May 2025 New Games Thread

[Violentvixen]

The basic idea is to list new games that you are interested in, as well as games you are potentially curious about or want to give wider attention to. You can briefly describe them or ask other people to help fill you in. The hope is that regular threads like these can act as a collective filter/discovery mechanism to help people decide what is worth checking out.

"New games" means any new title that is being released or ported this month in any capacity (not "backlogs/what you are playing this month"). The angle here is sharing your anticipation and promoting game discovery (as opposed to sharing comments about a first playthrough in progress - that belongs elsewhere).

• If you want a handy list that covers most of the major upcoming games of the month, here are lists of upcoming games:
  • Giant Bomb
  • Wikipedia
  • GameInformer

Here are the subscription service lists for this month:

Gamepass

• Anno 1800 (May 1st)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (May 1st)
• Dredge (May 6th)
• Revenge of the Savage Planet (May 8th)
• DOOM: The Dark Ages (May 15th)
• To a T (May 28th)
• Spray Paint Simulator (TBD)

PS+

• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5, PS4)
• Ark: Survival Evolved (PS5)
• Balatro (PS5, PS4)

Feel free to post other lists or list videos that you find useful.
If there is already a thread on TT about a game, please add a link to it.

Final request: If you are the first person to mention a game please provide (at minimum) a short sentence description. (If it is a very big AAA release though, then don't worry about it.) This is a good convention that makes the thread more useful as a discovery mechanism, and especially helps out anyone who doesn't follow the news as closely as you.

 

[Mogri]

Monster Train 2: the sequel to Monster Train, one of the best games to ride the Slay the Spire wave. Heck, one of the best games, full stop. It remains to be seen whether the sequel will improve on the original, but I liked the original enough to pull the lever even if it's more of the same.

 

[WildcatJF]

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is what I'm most excited about. Getting the chance to revisit some of Capcom's early 2000s arcade legends, especially Capcom Vs. SNK 1/2, is something I've been dying for a rerelease, so I'm pumped.

 

[Violentvixen]

First some recommendations: If you have PS+ and haven't played Balatro go do it right now. C'mon. It also looks like Peglin is coming to Xbox and PS, it's already on Steam and Switch. It's fun!

I played the Dredge demo on Switch and liked it but didn't pick it up yet so will probably check that out for Gamepass. We have a thread here too!

What I am absolutely freaking out about this month is the third and final Fuga: Melodies of Steel game, comes out May 29th. Thread is here and this third entry looks absolutely nuts.

Drop Duchy is hard to explain, a combination of Tetris and tower defense and a board game? It looks cool, I enjoyed the demo and it comes out on the 5th, here's the trailer.

Sea of Stars will be getting a free DLC on May 20th. This looks a lot more focused on combat but it's free so I'll be checking this out too:

Finally, LudoNarracon (the narrative game fest on Steam) starts today and runs through the 5th and I'm sure I'll find something new through that.

 

[Bongo]

Currently most excited for a DLC Pack for The Rise of the Golden Idol, The Lemurian Phoenix.

I'm waiting for reviews on Doom: The Dark Ages. Doom 2016 was superb, of course. But Doom Eternal confirmed my belief that no game can truly be great unless it commits to something extreme enough that it'll annoy somebody, and in that case, I was that somebody. The way its encounter design was based on a cycle of repeatedly depleting your ammunition and scrounging for refills really rubbed me the wrong way in a game where I loved everything else. So I'd want to see if they are doing something different in that regard.... Ah, but wait, I'm currently participating in the boycott on Microsoft right now. Well, I guess I'm waiting for more than just reviews.

Japanese speakers will be getting a port of Tokimeki Memorial on Switch. If it were in English, I'd be getting it. Alas.

I'm morbidly curious about whether Fantasy Life i will turn out to be as much of a trainwreck as it has been shaping up to be. Doubtful I'll get it either way.

I remember being bewildered by the trailer for the next Keita Takahashi quirk-'em-up, to a T, which is based on the idea of characters who don't have elbows.

 

[JBear]

Currently most excited for a DLC Pack for The Rise of the Golden Idol, The Lemurian Phoenix.

Same, if for no more reason than to see why it apparently stars Peggy Hill:

 

[Nodal]

Im really excited for a Fantasy Life sequel, finally, and also hoping that the only bad version is the Switch one. Sorry people with only a Switch!

 

[Violentvixen]

I'm morbidly curious about whether Fantasy Life i will turn out to be as much of a trainwreck as it has been shaping up to be. Doubtful I'll get it either way.

I had completely forgotten that was this month. Yeah, that was something I was extremely excited for uh, three years ago? Not sure now.

I remember being bewildered by the trailer for the next Keita Takahashi quirk-'em-up, to a T, which is based on the idea of characters who don't have elbows.

Ah yes the Rebecca Sugar giraffe song game!

 

[4-So]

I'm going to give Doom: The Dark Ages a whirl since it's on Game Pass, but if it's anything like Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal I'll play it for an hour or so and then promptly forget about it.

I still need to finish CO: Expedition 33 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, and I want to dick about with Oblivion Remastered some more. Oh, might play Lunar again since I was able to finally grab a physical copy of Remastered Collection.

 

[YangusKhan]

Monster Train 2: the sequel to Monster Train, one of the best games to ride the Slay the Spire wave. Heck, one of the best games, full stop. It remains to be seen whether the sequel will improve on the original, but I liked the original enough to pull the lever even if it's more of the same.

This is all I think I have my eye on for May.

 

[Paul le Fou]

Oh man, Monster Train 2? I'll probably wait for word of mouth, but if it's as good as the first one I'll have to grab it eventually.

 

[4-So]

Apparently this is out now if you like playing old Star Wars games. $90 apparently which is... uh...

 

[Violentvixen]

I keep forgetting to put it in my template but have finally remembered to link Gameinformer for the upcoming releases again!

 

[R.R. Bigman]

I hope Doom: The Dark Ages is good. It does seem to be focusing more on The Plot from some previews I’ve read, to the chagrin of many. You also get a gun that shoots a ball and chain and can ride a cyber dragon, so there’s still some dumb fun in there.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

I played the Dredge demo on Switch and liked it but didn't pick it up yet so will probably check that out for Gamepass. We have a thread here too!

I really enjoyed Dredge, it's weirdly cosy for a game that's about losing your mind catching eldritch fish.

Drop Duchy is hard to explain, a combination of Tetris and tower defense and a board game? It looks cool, I enjoyed the demo and it comes out on the 5th, here's the trailer.

Ooh, that looks neat! I should see if that demo is still available.

 

[lincolnic]

I hope Doom: The Dark Ages is good.

Big same, but also, I don't really understand why people would be upset that there's a story in this game (NB I haven't read any of the early reviews). Like, this is still a game where you have a gun that literally shoots pulverized skull fragments. Does the presence of a story make that less ridiculous? Somehow I doubt it.

 

[Bongo]

The concept of the elaboration of lore being a selling point for Doom of all games reads like a joke based on the premise of "missing the point."

 

[lincolnic]

I mean, okay, but if it has no effect on the gameplay itself, does that matter? The selling point for me is being able to slaughter a bunch of demons with ridiculous weapons. The fact that the game has a story doesn't take anything away from that.

Edited to add: this isn't to say that I don't care about story in games -- I love lore -- just that I don't view its presence here as a detriment.