No Rest for the Wicked

Available on PC (early access) from Thursday 18 April

Coming to consoles soon, this is the chance for PC gamers to get first dibs on this visceral, precision action RPG from Moon Studios, maker of the Ori series. Hone your skills as a Cerim, a holy warrior imbued with remarkable powers, with a combat system that challenges you to be deliberate and strategic. Set in a beautifully hand-crafted universe that lets you play with up to three friends in online multiplayer, it looks like one of the best open world games of the year.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Available on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S from Tuesday 23 April

The #1 funded Kickstarter video game of 2020, this classic JRPG is back in 2.5D high quality. With more than 100 playable characters, the story-rich game features a six-party battle system so you can execute combo attacks and team manoeuvres as you journey through the war-torn continent of Allraan. Directed and produced by the late Yoshitaka Murayama, it’s the spiritual successor to Konami’s Suikoden series.

Tales Of Kenzera: Zau

Available on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S from Tuesday 23 April

This 2.5D story-driven, action-exploration game is truly beautiful – not just visually, but in its story about how we contend with grief, face our emotions and find the courage to press on after loss. You’ll take control of Zau, a young warrior-shaman who seeks out the God of Death to bargain with him to bring his Baba back from the realm of the dead. A unique game with an excellent combat system, Tales Of Kenzera will both enthral you and cause you to think more deeply about our world.

SAND LAND

Available on PC, PS5, PS4 and Xbox Series X|S from Friday 26 April

“Mad Max but manga” feels an apt description for this post-apocalyptic action RPG where both humans and demons suffer from an extreme water shortage. You’ll play as Beelzebub as you learn how to control his demonic powers. Explore the sands, develop tanks and other vehicles and build up a base of operations into a thriving city to bring water back to the land. It comes from the mind of late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, and this gorgeously realised world looks to be a beautiful tribute to him.

Stellar Blade

Available on PS5 from Friday 26 April

There’s a fair bit of buzz about this new action RPG with some people muttering (albeit quietly) that it might be the next Bayonetta. It’s a big, big call, but if it gets close to that title, then we’re in for a treat. You’ll play as Eve, a cybernetically enhanced warrior tasked with taking back the Earth from a race of aliens. There’s plenty of hacking and slashing, plus the big set pieces, puzzle solving and quick-time events from all your favourite recent action games.

TopSpin 2K25

Available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One from Friday 26 April

It has been more than a decade since the last TopSpin game. As well as Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, the 2011 title had Andre Agassi on the cover, which shows you how long ago that was. But it’s back, now as TopSpin 2K25, mirroring the style of 2K Sports’ WWE, NBA and PGA titles. Featuring single and multiplayer modes, 24 pro tennis players in lifelike renderings, 15 legendary venues and all four Grand Slam events, it sounds… ace. You can even create your own tennis player and guide them to glory.

Sea Of Thieves

Available on PS5 from Tuesday 30 April

Rare’s highly successful pirate action-adventure game is coming to PlayStation 5 as a digital-only game (perfect for our top-notch broadband). It’s the first time the British video game developer has released a title on one of Sony’s consoles, so this is a big deal for the company. This release is armed with all the updates from years past, plus new content, so you can plunder treasure, fight intense battles, vanquish sea monsters and do all the swashbuckling that comes with a typical pirate’s life.

Endless Ocean Luminous

Available on Nintendo Switch from Thursday 2 May

In a month of gorgeous-looking games, this adventure simulation might just top them all. You’ll plunge into the Veiled Sea, an unexplored region deep under water where you’ll encounter and learn about more than 500 species of marine life. It also features a fairly epic multiplayer mode where you can embark on dives with up to 30 online players so you can share your findings and explore as a group. It looks like the calming video game equivalent of the Headspace app.

Prison Architect 2

Available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S from Tuesday 7 May

If you grew up on a diet of Theme Hospital, then the idea of designing, developing and managing your own personalised penitentiary probably doesn’t seem like an idea out of left field. If you didn’t, the idea of controlling the lives of miscreants is still pretty appealing! You’ll build, manage and supervise your prison, from how it looks to devising daily schedules and policies to ensure it’s safe, self-sustaining and secure. This is a massive update on the original Prison Architect top-down 2D game, as it enters the third dimension.

Homeworld 3

Available on PC from Monday 13 May

The Homeworld franchise has given us some of the most loved and critically acclaimed games ever made. The release of a new chapter in the series is both a cause for celebration and, naturally, caution. But the signs are good. Assume control and battle through fleet combat in dazzling, fully 3D space while the story unfolds on a galactic scale. War Games, the all-new three-player co-op mode, also extends your game beyond the campaign, while you can battle online in 1v1, free-for-all or team battles. This sequel also allows you to craft your own content (or use other people’s) through mods.