Warpback: What We Played in April 2017

The Nintendo Switch isn’t just setting sales records, it continues to dominate any discussion about video games. The Warp Zoned staff were no different, as most of us spent the month of April firmly ensconced in Link’s quest to save Hyrule. But there are other games for the Switch besides Breath of the Wild, and Persona 5 might just steal your heart on the PS4 or PS3.

What else did we play last month, audience? Read on to find out…

John Scalzo
Editor-In-Chief
My Nintendo Switch continued to get quite the workout for the second month in a row. Naturally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the game that received the most attention, as I continued to explore Hyrule at a leisurely pace. I know the fate of the world is at stake, but it’s just so easy to get distracted by a flash of light you think might be a Shrine.

But the Switch has also received a series of smaller games in the Nintendo eShop that demand your notice, including the absolutely excellent side-scrolling shooter Graceful Explosion Machine and the puzzle mashup Puyo Puyo Tetris. I talked a bit more about the colorful geometry of Graceful Explosion Machine in this review a few weeks ago.

And speaking of colorful shooters, I also took the newly-launched PS4 version of Deathstate for a spin around the outer limits of mankind’s comprehension. The Lovecraftian “single-stick shooter” debuted on the PC more than a year ago, but it’s retro style and excellent roguelike gameplay will surely make it a favorite of the console crowd too.

Nicole Kline
Senior Editor
April was an awesome month for me! I had my two usual games that I’ve been playing for ages, Pokemon Go and Pokemon Picross, and Dishonored 2 finally showed up, so I started that. But when Persona 5 came out, that was the end for me. I’m at almost 50 hours and I still can’t put it down. That’s not entirely true – I did take a short break just to play some Flinthook, which I absolutely adored.

But other than that, I was just doing my Phantom Thief thing as much as possible.

Andrew Rainnie
UK Correspondent
Like almost everyone else, most of my April was spent exploring Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Every time I journey there, it seems like I uncover a new secret or find an unexplored nook. And one of the best things about the Switch is its portability. I’ve been taking it to work and playing on my lunch break.

Meanwhile, my PlayStation 4 was feeling neglected, so I started playing Dishonored 2. Revisiting Dunwall is similar to discovering Hyrule,there is something familiar, and yet fresh and new, in a steam punk, psycho killer way. Also, I did not realise that The Outsider is voiced by Robin Lord Taylor of Gotham fame until my fiancee said, “He sounds like the Penguin.”

Mike Ryan
Staff Writer
My April was pretty much all Breath of the Wild. I am really taking my time with this game, enjoying the scenery and all the secrets that this massive Hyrule has to offer. I finally bought a house, where I keep my most valued weapons, and take daily rides around the field with my horse, Horseface. I finally think it’s time, though, to go after these divine beasts and really get the story moving along, though I don’t see my interest in Breath of the Wild waning any time soon.

I also played a brief amount of Yooka-Lalee, and I must say the complaints about the controls and camera are very much spot-on. It’s not a bad game; but it doesn’t have the same “magic” that Banjo-Kazooie had. But again, I’m just a few hours into it, and I’m still going to give it a chance. I also purchased an external hard drive for my PS4, so I’m finally able to download all these PlayStation Plus games I never got a chance to play. Now if only I had some free time…

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