Ah, April. The month of practical jokes, rain showers and games about steampunk trains and pretty anime boys. There’s some interesting game releases coming up in April, and so here’s five for you to watch out for during the month:
PERSONA 5 – 4 APRIL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3JkO-82YQ8
Developer: Atlus
Publisher:Â Atlus USA, Deep Silver
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
The latest instalment in the Persona series of RPG games, Persona 5 has been out in Japan since September of last year, and is due for release in the rest of the world on the 4th of April 2017. Set in Tokyo, the game follows a silent protagonist as they awaken their “Persona Powers” and explore dungeon-style rooms and interact with their fellow high school students.
After being delayed for quite some time, it’ll be interesting to see how the English version of the game compares to its Japanese counterpart, and if the translations and localisation will have been worth the wait.
YOOKA-LAYLEE – 11 APRIL
Developer: Playtonic Games
Publisher:Â Team17
Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee looks set to be just as colourful and charming as the game that came before it. Playtonic describes the game with the following: “Yooka and Laylee’s adventure will take them deep inside the work halls of a baneful business, as the buddy-duo seek out the magical Pagies required to explore the mysterious Grand Tomes. The dexterous pair will seek to unlock the ancient secrets of these bewitching books, as they battle to thwart corporate creep Capital B and his devious scheme to absorb all of the world’s literature… and convert them into pure profit.”
A game which seems to be continuing to honour and uphold Rare’s legacy, Yooka-Laylee is a game which has me excited to see what Playtonic has made, in the spirit of Banjo-Kazooie.
SYBERIA 3 – 25 APRIL
Developer: Microids
Publisher:Â Microids
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
A game which I’m personally very excited for, Syberia 3 is a Steampunk puzzle/adventure game which follows American lawyer Kate Walker as she travels across Russia. The third instalment in the series has had a rocky road in terms of finding enough funding, but should finally be released on the 25th of April.
As well as featuring beautiful scenery and dialogue, the series also contains some of my favourite music ever, composed by Inon Zur, who you may know from his work on Sword Coast Legends and Dragon Age:
Expect lots more coverage of Syberia 3 from us as the release date draws nearer!
DRAGON QUEST HEROES II – 25 APRIL
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher:Â Square Enix
Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch
Dragon Quest Heroes II is has been out in Japan since May 27th, and is releasing on PlayStation 4 and Windows from 25th April in NA territories. For those not familiar with the series, Dragon Quest Heroes II is a hack-and-slash style Action RPG for up to four players.
The series is so huge in Japan that they’ve even erected giant statues to pay tribute to one of their favourite franchises, and I’m excited to finally see Dragon Quest Heroes II available on more platforms in Western territories.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 28 April
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher:Â Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Sporting some very pretty box art, the deluxe Switch re-release of Mario Kart 8 is being heralded by Nintendo as the “definitive” version, as they explain: “All your favourite tracks and characters return from the Wii U version, plus all DLC tracks and characters, and new characters join the roster, too: Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl from Splatoon, King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr.! Plus, battle mode has been revamped and includes Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast, with all-new courses such as Urchin Underpass and Battle Stadium, and returning ones like (GCN) Luigi’s Mansion and (SNES) Battle Course 1 from Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.”
Whilst I might have been hoping for a Mario Kart 9 ready for the Switch’s release, it’s good to see that Nintendo are continuing to work on Mario Kart titles, especially considering how many people would potentially buy a console for an exclusive Mario Kart title alone.
Which April release(s) are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
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