It's all magic and mythology this month.
PC Game Pass has already delivered a bumper crop so far this year. Diablo IV arrived on the platform a couple of months back, making it the first game from Activision-Blizzard on the service, and in April we got EA's blockbuster Star Wars Jedi: Survivor as a part of Microsoft's ongoing collaboration with EA, which sees subscribers also get access to most of the EA catalogue.
For PC Game Pass members, the good news is that things aren't slowing down, as this month sees the launch of several long-anticipated Day One games. Here's what you have to look forward to (along with the hundreds of other great titles already on Game Pass).
Back in 2017, the original Hellblade was a nightmarish feast for the senses, sweeping us off to a dark world of Norse mythology to take on the role of Senua—a troubled warrior battling both inner and outer demons. The sequel looks set to build on the intense over-the-shoulder melee combat of its predecessor with an upgraded fighting system that will propel you deeper into the beautiful world of myth and monsters that Ninja Theory have created.
Word from the wise: wear a high-quality gaming headset for this one, because if the original is anything to go by, the sound design and susurrus of psychotic voices in Senua's mind is going to be a key part of the experience.
EA's fun and original magical shooter may not have made the splash its creators would've hoped for, but our take on Immortals of Aveum is that it's still a blast to play (even if its story is lacking and its potty-mouthing was a weird choice in the writers' room). With 25 spells to mix and match as you shoot your way through a vibrant fantasy realm, Aveum is refreshingly old-school in its commitment to all-out action, while offering a flashy presentation that differentiates it from its more gunny peers. Game Pass could prove to be the perfect place for it to enjoy a bit of a renaissance.
This reboot of one of the original Souls-likes finally launched last year, and improves on its predecessor in just about every way. Our own Harvey Randall said in his review that "it oozes creativity, its bosses are inventive and cool to look at, and it has a huge host of weapons and spells to muck around with," making it one of the better offerings in a super-saturated genre. It's more dynamic and notably faster than the original (more Bloodbornesque than Soulsy), and looks stunning in Unreal Engine 5 too.
Hospital management is a subgenre synonymous with PC gaming, so it feels like a weirdly logical step to take this concept to the cosmos. Galacticare sees you take charge of a hospital floating in space, catering to diverse galactic races and the equally diverse gamut of diseases and conditions they carry with them.
Hire staff, research new medical technologies, and design your hospital to maximise turnover, making your facility the greatest one the galaxy has ever seen… or just watch it fall apart as you fail to balance the books and the bedpan
Every now and then, an indie game comes along with an aesthetic that makes our monocles pop out in astonishment. Game Pass has hosted a fair few of these over the years, and Hauntii—with its gorgeous two-tone style—is already a contender for best-looking game of 2024. Visuals aside, it seems like an interesting game to play too—an intriguing mix of puzzling, world-building, and exploration as you control a ghost working its way to a mysterious tower at the centre of a surreal world.
If Lemmings were a minimalist rumination on the nature of what it is to be human, then this would probably be the result. Guide a flock of mindless humans through the puzzles and obstacles of an increasingly challenging series of levels, using things like fans, conveyor belts, and blocks to get them to the exit.
Humanity wouldn't look out of place projected onto a giant white wall of a modern art gallery, all while being a brilliantly designed puzzle game that stretches your mind and fully invests you in the task of shepherding people through its beautiful liminal spaces.
