Welcome all to my ninth list of my anticipated releases of the month. It's weird to think I have been making these lists for almost a year, but here we are. Normally I post this the day before the beginning of the month, but clearly I haven't so I apologize. But now isn't the time to talk about my faults, now is the time to read or skim through my list. But first, the rules I put upon myself on choosing the games.
The game has to be released on at least one of the major systems (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch). The game has to be new, so no remasters or re-releases onto new systems. One thing I do count is a game either entering or exiting early access, but that game can only be counted once. If a game does have multiple release dates like Destiny 2 or GTA 5, then I will only count the earliest release date. Finally, it has to be a game, not a DLC. With the rules out of the way, let's look at my top picks for April.
5. Frostpunk
Frostpunk, an upcoming strategy city building game by 11 Bit Studios, tasks you with operating a city in extreme cold while making hard decisions and ultimately keep the population alive. Despite the fact that I am not a big city builder guy, I still find Frostpunk to be fascinating. It's survival steampunk theme looks really cool, the gameplay looks tough yet fun, and the choices I make on how to run my city can make each playthrough feel different and feel like my own. But in the end, what holds me back are my thoughts on the genre. I don't hate city building games by any means, I just find that very few click with me. Still, I hope that this one will click with me when the game comes out on the 24th for PC.
4. Minit
This upcoming game by Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio, and Dominik Johann tasks you exploring the world the world in this retro to-down adventure game. Sounds familiar, right? Well Minit gives you only, well, a minute to explore this world until you die and start back at home base. This unique twist on a familiar genre is interesting and one I would like to experience to see if it would work. How far can I go? How much can I do? Is a single minute enough time? These questions and more is what I have for the game (and questions that are probably answered already, but I don't want to look up because I want it to be a surprise). Despite this cool aspect and fun-looking gameplay, I don't feel like their is much else being offered with this game. Still, this does look like a fun little game and it is coming out on the 3rd for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
3. Extinction
Iron Galaxy's new game Extinction puts you in the shoes as one of the last guardians tasked with protecting cities and people from hundred foot tall monsters called the Ravenii. Extinction looks like a lot of fun. It's cartoonish art style, arcade-y action, destructible environments, and big monsters really appeals to me as something I want to try that I feel like I have never tried before. I've faced tall boss monsters before, but I can't really think of a time when a one hundred foot tall bad guy is actually just a normal enemy and not a boss fight. But what holds me back on this game is the lack of information, mainly on what you do in the game. Obviously the game is mainly about kicking ass and developing new skills to kick more ass, but other than fighting, saving civilians, and picking up missions which I have a feeling will be about kicking ass or saving civilians, I feel like the game as a whole is shallow. As cool as procedural missions sound, I think the missions will be rather basic. But hopefully this game can prove me wrong when it releases on the 10th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
2. God of War
SIE Santa Monica Studio's newest game God of War has you back as Kratos, but this time older, wiser, and in Norse mythology instead of Greek mythology as you and your son try to survive in this new Norse world. I have never played a God of War game before, but I can already tell the differences and changes made to the game. It's more mature tone speaks to both story and gameplay, it's narrative is more personal, and the combat is less hack-n-slash. God of War (2018) looks to take the franchise and breath into it darker tones that I feel will enhance the series in every way. So what makes it my number two? What is keeping this game at number two for me is the fact that I haven't played the other God of War games. I know I could just look up what has happened in the previous games and I know that this game is a departure from the other game's narrative, but I still feel like I need to know what Kratos has gone through to get to this point. I thought about putting this game at the top because obviously this is the big release of this month and all, but this is my own list, and I feel like for me to truly enjoy this series I have to go back and play the previous games. Still, I think this will be a fantastic game, probably on of the best PS4 games of 2018, and it releases on the 20th.
1. Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
I'm not going to lie when I say that when I first formed this list, Dark Star's Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption fell into first place more than a choice I made. Obviously I am excited for the game because it wouldn't be in the list if I wasn't. This game fell into first because I believe all of the other games aren't better or worse than each other, but rather they belong perfectly where they belong. for example, I believe that Frostpunk is a number five game not because it is worse than the others, but because I think it fits perfectly into the five spot for my feelings on the city building genre. But the longer I thought about this game being first, the more I realized that I would've put this game first anyways. This game looks to be a cross between Dark Souls with its combat and bosses and Furi with its level structure, two games I love (no, I am not saying Dark Souls just because it is difficult. I too am annoyed by people who say games are Souls-like just because they are hard). But it's more than that. It's level-down system that makes you weaker after each boss sounds intriguing and I want to see if it works, the themes of the seven deadly sins is a great theme, and I am interested to see how they implement new game modes and items into the game. I cannot wait for Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption when it releases on the 25th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Bonus: Nintendo Labo
I was really close to considering Labo a game for my top five, but I felt like it would be better as a little bonus. Despite the heavy price and the cheap material, I am excited for Nintendo Labo; not for myself but for others to enjoy. I think this product is great for a younger audience as for it combines the fun of video games with the fun of creating things like legos. I think this is such a weird yet cool product, and I hope it will succeed. The variety kit and the robot kit release on the 20th, with new packs not yet announced. (P.S., the link leads to a blog I wrote about Nintendo Labo).
Well, that about sums up this list. What are your top five of this month? Put it in the comments down below. Thank you all for reading or skimming my list and come back next month for another list for another month.
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