From Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to Hades 2, there's no shortage of new games to play this year.
New year, new games! We’ve barely stepped foot into 2024 and we’re already dealing with an avalanche of new games to get excited for. Games like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 were announced years ago and are finally ramping up for a full release in 2024. Other titles are just as exciting but more mysterious in nature, such as Supergiant Games' highly-anticipated sequel Hades 2 and ATLUS' new RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio.
We’re not sure what the new year will bring us, but we do know that it won’t bore us. Here are our most anticipated games of 2024:
Tekken 8 (January 26)
Tekken returns this year with a host of new modes and characters. The franchise's central storyline revolving around its messy Mishima family drama continues in Tekken 8’s campaign as well, where Jin Kazama will battle his father Kazuya Mishima for the last time. The game takes place six months after Tekken 7 and also features the mysterious return of Jin’s mother Jun Kazama.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (January 26)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s protagonist Ichiban Kasuga returns for this sequel, which sees the franchise move to an overseas setting for the first time ever. The story will see Kasuga team up with former Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu to find the former’s mother in Hawaii, while the latter happens to be in Hawaii for his own reasons.
Persona 3 Reload (February 2)
If you loved Persona 5, boy do I have the game for you! This remake of Persona 3 revitalises a classic RPG with modern visuals, additional voiceover work and a few gameplay improvements for good measure. The story revolves around the mystery of the Dark Hour, a hidden hour lying between one day and the next.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (February 2)
Killing the Justice League might not seem like a job for the Suicide Squad, but they aren’t called the Suicide Squad for nothing. Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, King Shark and Deadshot squad up in Rocksteady Games’ follow-up to Batman: Arkham Knight, also featuring the legendary Kevin Conroy’s final performance as Batman before his passing.
Helldivers 2 (February 8)
Helldivers 2 is a squad-based shooter that has players beat back an alien invasion that threatens to overwhelm the galaxy. This action-packed game will have you take down alien grunts, massive monsters and more using a colourful variety of weapons and abilities - but teamwork will be essential to survive these challenging encounters in PvE multiplayer.
Skull and Bones (February 16)
This game has been in development at Ubisoft for 11 years now, evolving formats and changing studios multiple times in that time as developers struggled to pin down their vision for a pirate-themed spin-off to Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. The final product, Skull and Bones is very much its own thing, allowing players to fully indulge themselves in the pirate fantasy of wreaking mayhem in the seas, sailing on powerful ships and taking on… sea monsters? Why not, matey.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (February 28)
It Takes Two and A Way Out director Josef Fares’ very first adventure game Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, is getting a full remake! This adventure game puts you in the shoes of two siblings setting out on a quest to cure their dying father. Players controlled each brother individually using different controller thumbsticks in the original game, to further emphasise their need to cooperate on this quest.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (February 29)
Cloud Strife and his colourful party of do-gooders continue on a quest to change their destinies in part two of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy. This game sees the group finally leave Midgar to follow Sephiroth’s trail of destruction, as they navigate the dangerous world outside city borders. Yuffie, Cait Sith, Vincent Valentine and even Cid will join Cloud’s adventures this time around, rounding out the party and expanding the cast of playable characters by some margin.
Homeworld 3 (March 8)
Because this is the year of long-awaited sequels, Homeworld 2 (2003)’s sequel also arrives this year. The real-time strategy game should sate the appetite of any sci-fi fan, with as keen a focus on its story as its combat. In Homeworld 3, the galaxy’s age of prosperity becomes interrupted when its Hyperspace Gate Network begins to catastrophically fail. You'll assume control of various ships and battle your way through the galaxy in tactical and immersive space combat.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (March 22)
Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno returns to his cult classic fantasy RPG Dragon’s Dogma for an unexpected sequel, and it’s shaping up to be just as much fun as the original. Players will be joined by otherworldly beings called Pawns on a quest to slay a dragon and lay claim to a throne.
Princess Peach: Showtime! (March 22)
It’s hard to believe that it took this long for Princess Peach to star in a game of her own, but better late than never! Princess Peach: Showtime takes the form of a stage play, where Peach takes on various transformations - from Detective Peach to Kung Fu Peach - to fend off the wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch’s schemes.
Black Myth Wukong (August 20)
This action-RPG has its roots in Chinese mythology - specifically, the classic tale Journey to the West, putting you in the shoes of the Destined One AKA Sun Wukong. If the trailers are any indication, this is going to be an action-packed journey across a fantastical realm brought to life with dazzling visuals.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (September 9)
The long-awaited sequel to Warhammer 40K: Space Marine is almost here, a mere 13 years after the original. The galaxy is in dire straits amid an alien war. The Imperium desperately rallies a defense to prevent entire worlds from collapsing, and you’re a part of that defense whether you like it or not. The good news is that you play as a Space Marine with all the superhuman strength that comes with being one, unleashing powerful abilities and using deadly weapons to beat back the monstrous Tyranid hordes.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Q1 2024)
STALKER 2’s development cycle has been a troubled one, as its Ukraine-based developers have been participating in war efforts against Russia’s invasion of the country. The game seems to still be on track for a release this year however, which is impressive in and of itself. In this open-world sequel, players will explore the post-apocalyptic setting of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The Zone is filled with strange anomalies and dangerous foes, playing host to warring factions that will make their journey very difficult.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (TBA 2024)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 takes players on another eerie journey through Senua’s fragmented mind, this time featuring grotesque ogres and even more grim imagery than the first game, if that’s even possible. Developer Ninja Theory has poured a lot of time into making this game look absolutely stunning in every way that counts - from the breathtaking motion capture animation in its cutscenes to the immersive environments Senua must navigate to survive.
Hollow Knight: Silksong (TBA 2024)
This sequel to Hollow Knight was originally meant to be a DLC expansion following Hornet, a character from the first game. However, developer Team Cherry’s ambitions for the DLC expanded into a fully-fledged game - and a damn good-looking one at that. Silksong looks like a worthy follow-up to a beloved entry in the Metroidvania genre, with Hornet having a much more acrobatic flair for combat and traversal than the Knight. The game was originally slated for release in 2023, but has since been delayed.
Hades 2 (Early Access in Q2 2024)
Supergiant Games’ dungeon-crawling rogue-like Hades was so widely beloved that the developer is doing something it’s never done before: making a sequel. Hades 2 dives deeper into Greek Mythology with a new protagonist, who’s now the immortal Princess of the Underworld (what happened to Zagreus?). This time, she’s going up against the Titan of Time Kronos in a story that involves witchcraft and more godly combat.
Metaphor: ReFantazio (TBA 2024)
Metaphor: ReFantazio appears to be a spiritual successor to the Persona franchise, only with a more fantastical setting. The RPG is actually being worked on by developers from the Persona games, following a young protagonist who needs to unravel a mystery to save their troubled kingdom. Interestingly, the game’s combat system appears to be a mix of both real-time and turn-based gameplay.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (TBA 2024)
This classic Super Mario RPG is getting a remake this year! In The Thousand Year Door, Mario and Princess Peach go in search of a mystic treasure that promises great fortune to whoever finds it, before Peach gets kidnapped by an alien group called the X-Nauts. Mario then has to save the princess and find the treasure, both of which will prove difficult considering he’s made out of paper. This game plays very differently from the usual Super Mario games, with a turn-based combat system and whimsical setting that has made it beloved over time.
Little Nightmares 3 (TBA 2024)
Little Nightmares follows Low and Alone, the game’s two playable characters who need to find a way out of the Nowhere at any cost. The game can be played in online co-op or solo, though you might need a friend to stick with you for the spooky journey ahead.
REPLACED (TBA 2024)
This gorgeous 2.5D game has you play as R.E.A.C.H., an AI trapped in a human body against its own will in a retro-futuristic version of the 1980s. A catastrophic nuclear event has turned Phoenix City into a dangerous place ruled by corruption and greed, and you’ll have to fight, platform and explore to make your way through its grimy alleys and unsavoury populace.