The Best Game of April 2017

Best Game of April 2017: Honorable Mention – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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Starting with a couple of honorable mentions, check out the Twinfinite’s Staff picks for our favorite games for April 2017 which includes of course, our Game of the Month!

Associate Editor Hayes Madsen:  Mario Kart 8 was already one of the best titles on Wii U however Nintendo outdid themselves when they brought the racer over to the Switch, creating the definitive Mario Kart experience.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks and feels better than ever, and the updated hardware of the Switch clearly is working for the title. A couple new control additions also make the game even more accessible. Smart Steering helps guide new players away from edges and walls, while Auto Acceleration means you don’t have to hold the A button down the entire race.

Deluxe is packed with content, both new and already seen. A whopping 48 tracks are featured in the game, including the stellar DLC tracks from Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. The big addition, however, comes in the way of the returning Battle Mode. Battles feel faster than ever, and the new Splatoon stage and characters feel right at home.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best experiences we’ve gotten from the series to date, and it’s packed with plenty of content to keep players busy for months. While we’re waiting for the Switch to get new games, Deluxe is the perfect title to tide you over.

Best Game of April 2017: Honorable Mention – What Remains of Edith Finch

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Staff Writer Tom Hopkins: Video games have always been able to tell deep and emotional stories but What Remains of Edith Finch’s tale is, without a doubt, one of the most unique. That isn’t only in terms of the plot itself – a story of a young woman returning to her family home to come discover how a dozen members of her family died in unfortunate ways, and come to terms with her loss – but in terms of the way each short account is told. The anthology of misfortune is told in a variety of ways, from a character’s daydream that slowly takes over the screen to old school horror comic book that comes to life. Each story is mesmerizing, keeping you engrossed each time Edith stumbles across a new one. Some of the tales, all under ten minutes in duration, are the most unique and memorable pieces of narrative of the past few years.

However, although some character’s deaths are presented in a playful, engaging way, the overall tone of What Remains of Edith Finch is never lost. It isn’t of sadness or grief, even if it never forgets it is about death, but rather the game is about acceptance, love, and family. Each story makes you wish you knew the Finch family as the what we see rounds out the context we get from exploring the great sprawling house. Edith’s almost constant commentary is beautiful but also perfectly compliments this tone as she describes her memories of the family members she lost. Her explanation of events ties the anthology together seamlessly and adds weight to the overarching plot. Giant Sparrow’s follow up to The Unfinished Swan is a beautifully unique collection of stories about love, loss, and family tied together wonderfully by an equally touching tale.

The Best Game of April 2017: Persona 5

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Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: Without a doubt, Persona 5 is one of the best social life/dating sims you’ll play this year. It also happens to be a JRPG with a fresh twist on the classic turn-based battle system. Set in modern-day Tokyo, players must take control of a high school student as he and his like-minded group of misfit friends dive into the subconscious of rotten adults and change their hearts from within. Persona 5 has never shied away from topics that might be deemed controversial or taboo, and in this latest entry, the game touches on heavier issues like what is considered societal norm, and whether those norms have any moral value or not. While I didn’t think the new cast of youngsters was as strong as the ones from previous titles, they’re all unique enough personalities that add to the Phantom Thieves’ group dynamic.

Persona 5’s menus and battle UI (pretty much all of the game’s user interfaces, actually) drip with undeniable style, and the game just pops. The demon fusion system is back as well, and the amount of freedom players get with building their protagonist in their own way (within level limits, of course) with specific Personas makes for an awfully compelling experience. Of course, the social sim elements are the main highlight of the game. Outside of combat, the protagonist can spend time with party members and other characters to gain new abilities, and uncover even more of their backstories. These stories are well-written for the most part, and they’re often accompanied by some pretty rockin’ music composed by the talented Shoji Meguro.

The bottomline is this: if you consider yourself a fan of JRPGs, don’t sleep on Persona 5. And if you do decide to pick it up, remember to take your time.

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That does it for our April 2017 Game of the Month. Congratulations to Persona 5! What were your favorite games from last month? Let us know in the comments.