The first quarter of 2021 is coming to a close, and traditionally, it’s one of the slowest times for new video game releases. New game releases should start heating up over the next few months before slowing down again in the summertime, and it looks like April is getting the second quarter started off with a bang.
April 2021 will consist of a variety of major new video game releases, includingOutridersfrom People Can Fly,New Pokemon Snapon the Nintendo Switch, and thePlayStation 5 exclusiveReturnal. There should be something to look forward to for players on all consoles, and it will definitely be interesting to see which game comes out of April as the most popular new release of the month.
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Here are the 10 biggest new video game releases planned for April 2021.
Outriders (April 1)
April is kicking off with a bang. People Can Fly’sOutridersis a new third-person shooter/RPG hybrid with a focus on co-op gameplay and the promise of providing players with a complete experience at launch instead of being yet another live service title. TheOutridersdemohas been met with enthusiasm by the community, and it will be interesting to see if that enthusiasm translates to strong sales for the game.Outriderswill also be available through Xbox Game Pass on launch day, which should ensure that it has an even bigger community of players than it would have otherwise.
Outriderswill be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Oddworld: Soulstorm (April 6)
Oddworld: Soulstormis coming to PC, PS4, and PS5.
Star Wars: Republic Commando (April 6)
Star Wars: Republic Commandooriginally launched in 2005, but the game is set to get a new lease on life on modern platforms come April 6. An enhanced port of the original game,Star Wars: Republic Commandois the latest classicStar Warsgame to get ported to new consoles. It’s a tactical FPS about the Delta Squad group, with players taking on the role of RC-1338 in the campaign. The events ofStar Wars: Republic Commandois technically no longer canon, but it should still make for a fun time for fans of the science-fiction franchise. And while thisenhanced portis so far only releasing for PS4 and Switch, it’s worth pointing out that the game can also be played on Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles thanks to the backward compatibility program.
Star Wars: Republic Commandois coming to Switch and PS4.
Shadow Man Remastered (April 15)
The classic comic book-based gameShadow Manwas re-released on PC in 2013, but now it’s getting a full-blown remaster.Shadow Man Remasteredboasts 4K resolution along with a variety of other graphical enhancements, plus brand new content that was cut from the original release. Developed by Nightdive Studios,Shadow Man Remasteredshould be the definitive way to experience the classic game, though it should be noted that PC gamers have first dibs. Those hoping toplayShadow Man Remasteredon consoleswill have to wait until an undetermined date later this year.
Shadow Man Remasteredwill be available for PC on April 15, with PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions coming later this year.
MLB The Show 21 (April 20)
Sony’s San Diego Studio has built an impressive reputation for itself, delivering one critically-acclaimedMLB The Showgame after the next. This year’s game is especially notable, however, asMLB The Show 21will no longer be PlayStation exclusive. For the first time ever, anMLB The Showgame is coming to Xbox consolesas well, withMLB The Show 21slated for release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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WhileMLB The Show 21coming to Xbox consoles is significant enough, it’s not the only reason that this year’s entry is historic.MLB The Show 21also marks the franchise’s debut on next-generation platforms, and that will include some next-gen exclusive features. One of the biggest next-gen exclusive features is the ability forMLB The Show 21players to create their own ballparks, which can then be shared with other players online.
MLB The Show 21is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… (April 23)
ExplainingNier Replicantis a bit complicated. Essentially, there were two versions of the originalNiergame released in 2010. One wasNier Gestalt, which was released worldwide and focused on an older protagonist, and the other wasNier Replicant, which was only available in Japan and featured a younger protagonist. Now an enhanced version ofNier Replicantis getting a wide release asNier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…for modern consoles. Thesuccess ofNier Automatameans that there is likely many more fans of theNierfranchise than when the original game released, so it will be interesting to see if that results in stronger sales for this version.
Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…is coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Total War: Rome Remastered (April 29)
Video game release dates are usually announced months in advance, but one exception to that is therecently revealedTotal War: Rome Remastered. A remaster of the critically-acclaimedTotal War: Romefrom 2004,Total War: Rome Remasteredis going to bring a variety of enhancements while updating the game for modern audiences.Total War: Romeis widely considered to be one of the best games in theTotal Warfranchise, and the upcoming remaster should ensure that it is able to reach an even wider audience.
Total War: Rome Remasteredis coming to PC.
New Pokemon Snap (April 30)
April 30 is an especially stacked day for the video game industry when it comes to new releases. One of the new releases includesNew Pokemon Snap, the long-awaited sequel toPokemon Snapthat fans of the Nintendo 64 original have been waiting decades for.New Pokemon Snaplooks like a natural sequel to the original game, vastly improving the graphics and adding all kinds of new gameplay features to bring things up to modern standards. Of course,New Pokemon Snapfeatures plenty of the new Pokemonthat were introduced to the franchise between the release of the originalPokemon Snapand the new game, so there should be plenty of new creatures to snap photos of. Arguably one of the biggest Switch exclusives of 2021,New Pokemon Snapis also one of the most notable video game releases of April 2021.
New Pokemon Snapwill be available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Returnal (April 30)
The Nintendo Switch isn’t the only console with an exclusive new game launching on April 30. PlayStation 5 gamers can look forward to the release ofReturnal, an intense-looking sci-fi shooter game that also features horror and roguelike elements. Developed byResogunstudio Housemarque,Returnallooks to be one of the studio’s most ambitious games, as well as one of the most impressive-looking PS5 games so far from a visual standpoint. Housemarque’s track record speaks for itself, so odds are thatReturnalwill live up to the hype, but fans will just have to wait and play it come April 30 to find out for sure.
Returnalis coming to PS5 as an exclusive game.
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced (April 30)
This is a weird one. For those who may have missed it,Terminator: Resistanceoriginally launched in 2019, a first-person shooter that was met with generally unfavorable reviews. But while the original release ofTerminator: Resistancewas not exactly praised by critics, it still managed to find an audience of players who actually liked the game. And nowTerminator: Resistancewill get the chance to find an even larger audience as a remaster is coming as a PlayStation 5 exclusive game at the end of April. And those that already own the PS4 version canupgrade to the PS5 version for free.
Terminator: Resistance Enhancedis coming as a PS5 exclusive.
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