Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Homeworld 3, and More Exciting Games Coming Out in May

Keeping track of all the latest video games coming out is an increasingly complex task, what with multiple PC storefronts, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, mobile, and more to keep track of, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every month I'll be running down the games you need to be keeping an eye on, from the big triple-A headliners, to the intriguing indies you might overlook.

After a somewhat slow April, the temperature rises a bit in May, with a couple big exclusives in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year door, the long-awaited Homeworld 3, and more coming down the pipe. The indie scene is also particularly busy in May, with the full-release version of V Rising, atmospheric horror game Indika, and more on the way.

Note: While I may have played demos or got early access to some of the games recommended in this article, in most cases I’m simply choosing games that look promising, and can’t vouch for the end product. Do wait for reviews before buying!

That said, here are the games you should be looking out for in May…

The Headliners

Homeworld 3 (PC, May 13)

While the game has suffered several delays and setbacks, it seems Homeworld 3 will finally arrive this month. The game has big shoes to fill, as earlier entries in the series have attracted a very passionate fanbase, but it looks like Homeworld 3 will deliver the kind of stylish 3D strategic ship battles you expect from the series on an even bigger scale. You can pre-order Homeworld 3 here.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (PC & Xbox Series X/S, May 21)

One of the first games revealed for the Xbox Series X/S finally sails our way. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II hews closely to the first game in a lot of ways, as it appears to be another fairly linear cinematic adventure, but developer Ninja Theory have poured a huge amount of time, money, and effort into the game’s presentation. If you’re looking for something that packs in the maximum amount of visual splendor per square inch, this is the game for you. You can pre-order Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II here.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch, May 23)

For the past couple decades Nintendo has stubbornly tried to steer the Paper Mario series away from it’s RPG roots, while a vocal fanbase has insisted they wanted games more in the vein of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Well, Nintendo finally gave in, because we’re about to get a TTYD remake! Based on my hands-on time, the new Thousand-Year Door is a fairly conservative redo, but hey, they haven’t broken anything either. You can pre-order Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door here.

MultiVersus (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, May 28)

MultiVersus, the Smash-Bros-like crossover fighter featuring various characters under the Warner Bros. Discovery banner, has had an unusual path to release. The game was launched in early-access beta form to much excitement at first, but the popularity petered out and the game was pulled from availability. Well, the game is now returning, with various improvements, including an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5, crossplay, and rollback netcode. And really, how many games are there that let you beat up Shaggy from Scooby Doo with Wonder Woman? MultiVersus will be free-to-play.

Promising Indies

Indika (PC, May 2)

While movies have often drawn on religious themes for drama and sometimes scares, video games have largely avoided it. Indika embraces the touchy subject, telling the story of a Russian nun going on a trippy “journey of discovery” with the devil himself at her side. Featuring striking genuinely-cinematic visuals, Indika is the work of a small team once based in Moscow, but now relocated to Kazakhstan, and seems to be coming from a very unique perspective. Here’s the Steam page for Indika.

V Rising (PC, May 8; PS5 later in 2024)

Castlevania-flavored vampire survival-RPG V Rising has been in early access for some time now, amassing a dedicated following in that time, and now version 1.0 is almost upon us. The full launch of the game promises visual upgrades, general improvements to the world, and plenty of new endgame content. Even if you’ve already sunk your fans into the EA version of V Rising, the full release ought to be worth checking out. Here’s the Steam page for V Rising.

Animal Well (PC, PS5 & Switch, May 9)

Animal Well may appear simple at first, and in some ways it is, but this pixelated Metroidvania looks to capture the mysterious, immersive feeling of well-loved classics like Cave Story better than most. Packed with strange creatures, secrets, and objects you can interact with in unexpected ways, the caverns of Animal Well look well-worth getting lost in. Here’s the Steam page for Animal Well.

Nine Sols (PC, May 29)

Nine Sols is the latest game from Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games, makers of well-received artistic horror games like Detention and Devotion. You may remember Devotion as the game that was removed from Steam following controversy after an unflattering reference to Chinese leader Xi Jinping was found in the game. Thankfully, Red Candle have largely managed to put that controversy behind them and their new game Nine Sols looks quite different from their past work – a stylish 2D action-platformer rather than a horror game. Despite the change in genre, the quality Red Candle is known for looks to have carried on. Here’s the Steam page for Nine Sols.

Full List of Games Worth Watching in May:

• Endless Ocean Luminous (Switch, May 2)
• Foundry (PC, May 2)
• Hexguardian (PC, May 2)
• Indika (PC, May 2)
• MotoGP 24 (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 2)
• The Political Machine 2024 (PC, May 2)
• Undead Inc. (PC, May 2)
• Heading Out (PC, May 7)
• Venture to the Vile (PC, PS4 & PS5, May 7)
• V Rising (PC, May 8; PS5 later in 2024)
• Animal Well (PC, PS5 & Switch, May 9)
• Gift (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 & Switch, May 9)
• Crow Country (PC, PS4 & PS5, May 9)
• Little Kitty, Big City (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S & Switch, May 9)
• Rainbow Cotton (PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 9)
• Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 9)
• Homeworld 3 (PC, May 13)
• Braid Anniversary Edition (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch & mobile, May 14)
• Men of War II (PC, May 15)
• Mullet Madjack (PC, May 15)
• Die by the Blade (PC, May 16)
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (PC & Switch, May 16)
• Norland (PC, May 16)
• Robobeat (PC, May 16)
• Arcane Assembly (PC, May 17)
• Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (PC & Switch, May 21)
• Paper Trail (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch & mobile, May 21)
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (PC & Xbox Series X/S, May 21)
• Synergy (PC, May 21)
• Harvest Hunt (PC, May 22)
• Wuthering Waves (PC & mobile, May 22)
• Crown Wars: The Black Prince (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 & Switch, May 23)
• Hauntii (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 23)
• Morbid: The Lords of Ire (PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 & Switch, May 23)
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch, May 23)
• Until Then (PC & PS5, May 23)
• World of Goo 2 (PC & Switch, May 23)
• Zet Zillions (PC, May 23)
• MultiVersus (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, May 28)
• Capes (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 29)
• Nine Sols (PC, May 29)
• Skald: Against the Black Priory (May 30)
• Tokyo Psychodemic (PC, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 30)
• Umbraclaw (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 & Switch, May 30)
• F1 24 (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, May 31)

And those are the games you should be keeping an eye on this coming month. What games are you planning to pick up in May? Did I miss anything you’re looking forward to?