Best games of April 2023: best games on Switch, PC, Xbox, and PS5 - from Dead Island 2 to Minecraft Legends

As the weather starts to warm up, so too does the video game industry, with a lineup of highly anticipated releases set to drop in April 2023.

From long-awaited sequels to fresh, innovative titles, the month is packed with thrilling releases that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, whether you’re a fan of thrilling action-adventure titles or nostalgic reboots.

We’re taking a closer look at the best video games coming out this month, and why they’re worth getting excited about.

Get ready to explore new worlds, engage in epic battles, and experience unforgettable adventures with the top video games set to hit the shelves this April.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Xbox Series X/S (out now for PS5 and PC)

What is it? First released in 2022 on PlayStation consoles - but coming to Xbox following the conclusion of a one-year platform exclusivity window - Ghostwire: Tokyo is action-adventure game in which players must uncover the mysteries behind a supernatural event that has caused most of the titular Japanese city’s population to disappear.

As Akito - a young man with paranormal abilities - players use their powers to fight off spirits and investigate the cause of the mysterious disappearance, while also exploring different parts of Tokyo to uncover clues and secrets, encountering a range of interesting and unique characters along the way.

Akito’s unique abilities include the power to cast spells and use hand-to-hand combat techniques to battle against a variety of supernatural creatures and ghosts that roam the streets, and the game combines elements of horror, action and exploration to create a unique and immersive experience.

When can I play it? 12 April

Minecraft Legends

Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

What is it? The events of Minecraft Legends occur within the Minecraft universe during an invasion by piglins from the Nether, but the game takes a slightly different approach to the highly popular blocky sandbox game.

Minecraft Legends is instead a strategy game with strategic elements at its core, played from a third-person perspective and featuring gameplay mechanics heavily inspired by action games.

You play as a great hero, who brings their banner to save the Overworld and gather its mobs to assist in defending their home as the Nether spreads its corruption. The game supports both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes alongside its single-player experience.

When can I play it? 18 April

Dead Island 2

PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

What is it? Dead Island 2 was first announced at E3 2014, and has had a troubled production with multiple delays and changes in development teams. But this month, the sequel to 2011’s action role-playing hit finally (!) sees the light of day.

The game takes place several months after the events of the first Dead Island game, and is set in California after the zombie virus has spread to mainland America and infected the population. Players must fight to survive against hordes of the undead while completing various objectives and quests.

Now developed by Nottingham-based Dambuster Studios, the studio have promised to deliver an open-world experience with improved graphics, new features and an enhanced combat system, and the game will include both single-player and multiplayer modes, allowing players to team up with friends and fight off the zombie hordes together.

When can I play it? 21 April

The Last Case of Benedict Fox

PC, Xbox Series X/S

What is it? In The Last Case of Benedict Fox, you play as the titular character, a self-described detective who, while tethered to his demon companion, must descend into a psychological limbo of rotting memories.

Using Fox and his demon’s unholy bond, you probe the minds of the recently deceased in search of clues as you solve the mysteries surrounding a vast, dilapidated mansion that was the scene of a young couple's brutal murder and the kidnapping of their child.

Brought to life by an eye-catching Burton-esque visual aesthetic, this occult adventure takes on a labyrinthine, Metroid-vania structure adventure influenced by H.P. Lovecraft's nightmares, noir pulp fiction, and early 20th-century jazz music, as you battle demons and solve challenging puzzles.

When can I play it? 27 April

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S

What is it? The follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is once again being created by the team at Respawn Entertainment and takes place five years after the events of the first game.

The story of the sequel falls around the Obi-Wan Kenobi series in the Star Wars timeline, which was released in 2022 on Disney Plus. It once again centres on Kestis as he fights against the Galactic Empire for his life. As one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66, Kestis must do “whatever it takes to stay alive.”

With new lightsaber fighting techniques and Force powers, the cinematic combat system is back, allowing players to utilise all of their skills and weaponry in a strategic way, and the excellent Metroidvania-style exploration of the first game is back too, and players will be able to explore brand-new planets and locations in the Star Wars galaxy.

When can I play it? 28 April