The gaming deluge takes a breather this month, but a drop in quantity doesn't mean a drop in quality. If you’re hungry for some fresh gaming action, on consoles or PC, May is your month.
April’s titles are still worth nabbing. Advance Wars 1 +2 Re-Boot Camp offered excellent remasters of the Game Boy Advance strategy originals for tactical gamers. RPG fans also got Honkai: Star Rail, a free-to-play game featuring stylish turn-based battles and charming intergalactic space stories. And Star Wars Jedi: Survivor added more expansive zones and all-new combat styles, abilities, and story beats compared to the original game.
This month, one of the biggest titles slated for release is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As a direct sequel to the acclaimed 2017 Nintendo Switch launch game, Tears of the Kingdom features a notably expanded map, completely overhauled ability system, and more sandbox tools than you’ll know what to do with. It’s shaping up to be one of the most promising open-world games to date.
That said, if you want something a bit more scaled back (yet over-the-top at the same time), take a look at Redfall, the vampire-slaying multiplayer shooter arriving on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Neither of these games pique your interest? Read on to see what else the month of May has in store for you. Stop by our comment section afterward to share your most anticipated games for the year. And if you’re curious about other upcoming releases, take a look at The Best Video Games Coming Out in 2023.
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Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: T
This high-fantasy 4X strategy game from Triumph Studios gives you a rich universe in which to foster an empire and conquer the world. Choose your realm, faction, and leader. Develop your race of magical beings, and transfigure them to suit your ambitions. Then form alliances or dominate your enemies with turn-based combat.
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: M
Foul science has spawned a horde of blood-sucking vampire abominations that have overtaken the small island town of Redfall, Massachusetts. Only you and your freakish psychic super powers can save the day. Take up a firearm and fend off the undead alone, or in team-based, multiplayer shooting action.
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 8, 2023
Rating: T
Navigate the dreaded depths of an eldritch-inspired maze with a party of unhinged warriors in this rich, brutal, roguelike dungeon-crawling turn-based RPG. Experience euphoric glee with every hard-earned victory, or crippling despair when things go to pot and your heroes slowly lose their minds.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: May 13, 2023
Rating: E10
Hyrule calls for you once more. Take up the mantle of Link and vanquish the evil king Ganondorf once and for all in this sweeping, sandbox-fueled action/adventure. Merge your weapons with materials you scavenge from enemies. Cobble together clockwork contraptions to traverse the world. Rewind time and ascend to heights the original game never dreamed of. Suffer defeat in hilarious and amazing ways thanks to the robust physics engine.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Rating: E10
Games like Forza Horizon invite a relaxing sort of freedom that only cruising aimlessly with a car can deliver. Now do it with Lego vehicles, in the massive and inventive world of Bricklandia. Build your dream vehicle, slap a rocket or two onto it for good measure, and take her for a spin. Race or explore at your leisure and soak in all the charm and whimsy of Lego.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Release Date: May 25, 2023
Rating: T
Play as the pitiable Gollum and set out across the treacherous realms of Middle Earth. Set several years before the War of the Ring, learn more about the corrupted Gollum and his dueling personalities as you evade bloodthirsty orcs and search for the precious One Ring. He is not a proficient fighter, so gameplay revolves around careful movement and stealth as you make your way to objectives.
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 30, 2023
Rating: M
Mankind’s greed plunges humanity into danger once again, and a nameless hacker is the only one who can save it. Foil the nefarious machinations of the corrupted artificial intelligence SHODAN, all while battling rogue robots, cyber-enhanced crew, and horrifically mutated civilians.