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Video games to explore this spring, including Pokémon Pokopia and 007 First Light
Pokémon takes on the cozy-game genre, and Life Is Strange brings back a beloved protagonist
Spring may beckon you outdoors, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t fresh reasons to make staying in worthwhile. Whether you are looking for a new cozy game or a high-octane adventure, the seasons’ releases offer something for everyone.
Nintendo’s latest Pokémon game is breaking the franchise’s mold. It is already proving to be one of the most popular games of 2026, surpassing 2.2 million in global sales in the first four days after its launch. The cozy game is “part life sim, part town-building sim, part sandbox and 100% great fun,” TechRadar said.
Fans might be surprised to find that Pokopia is “pretty story-driven,” said TechRadar. There is “ample side-questing, construction work and resource collection to be enjoyed,” but you’ll need to “progress through the main quest lines to unlock new powers, areas and Pokémon.” (out now; Nintendo Switch 2)
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The sequel to Life Is Strange: Double Exposure reunites two of the franchise’s main characters, bringing the series’ original protagonist, Max Caulfield, back together with her original partner, Chloe Price. This series was built on choice, with the final decision at the end of the first game about “whether to pay a major price for saving Chloe,” said Hey Poor Player. Fans of Double Exposure will “take to Reunion like a duck to water,” said Gaming Bible. If Chloe’s absence “soured your feelings towards Double Exposure,” this newest installment “may also be able to win you over.” (March 26; PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Invincible VS
Invincible VS | Official Release Date Trailer - YouTube
Developer Quarter Up is set to debut this fighting game based on the Amazon Prime Video animated adaptation of the Image Comics series “Invincible.” Members of the show’s cast will be reprising their roles for the game. The “superpowered slugfest” is “intense, frenetic, strategic ” and for fans of the source materials “enjoyably faithful,” said Game Informer. Invincible VS is “swooping into the tag-fighting scene full of promise.” (April 30; PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
007 First Light
007 First Light - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube
One of the most anticipated releases this year has players take control of a young James Bond as he completes early M16 missions that will earn him his 00 status. The thrilling action-adventure game is packed with the type of espionage you’d expect from the franchise. Bond has had a “mixed legacy in gaming,” said Den of Geek, but with publisher IO Interactive’s history, 007 First Light could be the “start of a gaming renaissance for the super spy.”(May 25; Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of the Dark Knight - Official Heroes & Villains Trailer - YouTube
Traveller’s Tales is back with another Lego game, its third in the Lego Batman series, which “could prove to be the most ambitious to date,” said Game Rant. Unlike its predecessors, which “seemed more like Justice League games,” Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is “all about DC’s Caped Crusader.” The combat is inspired by Rocksteady Studio’s Arkham games with a “fully fleshed-out Gotham City to explore.” Legacy of the Dark Knight could “very well be the defining Batman game of the 2020s.” (May 22; PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S; May 29, Nintendo Switch 2)
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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
