Now, usually spring is an underwhelming time for game releases, and if you take a quick peek at this year’s slate it’s exactly that…ZZZzzzZZZzz…but if you look a little closer, there are some interesting gems hidden in the clutter of Indie games and, somehow, another Final Fantasy game!

Sea of Thieves

Arrrhhhhh! (Had to be done) Sea of Thieves is a new type of multiplayer game that delivers all you ever wanted in a free-roaming pirate life.  Whether adventuring as a group or sailing solo, you’ll encounter other crews – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?  You’re free to approach this world and its wealth of challenges however you choose.  Sail for the sheer joy of discovery or undertake dramatic voyages, following maps and untangling riddles. Xbox/PC

State of Decay 2

This is a personal favorite in the plethora of zombie survival games.  The dead have risen, and civilization has fallen.  Even the military couldn’t stop the zombies, and now humanity stands on the brink of extinction.  It’s up to you to gather survivors and build a community.  Play solo or team up with up to three friends (this is a big deal) to explore an open world filled with dynamic zombies, human enemies, and the valuable gear necessary to keep your community alive.  Xbox exclusive.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered

Ok so I am a bit of an Assassin’s Creed fan boy…or at least I thought I was.  I don’t recall the original at all!  I guess this one slipped by me.  Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Assassin-hunting odyssey through pre-Revolution America and the North Atlantic, is making a gloriously remastered return on PS4 and Xbox One, complete with 4K support for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.  Looks to be the same loot grinding, parkour jumping, Templar killing…wait the storyline says he goes rogue and turns on the brotherhood.  How have I not played this!?

Nintendo Labo

At first glance, this appears to be some sort of Nintendo executive’s cardboard fever dream, but it’s actually pretty cool!  If I had a kid old enough to enjoy building stuff out of cardboard and learning awesome sciencey things, I’d be all in.  Lobo consists of DIY kits that come as sheets of cardboard.  You pop the pieces out, use the instructions on your Switch to assemble them, and you’re left with incredible interactive video games that merge the physical and virtual worlds.  Switch only.