2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for video games — although maybe not quite the AAA shark tank that was 2023. From the most anticipated sequel of the year, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, to a soon-to-be Southeast Asian indie darling, Afterlove EP. We have our eye on plenty of titles this year, but which one will rise to the top?
Here’s the complete list of THE MAGIC RAIN’s most anticipated game releases in 2024.
1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
Release Date: February 29, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5
Expanding upon it’s predecessor’s success and scope, this is my frontrunner for Game of the Year 2024. The open world gameplay paired with new mechanics look to complement this gorgeous game. If you dont plan to buy any other game this year, make sure that this is your only purchase. — CM Char
2. Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco)
Release Date: January 26, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Looking to clinch Fighting Game of the Year 2024, the 8th instalment in this popular franchise dodged a bullet last year when they delayed the release to 2024 as Street Fighter 6 would have devoured it whole with its innovation and open world customisation. However, Tekken 8 is ready to go head to head with any fighting game with a rehaul to its graphics engine and combo system. — CM Char
3. Dragon’s Dogma 2 (CAPCOM)
Release Date: March 22, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Action role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma 2 develops the barren open world developer CAPCOM first established in 2012, with its brooding role-playing hack-and-slash Dragon’s Dogma. The sequel should continue the first game’s rewarding combat loops. Probably will be Game of the Year or Action Game of the Year. — CM Char
4. Granblue Fantasy: Relink (Cygames)
Release Date: February 1, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam
Despite taking 7 years to finally see light of day, I am more than happy to announce that this will be a Day 1 purchase for me. Cygames have a stellar record when it comes to publishing games and no one is going to resist anime Monster Hunter’s crisp animations and stylized aesthetics. — CM Char
5. Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment)
Release Date: 2024
Platform(s): Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Slated to be the next Skyrim, and if everything lines up, you are looking at a Game of the Year contender. Strong fantasy aspect, smooth like butter animations, and a rich class system makes this a solid game to race to the very front (if nothing goes wrong that is, looking at you Cyberpunk 2077). — CM Char
6. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory)
Release Date: 2024
Platform(s): Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Having a strong social theme tends to get communities to fully support and rally behind its message, and Hellblade has demonstrated just that with its previous release. Expect more crazy sequences and intense action bouts with this one. — CM Char
7. Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
Release Date: August 20, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
The dark horse of this year, as the studio makes its debut with a visually stunning entry in uncharted territory that is the Wuxia genre. Only 2 outcomes with this one, you go big or go home. Hopefully it goes big, simultaneously succeeding and putting Asian legends on the map! — CM Char
8. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (Rocksteady Studios)
Release Date: February 2, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Rocksteady Games have been too quiet for the past five years but this is a great welcome back party for them. They just have to do a lot better than Gotham Knights because that game had too much potential but fell flat due to multiple execution flaws. Thankfully, this product looks much better both visually and storytelling wise. Sleeper hit incoming, don’t sleep on it. — CM Char
9. Unicorn Overlord (Vanillaware)
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5
Atlus and Vanillaware have teamed up to create Unicorn Overlord, a fantasy tactical roleplaying game. The story is set in Fevrith where Alain, the prince of Cornia, works to get his kingdom back from his enemies. Unicorn Overlord’s graphics are in a storybook art style, making it visually appealing and perfect for real-time strategy gameplay. With the resurgence of 2D tactical RPGs of late (think Octopath Traveler 2, Triangle Strategy and Tactics Ogre Reborn), I am including this as the candidate with the highest probability of being a hidden gem. — CM Char
10. Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)
Release Date: 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam, Epic Games
The sequel to the 2020 godlike roguelike Hades arrives for early access in Summer 2024. Hades 2 will make you “battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time,” indicating that developer Supergiant Games will be continuing the original game’s breathless crusade against destiny. Expect it to crush the Game of the Year scene when it officially releases. — CM Char
11. Banishers: New Ghosts of Eden (DON’T NOD)
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Life Is Strange developer DON’T NOD is once again flirting with the unknown in its 17th-century-set ghost romance Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The action role-playing game will task you, sort of a human sage stick, or Banisher, with lifting an evil curse and finding a way to reconnect with your true love’s spirit. — CM Char
12. Afterlove EP (Pikselnesia)
Release Date: Q3 2024
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam
The final story from the late Mohammad Fahmi, creator of Coffee Talk and What Comes Next, Afterlove EP is expected to be a massive tear-jerker in the best way possible. This narrative adventure with dating sim and rhythm game elements follows Rama, a young musician struggling to move on with life after the death of their girlfriend, Cinta (or “Love” in Indonesian and Malaysian). — Nathalie
13. Earthblade (Extremely OK Games)
Release Date: 2024
Platform(s): Steam
From the same developers as the hit platformer Celeste, we’ve got high hopes for this nostalgic-looking Metroidvania platformer. Unlike its predecessor, Earthblade looks to feature a challenging combat system and a more fleshed out storyline, rife with mysteries to pick apart and NPCs to befriend. It’s safe to say, this will be one of the best platformers of the year. — Nathalie
14. Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios)
Release Date: February 22, 2024
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Steam, Epic Games
We love unique survival horror game concepts, and Pacific Drive scratches that itch. In this game, you operate out of an abandoned garage as your home base, traveling out into the surrounding wilderness to face supernatural dangers and gather resources – with your car as your only companion. Only time will tell whether the game is executed as well as it sounds, but it definitely sounds like a ton of fun right now. — Nathalie
15. Little Nightmares III (Supermassive Games)
Release Date: 2024
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam
Little Nightmares has been a beloved franchise over the years, and its third installment is looking to be no exception. Little Nightmares III follows a different set of characters, Low and Alone, as they search for a path that will lead them out of the Nowhere. The game is designed for co-op with a friend, which adds equal amounts of chaos and fun to the picture. — Nathalie
Any of your favourites didn’t make the cut? Let us know your personal most anticipated video game picks for 2024 in the comments below!
