PlayStation Releases: Best of the Rest

Ready to pick apart the gaming slate to find a hidden gem or two? Welcome to the another installment of PlayStation Releases: Best of the Rest, PlayStation LifeStyle’s recurring feature that acts as a concise tie-in to our Monthly Releases Spotlight.

But whereas our video series would cast the net far and wide to assemble each and every release headed to PlayStation platforms over the next four weeks, the purpose of this feature is to cherry-pick the lesser-known titles among that catalog.

Yes, April is upon us, and thanks to The Witness, Firewatch, Unravel and Ubisoft’s The Division — arguably the biggest tentpole of the year thus far after Street Fighter V — 2016 is off to a flyer. But we get it, such an onslaught of new software can make it difficult to see the wood for the trees.

Besides, modern-day life and other responsibilities beyond the perimeters of our pixelated havens often push and pull at our limited time to pick up a controller (or indeed handheld), and that’s something I’m confident we can all relate to. Spare time is precious, and even when you only account for the software headed to PlayStation platforms, the list of games slated for a release in 2016 is staggering.

But before we get too caught up in the months to come, here we present a handful of the lesser-known titles arriving on PlayStation platforms over in April.

Outside of Dark Souls 3, Ratchet & Clank, Housemarque’s Alienation and other heavy-hitters, there is plenty to look forward to in April. So, will you dabble with Dodge Roll’s dungeon crawler? Or have you been holding out for Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge to make a beeline to Vita? Drop your thoughts down below.

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PS Best of the Rest April 2016

PlayStation Releases: Best of the Rest for April 2016
Enter the Gungeon

Platform: PS4

Release Date: April 5 (NA & EU)

Are you ready to Enter the Gungeon? From April 5, players will be able to dodge, duck, dip and dive their way through Dodge Roll’s rip-roaring dungeon crawler, one bursting at the seams with personality, smart writing and an arsenal that would give even Insomniac a run for its money. Featuring co-op elements and more than 190 weapons to discover, look for Enter the Gungeon to blast its way onto PS4 on Tuesday, April 5.
Risk of Rain

Platforms: PS4, PS Vita (Cross-Buy)

Release Date: April 12 (NA)

First released three years ago via PC platforms, Risk of Rain is riding the crest of a wave of stellar reviews all the way onto PS4 and PS Vita. Set for launch on April 12, Hopoo Games’ action-packed — and procedurally generated — platformer is infused with roguelike elements and permadeath, opening up an addicting gameplay loop not dissimilar to Cellar Door Games’ excellent Rogue Legacy. Much like Enter the Gungeon before it, Risk of Rain will also feature co-op, whisking players away to a mysterious planet chock full of gnarly enemies.
Axiom Verge

Platforms: PS4, PS Vita (Cross-Buy)

Release Date: April 19 (NA), April 20 (EU)

The time has (almost) come. Nearly a full year after Tom Happ’s old-school platformer launched for PlayStation 4, Axiom Verge has finally turned its crosshairs to PlayStation Vita. Pegged for April 19, Happ’s Super Metroid-inspired title revolves around a hapless scientist who finds himself lost in an alien world following an accident. Stylish and challenging with a pulse-pounding soundtrack to boot, Axiom Verge launched to critical acclaim last year.

It is, at its neon core, an homage to one of gaming’s most enduring genres; plus, the fact that it was all written, designed and developed under the watchful eye of Tom Happ makes Axiom Verge all the more impressive. It’s slated to release across North America and Europe on April 19 and April 20, respectively.
Invisible, Inc

Platforms: PS4

Release Date: April 19 (NA & EU)

Invisible, Inc is poised to slink onto PS4 later this month, bringing with it tactical — and turn-based — espionage action. Arriving by way of Klei Entertainment, creative minds behind sleeper hit Don’t Starve, your mission is to assume the role of highly-trained Invisible agents to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous corporations. As Klei points out, Invisible, Inc opens up a scenario where “stealth, precision, and teamwork are essential in high-stakes, high-profit missions, where every move may cost an agent their life.” It’ll arrive on April 19.
Space Overlords

Platforms: PS4, PS3, PS Vita

Release Date: April TBA

Boasting towering Overlords and city-levelling destruction, 12 Hit Combo’s galactic shooter Space Overlords is primed to invade PS4, PS3 and PS Vita in late April. In it, you take the reins of “an ancient life form of immeasurable power who seeks revenge against the evil Kesedihan,” as you rain down chaos across multiple planets across the galaxy in a bid to wipe out the Kesedihan once and for all. Expect tough-as-nails boss fights, online multiplayer and 56 story mode levels when 12 Hit Combo’s planetary shooter descends on PS4, PS4 and Vita towards the end of the month.