Now that our Game of the Year Awards are out of the way, it’s time to take a much-needed rest and…ah, who are we kidding? We might have just said goodbye to the best of 2023, but we’re already excited to check out the best of 2024. As such, we’ve put our heads together to come up with our top ten most anticipatedgames of 2024. While many of the games on this list have had limited gameplay shown, it’s hard not to be impressed with their unique style and concepts. Please note that the games are listed in alphabetical, ascending order.
10Black Myth: Wukong
Action RPGs based on mythology and literature have proven they can be a successful formula, so naturally Black Myth: Wukong is something that’s highly anticipated for the coming year. Based on the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, the player will control a monkey warrior based on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from the aforementioned novel. The premise itself is intriguing enough to spark anticipation, but viewing gameplay footage is what propels this to the most anticipated list. Black Myth: Wukong appears to be another soulslike, which are becoming increasingly common, but watching the style of how the protagonist fights makes it difficult to take one’s eyes off the trailer. The fluidity of combat combined with the ability of being able to transform into a large monster or flying insect only adds to the intrigue of how these abilities could factor into gameplay. Simply being a challenging game isn’t enough to generate hype, but Black Myth: Wukong has enough interesting features to make it stand out from the crowd.
9Dragon’s Dogma II
When the first Dragon’s Dogma came out, it was a unique game to say the least. It had a bit of Shadow of the Colossus in how you could climb on large monsters and stab their weak points, but it also had its own open world flair. It wasn’t just fighting off monsters, but building relationships with other NPCs and even tracking surprisingly lengthy side quests. It felt like an old school RPG with a JRPG spin to it. While we didn’t get the MMORPG that was released in Japan, we will be getting a fresh sequel more than ten years in the making. The accumulation of what Capcom has shown and our hands-on time with the game at the Tokyo Game Show this year has left us animated to get even more time with it. Considering the developer’s track record of late, from Resident Evil remakes to fighting games and Monster Hunter titles, we couldn’t be more excited for its release in March.
8Earthblade
The next couple of years will see the developers behind some of the most acclaimed indie titles of recent times making their grand returns with fresh new titles to explore, including Yacht Club Games, Motion Twin, Moon Studios and much, much more. But to us, the most anticipated return is that of Extremely OK Games, the folks behind one of 2017’s GOTY candidates, Celeste. That was a game that set a new bars for platformers, retro-inspired titles, accessibility and much more, so it’s no surprise that we’re excited to see what they can also do with the metroidvania genre, which is where Earthblade comes in. While a lot of the game is still shrouded in mystery, its reveal trailer that beautifully panned over a 2D world of lush pixel art while showcasing a variety of action from our protagonist, Névoa, be it combat or traversal, was still enough to get us hyped for the release in the following year. Plus, Lena Raine is returning for Earthblade’s soundtrack as well, so we can at expect an earful of pure delights in that department as well.
7Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
It’s hard not to be excited for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy. Final Fantasy VII Remake was a fantastic game that modernized the Final Fantasy VII formula and story for a new generation. Sprinkled in were fresh ideas, concepts and controversial changes that hinted at an exciting new take on the familiar story. One enhanced upgrade (Intergrade) and a DLC (Intermission) later, it’s finally time to see where the story is going. Taking full advantage of the PS5 hardware, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is promising a bigger, more open world to explore with the level of material detail not previously possible on the PS4. Don’t expect to see any muddy-looking doors this time around. We’ll get into an emotional plot with even more twists and turns as Cloud, Zack, Aeirth and the whole company attempt to unravel Sephiroth’s plot. The same blend of real-time and turn-based combat returns with players getting to control a wider of array of characters to create new synergies. In addition to returning party members Cloud, Tifa, Barrett and Aerith, players will now be able to take control of Red XIII, Yuffie and Cait Sith in combat. The game even features the return of famed composer Nobuo Uematsu to develop a new theme song. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is shaping up to be an exciting return to Gaia, and thankfully we won’t have to wait that long to get our hands on this anticipated title.
6Jurassic Park: Survival
One would think by now that a new game based on Jurassic Park wouldn’t be all that exciting. There have been all manner of games based on Michael Crichton’s cautionary tale, from shooters, to open world adventures, and most recently, park management sims like Jurassic World Evolution 2. There’s a lot of them out there, but they all lack something crucial: the ability to truly explore the classic film’s Jurassic Park and encounter its genetically-engineered dinos. From what was shown at the 2023 VGAs, it’s looking like that’s exactly the experience that Jurassic Park: Survival is offering. As Dr. Maya Joshi, fans will apparently have the chance to visit many of the original film’s iconic locations and attempt to evade dilophosaurs, Rexy the T-Rex and at least one velociraptor. Combined with the promise of a proper survival-horror experience, it’s more than enough to psych-up even just passing fans.
5Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Who says we have to wait months before the more sizable follow-ups arrive? No less than a few weeks into 2024, Ryu Ga Gotoku will unleash the eighth mainline installment in their Like A Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series. Infinite Wealth’s ambitious sights set on a new, series-first overseas setting is equaled only by its large ensemble of returning characters. In what will be a tale that finds the fates of returning protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and series veteran Kazuma Kiryu (hot off the heels of his own interquel outing, Like A Dragon Gaiden) interwoven. For the latter, in a game that might well be his last, true send-off. For a series that has never been a slouch in jam-packing each iteration with a wealth of content and activities to indulge in, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth looks to be the series’ most ridiculously-loaded offering yet. Add to that to the inter-personal character drama and a return to the prior game’s turn-based combat – itself aiming to improve on what was already a solid foundation – even by past series standards, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth looks to be an entirely different beast altogether.
4Rise of the Ronin
Team Ninja has been on a roll since they released Nioh in 2017. With major releases like Nio 2, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty under their belt, the studio has quickly established itself as a top-shelf developer of action role-playing games. For their next title, the studio is aiming to release their most ambitious title yet. Rise of the Ronin may also be an action-RPG, but with a few twists. Taking place during Bakumatsu, Rise of Ronin aims to recreate Japan in its darkest times. Players will embark on a massive quest in Team Ninja’s first open-world, story-focused title where you’ll create your own character and make choices that will affect the narrative. While gameplay is being kept under wraps, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the fast-paced action of Team Ninja’s previous titles to make a reappearance, though with its own unique mechanics. Much like the Nioh titles, Team Ninja is collaborating with Sony Interactive Entertainment on the project, so it’s likely we can expect the game to take full advantage of the PS5’s hardware, especially the wicked-fast SSD. Team Ninja has been on a roll lately, and Rise of the Ronin is shaping up to be another exciting romp from the team.
It’s rare that the big three release their fighting games in a year of each other, and it’s possible that the best could be saved for last. Tekken 8 will be bringing 32 fighters at 16 locations all running on the Unreal Engine 5, the only fighting game of the big three to do so. It will release only on current-generation consoles along with PC, and for the first time, will launch alongside the arcade version on the same day. Players will have access to a Story Mode, the new Arcade Quest, the Super Ghost Battle Mode that features machine-learning A.I., the return of Tekken Ball and more. A plethora of content is being added to an already-established fighting game juggernaut, and adding an online eco-system will look to bolster the community.
As seen in past features here such as Screenshot Saturday, a picture can say a thousand words, and also set the stage for what is hopefully good things to come. Visuals are a key component when it comes to getting the audience’s attention to a new game, and so Hadoque clearly knew what they were doing when bringing in El Huervo to help create a psychedelic style for their upcoming metroidvania game, Ultros, which immediately put the game on our radar. But outside of the visuals that help make for a sprawling, bizarre alien sarcophagus, Ultros also clearly showed off several unique twists for a metroidvania game, from loop-based gameplay to an emphasis on an organic world where players can grow vegetables and collect nutrients for upgrades, and it also just showcased a lot of intense combat and mysterious area to explore, with a lot of fun ways to get around. We only have just over two months to go before the release of Ultros, but we still can’t wait to finally experience it in full, and so it rightfully earns its place here as one of 2024’s most anticipated games.
1Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than twelve years since Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was released. While that game had only a lukewarm critical reception, it’s been one that many (including us) have revisited throughout the years due to its fun hybrid third-person gameplay, leaving us clamoring for a sequel. That’ll finally be happening next September thanks to Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment. Everything we’ve seen from the title thus far looks to improve upon the original in every way whilst still retaining the neat combat and fantastic setting. The gameplay shown off so far looks like a ton of fun and takes place against an epic sci-fi backdrop. While we’ll miss Mark Strong, Clive Standen is a great choice for Titus. September can’t come soon enough.
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