1. Dreams Early Access lets the creative types get a headstart
Even if you're the kind of player who never touches creative modes, you'll be glad to know that Dreams Early Access is going live on April 16. Why's that matter for you? Because it means all those folks who love spending hours on odd, brilliant creations will have already made plenty of stuff for you to enjoy as soon as the full game comes out. Dreams Early Access features the full creative toolset, letting people build away just like they could in the Dreams Creator Beta. The biggest missing part is the Story Mode, but Early Access players will also get that as a free update when the full game goes live. If you're interested, make sure you pick it up early - Media Molecule only plans to sell a limited number of Dreams Early Access copies.
What: Dreams Early Access launch
Where: PS4's PlayStation Store
When: April 16
2. Scream yourself silly as survival horror gets a pixelated twist
Most survival horror games - much as I love them with every fibre of my twisted, withered heart - look very similar. Bit of fog, bit of rusty metal work, monsters that are so Freudian they make you reconsider your relationship with your mother. The Padre, a new game from the brilliantly named Shotgun With Glitters studio, is an indie horror with a distinct pixelated look that promises puzzles, evil, and plenty of dark humor lurking in every corner. The hero, the titular Padre, is a demon hunter on the search for a lost Cardinal (we assume the religious official, not the bird, but you never know with horror) inside your classic creepy mansion.
What: The Padre
Where: PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch
When: April 18
3. Can a horror film really do an ancient Mexican myth justice?
La Llorona, or The Weeping Woman, is a classic tale from Mexican folklore. In the old legend, she's a woman who drowned her children in a jealous rage and now sobs loudly while searching for them. Hearing her cries brings misfortune, and she will kidnap children and drown them in a tragic repetition of her crime. As you see, it's a great story, and now a new director, Michael Chaves, will make his debut attempting to capture it in The Curse of La Llorona. The movie is set in 1970s LA and stars Linda Cardellini, who plays Laura Barton, (Hawkeye's wife) in the Avengers movies.
What: The Curse of La Llorona
Where: Movie theaters
When: April 19
4. World War Z is your cheaper, breezier zombie game alternative to Days Gone this month
We all remember World War Z. That ho-hum Brad Pitt disaster movie from 2013 that aimed squarely for mediocrity and struck that target with pinpoint precision. Six years later, and a potential sequel remains in production limbo, but a video game adaptation from Saber Interactive (Timeshift, NBA Playgrounds) is releasing to fill the gap. A co-op focused action shooter that seeks to deliver on the insect-like horde mentality of its ravenous zeds, World War Z probably won’t be winning any Game of the Year awards come Christmas time, but it does look to be a bitesize serving of guilty pleasure entertainment that won’t take itself quite as seriously as April’s other big zombie game, the PS4 exclusive Days Gone. If you’ve got three other friends with a unquenching thirst for zombie blood, look no further than this video game spinoff which no one really asked for, but could well be more entertaining than the movie it’s inspired by.
What: World War Z
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One
When: April 16
5. My Time at Portia is out on consoles and prepare yourself, it’s the new Stardew Valley
My Time at Portia is addictive, I’m warning you. Think Stardew Valley but in 3D, with more missions from your fellow townspeople and even a story to encourage you to explore as much of Portia’s world as possible. Not that you’ll need the encouragement, as Portia is the wholesome kind of addictive that will suck you in with promises of re-energising your dad’s old building business and keep you mining, chopping, and crafting away while the day gradually winds into night in real life and you kind of forget that you don’t actually own a flourishing post-apocalyptic construction business. You could kind of think of My Time At Portia as a time travel device, as one moment it’s 3pm, and the next it’s 11pm and your belly is rumbling because despite baking up some fruit tarts you haven’t actually had a real dinner yet… just mentally prepare yourself, ok? Zoe Delahunty-Light
What: My Time At Portia
Where: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
When: April 16
Release Radar picks the best games, movies and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.
