With April done and dusted, and most of us still playing through the excellent Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, May 2023 is somehow both modestly quiet and incredibly loud. There might not be the same constant onslaught of big-ticket titles this month than there has been in others, but there’s no doubting the impact at least one game will have on the rest of the year (or eternity). I’m talking, of course, about Gollum The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
You can read our previews of Tears of the Kingdom and Redfall, or our interview with some of the team behind another of the month’s exciting releases, LEGO 2K Drive.
Redfall
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: May 2nd
The Cheapest Physical Copy: $94 at Amazon
Redfall is an open-world, co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored. Slay alone or squad up with up to 4 player co-op and face off against the vampires holding the island hostage. Redfall brings the studio’s signature gameplay to this story-driven action shooter.
Showgunners
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 2nd
Explore and survive arenas filled with environmental hazards, traps, and puzzles before facing off against psychopath mercenaries in dynamic tactical battles. Win over fans to win fame points that can unlock game-changing sponsorships. Earn experience and level your characters’ skill trees in the way that best suits your playstyle.
AFL 23
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC (Xbox TBA)
Release Date: May 4th
AFL 23 is the most authentic video game football experience to date.
Featuring the fully licensed 2023 AFL Premiership and AFL Women’s competitions and over 30 detailed stadiums, it’s time to play footy for real.
Jected: Rivals (Early Access Launch)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 4th
Take down your Rivals in this destructive, arcade, stunt royale! Jected – Rivals is all about the biggest jumps, fastest stunts and bone shaking explosions. Tackle 18 other players across 4 events to be crowned the Unrivalled Champion of the tournament.
Ravenlok
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: May 4th
Embark on a delightful adventure through enchanted lands, delving into a lost Labyrinth, a menacing Mask Mansion, and more. Solve puzzles and complete quests to help the quirky yet endearing inhabitants restore their realm to its former splendour. Travel through a cinematic 3D pixel fairy tale, accentuated by the studio’s signature voxel aesthetic.
Bare Butt Boxing (Early Access Launch)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 4th
Take control of mischievous aliens mesmerized by the sport of boxing as they battle it out all over our beloved planet Earth, unaware of the laws and traditions of human society. Enjoy the chaos and whimsy of simulated characters and environments in this action arena brawler that will keep you hooked with surprising combat twists and gameplay variety. Board the spaceship, we’re off to the next scrimmage!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: May 12th
The Cheapest Copy: $74 at Amazon
An epic adventure across the land and skies of Hyrule awaits in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch. The adventure is yours to create in a world fuelled by your imagination. In this sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?
Humanity
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Release Date: May 16th
A unique blend of devious puzzle-solving and platformer-action mechanics, HUMANITY’s ever-changing and eclectic gameplay experience will have you lead a horde of ever-forward-marching people into the light. Place commands to direct the masses to turn, jump, push, float, climb (and more!) to salvation. Venture through a robust, 90-level narrative-driven story mode filled with mind-bending challenges, bosses, and a wide array of optional cosmetic unlockables.
Another Fisherman’s Tale
Platforms: PS VR2, PC VR
Release Date: May 17th
Another Fisherman’s Tale, sequel to the award-winning A Fisherman’s Tale, is a new mind-bending VR puzzle-adventure. A poetic story with unique VR puzzle mechanics. Detach, Replace and Control your hands, solve puzzles, explore new locations and discover the truth.
Warlander (Console Launch)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X
Release Date: May 18th
Up to a hundred players will be able to join up and battle it out as part of two or five armies in skirmishes and castle sieges with the goal of breaking into the opponents’ stronghold and destroying its core. Playing either as a warrior, cleric, or mage with their own unique set of skills, players will have the option to build up decks of finely customized characters for the battles ahead.
The Outlast Trials (Early Access Launch)
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 18th
The Outlast Trials is a survival horror game you can play by yourself or with other players online. You’ll have to survive the twisted, sadistic and bizarre experiments of the Murkoff Corporation, alone or in a group up to 4 players.
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 18th
Awakening atop an overgrown skyscraper roof, you find yourself surrounded by silence and devoid of any living soul. Cosmopolis, once a towering symbol of metal and glass, now lies in shambles and submerged in water. The fierce, decades-long conflict between UNICORP and rival corporations advocating transhumanism ideas appears to have reached its end with the collapse of society. Your mission is to unravel the mystery of civilization’s final days and your sudden awakening. Alternatively, you can forge your own path, building a future while appreciating the remnants of humankind’s legacy.
LEGO 2K Drive
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: May 19th
The Cheapest Copy: $74 at Amazon
A world-class team at Visual Concepts with deep experience in the genre will bring AAA quality, depth of gameplay and stunning visuals to a LEGO driving game for the first time. LEGO 2K Drive will combine the best elements of open-world driving and fast-paced competitive racing, while introducing a diverse vehicle customization system.
Glitch Busters: Stuck On You
Platforms: PS4, Switch, PC
Release Date: May 23rd
Glitch Busters: Stuck on You, a fun, frantic single player or co-op shooter perfect for gamers and the entire family will be out on May 23rd!
Work alone or together with 3 friends to exterminate viruses across wildly inventive stages, including a towering metropolis and roaring volcano using special magnetic co-op abilities and an arsenal of unlockable weapons. Play, laugh, and shout with your team to take on the net’s kookiest bugs in an online world gone haywire.
Amnesia: The Bunker
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: May 23rd
Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person horror game set in a desolate WW1 Bunker. Face the oppressing terrors stalking the dark corridors. Search for and use the tools and weapons at your disposal, while keeping the lights on at all costs. Overcome fear, persevere, and make your way out alive.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: May 23rd
Load up your Boltgun and unleash the awesome Space Marine arsenal to blast your way through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood in a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, frenetic gameplay and the stylish visuals of 90’s retro shooters.
After Us
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: May 23rd
Play as Gaia, the Spirit of Life, and navigate stunning platforming environments in an abstract world to salvage the souls of extinct animals. Revive these creatures after learning their final fate: the last whale harpooned, the final eagle caged, the last deer hunted down, and more, while you survive encounters with dangerous, oil-covered Devourers that roam the wasteland in search of remaining life.
Miasma Chronicles
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: May 23rd
From the creators of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden comes a beautifully crafted tactical adventure you won’t forget. Embark on a quest across a post-apocalyptic wasteland torn apart by a savage force known only as the ‘Miasma’.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: May 25th
A narrative-focused adventure game that will centre on J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous tricksy, dual-personality character. The game will explore events that occur between Gollum’s finding of the One Ring and the start of The Lord of the Rings story.
Company of Heroes 3 (Console Launch)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: May 30th
The Cheapest Copy: $89 at Amazon
Purpose built for Console with custom UI, full controller support, and features that allow you to play at your own pace, Company of Heroes 3 deploys its acclaimed blend of action, tactics and strategy to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in full strength.
System Shock
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 30th
System Shock, rebuilt from the ground up with the Unity Engine, is a complete remake of the genre-defining classic from 1994. One of the first 3D games to take a methodical approach to exploration, System Shock’s story-driven narrative was revealed through audio logs and messages scattered throughout the game world, making it a revolutionary step forward for interactive storytelling.
