As we get closer and closer to the end of 2023, it can be fun to look back across these many months to think about the many big-name games that have been released during this past year. But sometimes it can be even more fun to turn and look to the future, and remember that we’ve got plenty to look forward to in 2024! Which is why we find ourselves on today’s post.

Though there are certainly plenty more games to get excited for next year, I’ve managed to narrow down 20 games that I think already have a particularly big following that’s just waiting for the game to finally release. So, dear readers, I invite you to join me as we take a look ahead at these upcoming games that we can start to get excited about as 2024 draws near.

#20: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PC/Xbox Series X/S)

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 - Announce Trailer - 4K

Opening up our list is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the upcoming successor to their 2020 MFS release. This game is deceptively simple compared to most games on this list, as while yes, you could write this off as being “just” another simulation game, Microsoft Flight Simulator strives to be the premier example of any simulated game. 

From incredibly realistic and beautiful-looking graphics to a slate of new missions to undertake in a career mode-style mission system such as aerial firefighting, search and rescue missions, aerial crane missions, VIP air charters, and many more. The game is also set to bring in a range of new vehicle types as well, from gliders to hot air balloons, and even missions involving experimental aircraft unlike anything else, along with other new additions.

Microsoft Flight Simulator not only simulates the thrills of piloting all sorts of aerial vehicles, but it does so in a highly detailed, highly realistic simulation of our entire world. Plus, in this world, new environmental simulations have been added as well, from being able to do scientific observation of real-time tornados, to flying through heavy snowstorms, to witnessing animal migrations in the Savanna, and all sorts of other new additions that are dripping with immersive realism.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 seeks to help you “pursue your dream of an aviation career”, and judging from what we know so far, will succeed in helping players to pursue that dream with flying colors. If you aren’t afraid of heights and want to test your limits high above the world, then this upcoming sequel to the award-winning Microsoft Flight Simulator should be put on your radar immediately.

From dusting crops to performing mountain rescues to researching tornadoes and watching northern auroras, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 promises to be filled with new ways to experience our world from high above.

#19: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Official Story Trailer – “Ticking”

Five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight, four inmates from Arkham Asylum, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark, are forcefully recruited by Amanda Waller to be part of Task Force X, better known by its unofficial title of the “Suicide Squad”. They are recruited and sent into Metropolis for a covert mission, but only when they arrive do they realize that Metropolis has been taken over by Brainiac, an alien android obsessed with often violently obsessed with hoarding all knowledge in the known universe, who has unleashed alien lifeforms and taken control of not only powerful human weaponry… but also managed to seemingly hypnotize the Justice League. And the only way for the Suicide Squad to stop the world’s most powerful heroes is to kill them… somehow.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an upcoming genre-bending action-adventure game about four villains within the DC Universe being forced to play the reluctant heroes when nobody else is left, and because Amanda Waller has implanted bombs in their necks that will kill them should they try to refuse. Players can either go it solo, where they will freely be able to shift between controlling any of the four villains while AI controls the others, or in co-op where up to four players can explore the open-world setting of a Metropolis ruined by Brainiac invasion together. The Squad will encounter not only deadly alien enemies to fight alongside the mind-controlled Justice League, but they will also meet other DC characters that will help them, or hurt them, in some kind of way, ranging from other villains like the Penguin and Lex Luthor to the one hero left in the city who isn’t affected by the mind control, Wonder Woman, who reluctantly accepts the Suicide Squad’s help to try and set things right.

Suicide Squad is shaping up to be a very different game from any other we’ve seen set in the Arkham universe so far, seeing as not only will we be focusing on the villains, but we’ll be running around fighting off waves of enemies with firearms and special abilities rather than Bat-gadgets. And, of course, having to kill the Justice League is a pretty big leap from being Batman like before too. I’m not sure what to expect out of this game personally, but if it continues to hold that candle of quality that the Arkham games have been known for, then I would say this will be a game worth checking out come 2024.

With all the heroes lost to mind control and an alien invasion threatening to destroy the world, it’s up to four supervillains to enter the heroic spotlight for the first time… and somehow manage to kill the Justice League now that they’re here.

#18: Helldivers 2 (PC/PS5)

Helldivers 2 - Automaton Pre-Order Trailer

In the last game, you play as a co-op squad fighting off an alien invasion, but in Helldivers 2 you instead find yourselves becoming the invaders, as you and your squad are dropped onto various worlds across the galaxy to fight off growing swarms of giant, deadly bugs. The entire galaxy is under threat due to the growing swarm of bugs, so it’s up to the galaxy’s last line of defense, the Helldivers, to rage war on these extraterrestrial hostiles and to bring freedom, peace, and democracy to the galaxy once more, one bullet at a time.

The original Helldivers was a top-down shooter, but Helldivers 2 is shaping to shake up that formula by being a third-person shooter instead, throwing its players into the jaws of combat against swarms of deadly bugs, malicious groups of hostile Automatons, and other potential hostile lifeforms that need to have peace and freedom forcefully applied to them. In Helldivers 2 you and up to three other players can squad up together to go on missions on dozens of different planets across the galaxy in a galactic war with tides that are always turning for the better, and more likely, for the worse. Whether you decide to sneak through enemy territory, run in guns blazing, or call freedom down from on high using orbital bombardments from your support ships, there are plenty of ways for your squad of Helldivers to battle back against these vile threats, just as there are even more ways for them to tear you limb from limb on an unknown alien world.

The firearms systems in Helldivers 2 will feature some semblance of realism against the unreal threats you will be facing. For example, when going up against a bug with highly durable armor, if your bullets hit the target at a shallow angle they will deflect off harmlessly, which adds to the need for tactical awareness that players will need to possess. Depending on the type of mission, you will need to think about which weapons you’ll want to bring just as you’ll need to think about which type of armor you want to equip to better suit your playstyle, as each new mission gives way to new ways to fend off foes, and more often than that, more ways for you to get yourself and your friends killed swiftly and violently.

If nothing else, so far it already seems that 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for co-op shooter fans thanks to the addition of Helldivers 2. Some fans are likely disappointed by its delay into next year, but I try to think positively about these things, as it’s always a good sign of developer competence as well as passion when they know they need to delay their launch in order for their game to be the best it can be, rather than launching it in a buggy state(and not the good alien kind) without a care just to rake in some cash. So, I fully welcome this extended wait for Helldivers 2, as it will give the game more time to be just that extra bit greater, as well as give its fans more time to stew in excitement for when it finally gets released.

Fulfill the dream of every Super Earth citizen by joining up with the Helldivers so you can secure peace, freedom, and democracy across the galaxy, no matter how many giant deadly bugs you have to blow up to get it.

#17: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (PC/Xbox Series X/S)

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Gameplay reveal

Not much is currently known about the exact details of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, but what can be expected can be pieced together through trailers and what we can remember from the previous game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The protagonist is, of course, named Senua, a Pict warrior who is exacerbated by her severe psychosis as she tries to survive in a grim, harsh world based on the myths and legends of Celtic and Norse mythology.

Much like the first Hellblade, Senua’s Saga will mainly be focused on exploration through a strange mythology-inspired world and on combating the strange, monstrous, possibly even hellish creatures that reside within it. In the first Hellblade, Senua ventured on a gravely dangerous personal journey across many mysterious locations to ultimately descend into the depths of the Norse underworld Helheim in order to save the soul of her lover, Dillion. The theme of Senua’s Saga seems to be that while going on a journey of your own personal sacrifice where you accept that you might die is one thing, having a tribe of people you care for who are willing to follow your orders die because of you is something entirely different. And, unfortunately, chances are that many will die along this new journey, as Senua and her tribe will be forced to fight tooth and nail for survival against the myth and torment of the brutal Viking Iceland.

Senua’s Saga shapes up to be one of the more mysterious entries on this list as little is currently known of the overall shape of its story. And though that is specifically only an annoyance if you’re trying to write about the game in a blog post… Other than that, I find the mystery intriguing enough to make me want to learn more about this game as soon as I can. If I had to guess, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is shaping up to become one of the big sleeper hits of early 2024, and I can’t wait to see the mysteries of its brutal mythological world unveiled next year.

The journey of Senua continues as she struggles to survive in a hostile Norse mythology-inspired world, where plenty of dangerous creatures and strange mysteries await to be uncovered across Senua’s Saga.

#16: Alone in the Dark (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)

Alone in the Dark - Official Reveal Trailer

Set in the gothic American South, players join and control either Emily Hartwood or Detective Edward Carnby as they travel to a mysterious place called Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally fatigued, to investigate the disappearance of Jeremy Hartwood, Emily’s uncle. But when they arrive at the Manor, Emily and Edward are quick to discover that this strange place doesn’t just house a cast of curious characters, but is also filled with deadly monsters beyond their imagination that seek to rip them to shreds!

Alone in the Dark is a reimagining of the original 1992 game of the same name, that takes a similar path to the recent Resident Evil remakes in that instead of the game being viewed through fixed camera points in certain rooms you now control a third-person perspective of either Edward or Emily as you explore Derceto Manor. The story of the game is also retold to be an entirely new vision while remaining faithful, the most notable example being that Emily’s uncle has now simply disappeared rather than supposedly killing himself like in the original. But the gameplay will remain the same as ever with survival horror games like these, as the player will have to cautiously navigate the Manor grounds, encounter dangerous monsters, portals to nightmarish other worlds, and ultimately the forces of evil and its followers that are behind it all. On top of it all, the game will feature A-list acting behind the main characters, as Jodie Comer of Killing Eve fame and Stranger Things’s David Harbour will be lending their voices and appearances to Emily and Edward respectively.

For fans of survival horror classics, the upcoming retelling of Alone in the Dark will be a fantastically terrifying return to form while still having its own all-new identity. If you’ve been a fan of any of the recent Resident Evil remasters, or you’ve just been a fan of Alone in the Dark since the 90s, then keep an eye out for this one coming next January.

Emily Hartwood and Detective Edward Carnby are lured down south to investigate the disappearance behind Emily’s uncle Jeremy, a search which will lead them to meet the strange residents of Derceto Manor, as well as the nightmarish monsters lurking in its shadows.

#15: Princess Peach: Showtime (Nintendo Switch)

Princess Peach: Showtime! - Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023

For the first time since 2005, Nintendo is releasing another game starring arguably the most popular princess in gaming, none other than Princess Peach herself in the upcoming title Princess Peach: Showtime. After being shown advertising a play being held at the Sparkle Theater, Princess Peach and a group of Toads find themselves caught up in a sinister kidnapping plot by a new villain, a spectral entity called Grape and her minions, called the Sour Bunch of course, who entraps the Princess, the Toads, and the entire theater’s staff inside of the Sparkle Theater so that Grape alone can take center stage!

 Luckily for Peach, the flower-shaped guardian of the theater Stella decides to help Peach save the play, and the day, by giving her a magic ribbon that helps her fight off members of the Sour Bunch and to solve certain puzzles. But seeing as this is a theater, there are a number of different kinds of shows that have been taken over by the Sour Bunch, which means that Peach will be able to power up with several different transformations that are appropriate to the current stage’s setting. On a show centered around castles and knights, Peach can become Swordfighter Peach and fend off large groups of enemies with her swordplay, and on a museum-themed stage, Peach can become Detective Peach to track down missing artifacts and the thieves who stole them, along with other transformation options ranging from pastry chef to kung-fu master.

Though this game seems to be aimed towards a younger audience than most games on this list, I’m still going to give it credit for showcasing more sides to Princess Peach’s personality than what we might normally see during the usual kinds of Mario Bros. games. So as fun as action-packed co-op or survival horror games are, if you ever find yourself wanting to take things at a bit of a slower and more chill pace, Nintendo might be giving you just what you’re looking for with Princess Peach: Showtime, set to release in late March next year.

In her first solo adventure in over 18 years, Princess Peach shows that she’s more than just an ordinary princess as she takes center stage in Princess Peach: Showtime!

#14: Tekken 8 (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)

Tekken 8 - Overview Trailer

Even though plenty of other big-name fighting games are living it up here in 2023, we’ve still got more to look forward to in 2024 thanks to the upcoming release of Tekken 8. Along with series staples like “Rage Arts” and more beloved signature bone-crushing moves, Tekken 8 will also feature plenty of new features to keep long-time fans of the series just as entertained as the new fans, and especially for fans who have been paying attention to the long-running storyline of Tekken 8, which further continues the tragic saga of the Mishima bloodline and its world-shaking father-and-son grudge matches, as fist meets fate in Tekken 8.

Tekken 8 features a new “Heat System” that gives additional moves or even changes certain aspects of a fighter’s move sets and overall encourages more aggressive gameplay out of players, as well as new environmental destruction features that the fighters themselves will react to, in an effort to make the game more appealing for an audience to watch, on top of enhanced graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5. On top of that, every character’s model was rebuilt entirely from the ground up to give each fighter high-fidelity hair, skin, and muscles that realistically flex to portray even more lifelike character animations.

With updated graphics, a new online system that features customizable avatars for an avatar-based arcade-style hub lobby, and that same classic Tekken style that’s made the franchise a stand-out since 1994. If the newest Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games released this year weren’t enough to feed your thirst for greeting Fighting Games, then maybe the unique style of Tekken 8 will be just what you need once it comes out on January 26th.

The Saga of the Mishima bloodline continues to unfold with city-shattering showdowns of epic proportions in the eighth installment of the Tekken series.

#13: Persona 3 Reload (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)

Persona 3 Reload - Official 'The Hero's Arrival' Trailer

After years of requests from the fanbase for a remake of the most pivotal entry in the series following the game’s increase in global popularity, fans of this long-running series will finally get what they’ve been asking for when Persona 3 Reload is finally released in February 2024. While still retaining its core hybrid of traditional role-playing and social simulation gameplay, Persona 3 Reload updates the classic game with overhauls to its aesthetics and graphics, as well as adding or updating the gameplay with new quality-of-life improvements and other features that were seen later in the mainline Persona series. To top it off, the game’s user-face graphics have been updated as well, adding new objective descriptions, and displays for the time of day and how much time is left in a game’s day, among other small improvements.

Persona 3 Reload, like many of the remakes coming out lately, is a reimagining of the original game’s story that still generally follows the same path. In Persona 3 Reload, you play as the protagonist who recently moved to the city of Iwatodai after being transferred to a new school, and due to past events in this city, you come to discover a secret, “hidden” 25th hour of the day between one day and the next called the Dark Hour. Only certain individuals with certain abilities can become aware of this hidden hour, and once you find yourself inside of it a hidden power is awakened within you called a “Persona”, a physical manifestation of the protagonist’s inner spirit, which they use to fight off monstrous beings called Shadows lurking within the Dark Hour. After his Persona awakens and he fights off the Shadows, the protagonist character gets picked up by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, or S.E.E.S. for short, a group of students from the player’s new high school that have similar Persona powers and are committed to fighting off the Shadows. 

Persona 3 Reload will feature plenty of new scenes, new character interactions, and new voiceover additions to add to the already in-depth RPG experience between fighting against Shadow threats in turn-based combat missions to interacting with your new group of friends to form constantly growing meaningful bonds across the game. Whether you’ve been a fan of the series since the original Persona 3 was released, or you’re looking for a good jumping-on point for the series after hearing a bit about it, Persona 3 Reload should be well worth your time when it does eventually come out.

Make memories that will last forever as you fight off deadly monsters with your newly awakened Persona abilities and form deep friendships with your new teammates.

#12: Avowed (PC/Xbox Series X/S)

Avowed - Official Gameplay Trailer

Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity in the world of Eora, Avowed comes to us from developers Obsidian Entertainment, best known for making the game Fallout: New Vegas and for their last action RPG The Outer Worlds. Avowed is in the same vein as Outer Worlds for being a first-person-only RPG, where players assume control of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire who has been sent to a remote region named the Living Lands in order to investigate a mysterious plague that is infecting citizens and animals alike. In your quest, you soon discover a personal connection to the land itself, and in turn, uncover an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything within the Living Lands.

With Avowed being set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, a more classic-styled top-down RPG compared to a first-person RPG also developed by Obsidian, the envoy will have access to not only melee weapons like swords but a wide range of usable magic spells and even firearms like pistols to be used in combat. When not in combat of course, players can interact with a wide range of distinct NPCs which can either be chatted with, fought, or even convinced to join your party and assist you on your adventures. The exact details of this new game haven’t been revealed yet, but what we do know from Pillars of Eternity is that there will be a wide range of races to encounter, unique monsters to fight, and if we’re lucky, that same Obsidian writing that got Pillars of Eternity to receive critical acclaim upon release.

In short, if you’ve played New Vegas or any other first/third-person RPG in the past five to ten years, then you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect out of Avowed. That’s not to say that you should expect anything “average” out of the game of course, as Obsidian’s award-winning writing and the worlds they’ve helped create over the past 20 years should stand testament that Avowed will likely be another masterfully crafted gaming experience from the developers that brought us Knights of the Old Republic II.

Wield incredibly powerful magic abilities and deadly weapons alike as you search for the answers behind the many mysteries at play in the Living Lands.

#11: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S/Nintendo Switch)

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft - Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023

Earlier in the year, Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics partnered to announce that the first three original Tomb Raider games are coming to modern consoles, with all three games lovingly restored with updated graphics and performance enhancements. On top of that, all expansion packs and secret levels for all three games are also included for the first time ever on consoles.

From exploring long-forgotten temples to trekking across dinosaur-infested islands, players old and new will be able to experience each and every level of Lara Croft’s first three games, and they’ll have the choice between playing through the games with the newly updated graphics or with the original polygonal graphics that the games released with, as you can toggle between the two options whenever you please. From exploring abandoned temples to trekking across dinosaur-infested islands, the fearless Lara Croft’s adventures in archeology will lead her to explore both different countries and different mythologies and to face off against deadly foes, and even deadlier legends.

I’ve never had the chance to try out the original Tomb Raider games myself, but when this collection was announced I thought it the perfect chance to finally experience these classics for myself. I imagine that’s going to be the case for plenty of other newer fans of the series like myself, just as it will bring in older fans who want to re-experience the trilogy in an all-new fashion. So whether you’re a new player or a veteran, a young fan or old, there’s going to be plenty for everyone to enjoy in this upcoming Tomb Raider Remastered collection.

Experience the legendary origins of fearless archeologist Lara Croft in a brand-new light with the upcoming Tomb Raider Trilogy Remastered collection!

#10: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (PC/PS4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch)

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy - Release Date Trailer

Since its first game was released all the way back in 2001, the Ace Attorney franchise has spanned over two decades with both mainline games and spinoffs alike, and now players can return to the courtroom once again in the upcoming Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. In this trilogy, legendary lawyer Phoenix Wright passes the torch to his protege Apollo Justice, who must now live up to Phoenix's legacy as he learns how to navigate the courtroom during the Dark Age of the Law!

The Ace Attorney series gave birth to the “Courtroom Battle genre” of text-based adventure games when its first mainline game came out for Game Boy Advance in 2001, and the remained exclusive to the Game Boy Advance and then later the 3DS and even mobile devices until the Phoenix Wright Trilogy released in 2013, re-releasing the three original mainline games to PCs and consoles with updated high-definition graphics. The Apollo Justice Trilogy sets out to do the same with the next three mainline games, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice, by not only giving these three games their own updated graphics but also adding in previously DLC-only special episodes, an Art Library, an in-game animation studio to play around with the character models in, and a handful of other bonus features on top of some quality of life improvements!

I’ve been a casual fan of the Ace Attorney games for only a few years now, so while I may not have the long-time experience some fans might have, I do know that the Ace Attorney series is filled to the brim with quality. From the story writing, the variety of strange characters you can meet, the puzzles you’ll need to solve in order to defend your client, and plenty more even still, these games truthfully provide a special experience in the text-based game genre. If you think you have what it takes to defend your clients from the best of the best in the courtroom, and you want to enjoy a story that’s surprisingly emotionally moving while you’re at it, then the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a collection to keep your eye on once 2024 rolls through.

Investigate crimes and gather evidence before stepping into the courtroom to prove your client’s innocence against some of the toughest lawyers in the world!

#9: MultiVersus (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)

MultiVersus – Official Cinematic Trailer - "You're with Me!"

Getting into the singular digits now, the #9 on our list is a bit iffy since technically it did already release, but it since has been delisted to go from its “open beta” phase to a full-fledged release in early 2024. The game I’m talking about is none other than MultiVersus, a platform fighter similar to Super Smash Bros., but instead of Nintendo characters, MultiVersus is made up of characters from Warner Bros. Entertainment’s vast library of characters.

In MultiVersus, heroes and villains from across the Multiverse are pulled from their realities by an unknown force and are pitted against each other! The World’s Greatest Detective Batman will take on Shaggy Rogers, Bugs Bunny squares off against Tom & Jerry, Jake The Dog and Finn The Human team up against Garnet and Steven Universe, and Arya Stark does battle against LeBron James! Yes, really, LeBron James is a fighter in this game. And those are only just some of the examples of the roster that was available back during the open beta period! Those fighters and many more who have yet to be revealed are slated to return in early 2024, where they will return to battle against one another across a series of iconic worlds from across the Multiverse!

MultiVersus is probably one of the top 3 games I’m most looking forward to playing again once 2024 finally rolls around. The way the characters are designed makes each fight feel incredibly distinct and unique among the growing roster, the way that the combat is designed makes the game feel incredibly fun to play, and the focus on 2v2 combat encourages players to work well alongside their teammates to win. Though the ultimate fate of the game is currently unknown at this time, with the game still set to release in early 2024, I hold out hope that MultiVersus will return with an even bigger bang that made it the biggest launch of any fighting game ever released on Steam back in 2022.

From Batman to Shaggy, Arya Stark to Bugs Bunny, Finn & Jake to Rick & Morty, the Multiverse is filled with legendary heroes and villains who will battle against each other across the Multiverse in MultiVersus!

#8: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – Summer Game Fest 2023 Trailer

The unknown journey continues for mercenary Cloud Strife and his group of friends, in this remake of the original 1997 PlayStation game of the same name, now titled Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. A direct sequel and set immediately after the events of its 2020 predecessor Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth reimagines the plot, world, and cast of characters from the original to retell the story of Cloud and his friends on their quest to free the city of Midgar from the tyrannical, planet-destroying rule of the Shinra Electric Power Company, who rules the city with the weaponization of an ethereal power source known as the Lifestream.

Cloud and his party venture across the world, known simply as just “The Planet”, exploring vast open-world segments and engaging in combat scenarios that both take place in real-time gameplay, unlike the turn-based combat screens of the original 1997 game. Exploring the overworld section of the game, players will be able to take on numerous quests and enjoy various side activities and mini-games in the newly expanded world set across multiple biomes, along with new ways to freely explore this familiar yet still new world around them. The “Active-Time Battle” system combines both real-time combat where you can freely switch between members of your party and the ability to cast magic spells or select useful items from a dedicated menu that appears while gameplay suspends around you in the meantime, similar to the classic turn-based RPG style of the original FF7.

Cloud’s quest to take on the dreaded Sephiroth will be retold with new advanced graphics and a reimagined take on the story in the second of the planned trilogy of games retelling the story of the original FF7. This recreation of this game’s story will make it a brand new experience for old fans of the series as well as new, giving it plenty of distance from the 1997 original while still being similar and faithful to it. But for however long you’ve been a fan of the franchise, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will have something new in store for everyone and then some.

The unknown journey continues once again, as Cloud Strife, his friends, and even the terrible Sephiroth return to continue the retelling of this classic story.

#7: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023

Though it’s unclear whether this game falls under the technical umbrella of being either a remake or a remaster, what is clear is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is making its grand return to the Nintendo Switch! The entire 2004 classic for the GameCube is coming back on the Switch in 2024, and it’s bringing along all-new updated graphics that give the game a more “crafted” look to everything that leans more into the “Paper” aspect of the game, while still remaining faithful to the original game’s art style.

The game will feature all sorts of little updates along with its noticeably different graphics, such as how Mario’s companions now have new sprites that show them from behind rather than always being forward-facing sprites regardless of the camera angle like in the original. Other details include slight alterations in the dialog, notably Bowser yelling “Lunkhead” instead of “Airhead” like in the original, and the word “SUPERGUARD” appearing over Mario’s head during a battle phase instead of “GREAT!” when blocking an attack successfully. There are also changes to the game’s music, having been rearranged with new instrumentation to sound similar to later Paper Mario games. Additionally, each character has a unique talking sound effect when speaking, such as Koopa characters having Koopa sounds, or Peach and Luigi’s speaking effect sounding like their voices.

Beyond visual and audio changes, the only gameplay change noticed so far is that there’s a new “Tattle Check” option in the bottom right corner during a Battle, but chances are we’ll see more gameplay changes if any the closer we get to release. But for the most part, in terms of the trend of big game franchises remastering, remaking, retelling, and the plenty of other “re’s” that we’ve been seeing lately, the upcoming Switch version of The Thousand-Year Door is looking to be as close to the original game as possible, similar to the earlier mentioned Tomb Raider Remaster! So if you haven’t gotten the chance to play the original game, since who knows how many people still have GameCubes in 2023, then this upcoming re-release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is certainly one Nintendo Switch game that will be worth checking out. Take it from a long-time fan of the game, you won’t want to miss out on this one!

Mario’s adventure to hunt down the legendary Crystal Stars and to find out what lies behind The Thousand-Year Door hidden beneath the city of Rogueport returns with an all-new look in the upcoming Nintendo Switch re-release!

#6: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PC/Xbox Series X/S)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 Heart of Chornobyl Official Trailer

For the first time since the series’ third release in 2009, players will finally be able to return to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, or just the Zone for short, and experience the brand-new horrors that are hiding inside in the long-awaited sequel that is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The game was originally set to release in 2022, but unfortunately, developers GSC Game World were based in Ukraine during the Russian invasion of the country, which caused not only further and entirely understandable delays, but also tragically resulted in the death of developer Volodymyr Yezhov, who died in a battle against Russian invaders. Even still, despite their terrible circumstances, the dev team relocated to Prague in May 2022 and continued development on the game despite the situations they faced, ensuring that the game will, hopefully, finally be released in the first quarter of 2024.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series takes place in an alternate Chronobyl Exclusion Zone, where after the original nuclear disaster in 1986 numerous classified laboratories conducted experiments at the site that resulted in another catastrophe in 2006, which caused both physical and meteorological phenomena to begin occurring all over the exclusion zone, and mutation to the local plant and animal life, with unnatural and inexplicable anomalies occurring more and more frequently all across the Zone. Due to these anomalies and the abandoned facilities inside the zone, artifacts of immense value are hidden within the Zone, which attracts many people who are dubbed Stalkers that enter the Zone, risking their own lives to make a fortune or even to uncover the truth concealed in the Heart of Chronobyl.

While on the outside one can confuse the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series for just being a similar game to the Fallout series, those who take the time to invest in and learn about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will learn quickly that it’s not only a game set in a post-apocalyptic world where you’ll potentially get into shootouts against factions of survivors, but that it’s also a survival horror where mutated monstrosities are waiting for you in the darkest corners of the Zone. If you have it in you to brave the terrors waiting for you inside the Zone, be it for riches or the truth, then S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will give you all the opportunity you need to fulfill your dreams… or end up lost to the Zone forever.

Enter the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and face off against unnatural anomalies, factions of dangerous survivors, and unpredictable mutants in your search for artifacts, wealth, and perhaps even the truth behind what’s happening here.

#5: Earth Defense Force 6 (PC/PS4/PS5)

Earth Defense Force 6 - Announcement Trailer

After a long and grueling battle, the Earth Defense Force has finally succeeded in driving off the alien invaders that threatened to conquer and destroy our world with their seemingly endless army of giant insects, robots, and other monstrosities. But this victory was not without its cost, however, and now only 10% of the Earth’s population remains alive, leaving the Earth on the verge of collapse as the surviving population continues to fend off the remaining threats while trying their best to continue the recovery effort. Three years passed, and in the year 2027, humanity continues to skirt past the brink of extinction. Humanity may have defied the odds and survived this long, but in this new world without hope, another threat looms on the horizon. Thus, it’s time to defy this future of despair, and to once more save the future of our mother Earth!

The Earth Defense Force series, or just EDF, is a co-op game where up to four players either locally or online team up to fight off invading swarms of giant alien bugs. Most common are giant ants and spiders, but there will also be giant robots akin to the Iron Giant, and even giant reptilian mutants that are essentially just knockoff Godzillas. But fear not, for the humans also have equally powerful means of defeating these monstrous invaders across the four playable classes.

Rangers are the standard soldier type who typically come with one “standard” gun, an assault rifle or a shotgun, along with a high-damage dealing explosive weapon, Wing Divers are capable of flying with jetpacks that require rechargeable energies but have little armor as a result, meaning they need to rely on mobility, Fencers are heavily armored troops that can dual wield heavy-artillery machine guns and rocket launchers as well as having devastatingly powerful melee weapons at the downside of being as slow as a tank, and the Air Raider that can call down devastating air strikes and orbital laser blasts while deploying a range of different vehicles he can use. The four series staple classes return for EDF 6, and with their range of new weapons to be unlocked, they will have to take the fight to the lingering alien colonists, who themselves continue to breed and evolve into even more dangerous forms!

The EDF series is probably one of my favorite co-op game series ever released. Not only is it incredibly entertaining to cut through swarms of nearly endless giant bugs and monsters, but the game is also filled with that Japanese humor charm that makes the game genuinely funny at certain times as well, like when you and your squad are singing rallying songs alongside the other NPC troopers while on the verge of being eaten alive by giant fire ants. If you’re a “serious gamer” who only likes his games to be “super srs business”, then EDF might not be your cup of tea. But if singing songs about the bravery of the EDF while blasting through wave after wave of giant alien monstrosities alongside your friends sounds like something you would enjoy, then Earth Defense Force 6 is a game you should start getting excited for today.

To save our mother Earth from any alien attack, the EDF deploys once again to overcome despair and resist the fate of the Earth that these alien invaders dare to try and force on us!

#4: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)

Bloodlines 2 Official Announcement Trailer

Based on the tabletop role-playing game of the same name and a sequel to the original 2004 cult classic PC RPG, after years of delays, players will finally be able to sink their fangs into Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 in 2024. In a world where vampires, werewolves, demons, and other fantastically monstrous creatures shape the flow of human history from the shadows, 21st-century Seattle is being assaulted by a three-front siege on the city during a historic Christmas-time snowstorm. You play as an elder vampire, meaning a vampire who has been turned for at least 300 years, that is awoken from slumber during this chaos. On the brink of an all-out war, your decisions may very well decide whether Seattle’s vampire society will survive this impending war, or if it will crumble and make way for your new rule.

Like its 2004 predecessor, Bloodlines 2 will be a game about you creating your very own vampire in a world ruled by vampire society, where you will be able to pick not just your appearance but which vampiric clan your character belongs to, which both gives your character further background and decides which slate of vampiric abilities that your character will have access to. Once you are set loose into the city, you will feast on its human inhabitants for blood that sustains you and your abilities, known as Disciplines in-game, as well as meet other supernatural power-players that reside in this world. 

When you’re not scheming through dialog choices, there will be times when you will engage in combat that’s both visceral and immersive, which rewards plenty of different playstyles and approaches to a fight based on which vampire clan you choose to be part of. Whether you charge into a fight with supernatural fists or pick off your foes one by one like the apex predator you are, you must always remember: do not break the Masquerade. Because if humanity begins to learn of the existence of vampires, then not only will you have to deal with human authority, but also the authority of everything else that goes bump in the night.

The original Bloodlines remains a cult classic even today, lauded for its setting that was entirely unique to an RPG back then, as well as for its overall writing and the lineup of interesting characters that can be met, or fought, across the game. And though Bloodlines 2’s setting and premise will be far different from its predecessor, it will still retain that beloved combat, dialog, and overall charm that made the original game the sleeper hit that it was. If you have a thirst for blood as well as a thirst for power, then Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will give you all the power you seek, and maybe even more. Just be sure not to break the Masquerade…

Your choices, your plots, and your schemes will not only determine the balance of power of the supernatural underworld but also what becomes of Seattle and its people.

#3: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Gameplay Reveal Trailer

The fates of two dragons will be decided when Ichiban Kasuga, an unstoppable underdog, and Kazuma Kiryu, the legendary Yakuza now reduced to a broken man, are brought together by the hands of fate, or perhaps something more sinister. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the ninth mainline entry in the Yakuza franchise, which has been running since 2005, where the game follows the former Tojo Clan yakuza Ichiban and Kiryu as they embark on a deceptively intertwining adventure that spans both Honolulu City, Hawaii and Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama respectively. Ichibin receives a tip from a former comrade about his biological mother, Akane Kishida, who he thought had died many years ago, and travels to Honolulu to find her, while unbeknownst to either man at the time, Kiryu is sent to do the same by orders of the Daidoji faction. This will lead to a grand journey in search of the truth for both men. And for one of them, it may also be their final journey…

The Yakuza franchise is beloved not only for its epic emotional drama story elements throughout the games but also for its intense combat gameplay. The earlier Yakuza games focusing on Kiryu had more of a “Brawler” aspect, where Kiryu could switch between multiple fighting styles to take on large groups of enemies at once, but the Like a Dragon entries in the franchise shift combat to a more turn-based RPG style fighting system, where players will upgrade not only Ichiban’s skills but also the skills of his party members, unlocking new combo moves and even being able to call in side-characters to perform special attacks displayed in crazy cutscene sequences. What fans also love about the Yakuza franchise is the wide range of side activities that can be performed, such as playing darts, playing Mahjong, or even singing dramatic ballads at karaoke bars, along with plenty of new additions coming in Infinite Wealth.

For longtime fans of the franchise, players will likely know exactly what to expect in terms of gameplay, while new players will find themselves overwhelmed in all the right ways by the insane mixture of the dramatic storytelling of the main story and the ridiculously silly side content that can be discovered. But what we don’t know how to anticipate is just how this emotional story between Ishiban and Kiryu is going to end. And to me, that just gives me all the more reason to look forward to the massive Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

The fates of two dragons intertwine once again as Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu are reunited in Hawaii, either by the hands of fate or by something far more sinister, perhaps for the final time…

#2: The Wolf Among Us 2 (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)

The Wolf Among Us 2 - First Trailer Reveal

When developers Telltale Games foreclosed in 2018 it seemed we’d never end up getting this game, but after LCG Entertainment purchased much of the company's assets and re-launched a sort-of-new version of Telltale Games to continue their work. So, after a ten-year-long wait, patient fans will finally be able to return to the world of the Fables when The Wolf Among Us 2 finally releases in 2024.

Based on the award-winning comic book series Fables written by Bill Willingham, The Wolf Among Us 2 once more centers around the exploits of Bigby Wolf, formerly known as The Big Bad Wolf from all those ages-old stories you were read as a child, who alongside many other fairytale and folklore characters from those generation-spanning stories which are known as Fables has fled to live amongst humans on Earth after their Homelands were conquered by their mysterious and deadly enemy known as “The Adversary”. But that was the past, and at this point in time, Bigby now works as the sheriff of Fabletown, a community hidden in the heart of New York for Fables, to keep the peace between his fellow Fables so they don’t cause too much trouble for each other and for the humans they live amongst. Teaming up alongside Snow White, the de facto mayor of Fabletown, Bigby will encounter many faces from his past as a new case threatens to cross the line between Fabletown and the NYPD, leaving it on Bigby’s shoulders to determine the fate of the Fable community.

Not much is known yet about the overall story of this long-awaited sequel, all that we can come to expect so far is that Bigby will get involved in an intense clash against The Tin Man and Scarecrow from the story of the Wizard of Oz inside of a dingy motel. The wider details will likely come out the sooner we get to 2024, giving fans plenty more time to anticipate what will happen in the next thrilling chapter of The Wolf Among Us. If it’s anything like the previous game and the comics they’re based on, the Wolf Among Us 2 won’t leave us disappointed once this decade-long wait comes to an end.

Bigby Wolf's long-awaited return to the gaming world will see him take on a new case that threatens to reveal the true nature of the Fable community to the humans they hide among in New York City.

#1: Star Wars: Outlaws (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)

Star Wars Outlaws: Official World Premiere Trailer

Closing out our list, fans of the galaxy far, far away will finally be able to get the long-awaited open-world experience they’ve been waiting for courtesy of Star Wars: Outlaws. As the name suggests, players will take control of a young woman named Kay Vess who is an outlaw scoundrel who is struggling to gain her freedom in this vast galaxy. Set between the period of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the Galactic Empire is as powerful and widespread as ever, so Kay will have to avoid drawing in their wrath just as much as she will have to deal with her fellow criminals.

Star Wars: Outlaws gives players the means to discover a galaxy of opportunity, as for the first time ever in a Star Wars game players will be able to freely explore open-world environments. Ranging from sprawling cities to natural vast outdoor landscapes, each planet you visit will have its own distinct locations and settings, as well as its own unique challenges and enticing rewards for those willing to take the risk. Whether you choose to go into a shootout against a crime syndicate forces blaster blazing, or you prefer to use stealth and gadgets to sneak through an Imperial facility, the choice is yours for how you want to turn the situation to your advantage.

Once Kay, alongside her loyal and deceptively useful pet Merqaal named Nix, has finished with her business on a planet, she can return to her ship titled The Trailblazer, where her comrade ND-5, a Clone Wars era Separatist Droid Commando, will be waiting to help her escape the solar system while the Empire is hot on their tail. So far, Star Wars: Outlaws looks like it’s going to give players everything they’ve wanted and them some out of an open-world Star Wars game, on top of giving us an entirely original story centered around the scoundrels of the galaxy, and the nefarious crime-lords that they usually wind up indebted to. Though it’s certainly been a long wait for someone to finally pull off an open-world Star Wars galaxy experience, come 2024 that wait will finally come to an end with the eventual release of Star Wars: Outlaws.

Outlaw Kay Vess is willing to risk it all to secure her freedom and the means to start a new life, even if it means having to fight, steal, and outwit her way through the galaxy’s notorious crime syndicates to join the galaxy’s most wanted herself.

Conclusion

And with that, we’ve reached the end of our list of 20 AAA games to look forward to in the near-to-not-as-near future. I know that I’m personally looking forward to at least a few of these games already, but what about you? How do you, the reader who’s made it this far, feel about this list of games? Are you excited about what you’ve seen, or are there some other games that didn’t make the list that you’re anticipating? If you’ve got a thought to share, then feel free to share it in the comments! I know that I’d enjoy the chance to see what you think. Otherwise, I’ll leave this post here, and I might even see you again for the next one.