The 20 Best Video Games of 2023 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – June 29, 2023

Which videogames impressed critics during the first half of the year? In the gallery on this page we rank the highest-scoring games released between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023. Titles are ranked by their Metascores (prior to rounding) as of June 28, 2023 and must have a minimum of 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion.

Note that ...

If a game was released on multiple platforms, we included only the version receiving the largest total number of reviews (usually, but not always, the PS5 or PS4 version).

Multi-game compilations and newly released ports of games released in recent years on other platforms are excluded, unless they are substantially different from the prior release(s) (for example, an HD remaster that also adds some new content or is multiple hardware generations beyond the previous release). We have also excluded expansion packs and other DLC.

11 of 21 photo by Electronic Arts

85Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5)

Also on PC, XBX

(#10) The latest open-world, action-adventure game set in the Star Wars universe is a sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (picking up the action five years later) and comes from the same developer, Respawn. Bigger and more refined than that game, Survivor received even better reviews than its predecessor, at least on consoles—the PC version had some widely reported issues.

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor does what any successful sequel should do: it expands on the foundations of the first game and does everything better. Combat is just as enjoyable and offers more options, exploration is on a whole other level, and the Metroidvania elements make for engaging puzzles and satisfying rewards. Easily one of the best Star Wars games ever made, it hands 2023 yet another crowning highlight.” —Push Square

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