1. Move over Ecco the Dolphin, Jupiter and Mars are here
Humanity is a lost cause, so why not wedge on your PSVR headset and live the life of a sleek, shiny dolphin instead? In this trippy-looking title, you (and optionally, a friend) play as one of two dolphins, exploring the deep seas and - at the request of a race of whales known as the Elders - clearing away the junk mankind left behind. A smart storytelling take on the inevitable horrors of climate change, the game looks amazing in VR, with Jupiter and Mars glowing in a bewitching tribal tattoo aesthetic and the underwater world rendered in stark white highlights and soft blues. Rachel Weber
What: Jupiter and Mars
Where: PS4, PSVR
When: April 22
2. Will Mortal Kombat 11 feel pleasantly familiar or thrillingly different?
Mortal Kombat 11 drops this week, full of the frantically paced fighting, colorful characters, and absolutely absurd amounts of gore we've come to expect from NetherRealm Studios' series. But Mortal Kombat 11 switches up the formula in some key ways, building on Mortal Kombat X and borrowing from Injustice 2 while still switching things up. For instance, dashing has been toned down, and your meter is now split into offensive and defensive bars, so you have more freedom to spend it as you see fit. But the biggest change is the ability to customize your special moves somewhat, which could have huge implications on character specializations. We'll have to see how the fighting game community takes to these changes when Mortal Kombat 11 is out in the wild and the tournament scene starts spinning up. Lucas Sullivan
What: Mortal Kombat 11
Where: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
When: April 23
3. Expecting to play Division 2's raid on April 25? Bad news
Operation Dark Hours will be The Division 2's first eight-player raid, and was due to be released this week. Bad news though, because it's been delayed until May. The Division 2 endgame has delivered a lot of content already, but with the game now sitting at World Tier 5, grinding the same old Invaded Missions and Strongholds is starting to get a little stale. Most players are suitably geared at this point, so they're looking for a big, central challenge to throw themselves into. Operation Dark Hours looks to be just that. Delayed or not, its release will be a pivotal moment for The Division 2, as it will not only add new loot to chase, but also set a precedent for hardcore endgame content. Austin Wood
What: The Division 2
Where: PS4, Xbox One, PC
When: May
4. Days Gone could be PlayStation's dark (iron) horse of 2019
Is it too early to call my game of the year? Probably, but screw you, you're not even my real dad. Days Gone has everything a survival horror fan needs and throws a handsome biker on top of the pile like it ain't no thing. It's an open-world experience with the feel of an HBO drama, the horror is unsettling (there are baby monsters called Freakers who are alarmingly childlike), and the world feels rich and real, every rain-sodden, pine-scented inch of it. It's taken years for Bend Studio to get the mix of survival and action right, and it looks like the wait was worth every minute. Rachel Weber
What: Days Gone
Where: PS4
When: April 26
5. Avengers: Endgame is finally here, and none of us are ready
You’re not ready, I’m not ready, and the world is certainly not ready. Avengers: Endgame is going to arrive in cinemas this week and it’s going to change the MCU forever. 10 years ago we watched Iron Man, but little were we to know that it would kick off a decade of universe-building movies that culminate next week and is sure to usher in a new generation of Avengers. Spoilers are bound to be all over the internet, so you’ll want to be careful if you’re going to see Avengers Endgame yourself as there’s sure to be one giant revelation. It’s difficult comprehending just how big a deal Avengers: Endgame is as there’s the risk that this movie will be the last we’ll see of the original Avengers Tony Stark, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, the Hulk, and Thor - so you might want to say your goodbyes now. Or just ugly cry in the cinema like I’ll be doing. Zoe Delahunty-Light
What: Avengers: Endgame
Where: Cinemas
When: April 25 (UK), April 26 (US)
