It’s been a busy start to the year, with the first three months of 2024 offering up a plethora of quality new video games. April doesn’t appear to be bucking that trend as the next few weeks will see plenty of hotly anticipated new titles arrive on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PC.
This month will see a pair of popular games that had been Xbox exclusives make the jump over to PlayStation and Nintendo. And if that wasn’t enough excitement for PS5 gamers, there’s also a brand new exclusive in the form of Stellar Blade. Plus, sports fans will be thrilled to see the return of the TopSpin franchise, and RPG lovers aren’t being neglected either as Sand Land arrives towards the end of the month and looks like an excellent time sink.
If you fancy getting stuck into a new video game this month, you’ll be spoilt for choice. So, let's jump into all the biggest games set to release in April 2024…
Grounded (April 16)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5
Grounded is a survival experience that plays like a video game version of the movie “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” You play a protagonist who’s been shrunk down to the size of an insect and sets out on a journey across an overgrown backyard to find supplies, build a suitable shelter and face off against the garden’s many inhabitants including spiders and bees.
Designed to be played either in single-player or up to four-player co-op, Grounded was originally released in a relatively rough early access form in the summer of 2020 on Xbox and PC, but has been polished over the past four years. Its arrival on PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch comes with all the improvements made during that period. It’s a very fun, but somewhat repetitive, co-op adventure. And don’t worry if you suffer from arachnophobia — there’s an option to make the spiders less hairy.
Sand Land (April 26)
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, which was created by the legendary Akira Toriyama who sadly passed away at the start of March, Sand Land is a colorful RPG set in a vast desert world where both humans and demons must scavenge for a vey precious resource: water. You play Prince Beelzebub who ventures out on a quest, alongside a loyal party, to find the Legendary Spring which is said to be hidden somewhere in the sand dunes.
You’ll have to watch out for the many dangers along your journey, including fierce wildlife and the powerful Royal Army. But you’ve got powerful vehicles at your disposal to help even the odds against the world’s most dangerous threats. Ranging from a zippy motorbike to a destructive battle tank, you can upgrade your vehicles to make even them more powerful. Plus, when you’re not facing off against foes, you can build relationships with the world’s inhabitants and develop your base camp in the city of Spino to grow its capabilities and unlock new quests.
Stellar Blade (April 26)
Platforms: PS5
Developed by Korean studio Shift Up, published by Sony and arriving exclusively on PS5, Stellar Blade could be one of April’s biggest hits. Described by director Hyung Tae Kim as a narrative-driven action-adventure game, Stellar Blade is set on a future Earth overrun by creatures known as the Naytiba with the remnants of humanity now living on an off-world colony.
You play Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, sent to Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the forces that have devastated it. You’ll do this by eliminating the Naytiba through fast-paced combat, unlocking new moves and upgrades along the way. But Stellar Blade isn’t just about intense combat: Its main story also takes a focus as you piece together the mysteries of the past and soon realize that your mission to reclaim Earth may not be exactly what it seems.
TopSpin 2K25 (April 26)
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
After a 13-year break, the TopSpin franchise returns to center court in TopSpin 2K25. Developed by Hanger 13, this new installments in the tennis simulation series aims to build upon the foundations of the beloved TopSpin 4 by keeping the gameplay fundamentals familiar but upgrading the presentation to a modern standard.
Tennis icons Roger Federer and Serena Williams are plastered all over the pre-release marketing, but TopSpin 2K25 will also include current players like Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz. Naturally, you’ll be able to create a custom pro and compete in the biggest tournaments around including Wimbledon, the US Open and more on your journey to become a Gram Slam champion. TopSpin 2K25 is set to serve up authentic sporting action when it launches on April 26.
Sea of Thieves
Platforms: PS5
Sea of Thieves has weathered choppy waters since its launch on Xbox One and PC back in March 2018, but over the last seven years, it’s become a remarkable pirate simulator that lets you and your friends sail the high seas in search of loot to plunder and other ships to sink.
After more content updates than we can count, it’s setting sail to the PS5 platform this month, and it will mark the very first time developer Rare has launched a game on PlayStation. With full crossplay enabled across all three systems, Sea of Thieves will have a very active community right out of the gate, and it’s a must-play even for landlubbers.
