The Best Games Of April 2023, According To Metacritic
April of 2022 was a pretty quiet month last year, with the most notable releases being a few annual sports titles and some re-releases of popular games on new platforms. This year, April had a few more exciting releases in store, including a highly anticipated sci-fi/action sequel, a remaster of a beloved portable classic, and a few expansive DLC that fans have been waiting patiently to dive into. April was a month that paid off for a lot of fans who have been wanting to get just a little bit more longevity out of the games they already love.
Just because May is going to get most of the attention (thanks, of course, to the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom"), that doesn't mean April 2023 shouldn't be celebrated. Let's take a quick look back at the best games released in April, ranked according to their Metacritic scores.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
The "Advance Wars" games were fan favorites back in the days of the Game Boy Advance, offering complex turn-based combat in a bite-sized package. This double dose of remakes offers the same fun gameplay along with some much-needed modern polish, a flashy new art style, and a ton of updated mechanics, including a Versus mode and a custom map-making mode.
Players take control of a scrappy army defending their home from enemies in a series of skirmishes. Anyone who has played turn-based RPGs will get the hang of the combat mechanics pretty quickly, but the various areas of battle — incorporating sea, land, and even airborne warfare — mean that every gamer will need to keep strategy at the forefront of their mind. Some critics may have knocked this package for not doing much to modernize the core gameplay loop, but nostalgic fans will have a blast revisiting "Advance Wars" on newer hardware.
- Release Date: April 21, 2023
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Strategy, Tactics, RPG
- Game Modes: Single-Player, Local Multiplayer
- Metacritic Score: 82 (Switch)
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
"Horizon Forbidden West" was slightly overshadowed last February by another huge open world release, "Elden Ring." However, that did not stop fans of the first game from eventually exploring the decimated ruins of California and the surrounding states with Aloy and her companions. The sequel received rave reviews from critics, and so players waited with bated breath for "Burning Shores" to reveal the next steps in Aloy's journey.
The release has proven to be somewhat controversial, primarily due to a romantic reveal at the end of the game that was met with review bombing from players. Others have taken issue with the DLC campaign's brief runtime. For the most part, however, the new weapons, enemies, and small quality-of-life improvements added to the game via the DLC have been applauded by fans and critics. Of particular note is the Grapple Strike ability, which lets you bring the in-your-face ferocity of a "Monster Hunter" battle to the world of "Horizon."
These additions are so solid that fans are already clamoring for more. As Attack of the Fanboy's Gordon Bicker put it, "Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is an apex of joy that not only solidifies 'Burning Shores” effectiveness but also secures the future of the franchise strongly."
- Release Date: April 19, 2023
- Platforms: PlayStation 5
- Genre: Action, Adventure
- Game Modes: Single-Player
- Metacritic Score: 82 (PS5)
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs
"Total War: Warhammer 3" is a dream come true for RTS fans, giving them a fantasy world that just won't stop growing. The latest DLC pack for the game, "Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs," is a hefty package that adds the titular race into the game, as well as new magical abilities, rewards, and campaign goals that suit the devious Chaos Dwarfs. Fans have been clamoring for the Chaos Dwarfs to be added to the game in a meaningful way, and Creative Assembly did not cut corners when it came time to give the Chaos Dwarfs their due.
One of the few knocks against this expansion has been the price point, with some critics noting that $24.99 might be a bit steep for the amount of content that's actually added, particularly when compared to the price of previous campaign packs. Others have found that the DLC is absolutely indispensable, however. GameStar called it "among the best that 'Warhammer' and 'Total War' have ever seen," while Windows Central reported, "'Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs' is a must-buy DLC for any fans of strategy games looking to challenge themselves."
- Release Date: April 13, 2023
- Platforms: PC
- Genre: RTS
- Game Modes: Single-Player, Only Multiplayer
- Metacritic Score: 85 (PC)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" was a game-changer when it was released in 2019, in more ways than one. Not only did it give fans something new by embracing Soulslike combat and progression systems, but it also seemingly broke the streak of frustrating "Star Wars" games released by EA. The new sequel had a lot riding on it, so it's a good thing that it's mostly delivered on that promise.
Cal Kestis' journey continues in a game that's bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor. Combat remains thrillingly difficult, although the addition of new abilities and lightsaber stances mix things up a bit. The addition of an optional Slow Mode also makes some of the platforming elements a bit easier for fans who are having a hard time getting from one end of Coruscant to the other. Add in some exciting story twists that re-establish this series' place in "Star Wars" lore and you have a game that almost blows the original out of the sky. Hopefully EA and Respawn can fix the performance issues that have dragged the title down on some platforms, because that rough start is really the only thing holding this galactic adventure back from true greatness.