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.

17 of 21 photo by Capcom

92Street Fighter 6 (PS5)

Also on PC, PS4, XBX

(#4) Far, far better than the previous numbered installment in Capcom's venerable fighting series, Street Fighter 6 offers three different game modes which provide a combination of single-player and online (and cross-platform) multiplayer gameplay, and combined provide plenty of content for newcomers and veterans alike. New features include real-time commentary.

“Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.” —Gaming Nexus

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