From reimagining one of gaming's most beloved horrors to strategizing your way through World War II to zany spy games and much more – the latest game releases prove that all you need to be entertained this month is a controller in your hand.
RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE
In this day of remakes and remasters, most gamers have grown suspicious of tampering with perfection. As that's exactly what the original Resident Evil 4 was back in 2005 – perfection.
But purists can breathe a sigh of relief as RE4 Remake pulls off a masterpiece retelling of the franchise’s strongest story.
You play as US government special agent Leon Kennedy. A mysterious cult has kidnaped the president’s daughter, and you chase up the most promising lead to a rural village in Spain.
The game’s opening moments set the tone for the game. There are intangible snarls behind locked doors. Poorly lit spaces. A bloodied ID badge is on the ground. And just as the game instructs you to reach for your gun, you come to expect the worst.
Suffice it to say, RE4 Remake keeps the monument high from the get-go. The camera angle lies just off Leon’s shoulder, ensuring you’re in the thick of the action. Every visceral execution, bloodthirsty grapple, and chainsaw dodge is met in harrowing detail.
Playing on PlayStation 5, the DualSense controller amplifies the high-stakes atmosphere. If Leon is mortally injured, as he was in most of my playthrough, the heartbeat rhythm of the controller becomes almost unnerving to play over.
Every inch of the game promises healing herbs or desperately needed supplies. The ammo you salvage is met with ironic dread. Sure, the game is doing you a solid and arming you, but deep down, you know three bullets are not nearly enough to survive what it has in store for you.
And just as you retrace your steps to seek out a quiet area to heal and restock, villagers fill pathways with bear traps to keep you on your toes. Settling on roofs is all well and good until enemies somehow find ladders to come up and join you. The pause menu is well and truly the only refuge found.
Environments are like rabbit warrens, with interlocking passages, tunnels, walkways, or windows to leap through caverns, castles, abandoned villages, and more. All of which are littered with grotesque carcasses or entrails. Thankfully, protagonist Leon takes this all in his stride as you guide him perilously into unknown horrors.
A retelling for the ages
Resident Evil 4 Remake is a masterclass in psychological horror. It teaches you to be grateful for supplies but never expect to keep them for long. Enjoy the silence, but never truly trust it.
While there are some changes to the structure of the game, the integrity of the original story survives. And to the backdrop of pitchforks, axes, and chainsaws, Leon Kennedy is still the franchise’s most capable hero.
With the highly anticipated Mercenaries DLC scheduled for April, and potentially further content, now is the best time to re-experience one of gaming’s most beloved titles in a truly revolutionary, horrifying remake.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
COMPANY OF HEROES 3
Company of Heroes 3 is a reminder of the undeniable fun found in real-time strategy games. Blending strategy, resource gathering, and military prowess over an ever-evolving battlefield, this game is every tactician's delight.
Set during World War II, the game has two distinctive play modes for you to engage with; multiplayer modes and two sizeable single-player campaigns.
The highlight is undoubtedly the Italian campaign, which sees you take control of British and US forces in a quest to liberate the Italian coastal towns in the heat of war.
Using land, sea, and ground troops, you’ll slowly recapture terrain from the Nazis while completing secondary missions as you march toward Rome. These missions appear organically throughout the campaign, making the entire map feel reactive and dynamic.
Decisions made throughout the campaign will impress (or anger) three distinctive generals; balancing their happiness to earn unique bonuses is a core campaign mechanic.
Maps are beautifully designed, fully displaying war’s abject chaos and destruction. You’ll scout through debris for vantage points, potential cover for troops, sites for medical tents, or simply plan a tank’s pathing to steamroll the road ahead.
Combat is fast-paced and chaotic as you micro-manage units on the fly to gain ground. Knowing when to push forward or retreat is part and parcel of victory. A tactical pause can be used, allowing you enough time to take stock of the battlefield and punch in a series of orders to be carried out in quick succession.
The game’s second campaign is much more vehicle-heavy and exceedingly controversial. Playing as the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, the story covers the North African campaign of the war. While cut-scenes go to lengths to help ground the story, and the eight missions are arguably much more polished than the Italian campaign, players will no doubt wrestle with the notion of playing the villains.
Both campaigns serve as building blocks to prepare you for the highly competitive multiplayer mode, where you’ll duke it out with seasoned players across a wide array of maps. Mod support ensures that there will be an endless supply of content from an already-creative community of players.
Company of Heroes 3 is a must-play for gamers interested in strategy and wartime. It’s a welcomed reminder of the undeniable appeal slower-paced RTS games can have and is a fitting extension to the legacy Company of Heroes has paved since its first release back in 2006.
Company of Heroes 3 is available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
DECIEVE INC.
Deceive Inc. is a multiplayer spy game that will see you infiltrate, sneak and shoot as any spy worth their salt can do. The goal is initially simple - infiltrate the hidden depths of a level and extract with the objective. Alive.
To survive undetected, you'll adopt several different costumes that help you blend seamlessly into the game’s natural environment. The only problem is that several other spies are also walking around the level.
Each type of costume you adopt has its own specific behaviours – guards patrol important areas, staff members serve drinks, etc. Always maintain this façade, even when stealing intel and key cards, as even the smallest lapse of character can trigger suspicion.
On numerous occasions, I heard that dreaded question of "You shouldn’t be here?" rearing its ugly head as security guards wondered why an ordinarily dressed civilian was trying to enter a high-security room’s safe. I quickly scanned my area to see if any player saw this blunder, and sure enough, a hail of bullets soon followed me.
Every wrong step, stuttered movement, or lingering in an area for too long can single you out for assassination. Is that waiter following you? He’s probably a spy waiting for his moment. Or so you think.
The most fun found in Deceive Inc. is the unexplained paranoia you’ll feel, tailing a suspicious character for a few minutes after seeing something odd. You’ll wait for your moment to take them out with your gun, only to be horrified by the grave mistake of murdering an innocent NPC. It is simply hilarious.
Thankfully, the game gives you just enough within your arsenal to safely eject from any mistake you make – if you’re quick and creative. From an inflatable mat to a bulletproof umbrella, a hefty arsenal of spy gadgets can save you in a pinch and add a welcome dash of whimsy to games.
Deceive Inc. is an entertaining romp in all things spy. It’s the perfect drop-in and drop-out game that works as both a solo and co-op game with friends. It’s a refreshing blend of Fortnite, Among Us, and SpyParty that, with a big enough player base, could very well be the next big thing in multiplayer gaming.
Deceive Inc. is available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
DREDGE
On the surface, the concept of Dredge might seem bizarre; a fishing game set in the open sea, with promises of sunken treasures, supplies, and fish. But you'll soon discover there’s more to these waters.
You play as the captain of a trawler who finds themselves on a remote archipelago. As luck would have it, the mayor needs a "brave" fisherman to traverse the nearby waters.
There’s not much said about what happened to the other fishermen, but the shoreline has ample shoals to fish, and soon enough, you turn a tidy profit. Everything seems fine for now.
That is until you’re asked to catch fish that only appear at night. At this point, Dredge strikes the perfect balance between curiosity and trepidation.
The locals are scant on the details, though they will remind you to "mind yourself." Because at night, you’ll discover the open waters become something else.
In the dark, fish can become grotesque, freakish creatures. A thick fog descends on you, making any movement a potentially fatal crash into rocks. The game has a panic meter that measures your state of mind all the while.
Every second spent in darkness causes you to lose your mind slowly. The quests and artifacts you initially set out for become a distant memory. Curiosity is replaced with panic as the environment transforms into a hellscape.
At this point, your imagination will fill in the gaps – a murder of crows who steal your cargo, ghost ships that appear out of nowhere and disguise themselves as angler fish, pounce, and shipwreck you. Something somehow poisons your caught fish.
And just as you make it back to safety with half your catch still intact, one quick rest, and you’re tasked with venturing out again.
Dredge ultimately teaches you that some treasure may be best left buried. But its haunting environment, compelling gameplay, and Tim Burton-esque cast of natives will still tempt you to set sail into uncharted waters, no matter how dark it gets.
Dredge is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
