UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 29, 2024

5 big entertainment releases for April 2023

The five big entertainment releases of April 2023. Brynlee Wade | Sun News Daily

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We are now deep into the month of April, and the entertainment industry continues to deliver on lofty promises, including an Italian plumber breaking box office records.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

A title originally slated for release December 2021, this remake of the classic Game Boy Advance titles from the early 2000s will release April 21.

After being delayed from its original release date to April 2022, the game was delayed even further to 2023 due to the war imagery portrayed in the game not mixing well with the real-life conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Advance Wars is a strategic, turn-based RPG with the player taking control of various soldiers, vehicles and commanders while attempting to overtake enemy territory. While this sounds like a typical portrayal of war in a video game, Advance Wars is very lighthearted in its art style and execution with bright visuals and cartoon-like character designs.

Regardless of real-world events, it’s wonderful to see these classic titles receive a fresh coat of paint.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp releases April 21 on Nintendo Switch.

“Evil Dead Rise”

The Evil Dead franchise returns with the previous installment being “Evil Dead” (2013). While the previous film was a remake of the original film from 1981, “Evil Dead Rise” is the first completely original film in the franchise since “Army of Darkness” in 1992.

So what can the audience expect with this new foray into this storied franchise? If you’ve seen any Evil Dead film, you know what’s going to happen. Lots of demon possessions with copious amounts of blood and gore.

“Evil Dead Rise” releases in theaters April 21.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

This is a sequel to the 2019 video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The game focuses on a jedi who is on the run from the empire as he tries to find ways to protect those who may be sensitive to the force.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is very similar to its predecessor in tone and style with an emphasis on new ways to use a lightsaber in combat. This includes using different stances to approach different types of enemies requiring a bit more finesse than just mashing a button.

In terms of continuity, the game takes place between “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.” It also occurs during the same time period as the Disney+ show “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases April 28 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S and PC.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

This is an expansion to Horizon Forbidden West, a PlayStation exclusive from 2022. An expansion is when a developer adds substantial content to an already existing title. The price is usually less than the game, but it requires the player to own both the original game and the expansion in order to play it.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores focuses on the protagonist, Aloy, as she travels to a post-apocalyptic Hollywood to prepare for an impending threat approaching Earth. The game features robotic versions of dinosaurs and various modern-day animals which Aloy needs to either tame or destroy in order to progress.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores releases April 19 on PlayStation 5.

“The Super Mario Bros Movie”

The Italian Plumber makes his animated big-screen debut courtesy of a collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination.

Defying critical reception, “The Super Mario Bros Movie” set a new record for most money earned for an animated feature film during its opening weekend. The previous record holder was “Frozen II.”

The momentum of ticket sales isn’t slowing down either since the film recently became the best-selling film based on a video game, and it has barely been two weeks since its release.

“The Super Mario Bros Movie” is now in theaters.

Many of these titles are releasing in April because of various delays and extenuating circumstances. The fact these titles are finally releasing is a testament to the tenacity of the entertainment industry and should be enjoyed to the fullest, much like the rest of 2023.