10 Big Games Releasing in May 2021

A new month is upon us, bringing some highly anticipated blockbuster titles, remasters and indie games. Survival horror, role-playing games, multiplayer titles and much more await so let’s take a look at 10 worthwhile games releasing in May 2021.

Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is undoubtedly the biggest game release of the month, if not one of the year’s biggest. Set after the events of Resident Evil 7: biohazard, players once again assume the role of Ethan Winters in first-person. After Mia is seemingly shot dead and his daughter kidnapped by Chris Redfield, Ethan travels to the titular village for a rescue. Of course, things are horribly off – Lycans roam about, causing mayhem; and the imposing Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters occupy the castle.

Thankfully, Ethan will have a healthy arsenal to aid his cause with handguns, shotguns and sniper rifles on hand. Upgrades for these can be purchased from The Duke while players can also hunt and cook meals for increased stat buffs. Along with the main story, there’s the return of The Mercenaries for some arcade-style shooting action (with the free-for-all deathmatch mode Re:Verse seemingly releasing this Summer).

Resident Evil Village is out on May 7^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends

Legends live forever but outlaws reign supreme in Sumo Digital’s upcoming multiplayer title. As part of a heist crew in medieval times, players choose from one of four classes – the Ranger, Mystic, Hunter and Brawler, each with their own load-outs – and proceed to infiltrate heavily guarded locations to steal some treasure. The knights and Sheriff won’t make it easy though and the crew must combine their talents to locate the Vault, crack it open and make off with the loot.

Along with AI opponents, however, a rival crew composed of four other players will attempt to steal the treasure first, or hinder you during the escape process. So far, Hood: Outlaws and Legends looks to be a compelling mix of stealth, action and multiplayer chaos. It’s out on May 10^th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4 and PC with support for cross-platform play and even more content to come post-launch.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

After years of requests from fans, BioWare is finally delivering the original Mass Effect trilogy with remastered visuals and quality of life improvements. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition collects the first three games and almost all of their DLC into one single launcher. Along with 4K resolution support, graphical improvements to shadows, lighting, particle effects and so on, character models have seen big improvements. Mass Effect 1 has been given the remake treatment with improved combat, balance changes (like all weapons being usable by all classes), better tuned boss fights and so on.

This isn’t even taking into account Galaxy at War, which has been re-balanced with the absence of multiplayer in Mass Effect 3, and now factoring in decisions from the entire trilogy. More character customization options, unified character creation and of course Photo Mode have also been added. In short, if you’re a Mass Effect fan, the Legendary Edition is a no-brainer. It’s out on May 15^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC with some enhancements on Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Subnautica: Below Zero

Unknown Worlds’ follow-up to the critically acclaimed underwater survival title puts a colder spin on things. Set two years later on Planet 4546B, players explore the arctic region. Along with exploring abandoned research stations to collect logs and other information, you’ll need to build a base and craft items with whatever resources are available to survive.

Some interesting new mechanics include exploring frozen caves and snowy peaks along with the new Snowfox hoverbike. And don’t worry – there’s plenty of scary stuff to deal with as well, like the Shadow Leviathan. Subnautica: Below Zero is currently available in early access and fully launches on May 14^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo and PC.

Days Gone (PC)

After launching for PS4 in 2019, Deacon St. John’s quest to survive in post-apocalyptic Oregon comes to PC on May 18^th. The world is crawling with Freakers who can assail the player in hordes, becoming faster and more aggressive during the night. Deacon will venture across the landscape, destroying hives, completing bounties and even dealing with infected animals like bears and wolves while harboring hope that his wife is alive.

To accomplish this, he’ll have a motorcycle which must be maintained and modified to get the best mileage. In terms of enhancements, the PC version offers ultra-wide screen support, unlocked framerates, improved level of detail and foliage draw distance, and features like Super Resolution Photo Mode. Hopefully it turns out better at launch than Horizon Zero Dawn’s PC port.

Knockout City

While Rocket Arena faded into obscurity, EA’s Knockout City is looking more promising. Developed by Velan Studios, the competitive multiplayer title is more focused on Dodgeball-style combat. Throw balls – or other players – at opponents for a knockout. But it’s not nearly that simple – you need to think about your positioning and maybe charge up for an Ultimate Throw for better tracking.

With options like dodging, catching balls, fake throwing and whatnot, Knockout City could provide a nice diversion from the usual multiplayer fare. It launches on May 21^st for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch with six modes and five maps, cross-platform multiplayer and shared progression. New content will also be added in post-launch seasons.

Rust Console Edition

Originally released for Steam Early Access in 2013, Facepunch Studios’ wildly popular survival title would fully launch in February 2018 for PC. More than three years later, Rust is coming to Xbox One and PS4. In all honesty, the core gameplay remains about the same. Make a character, drop into a harsh open world with almost nothing at your disposal, and attempt to survive, crafting items from various resources and avoiding all kinds of death.

As you make clothes and procure food, you’ll build a base, explore radiation zones, get into a clan and raid other players. While known for being unforgiving, especially for solo players, and full of bugs, Rust is still an intriguing sandbox of emergent stories where trust and betrayal can go hand in hand. We’ll see how its console versions fare when they release on May 21^st.

Biomutant

Despite all of the delays and years of development, Experiment 101’s Biomutant still looks as captivating as ever. Set in the New World, a post-apocalyptic landscape where anthropomorphic animals rule, the player is tasked with saving the Tree of Life from death. Doing so requires cooperating with the different Tribes dotting the landscape, who each have their own different goals, and taking out the World Eaters responsible for polluting the tree.

Though boasting a large world to explore, Biomutant’s combat is akin to an action RPG as you utilize melee combos, long-range weapons and elemental attacks to gain the advantage. New weapons can be crafted, mutations can bestow new abilities and various vehicles can be obtained to explore the landscape. Biomutant releases on May 25^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, so we’ll finally see if it lives up to the hype after all this time.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster

The Conception has swept through modern day Tokyo, ushering in a swarm of demons. Meanwhile, the protagonist gains the power of a Magatama and becomes the Demi-fiend, able to wield powerful magic while also commanding other demons. Thus do you embark on a journey to remake the Vortex World, either by following one of three Reasons or defying everything for your own goals.

As a remaster of the PS2 classic, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster maintains the series punishing combat and unique aesthetic while providing higher resolution visuals and fully voiced cutscenes. Various quality of life features like Skill Transfer, Quick Resume and a new Merciful difficulty have also been added along with an alternate story branch for Raidou Kuzunoha of Devil Summoner fame. It’s out on May 25^th for PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch in the West.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground

It may seem like just another Warhammer title but Gasket Games’ turn-based tactics title is unique for being the first video game set in the Age of Sigmar. This is a dark fantasy where legends and monsters collide as players collect dozens of units to customize and command in several narrative campaigns. Each playthrough offers different routes to explore with rogue-like challenges and Ascension systems for replayability. You can also take your squad online in 1v1 battles. Though video games in the franchise are usually hit or miss, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground may be worth checking out. It’s out on May 27^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

* This article was originally published here