Saying “spring” in the title here feels ceremonial. It’s already hit 90 around us at a time of year when we should still be debating whether or not it’s cool enough for a light jacket. If you’re in the same boat, maybe a better title would be “Games to Keep You Inside During New Summer.” Whatever. Point is, here are some new game recommendations. We’re going to go bump the AC down a few degrees.
Burnout Paradise: Remastered
PS4, Xbox One
Available Now
The stagnation of the Burnout franchise is essentially a crime against anyone who enjoys racing games. Or wanton destruction. Or rock n roll-heavy soundtracks. Or racing games with wanton destruction set to rock n roll-heavy soundtracks. Normally we steer clear of remasters, since plenty of them are cynical money-grabs, but Burnout Paradise: Remastered feels like it actually serves a purpose.
The remaster also gives us hope that the series isn’t dead. Putting out an updated version of an old game is a great way to test the public’s interest in a franchise, so if this rerelease does well, that could mean more Burnout games to come. The last release we got was an underwhelming mobile game back in 2011, which is absolutely not the right way to end our time with Burnout.
A Way Out
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Available Now
Hopefully you have some friends you like to game with or you’ve indoctrinated your spouse, because that’s the only real way to play A Way Out. It’s a prison break game with a heavy emphasis on cooperative play, which means there’s no single player to speak of. Well, that’s not entirely true, as you could try to control both characters at the same time using two controllers. But considering you’re nothing like that time they gave Spider-Man six arms, maybe it’s better if you just find some people to play with.
Minit
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Available Now
Games have always had a hard time handling time, but that often means that the ones that put extra effort in end up making memorable, intelligent experiences. Think Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, Singularity, and Braid. Now, add Minit to that list. Essentially, you play the game a minute at a time thanks to a curse cast on the player character. It’s an imaginative way to explore the world of the game and takes a lot of creativity on the player’s part to play. You keep the progress you’ve made with each life, so it’s not like you’re losing items or exploration, you just have to be hyper-aware of the time you’re spending on both.
Far Cry 5
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Available Now
Level all the criticism of repetitive gameplay and boring side missions at Ubisoft that you want (incidentally, we do want to, so let’s talk about the lack of mainstream innovation in gaming over a quality six-pack), the last few releases in the Far Cry franchise were entertaining romps through some of the most beautiful settings imaginable. Far Cry 5 reminds Americans that we don’t have to go overseas for natural beauty and we certainly don’t have to travel to find people willing to join an irrationally violent religious cult. Mix those two together and you have a Far Cry that writes and sells itself.
God of War
PS4
Available Now
The God of War franchise has always been one of the Playstation’s biggest draws. It was one of the first games to take full advantage of the PS2’s processing power and promised the player a gaming experience on an epic scale. The kind of epic where you personally murder your way through the Greek pantheon. This time, the game deals with more Norse themes, taking Kratos far to the North. It also seems like more time was spent on the story this time around. Instead of having the primary focus be tearing off a god’s head with your bare hands, there’s a lot of emphasis placed on the relationship between Kratos and his ward. It’s a surprisingly complex relationship and not exactly something we expected from God of War. But don’t worry, you still get to rip apart ice giants.
Dark Souls: Remastered
All Platforms
May 25
The Dark Souls remaster has the potential to frustrate a whole new generation of gamers, and that’s a recommendation we just can’t pass up. You definitely have a friend who runs their mouth about the challenge and uniqueness of Dark Souls, as if frustration and constant death are a merit in gaming. Though, we have to say, we kind of get it. Right now, the gaming world is dominated by shooters that stick you on rails and force you to do what they want you to when they want you to. Calling them games is just a technicality at this point. Dark Souls returns the power to the player, by which we mean, strips the player of almost all their power as demonic creatures rip you to shreds over and over again. Some people are into that kind of thing.
Detroit: Become Human
PS4
May 25
We’ve warned you before about hoping too hard for this game, but we’ve found it extremely hard to actually follow that advice. Early trailers and the snippets of gameplay we’ve seen still have us excited. Besides that, the game has an actual release date now and it’s coming up fast. If they were going to taunt us with something ephemeral, they’d have made the date sometime in late summer, then spent all of May and June complaining about long hours or studio demands. If they’re saying May 25, it’s probably going to come out on May 25.
Onrush
PS4, Xbox One
June 5
Onrush looks a lot like a racing game for people who can’t handle the rules and regulations of strict racing simulators. There aren’t even the restrictions of a finish line. We don’t know how that directly translates to gameplay, but we like how cars and motorcycles are speeding every which way, wrecking, boosting, and whipping themselves around insane tracks. Kind of like if Rocket League was turned into an off-road racer. It looks like a blast and something we could use to take our mind off of whatever’s bothering us at the office, in our neighborhood, or just rattling around in our minds taking up space.
