With April wrapped up, May is already picking up the pace. New releases are landing quickly and the LifeIsXbox team has spent the past few weeks comparing notes and highlighting the games that stood out the most. After plenty of discussion, we narrowed everything down to our top picks for May.
Here they are, listed in order of release:
Dead as Disco – May 5
Dead as Disco is a neon‑bright rhythm beat ’em up where every punch and kick hits on the beat. You play as Charlie Disco, a fallen star fighting his way through his former bandmates to uncover the truth behind his own death. The story moves through a mix of revenge and redemption, backed by a multi‑genre soundtrack you can even customise with your own music. It is stylish, fast and full of personality.
Mixtape – May 7
Mixtape made a strong first impression when it debuted at Summer Game Fest 2025, and everything shown since has only reinforced that spark. It follows a group of friends on their last night together, slipping through memories shaped by the songs that defined their summer. The whole presentation has a warm, nostalgic feel, mixing stylish visuals with playable moments that look designed to hit the emotional beats just right. It already comes across as a game that wants to capture a feeling as much as tell a story.
Directive 8020 – May 12
Directive 8020 leans straight into that unsettling, slow‑building tension Supermassive is known for. As the fifth installment in The Dark Pictures Anthology, it shifts the series into deep‑space horror, placing players aboard a distant exploration vessel where a routine mission begins to fracture under mysterious circumstances. The atmosphere is thick with isolation and suspicion and every glimpse so far suggests a blend of cinematic storytelling and tough, consequence‑driven choices. It looks set to deliver a sci‑fi mystery that keeps you guessing from the moment things start to go wrong.
Forza Horizon 6 – May 19
Forza Horizon 6 takes the festival to Japan, a location fans have been hoping to see for years. The series’ trademark mix of fast cars, open‑world freedom and vibrant style fits perfectly against Japan’s mix of neon cities, mountain passes and coastal roads. Early footage suggests a world that feels busier and more detailed than ever, with new events and systems layered on top of that familiar Horizon energy.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book – May 21
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book instantly gives off that cozy, story‑time feeling. The idea of Yoshi diving into the pages of a magical book feels like the perfect setup for something playful and imaginative. Each chapter looks set to unfold into its own colourful world, full of puzzles and secrets to uncover. From what’s been shown, it has that familiar Yoshi charm, gentle and creative, the kind of adventure that makes you smile as you play.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight – May 22
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks like a playful celebration of everything people love about the Caped Crusader. It mixes the familiar humour of the LEGO games with a tour through Batman’s long history, pulling in iconic villains, classic suits and plenty of Gotham personality. The whole thing has that light hearted charm you expect from a LEGO adventure, while still feeling like a love letter to decades of Batman stories.
007 First Light – May 27
007 First Light already feels like one of those games people here are genuinely buzzing about. It has the style of a classic Bond opener, sharp and confident, with a younger 007 stepping into the field for one of his early missions. The tone is sleek, the pacing looks tight, and everything shown so far hints at a focused spy adventure filled with tension, gadgets and that unmistakable Bond flair.
With the LifeIsXbox team having such a wide mix of tastes, trimming the list down was anything but straightforward. Plenty of other games were brought up along the way, each with strong backing from someone on the team. These are a few titles that narrowly missed a spot in our top seven, listed in order of release:
- Duck Side of the Moon – May 7
- Dread Neighbour – May 7
- Will: Follow the Light – May 7
- Subnautica 2 – May 14
Avid gamer for over 30 years who lives and breathes Xbox, I enjoy talking video games and can often be found on X.
