It’s the season of fertility and abundance, and nowhere is that more evident than in the iconic green pastures of PC Game Pass. Microsoft’s stacked subscription service contains hundreds of games—ranging from Day One blockbusters to indie gems—for a low monthly price, and will see the debut of some more big hitters this month.
From saurian survival classics to real-time strategy where you lord over a medieval domain, there’s a lot to dig into, so grab a beverage, read on for our top picks on PC Game Pass this April.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (April 25)
The star of this month’s line-up is burgeoning Jedi Cal Kestis, who picks up where he left off from his excellent 2019 adventure, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. As with its predecessor, Survivor deftly blends skillful soulslike combat with the kind of blockbuster production values you want in a modern Star Wars story, as you push back against an iteration of the Empire at its most tyrannical.
You’ll flow from vintage platforming and action set-pieces that see you double-jumping and air-dashing through spectacular environments, to putting all your lightsaber skills to the test against daunting bosses with formidable health bars. Our Morgan Park thought it was great, declaring that it’s “firing on all cylinders, having finally figured out what works in its weird soulslike adventure format.”
ARK: Survival Ascended
ARK: Survival Evolved throws you, naked and alone, into an open world that’s both prehistoric and futuristic, where dinosaurs roam the wilderness while human players build high-tech weapons and gadgetry, fortresses from mystery metals, and attempt to tame the above-mentioned dinosaurs.
Finding your feet in a world with power-armoured players on the one hand and carnivorous lizards on the other can be rough on newcomers, but once you get into the grind, be prepared to lose hundreds of hours here as you gather resources, decorate your home, and hunt those massive mega-dinos.
Harold Halibut (Day One)
PC Game Pass is something of a hotbed for beautifully crafted story-led games (just look at the incredible Norco), and the upcoming Harold Halibut aims to continue this proud tradition. As the titular lab assistant, you explore a city-sized spaceship stuck deep under the sea, after fleeing a looming apocalyptic disaster on Earth.
You explore the ship on a 2.5D plane, speaking with the ship’s eccentric inhabitants while looking for a way to get the vessel back into space. It’s a gently paced game with a beautiful clay-model art style, and what promises to be a poignant story about achieving the unthinkable.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Day One)
The long-awaited spiritual successor to the legendary JRPG Suikoden has come to Game Pass, riding on one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history, and headed by Suikoden’s creator Yoshitaka Murayama, who tragically passed away towards the end of this game’s development.
With a gorgeous HD-2D aesthetic, an army of over 100 characters to recruit for your party, and a war-torn world in need of saving, Eiyuden Chronicle set out to be a worthy heir to one of the most ambitious JRPGs of all time. And judging by our fresh-off-the-press review by Baxter Burchill, it’s managed to achieve just that.
Another Crab’s Treasure (Day One, April 25)
Soulslikes tend to take themselves awfully seriously, don’t they? Enter Another Crab’s Treasure, a nautical adventure with a Pixar touch that promises larger-than-life bosses, magical underwater worlds, and challenging combat that sees you using rusty forks, tin cans, and other sea trash to aid you on your epic scurry across through sandcastle cities and kelp forests.
But while the trash has its uses, it’s also spreading a substance called the Gunk, corrupting the ocean’s denizens, and threatening to destroy the environment. It’s on you, a plucky crab with a penchant for turning trash into treasure (and weapons), to stop it.
Manor Lords (Day One, April 26)
One of Steam’s most wishlisted games over the past couple of years is coming to Game Pass Day One. So what’s got the masses all razzed up about this one? Well, it’s a compelling mix of mediaeval city-building and large-scale real-time strategic battles. Raise taxes, collect your tithes, and defend your holding from those who would seek to claim it for themselves.
Manor Lords is shooting for historical accuracy, and is heavily inspired by the architecture and realities of life in 14th century Franconia. Adapt to the seasons, trade goods, and of course prepare for war as your expanding territory starts rubbing up against those of rival lords.
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