The Games of May

The Return of the King(dom)

A new month is almost upon us, and though May sees an excellent and varied selection of new releases to look forward to, it’s probably safe to assume that a few games are sensibly steering clear of a certain Hero of Time who makes an appearance right in the middle of it.

Regardless, we still have single-player epics, online shooters, an interesting take on Lord of the Rings, and a remake of one of PC gaming’s all-time greats to keep us busy.

A special mention to Humanity too, from Rez and Tetris Effect-makers Enhance Games, which sadly just missed out here but looks every bit as brilliant and bonkers as you might expect. And then some.

Anyway, here are some of May’s most noteworthy games!

Redfall

Release: May 2
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Developer: Arcane Studios

What about Left 4 Dead, but with vampires? That alone might be enough of a sell for some - and understandably so, too, considering how good Left 4 Dead is - but when it’s coming from the developers of modern classics Dishonored and Deathloop, you can perhaps be forgiven for hoping for just a little bit more.

The devs at Arkane Studios are renowned for the quality of their story-driven ‘immersive sims’, so it’ll be interesting to see how the studio adapts its world-class single-player shooter mechanics to an online multiplayer environment.

This one sees you (either alone or with up to three others) sweeping through neighbourhoods in a bid to rid Redfall of its vampires - gathering intel, capturing safe houses, and ultimately working your way up to face each area’s ruling boss.

It may not be the most original idea, but the talent and ability on tap over at Arcane mean Redfall’s gameplay has the potential to be something very special.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Release: May 12
Platform: Switch
Developer: Nintendo EPD

For a series spanning over twenty-five years and playing host to a number of truly revolutionary games, the fact that many consider the last entry to be the best Zelda of all is a testament to the staggering ability and consistency of Nintendo’s designers, and to the quality of Breath of the Wild itself.

Nintendo played a dangerous game discarding so many of the longstanding traditions that made the series so popular, but the huge open world and incredible physics system introduced an unparalleled sense of exploration and player freedom only hinted at in previous titles.

Of course, not everybody agreed. Many lamented the game’s often barren fields, its lack of traditional dungeons and samey side quests. But with six years to expand upon and refine the open-world Zelda formula, maybe Tears of the Kingdom is the game to unite both sides of the argument and make for the definitive best Zelda ever - perhaps the best game ever?

Too much? Well, with Nintendo’s track record in creating landmark games – particularly when it comes to this series – and with an already staggering game being used as a starting point, it’s certainly not out of the question.

Arguably the biggest game of the year is just two weeks away, and Nintendo’s secrecy so far means we hardly know anything about it. How exciting is that?

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Release: May 25
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch, PC
Developer: Daedalic Entertainment

In a world of warriors, wizards, elves and dwarves, putting you in the role of the scrawny, weaselly Gollum may not be the most obvious choice for a video game. But German studio Daedalic says it’ll give players the chance to experience Middle Earth - a world of scale, wonder, and good and evil - from a smaller perspective, whilst also bringing platforming and stealth elements into the mix.

The studio also says the character’s dual personality will see players choosing between Gollum and Smeagol’s different approaches to various situations, with one even having to persuade the other to take said approach. It's a fascinating prospect, for sure, but of the games featured on this list, Gollum is perhaps the biggest unknown and the one that really could go either way quality-wise.

Still, from what we’ve seen so far, and based on the source material being mined and the ideas Daedalic are trying to implement, Gollum should at least be an authentic, interesting and unique take on a mythology that so many people deem so very precious.

System Shock

Release: May 30
Platform: PC (Console TBA)
Developer: Night Dive Studios

It may not be a household name these days, but there’s no underestimating the influence that this PC game from 1994 had on first-person shooters as we know them today.

In an era of all-guns-blazing, bloodthirsty chaos, System Shock was one of the first to introduce a more thoughtful approach to the genre. Through methodical exploration, a deep narrative and environmental storytelling, System Shock was an important leap forward for the genre and for interactive storytelling generally.

This crowdfunded remake is described as a faithful reimagining built from the ground up by a team of industry veterans. And aims to bring one of PC gaming’s all-time greats kicking and screaming into the modern era.

This project’s been delayed multiple times already, and the confirmed console versions are still without a date. But fingers crossed this latest release date for the PC version sticks, and that old fans and newcomers alike can finally get their hands on this reimagining of a genuine genre classic in just a few short weeks.

Which are you most excited about?

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As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy the rest of the issue.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jeff

THE WEEK IN GAMES

The best news, deals and gaming content of the week

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The State of Switch 2023

What do people think about the Nintendo Switch? Chris Brandrick - long-time friend of The Week in Games and editor of Switch Weekly - carries out a yearly poll to ask just that, and this week posted the results for this year.

It’s a hugely impressive and comprehensive collection of opinions, stats and analysis on all things Switch. You can check out the full rundown here.

Filmmakers Without Cameras

After a successful crowdfunding campaign the wonderful Filmmakers Without Cameras: The Trilogy is now available to order in both soft and hardcover variants over at Peregrine Coast Press.

Featuring “over 180 pages of thoughtful writing from 39 writers on your favourite films, video games, board games, and roleplaying games, as well as TTRPGs and flash fiction.” It’s a lovely collection of articles. and well worth a look.

Frame-A-Game Store Discount

You can still get 15% off at the Frame-A-Game Store using the exclusive Week in Games code TWIG15. But not for much longer.

INDIE SPOTLIGHT

Shining a light on new and upcoming indies

“Graphic Novel meets Visual Novel in this story-rich, choice-driven thriller. Experience Blake’s journey as he encounters a clandestine nemesis, sparking a series of events that force him to choose between losing his sanity or rising to the challenge.”

This one’s been out for a while now and has been on the end of some good reviews (and an 82 Metacritic rating) in the time since. It makes an appearance here because the game’s solo developer recently made the full thing available for free on Steam!

For more info and to grab yourself a copy, check out Blake’s Steam page.

NEW RELEASES

All the big releases for this week and next

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…and that’s it for this week!

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