There is no doubt that 2023 was a great year for gaming and we were gifted with some incredible game releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Diablo IV, Super Mario Bros. Wonder etc. The industry has been slowly recovering after the post-Covid decline in 2022 and now 2024 looks set to be another promising year for high-quality video games releases. Here, we’ve gathered some of the most anticipated game releases of 2024 that we are excited to see this year from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and many others.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
This second instalment in Square Enix’s remake trilogy looks set to be a remarkable entry. It reinvents the much-loved 1997 role-player in the gameplay, as well as revamping its story, just like its predecessor Final Fantasy VI Remake in 2020. Taking place after the events of the 2020 instalment, Cloud and his crew are joined by fan favourites like Vincent Valentine, Cait Smith and Cid as they try to prevent Sephiroth from destroying the world. Players will be sent to the world of Gaia which will seemingly be a lot more open than Midgar, from where they escaped in the previous instalment.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth continues from where Yakuza: Like a Dragon left off. For the first time in its history, the Yakuza series is heading to America, specifically Hawaii. You will play as two of the series toughest protagonists, Ichiban Kasuga and Kiryu Kazuma, as you roam through Honolulu searching for Ichiban’s long-lost mother. Not much is known about this instalment, but it has been confirmed that the game will maintain the turn-based RPG mechanics from its predecessor. It is expected to be launched in early 2024.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The long-awaited arrival of the new entry in this popular platformer series is finally here. After years of waiting, Prince of Persia fans will finally have the chance to play a 2D sidescrolling action platformer with Metroidvania elements in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Players will return to Ubi’s universe and experience fast-paced platforming, huge boss battles and, of course, plenty of action. Although we are still waiting for the Sands of Time remake, it is great to have a new Prince of Persia game to look forward to in the meantime.
Star Wars Outlaws
Unlike many of the previous Star Wars games, this instalment Star Wars Outlaws has been described as the first-ever open-world Star Wars game. Ubisoft Massive Entertainment studio brings us this low-stakes, back-to-basics style game in which players will take on the role of Kay Vess, an outlaw with a specific goal in mind: “Attempt one of the biggest heists the Outer Rim has ever seen”. This instalment in the series is set in the time between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and features third-person action gameplay, with emphasis on exploring and shooting. Like many other recent Star Wars games, this instalment has impressive visuals and stunning presentation, making it look expensive and official.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
This is the biggest and most important game that Microsoft has had in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to see it. After nearly 4 years in development, the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is finally here, and it looks more ambitious than expected. The first entry was known for its incredible visuals and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will raise the bar even higher as it is easily one of Microsoft’s best-looking games in its portfolio. This sequel also looks set to expand on the impressive sound quality of its predecessor with immersive audio which is best appreciated through headphones. As this Ninja Theory project has been bought by Microsoft, the game will only be available for Xbox Series S|X and PC despite the previous instalment being available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. A definitive release date still hasn’t been confirmed but we know it’ll launch some time in 2024.
Tekken 8
This series of fighting games has been a constant in the gaming industry. With three decades of strong releases, the saga continues with the latest instalment, Tekken 8. Following the success of Tekken 7, Bandai Namco aims to consolidate the fighting genre with tighter controls, more precise hitboxes and high-quality visual elements that surpass other games in the genre. In the promotional trailers we have seen the long-standing characters alongside new ones and according to what we’ve seen, this entry seems to undeniably be an upgrade on the previous one. Only time will tell if this popular fighting game will have as successful a launch as its life-long rival Street Fighter 6 but it sure looks set to be a worthy opponent.
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the exciting 2006 PlayStation 2 RPG, Persona 3, but with enhanced visuals, performance and gameplay improvements. There is also a new cast of voice actors and new original songs to add to its already incredible soundtrack. The release of this remake is especially exciting because of the popularity that the Persona series gained following the release of Persona 4 and Persona 5, which meant that many fans of the series might have missed out on playing the third instalment when it initially came out. Unfortunately, Persona 3 Reload doesn’t have the option to play as a female protagonist (which you could do in Persona 3 Portable) but nevertheless its still an exciting release to look forward to.
Conclusion: 2024 is going to be an exciting year
The games we’ve mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg for what awaits us in the game releases of 2024 and there are many more highly anticipated games to look forward to. All the big studios and consoles have brought something to the table and if these titles live up to their hype, gamers have another great year of gaming to look forward to.