2023 is surely to go down as one of the best years in video games, period. We got long-awaited entries into historical franchises, hotly-anticipated new IP from beloved developers, the start of the fighting game renaissance, endless indie bangers, and much, much more. This year also saw countless impressive new titles being announced during events like Summer Game Fest, Nintendo Directs, and the Game Awards. As the year comes to a close, Temple of Geek staffers look forward to next year for our most anticipated games coming in 2024!
Check out last year’s list here.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
After numerous delays due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, developer GSC Game World is inching closer and closer to their survival horror sequel releasing in Q1 of this year. First-person horror games are something I’m always interested in, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the long-awaited follow-up to the original genre-defining trek through the Zone, which is based on the real-life Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This game will surely live up to its endless hype.
Release Date: Q1 2024.
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The Prince of Persia series finally returns to its 2D platforming roots! The Lost Crown is a Metroidvania action-platformer where players take control of Sargon, an orphan who was trained as a weapon for the Persian empire. Difficult and high quality Metroidvanias are a dime a dozen these days, but with a storied franchise like Prince of Persia, this is one I won’t be missing.
Release Date: January 18, 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch.
Tekken 8
Forchy says:
Tekken 8 is the newest entry in the long running fighting game franchise that began in arcades (1994) and got huge success on the fledgling PlayStation platform in 1995. Tekken is all about fast, flashy hard hitting fights that are surprisingly technical. The high impact fighting game has constantly grown in style and size since its first release and after the huge success of Tekken 7, which averaged 82 on Metacritic in 2017, the return of the series has fighting game fans drooling, especially due to its January release date. Story has always been a huge part of the Tekken series and Tekken 8’s story mode raises the bar with an even more cinematic story mode that may be the nearest competitor to Mortal Kombat’s epic story modes.
Release Date: January 26, 2024
Platforms; PC, PS5, Xbox Series.
Persona 3 Reload
The first big remake of the year, Persona 3 Reload can’t come quick enough. My only experience in the series is with Persona 5 Royal, and that is far and away one of the best JRPGs I’ve every played, period. Persona 3 has such a cult following (so does 4), and I suffer from monumental FOMO, that is one I can’t miss. The turn-based combat and social sim elements will make my dozens of hours with the game so worth it.
Release Date: February 2, 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the newest IP coming from acclaimed developer Don’t Nod, of Life is Strange fame. This game is an action-RPG that has you take control of two Banishers, who are spirit hunters, as you fight to expel the evil surrounding New Eden. Visually stunning and with great voice acting, this is sure to be a welcome surprise.
Release Date: February 13, 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series.
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones made last year’s list, but the game has been through a rocky development cycle, with delay after delay. At the Game Awards, we finally got a more concrete release date. Here’s to hoping this open-world pirate adventure lives up to the hype, or if it’s just another bad case of scurvy.
Release Date: February 16, 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The second of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, Rebirth takes place right where Remake left off. Players now get to explore the world beyond Midgard and relive the classic journey we first experienced in 1997. This time, we get to explore a sprawling open world (and ride chocobos!), meet new party members, and experience the story with a new, modern twist. This really is the year of the RPG.
Release: February 29, 2024.
Platforms: PS5 (exclusive until at least May 29, 2024).
Hades II
Another game that was on last year’s list, Hades II is now confirmed to launch into early access sometime during Q2 2024. The fast-paced roguelike combat of the original is some of the most addicting gameplay in years, and the sequel is sure to live up to that standard. I’m curious to see how Supergiant Games improves upon the already perfect combat mechanics, and very excited to see the direction they head narratively.
Release Date: Launches in early access Q2 2024.
Platforms: PC (early access).
Rise of the Ronin
Forchy says:
Rise Of The Ronin is an open world action adventure where you play as a unnaturally agile Ronin in Edo era Japan. Trailers have the lead character jumping building to building, using a glider to traverse buildings, and even fighting off enemies while on a horse and carriage. It reminds me of a more action packed and over the top Ghost of Tsushima, appropriate given it’s a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Release Date: March 22, 2024.
Platforms: PS5.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Forchy says:
The original Dragons’s Dogma wasn’t exactly a failure, but it was more a cult classic success. It released to mild reception; for example IGN gave it a 7.5 and said it “was a strange game… that did some brave and interesting things”. Fast forward in time and Dragon’s Dogma became a huge hit with Souls and Monster Hunter fans. It had such a renaissance that Netflix did an anime in 2020, and in 2024 we are finally get a sequel to this cult classic. Dragon’s Dogma 2 looks to continue the original’s action RPG heritage with upgraded graphics, gameplay and an enhanced pawn system. Pawns are basically AI teammates that act like real people that join you along your journey and significantly help you. Unlike the unappreciated first game, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is highly anticipated and has the potential to be one of the biggest games of 2024.
Release Date: March 22, 2023
Platform: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Nintendo has done a lot of growing up since 2005’s Super Princess Peach on the original DS, which saw our titular hero venturing through her first standalone game by crying and throwing temper tantrums; a pretty outdated stereotype. In her newest outing, Princess Peach dons many new hats as she fights her way through the Sour Bunch. This is a unique 2D action-sidescroller, and aside from a few remasters, may be the Nintendo Switch’s swan song to usher in the new hardware.
Release Date: March 22, 2024.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch.
Black Myth: Wukong
Forchy says:
Black Myth: Wukong was one of the first shown Unreal Engine 5 games and wowed people with its gorgeous graphics and Souls-like action-RPG gameplay. Black Myth: Wukong is a variation of the famous Chinese myth Journey to the West. Trailers have shown the Monkey king transform into a bug to stealth past enemies and battling giant half animal/ half human looking creatures. Despite being made by an unknown Chinese game studio named Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong is a highly anticipated game that has been featured in multiple Nvidia showcases due to its stunning graphics.
Release Date: August 20, 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series
Metaphor: ReFantazio
A new IP from Persona developer Atlus, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a their first fantasy RPG borrowing familiar mechanics from their legendary franchises. The game promises an epic, globetrotting story and deep turn-based RPG combat (and will surely last upwards of 100 hours if their previous games are anything to go off of). This is one of my most highly anticipated JRPGs of 2024, and 2024 is filled to the brim with them.
Release Date: Fall 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series.
Star Wars Outlaws
Set between Star Wars Episodes V and VI, Star Wars Outlaws promises to be the scoundrel simulator fans of the galaxy far, far away have been asking for. You play as Kay Vess who, along with her animal companion Nix, is searching for the means to a new life free of violence and crime. The game is an open-world third-person action shooter that spans multiples planets. This is definitely one of my most anticipated titles this year.
Release Dates: Late 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series.
Avowed
Set in Pillars of Eternity‘s world of Eora, Obsidian returns with another fresh take the first-person Western-RPG genre after The Outer Worlds. While I’m not well versed in the Pillars of Eternity games, Obsidian’s name carries a lot of weight, being that they’re the developer behind iconic games like Fallout: New Vegas and South Park: The Stick of Truth, so they have all of their RPG ducks in a row to be a smash hit in 2024.
Release Date: TBA 2024.
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series.
The Wolf Among Us 2
Jaesa Rae says:
The Sheriff returns to Fabletown! The long-awaited sequel to The Wolf Among Us from TellTale Games is coming 2024. The episodic graphic adventure game will pick up where the first left off in the big gritty city of Fabletown. The Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf) and Snow White are set to return to what has been called one of TellTale’s best narrative-driven detective noir stories.
Release Window: TBA 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series.
Little Nightmares III
Jaesa Rae says:
Revealed at GamesCom Opening Night Live 2023, the horrific Nightmare continues in Little Nightmares III. The game follows two new protagonists taking on new enemies and unfamiliar landscapes. The trailer gave glimpses of gameplay that follows the same 2.5D sidescrolling platforming its predecessors established.
Release Date: TBA 2024.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch.
Visions of Mana
When this was announced at the Game Awards, I noticed that it wasn’t releasing for the Nintendo Switch, which I thought was an odd move. Then I thought about it, and concluded that it is most likely coming to Nintendo’s next hardware. Regardless, this is the first new entry in the Mana series in fifteen years, has a gorgeous visual style, and sports robust turn-based JRPG combat. I’m in.
Release Date: TBA 2024
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series.
The Casting of Frank Stone
Announced at the Game Awards, The Casting of Frank Stone is a dream collaboration between survival horror game icons. Supermassive Games (The Dark Pictures Anthology) and Behaviour Interactive (Dead by Daylight) team up to seamlessly blend the former’s signature narratives with the latter’s heart-pounding gameplay. As an avid survival horror fan, this game is definitely one I’ll keep an eye out for around spooky season.
Release Date: TBA 2024.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Forchy says:
This year at The Game Awards, Xbox announced that its long-awaited exclusive Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II would release in 2024, but with no specific date. The first Hellblade game was an acclaimed psychological action-adventure that explored a mythological world taking place in 7th-8th century Europe. The original game was very intimate with linear levels. The sequel looks to amp up the game in every way, with everything from significantly improved graphics to fighting giants the size of buildings. It cannot be emphasized enough how gorgeous this game is; it’s another stunning showcase of Unreal Engine 5, and is unlikely to have a graphical equal this year.
Release Date: TBA 2024.
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series.
That’s our list! Of course, there are countless other quality titles coming our way in 2024, like the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and games we don’t even know about yet. There are also numerous rumors and updates on Nintendo’s next-gen hardware widely believed to release at the end of the year, but judging by this list, 2024 is already shaping up to be another iconic year for video games.
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