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Galaxies Games Showcase’s Lasting SparkThe Galaxies Games Showcase (April 17) carried its fire into late April, with its 50+ reveals still trending. Hosted by GamesRadar on Twitch and YouTube, it united Konami, Remedy, and Kepler Interactive for a bold indie-AAA blend. The Knightling from Saber Interactive dropped a Steam demo, its pint-sized hero’s massive shield hyping a summer 2025 launch across PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch. RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Jagex’s survival pivot, gained traction post-launch, while Remedy’s FBC: Firebreak teased chaotic co-op in the Control universe. Shadow drops like Bionic Bay (physics-puzzler) and UNBEATABLE’s rhythm demo (music as crime) lit up X, with posts calling it “E3 reborn.”@pushsquaresingled out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the star, and its April 24 release proved them right. Galaxies kept April buzzing, setting up the week’s big drops.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Redefines RPGsApril 24 unleashed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, a day-one Game Pass title that’s now 2025’s breakout. Sandfall Interactive’s RPG, hyped at Galaxies, blends painterly visuals, turn-based combat, and a philosophical narrative that hits hard. X posts exploded—@IGNcalled it a “genre-defining masterpiece,” and@XBorgHQlater reported 2 million copies sold by May. Its NVIDIA DLSS support, per@NVIDIAGeForce, made PC visuals pop. Fans on X dissected its cryptic lore, and Sandfall’s tease of a free epilogue chapter for summer, noted last week, fueled GOTY buzz. Expedition 33 was April’s indie-to-icon story, stealing thunder from bigger names.Oblivion Remastered Crashes the PartyAlso on April 24, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered shadow-dropped on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, another Game Pass win. Topping PlayStation Store charts, per@WindowsCentral, it boasts 100% remade assets, new lighting, lip-syncing, and a Skyrim-style leveling system, per@JamieMoranUK. X went wild—@Asmongoldbemoaned missing the drop, and@RinoTheBouncerranked it among April’s elite. Leaks suggest a full 2027 remake, per@Eurogamer, but this remaster’s 4K/60 FPS shine, enhanced combat, and modern third-person view ruled the week. Its surprise launch, per@IGN, sucked oxygen from indie releases, with publishers voicing “pain” for their teams on X. Cyrodiil’s return was a nostalgic juggernaut.Other Key Releases: Forza, Turtles, and MoreThe week wasn’t just RPGs:
- Forza Horizon 5 (April 24, PS5): Xbox’s open-world racer hit Sony’s console, topping PS5 charts alongside Oblivion and Minecraft, per@WindowsCentral. X praised its vibrant Mexico and tight handling, a coup for Xbox’s multiplatform push.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (April 22, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S): This tactical RPG, a Game Pass day-one title, let players control the Turtles against the Foot Clan across 20 levels. X liked its “brotherly vibe,” though some called it niche.
- Days Gone Remastered (April 24, PS5, PC): Bend Studio’s biker epic got a 4K glow-up, landing well on X for its gritty story, but@Raysnakeyesquestioned its $50 price.
- Commandos: Origins (April 24, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S): This stealth-strategy revival used NVIDIA DLSS, per@NVIDIAGeForce, but X feedback was lukewarm—solid, not stellar.
- Maliki: Poison of the Past (April 22, PC): This Chrono Trigger-inspired RPG, based on a French comic, tackled time travel and evil plants but got buried under Oblivion’s shadow, per@pcgamer.
- STARNAUT (April 28, PC): A 97% positive Steam rating (45 reviews), per@pcgamer, marked this quirky title as a sleeper hit, despite big releases dominating.
Star Wars: Zero Company Ignites HopeOn April 19, just before the week, Star Wars Celebration in Japan unveiled Star Wars: Zero Company, a turn-based tactics game from Respawn and Bit Reactor, per MP1st. Leaked details— isometric gameplay, Mandalorian mercs, a prison rescue—evoked XCOM, and X posts were electric.@Okami13_called it Star Wars’ gaming savior, with Knights of the Old Republic’s remake stalled and Respawn’s third Jedi game distant. Its reveal carried buzz into the week, amplified by Galaxies’s forward-looking vibe.Indies Overshadowed by Big DropsThe week’s heavy hitters crushed smaller titles.@pcgamernoted April’s “ridiculous” release slate—over 100 wishlist games dropped, but Oblivion Remastered’s shadow-drop, per@IGN, left indie publishers reeling. Titles like Maliki: Poison of the Past and Jeff Minter’s LLAMASOFT: The Jeff Minter Story (April 17, 95% Steam rating), per@pcgamer, struggled for air. X posts echoed the pain—indies like Blue Prince shone (92 Metascore, per@MortisWes), but Oblivion and Expedition 33 dominated. It was a brutal reminder: timing is everything.Assassin’s Creed Shadows Keeps SinkingAssassin’s Creed Shadows (March 20) stayed in freefall. Despite a 3 million player count (Ubisoft, March 27), Steam charts showed it trailing WWE 2K25, and X branded it a flop, citing bugs, bloat, and microtransactions. An April 8 patch helped, but April’s chatter, per@MortisWes(81 Metascore), saw it dwarfed by Expedition 33 (92) and Monster Hunter Wilds (88). Rise of the Ronin’s March heat felt like a distant memory.Switch 2 and Xbox’s Multiplatform FlexNintendo’s Switch 2 pre-orders (opened April 9, $449.99, June 5 launch) kept buzzing, with Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders driving hype, per X posts. Meanwhile, Xbox’s multiplatform push shone—Oblivion, Forza Horizon 5, and Minecraft topped PS5 charts, per@WindowsCentral. But Xbox’s price hikes ($80 games, pricier consoles) drew X fire, per@ChitoGamingLive, though Game Pass, with Oblivion and Expedition 33, softened the sting, per@IGN.The Wrap-UpApril 24–30 was a blockbuster week: Galaxies Games Showcase hyped The Knightling and Dragonwilds, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Oblivion Remastered redefined April, and Star Wars: Zero Company sparked hope. Forza, Tactical Takedown, and indies like STARNAUT fought for space, but Shadows faded and indies struggled. What’s your highlight—Expedition 33’s soulful depth, Oblivion’s nostalgic return, or an indie gem that slipped through? Drop it below—I’m listening.
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