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April is nearing its end, and the gaming industry has made some explosive announcements throughout the week. From large price cuts to anniversary celebrations, collaborations, and beta tests, there is no shortage of exciting news. First on the docket is the news that Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are made more accessible, perhaps in lieu of Call of Duty Day-One releases. NIKKE starts their 3.5 anniversary with a bang, and Dead by Daylight has a whopping three collaborations all in one go starting next week. Otome game fans are treated well this week too as they become more available to a wider audience.
Reviews this week cover a wide variety of genres, from action-adventure RPGs, turn-based deckbuilders, rhythm games, a cozy life sim, and even a god simulator. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone, and it goes to show just how massive the gaming industry truly is.
Here’s a quick look at some of the week’s biggest gaming headlines.
Gaming News At A Glance
Xbox Game Pass Drops Day-One Call of Duty Launches For Price Cut
NIKKE 3.5 Anniversary Celebration Makes Headlines With An Exclusive T.T Star Live Performance
Cupid Parasite Otome Game Arrives On Steam In 2026
Light and Night SEA Opens Pre-Registration
Dead By Daylight (DbD) Has Explosive Collabs Coming This April
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: Apr 19 to Apr 25
Monster-Taming, Vampire-Crawling, and Rhythm-Induced Conspiracy Theorizing
⚫︎ Mongil: Star Dive
⚫︎ Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis
⚫︎ Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard
Other Reviews This Week
Different Planets, Different Worlds
⚫︎ Petit Planet [Stardrift Test]
⚫︎ The Expanse: Osiris Reborn [Closed Beta]
⚫︎ Masters of Albion [Early Access]
Other Early Access/Previews This Week
Gaming News At A Glance: Xbox Game Pass Cuts Price, NIKKE Anniversary Live in London, Light and Night Pre-Registrations
Xbox Game Pass Drops Day-One Call of Duty Launches For Price Cut
In a shocking move, Microsoft has announced on April 22 that Xbox Game Pass pricing will be dropping slightly. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma shared on her X (Twitter) account that the subscriptions, particularly the Game Pass Ultimate, has "become too expensive for too many players", and that the company will "keep learning and evolving" the service to better fit players.
Alongside the price reduction, they have also announced that future Call of Duty titles after Black Ops 7 will no longer be available on the service as Day One releases, instead opting to add it to the library a year after its launch.
Game Pass Ultimate now sits at $22.99 from a previous price of $29.99, while the PC Game Pass now retails for $13.99 compared to its earlier $16.49.
NIKKE 3.5 Anniversary Celebration Makes Headlines With An Exclusive T.T Star Live Performance
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE celebrates its 3.5 anniversary with a plethora of content, starting with the Global Commander Cheering Campaign. Players are encouraged to contribute to reaching the milestones up until the final one, which will then culminate in a grand finale in London—a live performance by T.T Star! The performance is scheduled for April 30th, 5 AM PDT / 8 AM EDT, with more details to follow on their official social media accounts.
Anis will also be making a wonderful appearance not only in-game but also in the heart of New York City’s Times Square, with a shining billboard displayed 72 times throughout the day on April 23rd.
Aside from a highly anticipated performance and the live billboard, players can also join in the festivities in the comfort of the game through the new Version 3.5 update with new story chapters, mini-games, and characters to collect like Neon: Vision Eye, and Anis: Star.
Cupid Parasite Otome Game Arrives On Steam In 2026
Cupid Parasite, a Switch otome visual novel originally released in 2020, has announced its release on Steam sometime in 2026. This marks publisher Idea Factory International’s (Hyperdimension Neptunia series, Fairy Fencer F, Hakuoki series) first otome PC port since 2018’s Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms, with most of their otome-themed releases catering to the Nintendo handhelds. Players take on the role of Lynette Mirror, a renowned bridal advisor and, secretly, Cupid, with the goal of guiding a set of tough clients.
They are now recruiting interested players for closed beta testing, citing the need to test "a variety of rigs" before it is deemed launchable for Steam, with testing set to start on April 27th, 11 AM PDT / 2 PM EDT.
Light and Night SEA Opens Pre-Registration
Popular Chinese otome game Light and Night opens pre-registration for its upcoming SEA server, accessible through the game’s official website. While it is set for release on mobile devices, pre-registration is strictly through the site as of writing. Interested players can provide their details—nickname, email, and country (currently restricted to SEA countries)—to register.
Pre-registered players will receive the latest updates on the upcoming title via email, with an extra bonus of "First Meeting" rewards when the game goes live.
Dead By Daylight (DbD) Has Explosive Collabs Coming This April
Dead by Daylight (DbD) ends the month of April with a bang with not one, not two, but three iconic collaborations coming to the game on the 28th. Firstly, Attack on Titan (AoT) returns after four years, adding both legacy cosmetics from the 2022 collaboration alongside new skins, such as Attack Titan, "Cleaning" Levi Ackerman, Mikasa’s Dark Uniform, and Sasha Braus’ Uniform. With the cosmetics comes the fan-favorite limited-time 2v8 game mode, pitting two Killers against eight Survivors on bigger maps.
The Darkest Dungeon also brings in the Ruin Rift event, with Darkest Dungeon-themed skins such as Collector’s Curse, Hellion’s Courage, and Highwayman’s Tale, among others, being made available. Closing it all off is the Alien collaboration, introducing new Colonial Marines’ gear and William Hudson skins, and more, although the details have been kept under wraps until its launch.
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok Open Beta Announced for Late April
⚫︎ Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Cuts Multiplayer and DLC, Adds New Story Missions and Features
⚫︎ Overwatch x Diablo 4 Crossover Adds Five New Skins, Brings Back Legendaries
⚫︎ Ecco the Dolphin: Complete Bundle Announced With New ‘Contemporary’ Game
⚫︎ Enshrouded Forging the Path Major Update Adds Adventure Sharing, Skill Tree Reset, and Combat Overhaul
⚫︎ The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Closed Beta Showcases Combat, Progression, and Story Choices
⚫︎ Control: Ultimate Edition Hits iOS with All DLCs for Just $5
⚫︎ Dead Island 2 Celebrates 3rd Anniversary With Free Collab Update and Series Bundle on Consoles
⚫︎ Aion 2 Global Release Confirmed for 2026 as Steam Wishlist Goes Live
⚫︎ Honkai: Nexus Anima Opens Beta Test Recruitment; Introduces New Characters
⚫︎ Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition Controller and Headset Pre-Orders Now Open
⚫︎ 007 First Light Showcases Deluxe Edition Gear in New Tribute Trailer
⚫︎ Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Reveal Showcase Announced for April 23
⚫︎ DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO Super Limit-Breaking NEO DLC Adds 30+ Characters This Summer
⚫︎ Phasmophobia Collabs with Alan Wake 2 in First Ever Crossover Event on May 12
⚫︎ Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Brings Back Wolfgang Krauser on April 24 First Anniversary Update
⚫︎ Metal Slug 30th Anniversary Celebration Teases New Entry From SNK
Review Roundup: Apr 19 to Apr 25
Monster-Taming, Vampire-Crawling, and Rhythm-Induced Conspiracy Theorizing
From action-adventure and card-play deck-building to rhythm games and base-building titles, there’s a wide variety of games that made their launch this week. Among them is Mongil: Star Dive, a new free-to-play action-adventure RPG; Yunyun Syndrome?! Rhythm Psychosis, a narrative-driven rhythm tale of a hikikomori girl with strong hyperfixations; and Vampire Crawlers, a spin-off of the ever-popular Vampire Survivors that trades the series’ signature bullet heaven gameplay for turn-based deck-building.
Mongil: Star Dive
Mongil: Star Dive is one of the latest free-to-play action-adventure RPGs, blending together monster-taming mechanics with familiar action RPG combat elements. Players embark on a journey to save the world from certain destruction.
Remarkably easy to get into, but difficult to commit to—the beginning is appealing and fun, but the deeper you go, the more its weaknesses come in through the cracks. It’s got comedic writing and expressive visuals, yet it lacks other aspects to make you stay and to stand out from the rest of an already oversaturated genre. It’s here for a good time, not a long time.
Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis
Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis is a narrative-driven rhythm game that follows protagonist Qtie, a reclusive individual with hyperfixations for demon character Yunyun and denpa songs (a Japanese music genre characterized by bizarre but very catchy and upbeat music). Through "denpa signals" she posts anonymously on social media that are then spun into conspiracy theories.
It provides all sorts of contradictory experiences—simple but chaotic, structured but uncertain. However, it’s not entirely a bad thing. While it has some of its faults like way-too-forgiving mechanics and clashing audio design, it does an excellent job at everything else it already does well in, like the soundtrack, the narrative, the visuals, and the core rhythm gameplay.
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard is a first-person, turn-based strategy deck-building title by the developers of the smash hit Vampire Survivors, poncle. Also set in the same universe as its predecessor, it makes use of combo-centric card game mechanics to battle hordes upon hordes of enemies. A bit of the same, but dealt with differently.
If you thought Vampire Survivors was addictive, say less—Vampire Crawlers is just as addictive. It took the usual card-based deck-building gameplay and spun it into its own form, an innovative take on mechanics that has been overdone way too much on other games. The narrative and visuals are decent; nothing stellar, but enough to add to the experience.
Other Reviews This Week
⚫︎ Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Review | It’s Dumb, But in a Good Way
⚫︎ Samson Review | Inspiring Concept, Terrible Execution
⚫︎ Darkswitch Review | Digs Deeper as It Goes Higher
⚫︎ Tides of Tomorrow Review | Better Than a High Tide
⚫︎ DAMON and BABY Review | Devilishly Fun
⚫︎ Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta Review | Still Stuck in 2012
Different Planets, Different Worlds
Most of this week’s Early Access and Beta Test pickings have a common thread—the chance to shape a world to your liking. Petit Planet shows the fluffy, warmhearted side of things in an ambitious attempt to grow a planet homestead, while The Expanse: Osiris Reborn follows the player’s choice in creating a narrative and a world that forms around those choices. Masters of Albion is, quite literally, a god simulator, where what you say goes. So what kind of world creator are you?
Petit Planet [Stardrift Test]
Petit Planet is game giant HoYoverse’s answer to a cozy life simulation game. Players, called Planet Tenders, are tasked with revitalizing one of the many planets in the Starsea, creating a wonderful homestead to call their own. Plant flowers and crops, fish, craft, decorate, and meet Neighbors and other players—the world is but a canvas.
This is the first test from the game, and even at its early stages, it’s looking to be shaping itself for a brighter future ahead. Cozy gamers will find its blend of gameplay mechanics familiar, and new players will find the whole thing easy to grasp. Relaxation, freedom, and overall warmheartedness are the name of the game here.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn [Closed Beta]
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (or just Osiris Reborn for short) is a third-person action RPG with squad-based combat, based on the series and books of the same name. Players step into the role of a customizable Pinkwater Security mercenary, whose voyage turns into a nightmare when they are trapped in a deadly lockdown. Caught in the wrong place at a wrong time, it’s up to this enigmatic mercenary to hold their crew together and to find a way out of this mess.
Osiris Reborn shows promise, especially with the narrative and the exploration mechanics. Even from the prologue, there is a large potential for more in the main story with its cause-and-effect scenarios, as well as the locations to visit across the cosmos. Performance issues are prevalent, but it’s in beta and will surely fix its creases as it nears its Spring 2027 launch.
Masters of Albion [Early Access]
Masters of Albion is a "bold reimagining" of the God Game genre by the man who defined the genre itself. Peter Molyneux’s (Black & White, Fable) town-building God simulator with action-combat elements puts players as the Chosen One, tasked to defeat an ancient and deadly foe while also defending the inhabitants of Albion and ensuring their prosperity.
It definitely is the culmination of Peter Molyneux’s previous works, with snippets of them scattered throughout the game. There’s a lot to do as the God of the world, and the game gives you the freedom to deal with it as you please. However, it’s bogged down by its jankiness (as expected from an Early Access title) and rough edges that can make its first few hours tiring to slog through, but nevertheless, this is only chapter one of a long story that’s waiting to be written.
Other Early Access/Previews This Week
⚫︎ Morbid Metal Review [Early Access] | Beautiful Chaos
