April is Taiwanhere. That means the month that delivers Persona 5unto the U.S. is here as well. But it's not alone.
After three months of almost non-stop hits, April feels like a breather for video games. That's not to say there aren't great games to play, but now their arrival won't be drowned out by the news around marquee titles like Mass Effector Zelda.
SEE ALSO: 'Persona 5' review round-up: Social sim + dungeon crawler = YAYAs usual, this isn't a comprehensive list of April 2017. Rather, this is a rundown of top-tier games that I think represents a broad cross-section from among what's coming of the types of things you can play and the places you can play them.
This is probably the biggest game of the month, in terms of both popularity and sheer size. Expect to spend a minimum of 80-100 hours exploring Persona 5, a Japanese RPG that mixes dungeon exploration in with a high school-age social simulator. Tied together by sticky leveling systems and some absolutely stunning art design, Persona 5is my personal favorite in April's lineup.
Available for PlayStation 4.
Telltale Games' first Marvel Comics story is an outer space adventure with Star-Lord and his pals. Based on the comic book side of the Marvel universe, this five-episode adventure follows the Guardians as they discover, bicker over, and ensure the safety of an ancient alien artifact. We don't know much, but that's the whole point; Telltale's work is at its best when you come in spoiler-free.
Available for Android/iOS, PC/Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
With apologies to the supremely talented team at Red Barrels, I will never play Outlast II. It's just too damn scary. The first game combined deftly executed jump scares and creepy imagery with glacial stealth gameplay in which every step is accompanied by the thought that it might be -- and probably is -- your last. It was terrifying. I expect the same from this sequel.
Available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Virtual reality is brimming with potential for scare-inducing stories, and Twisted Pixel is ready to deliver one of the most promising examples I've seen to date. Wilson's Heartis a creepy thriller set in a 1940s hospital; you are Robert Wilson, and your heart's been replaced with some kind of device... for unclear reasons. Using the Rift's Touch controllers as a stand-in for hands, you interact with the world around you to solve puzzles, evade death, and unearth the mystery that's brought you here.
Available for Oculus Rift.
Nintendo's beloved racing series returns... again! Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis a souped up remake of the 2014 Wii U game that fixes the mistakes of its predecessor. The new items, vehicles, and characters are all welcome, but Battle Mode is the real star. Once an unplayable mess, Mario Kart's non-racing competitive mode got a total do-over for Deluxe. If you've got Nintendo's highly coveted new Switch console, this is your big must-buy of April.
Available for Nintendo Switch.
You are a little girl named Six and you've been whisked off to The Maw, an underwater resort where the powerful go to live out their desires. At its heart, Little Nightmaresis a puzzle-platformer that leans toward creepy horror. But as you can see from the trailer, it's also brimming with personality.
Available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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