after something more light-hearted, hold out for Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition (PS4, XBO) on Friday April 7. This downloadable title breathes new life into the action-heavy 2011 cult classic with a welcomed visual upgrade.
Much attention, however, will be placed on Yooka Laylee(PS4, XBO, PC), crafted by many of the key developers behind the N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie. Can the old-school game design live up to the hype? See for yourself from Tuesday April 11.
Jumping ahead to Friday April 21, rev heads also get a little bit of attention for the month when ATV Renegades races onto shelves following a slight delay.
And wrapping things up on Friday April 28, Nintendo Switch users finally have a new game to get stuck into… kind of. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes the core racer originally released for Wii U, but adds every previously released racer and track, as well as an upgraded battle mode.
NEWS
Switch Fever
Sales numbers for the Nintendo Switch have arrived, and early signs point to an overwhelming success for the company. In America, the system enjoyed the best first 48 hours of sales in the Americas in the company’s history, while in Europe, it managed to sell more in its launch weekend than any other Nintendo hardware.
Further to that, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has also become the biggest-selling Nintendo launch title ever in Europe, even outselling the insanely popular Wii Sports in first weekend sales. Details on local numbers have yet to be released, but it’s a promising start for fans of the big N.
PAX Returns
Tickets for this year’s PAX Australia, the fifth anniversary of the event, are now available to purchase. The annual event will once again be held at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, taking place from Friday October 27 – Sunday October 29.
“Melbourne has made every PAX Australia feel like our true home away from home; seeing the passion resonate from attendees as they check out upcoming games and connect over personal favourites throughout the convention centre is exhilarating,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX and Penny Arcade. Earlybird tickets will save you $5 on the full ticket price. Friday only, Saturday only and Sunday only tickets are $65, while three-day passes cost $165. To discover more ticket options, visit aus.paxsite.com.
Review: Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
From the moment you start Horizon Zero Dawn you’ll be awestruck at how positively pretty it is. Environments are bright, lush and dripping with detail. It’s certainly the first thing that captures your attention, but definitely not the last, as Guerrilla Games’ departure from the Killzone series has allowed it to craft a fascinating world and surely an early game of the year contender.
Much of protagonist Aloy’s journey is filled with answering questions: uncovering the mystery of her birth (which leaves her as an outcast amongst her tribe), learning more about your robotic foes, and finding out what happened to the world that introduced them in the first place. Thankfully the gameplay that permeates the journey is consistently deep, both as you take on robotic dinosaurs and get lost in the RPG elements on offer.
It’s a treat to dive into, but not everything lands perfectly. The distance between objectives and constant travelling, for example, can grate, especially in a world of this magnitude. Meanwhile, the story doesn’t entirely live up to the promise its world offers up.
But it’s exactly that world that holds so much potential. And it’s potential we can’t wait to experience in Horizon’s inevitable sequels.
★★★★☆
Review: Halo Wars 2 (XBO) [main image above]
The first Halo Wars was a surprise hit that cultivated a dedicated following, which has campaigned for a sequel since its release. More than that, though, it proved that console real-time strategy weren’t just possible, but fun as well.
Thankfully, while Halo Wars 2 is the handiwork of a brand new studio, the foundations laid by the now closed Ensemble Studios remain. As a result, the rock-paper-scissors design lives on, meaning that air units can decimate vehicles, while ground troops are able to shoot those units right out of the air. It makes for interesting games of cat and mouse as you attempt to outplay and outwit your opponent, especially when against a like-minded friend.
Long-time Halo fans, on the other hand, are likely to get the most out of the game’s beautiful cinematics, which follow the Spirit of Fire’s crew, who – after waking up from a cryogenic sleep – discover the war against the Covenant has ended before encountering a new deadly faction. Add in Creative Assembly’s new Blitz mode and Halo Wars 2 is a worthy package that only strengthens Microsoft’s biggest franchise.
★★★★
