Last year was an incredible year for video games with new entries in some of the biggest franchises around: Zelda, Mario, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy. And none compared to the dark-horse juggernaut of Baldur’s Gate 3, which swept the RPG world in a shadowy storm of accolades and praise.
Can 2024 possibly compete with what may go down as a top ten year for gaming? Will Ark 2 finally release this year? Can a DC game finally be good? Will Star Wars Outlaws live up to our expectations? Let’s explore our most anticipated games of the year, as of January 2024.
Ark 2
Release: “End of 2024”
The official sequel to ARK: Survival Evolved was announced way too early back in 2020, but we’re still looking forward to Studio Wildcard’s evolution to the winning multiplayer-survival-crafting-dinosaurs formula. Using Unreal Engine 5, Ark 2 promises Souls-like combat, third-person action, and Vin Diesel.
Avowed
Release: Fall 2024
Obsidian Entertainment (The Outer Worlds) is one of the most beloved RPG developers around, and Avowed may be their most ambitious project yet, combining their skills from multiple franchises. It’s a first-person RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity fantasy-renaissance world of Eora. The gameplay trailer showcases wielding swords and flintlock pistols together with bombastic spells.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Release: March 22, 2024
Capcom is finally giving us a sequel to their quirky, open world action-RPG from a decade ago. The customizable hero becomes Arisen after a fateful encounter with a dragon, and the lauded Pawn system from the first game makes its return. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is shaping up to the be perfect combination of Elder Scrolls and Dark Souls.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Release: April 23
Fans of the Suikoden RPG series finally have something to look forward to with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, an RPG directly inspired by the beloved series. Featuring a war-torn world, a deep story, and 100 characters to recruit is ambitious for any indie studio, but Rabbit & Bear Studio happens to be helmed by Suikoden veterans Yoshitaka Murayama and Osamu Komuta. A companion side-scrolling action-RPG, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, released in 2022.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Release: February 29
It’s safe to say Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth may be the single most anticipated game on this list. The remake of one of gaming’s all time greatest RPGs continues where Final Fantasy 7 Remake left off, as our heroes journey beyond the city of Midgar, meeting new allies and facing off against monstrous threats as they battle against Shinra and Sephiroth.
Foamstars
Release: February 6
Square Enix would prefer that folks not compare their family-friendly arena shooter to Splatoon, but it’s kind of hard not to. If anything, Foamstars a combination of Splatoon’s paint-firing gameplay with Fortnite’s art style and battle passes. Foamstars will feature classic PvP and PvE game modes, and it will launch first as a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Frostpunk 2
Release: Q2 2024
Few developers infuse sobering real human drama with tight tactical gameplay like 11-bit Studios. The original Frostpunk stole our frozen hearts by layering an excellent apocalyptic city builder, with humanity’s willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. Frostpunk 2 is set 30 years after the Great Storm that plunged the world into another Ice Age, letting players build larger and more expansive geothermal cities, and facing new threats from without and within.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Release: 2024
While we bemoan the aging of our favorite cinematic heroes, they can be immortalized in video games. Bethesda’s take on Indiana Jones looks incredibly authentic and immersive, returning to the pulp 1930s of Nazis, lost ruins, and whip-cracking action.
Persona 3 Reload
Release: February 2
Persona 5 gets all the love and attention, but we shouldn’t ignore its older siblings. Most of Persona 5’s excellent gameplay, characters, and story can be traced back to Persona 3, and now nearly 20 years later it’s getting a full-blown remake, in the style of Persona 5 Royal. Persona 3 Reload should be the perfect entry point for Persona 5 fans wanting to look back, or veterans wanting to experience the underrated RPG with modern improvements.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Release: January 18
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a throwback to the series’ roots as a sidescrolling adventure. It stars new hero Sargon, a warrior who wields twin blades and unlocks time-powers to zip around enemies and reach new areas of the cursed city of Mount Qaf.
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Release: March 22
Ever the bridesmaid and rarely the bride, the most famous princess in gaming is finally getting her first starring role in 20 years with Princes Peach: Showtime. When Peach arrives at the Sparkle Theater, she finds it’s been taken over by a nasty villain. With the help of her ally Stella, Peach can transform into different costumes and roles, such as detective, chef, and Kung Fu, gaining new abilities to overcome each challenge.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Release: September 5
The shooter-horror series has been dormant for over a decade, and run into major development hurdles, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine (the developer was based in Kyiv). STALKER 2 is finally coming this year, returning players to an alt-history Ukraine where another nuclear disaster gave way to strange anomalies and nasty mutants.
Star Wars Outlaws
Release: 2024
You would think open world Star Wars adventures would be a dime a dozen, but most are either heavily scripted RPGs or more linear action-adventure games. Enter Star Wars Outlaws, which promises a truly open world setting with stealth and combat, vehicles, space travel, and dialogue choices. Outlaws stars new scoundrel Kay Vess, and is set in the middle of the original trilogy, with the Empire at the height of its power.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Release: February 2
The DC universe has been in a rocky place for years, but the games are often better than the movies. Kill the Justice League offers a unique spin on the superhero model by starring the anti-hero Suicide Squad, in a world where the Justice League heroes have been brainwashed by alien invaders. Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark unite in solo or four player cooperative to survive the mayhem, and provide plenty of snark along the way.
Unicorn Overlord
Release: March 8
Japanese indie studio Vanillaware stole the show during September 2023’s Nintendo Direct with the reveal of Unicorn Overlord. Like many great indie games, Unicorn Overlord looks heavily inspired by a beloved genre in the 90s, this case, strategy-RPGs. Players are free to explore the world, engaging in both large-scale warfare and more intimate combat encounters.
Zenless Zone Zero
Release: 2024
MiHoYo, designers of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, are set to release their next big mobile-friendly RPG later this year. Zenless Zone Zero is set in the near-future and features an active, real-time battle system and plenty of awesome characters to collect.
