With heavy-hitting games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Tekken 8 out in the wild now, there are still a slew of games to look forward to the remainder of the year! Let’s delve into some of our most anticipated games! Hint: There’s a LOT of sequels to some very, very good originals in this list.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (March 22)
Everything I’ve seen about Dragon’s Dogma 2 has me convinced that it’s more of the same from the original, but expanded. The scale of the world, the variety of monsters, weapons, dialogues. Just more of everything. For some, like me, that’s fantastic news, for others looking for some big changes to the system, I hate to say that this may not be your cup of tea.
The use of the incredible Resident Evil engine gives such spectacular detail to characters and the world they traverse. Every detail and interaction looks amazing and seamless, as if in a truly immersive and realized fantasy world. This is easily on the most anticipated (and closest releasing in this post) games of 2024.
Hades 2 (Early Access – Q2 2024)
I’ve talked about Hades in a couple other posts for proving to be a fantastic roguelike and being a game-changer in narrative building for similar games. Little is known about the sequel aside from Hades’ daughter, Melinoë, traverses the realms to save her father from the Titan of Time, Cronos. We also know Melinoë practices witchcraft, which I assume may replace Zagreus’ (previous hero of the original) cast attack.
SuperGiant Games has NEVER done a sequel to one of their games, so it’s an absolute testament to how great of a game the original is. All I know is that I’ll be getting my hands on the Early Access as soon as it drops in Q2 of this year.
Stellar Blade (April 26)
The next upcoming action game, Stellar Blade, seems to promise a fast-paced, challenging gameplay all set in a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world. Humanity is nearly wiped out, and it’s up to our protagonist, Eve, to help them rebuild and fight back the Naytiba – mysterious and powerful creatures with unknown origins.
Combining action gameplay from games like Devil May Cry and soulslike features (think bonfires from Dark Souls to revive enemies), Stellar Blade looks like an impressive endeavor. The game has already summoned a horde of folks into a frenzy from one of the skin unlocks (thanks for the write up, Kotaku), which actually does change the game to a harder challenge (despite the lewd looks). Regardless of your stance on this (which you can ignore, too), the game looks like a blast to play.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (May 21)
Taking place immediately after the first game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, this sequel see Senua taking on darkness in different forms, both inside and out. Ninja Theory took extra time to expand combat and the setting this time, making it a promising follow up to an already great game. What’s unique about Senua (minor spoilers ahead), and the portrayal of her through the original, is how she deals with her mental health and how this is depicted throughout the game. I thought it was a very well-balanced take on what could be a sensitive topic; it seems that this sequel will shift the focus from how it affects Senua to how it affects those around her.
As with some games releasing soon, Hellblade will be utilizing Unreal Engine 5, the newest iteration of the Unreal Engine, giving more life and detail into the grim world. In contrast to the original, Hellblade II will be exclusive to the Xbox platform and ecosystem, meaning (for now) it will not be making a PlayStation appearance. However, this means that you’ll still be able to play it Day One on GamePass.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (May 23)
We have those games we’ve played in the past, which when we revisit them, we have our rose-tinted nostalgia glasses on. Mine include Pokemon Stadium and Star Wars Jed Knight II: Jedi Outcast; however, I don’t think that’s the case with Paper Mario TTYD. It looks remade from the ground up, and looks absolutely beautiful. The colors are striking, the animations look smooth, and the gameplay untouched. Which is great news. A few recent remakes touch on areas that never needed to be touched in the first place (*ahem* Warcraft III: Reforged)
GameCube has too little representation on the Switch. Gamers have been asking and asking the Nintendo-lords for GC Online services as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service, but with little avail. We’ve clamored for this game and with a little more patience, we’ll be revisiting the paper version of the Mushroom Kingdom very soon.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape (June 4)
You almost need a whole encyclopedia to follow what all has happened in Destiny 2 since it released in 2017. Especially since Bungie continues to cycle content in and out of the Vault (except for expansions now). While not a game itself, this Destiny 2 DLC is highly anticipated, as it ends a whole chapter of Destiny 2. Through all of Destiny 2, there’s been mystery on a being called the Witness, first seen in the Shadowkeep expansion, and with each season and expansion, we have learned more and more until this next expansion.
Each expansion has explored Destiny lore such as different factions and their history with humanity as well as the history of the Traveler. All building up a narrative of the Light vs the Darkness (a tale as old as time itself). Destiny 2’s The Final Shape grants closure to this era with more supers, missions and hopefully carving a path forward for the franchise.
Frostpunk 2 (July 25)
Frostpunk is a game about city building. Wait, no – Frostpunk is a game about managing resources…or is it an anger management sim?
Correct answer: All of the Above (and more)
Frostpunk is a brutal town/people/resource survival sim with so many mechanics that are interwoven into each other. The sequel aims to expand on this by adding districts into the city-building component and making the citizens more active on the political front (yay…) towards policy making.
The original was already a beast of burden and one that made me nearly chuck my keyboard off the desk once. One mistake, and the city crumbles – and there no tutorial. You learn through failure and making the wrong choices then to make the right choices in run #462. I really look forward to breaking my keyboard calmly playing this game over the summer.
Avowed (Fall 2024)
Obsidian. Creators of one of my Top 10 of all time games, Fallout: New Vegas. They’re releasing a game that looks really far out there and I’m there for it. When I first saw clips of Avowed, I saw similarities to Skyrim, which I was okay with – I’ve purchased Skyrim enough times to know I’d be okay with it. But then I saw more recently with their extended gameplay trailer, and I saw the smaller scale similar to New Vegas.
I was hooked at this point.
Based on the same world of Eora from Pillars of Eternity, Avowed sets you off on a quest to check on rumors of a deadly plague sweeping the lands. The world looks vibrant and colorful. The combat is Skyrim-esque (take it as you will) and magic looks varied. Also, I can live out my fantasy as a gunslinging wizard with a pistol/wand dual-wielding combo with no mods. Take that, Skyrim.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket (2024)
One of the only mobile games here, and personally, this one resonates with me a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know how I feel about trading cards I can’t actually feel or anything – but I do like me some Pokemon cards, and ones that I can look at and play on-the-go…I might need some help.
Based on the announcement trailer, the card pack opening, the ACTUAL TRADING with people, the detailed animations when you look at a card. It’s all too good. Considering this is possibly the first TRADING card game that actually lets you TRADE with other people (looking at you Hearthstone), I’m really excited to see what they do with this one.
Star Wars Outlaws (2024)
Last but definitely not least on this list is Star Wars Outlaws. Outlaws will follow Kay Vess, a scoundrel who will be attempting a fantastical heist within the Outer Rim. This is set in the one year period between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, a very little explored area in the Star Wars media so far. Which is actually really exciting, despite many (myself included) wanting to go out of the nearly 100-year timespan of the main media.
Ubisoft has stated the game will have features such as an actually solid space combat system (move over Squadrons and Battlefront 2), a reputation system between different factions and the Empire. There’s also mentions of seamless travel from foot to space according to IGN’s summary. If it’s pulled off, Outlaws could possibly be hitting on some of the most requested feature in a Star Wars game, including the ability to work within various hives of scum and villainy. Please Ubisoft, you’re my only hope (for now).
Of course, there will be even more games on this growing list, especially as we get closer to the Summer Games Fest season. Let’s us know what your most anticipated game in 2024 is either here or follow us on X!
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