The Biggest February 2024 Video Game Releases

• Developer: Cygames
• Rating: T for Teen

It's mindblowing when you realize just how long this grand action RPG has been in the oven. Granblue Fantasy: Relink was revealed in 2016, was initially set up as a development collaboration between PlatinumGames & Cygames, and was publicly shown off in 2017. Then PlatinumGames got taken off the project, leaving Cygames to work on it solo. After countless delays, it's finally set to drop! If you fell in love with the cast of Granblue Fantasy: Versus, then you'll have even more to appreciate here. This game's epic single-player campaign and four-player co-op missions will take you far across gorgeous anime locales as you clash with foes big & small with your chosen "Skyfarer." Fan-favorite heroes such as Lancelot, Siegfried, and Zeta will be at your disposal during your crusade against the sinister individuals who seek to disrupt the sanctity of the fabled "Sky Realm."

Find out more about this game right here.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

• Developer: Rocksteady Studios
• Rating: M for Mature

Yeah we know, we know - several hard-to-ignore red flags are revolving around Rocksteady Studios' next release. A long development timeline, tons of delays, and a hugely negative response to the game's first major gameplay preview have put a damper on it ahead of release. Even with all those factors being considered here, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League still has to be acknowledged as one of the biggest games dropping in 2024. This solo and four-player co-op looter shooter brings Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark together as "Task Force X." Their mission? Kill the world-famous "Justice League!" We have to applaud this upcoming third-person shooter for featuring some stunning visuals, fun mobility mechanics that keep players in motion while they're blasting Brainiacs's army, and an intriguing storyline premise. Fingers crossed that this game ends up being better than expected!

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

• Developers: Byking, Gemdrops
• Rating: T for Teen

Hey, color us surprised because another mega-popular anime is getting an arena fighter adaptation! Like Naruto, Kill la Kill, and Demon Slayer before it, Jujutsu Kaisen is throwing its most recognizable warriors onto open battlefields for all-out brawls. Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash lets players command two of their favorite fighters during epic battles that can lead to stages collapsing due to all the frenetic hand-to-hand combat, "Cursed Techniques," and "Domain Expansions" being doled out. As you make your way through the events of the manga/anime's first season, you'll come across the likes of Aoi Todo, Maki Zen'in, Yuta Okkotsu, and many more across a roster of 16 launch characters.

• Developer: P-Studio
• Rating: M for Mature

Sega and Atlus' P-Studio is the heralded JRPG development studio that puts out nothing but bangers thanks to its Persona series. One of the biggest fan-requested remakes for that series has finally come to fruition in the form of Persona 3 Reload, which has been in active development since 2019! What those same fans can expect is a massive visual upgrade over the game's previous versions, a more stylish UI (User Interface) similar to the one presented in Persona 5, and a host of new gameplay additions that expand upon the original's social simulation and role-playing aspects. Now you'll be able to engage in individual conversations with your party mates and perform other fun tasks in the "Iwatodai Dorm," the "Tartarus" dungeon tower will feature more distinctive visual stylings, and fans of Persona 5's "Baton Pass" combat feature should enjoy this remake's take on that maneuver called "Shift." Persona 3 Reload marks another massive RPG release that gamers should keep an eye on at the beginning of 2024.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

• Developer: Toylogic
• Rating: N/A

Every time we get a good look at this game, we can't help but point out the obvious similarities between Splatoon and what's being presented here. But that's a good thing in our eyes since Nintendo's colorful party shooter is a total blast - we hope FOAMSTARS delivers the same multiplayer thrills as takes its spot as the latest PlayStation exclusive release. Becoming a part of this game's bright and bubbly foam-filled world means you'll get sucked into 4v4 competitions spread out across three game modes at launch ("Smash the Star," "Happy Bath Survival," and "Rubber Duck Party") and the three maps attached to each of those mode variations. Solo players and PvE enthusiasts can also hop into the "Foamstar" and "Squad Missions" modes, respectively. FOAMSTARS may just have what it takes to break out as your next competitive multiplayer addiction.

• Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
• Rating: M for Mature

When the first Helldivers came out, it offered a surprisingly tough challenge for co-op enthusiasts. The presence of friendly fire and the overwhelming alien hordes that could easily consume a team of four players turned the game into a big hit for developer Arrowhead Game Studios. Now the studio is switching up the first game's top-down perspective to that of a third-person viewpoint for a much more intimate survey of the alien blasting action at hand in Helldivers II. Now you and your three fellow "Helldivers" soldiers must utilize air-dropped "Strategems," help load up rocket launchers, and complete all manner of difficult objectives to maintain the survivability of "Super Earth." We get the feeling that you're going to want to have a headset on deck for Helldivers II so you properly coordinate with your teammates against an army of alien bugs and so much more.

• Developer: DON'T NOD
• Rating: T for Teen

Here's one of those 2024 games you're probably just learning about that may be worth keeping on your radar. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is an upcoming third-person action RPG where players find themselves working as a pair of ghost hunters called "Banishers" in a haunted locale called "New Eden" during the year 1695. Things go awry for the ghost-hunting duo once Antea becomes a ghost herself, which forces her lover Red to struggle over his duties as a Banisher and his undying devotion to Antea. This brand-new IP brings with it melee/ranged combat sequences that look & play similar to those of the recent God of War games, the ability to use both Red's living form & Antea's spirit form in battle, and major narrative changes brought on by the crucial decisions you make while conversing with certain characters.

• Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
• Rating: M for Mature

Could this finally be the moment when Ubisoft's long-in-development pirate simulator actually releases on its announced launch date? Here's hoping that it does! Skull and Bones sets sail with a single-player campaign and a five-player online component where explosive ship battles play out during PvP skirmishes across the vast "Disputed Waters." This sea-faring experience will transport players to the infamous Golden Age of Piracy where lawlessness reigned supreme as pirates fought to accrue as much treasure as possible and make their crew the most feared collective of pirates ever seen. This game's "Loot Hunt" mode will be its centerpiece as two pirate crews engage in a battle to accrue the most riches and put their ships to good use during epic naval warfare. Sea of Thieves won't be the only online multiplayer pirate game out here from here on out!

• Developers: Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
• Rating: M for Mature

Lara Croft is currently in comeback mode! She's the star of an upcoming Netflix animated series, she's got her own skin in Fortnite, and now she's set to revert to her previous design in an enhanced form via a remastered compilation of the first three Tomb Raider games. The Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection features your expected visual uptick for all three games, of course. With that graphical upgrade comes the option to choose between classic & modern controls, health bars for every boss you encounter, 3D sprite designs for in-game items, a photo mode, baked & real-time lighting effects, etc. If you've never seen Ms. Croft in action during her three initial adventures, now's the best time to do so!

• Developer: Nintendo
• Rating: E for Everyone

Are any of you guys old enough to remember that Game Boy Advance puzzle-platform game that put Mario and Donkey Kong at odds again? Well, that game is shockingly getting a remake for the Nintendo Switch! Mario vs. Donkey Kong is all about Nintendo's mustachioed plumber/mushroom consumer going out of his way to save an army of mechanical "Mini-Marios" by guiding them to the exit doors of numerous stages. Over 130 puzzle scenarios will be presented to you here as you look for the best paths forward for you and your toy clones. Once you've reached the end of every themed world, you'll be confronted by Donkey Kong for a boss fight that tests your knowledge of everything you've learned up until that point. Mario vs. Donkey Kong looks to be the first major Switch exclusive you'll want to dive into.

• Developer: Inflexion Games
• Rating: N/A

Now let's go from a game leaving Early Access to one that's about to enter that Steam game state. Nightingale is a lofty project that can be enjoyed solo or enjoyed with friends due to the game's focus on PvE mechanics. Fans of survival games will appreciate what's on offer here - as a "Realmwalker," you'll make your way through the vast region of "Faewild" while building, crafting, and fending off plenty of baddies. Nightingale is played from a first-person perspective, so you'll be up close to all the action that ensues and get Elder Scrolls vibes every time you engage in combat. Melee weapons and guns come into play whenever it's time to fight. Once everything around you calms down for a bit, you can stay busy by designing & constructing spacious homesteads and entering transdimensional portals that'll send you off to other lands.

• Developer: Eleventh Hour Games
• Rating: M for Mature

Developer Eleventh Hour Games' Early Access action RPG has been enjoying a strong run since hitting Steam on
April 30, 2019. Now that it has been fitted with a wealth of essential updates, Last Epoch is finally ready to enter its most finished state to date. So here's the deal with this one - you'll begin your journey by choosing from one of five battle classes and embark on an epic adventure full of hack 'n slash action, dungeon crawling, and plenty of loot collecting. The cool gimmick that sets Last Epoch apart from similar games such as Diablo is a time-traveling mechanic where you're sent into a downtrodden future landscape - the only way you breathe some new life into that period is by reverting to the past to figure out what it'll take to rescue the world of "Eterra" from the debilitating "Void."

• Developer: Evening Star
• Rating: E for Everyone

One of the greatest Sonic the Hedgehog games of all time (Sonic Mania, for those now in the know) came from the combined work of Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, Headcannon, and Hyperkinetic Studios. Whitehead is part of a new studio named Evening Star, which has taken its platform game expertise in a new direction to offer a 3D adventure that feels like a long-lost Dreamcast game. Penny's Big Breakaway follows Penny, a promising street performer who accidentally earns the ire of an angry emperor and his army of penguins. To steer clear of those relentless birds, you'll have to make use of an anthropomorphic yo-yo (named Yo-Yo, funny enough) that functions as an essential weapon and navigation tool. This game's eye-popping art style, speedy platforming, and catchy soundtrack have everything it needs to appeal to fans of throwback 3D platformers such as Sonic Adventure and Super Magnetic Neo.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.

• Developer: Avantgarden SRL
• Rating: T for Teen

Starbreeze Studios, the developers behind revered projects such as The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness, stepped out of its FPS comfort zone to produce something that tugged at everyone's heartstrings. 2013's Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons told the story of a sibling duo who set out on a harrowing journey to find a cure for their ailing father. What follows is a deeply emotional adventure game that employs plenty of puzzle-solving and a cool mechanic where either brother is controlled by a single analog stick. Now we're set to renter the magical world of those brothers in a remake that does everything you'd expect from a game of its ilk. A huge visual upgrade, a re-recorded original soundtrack with a live orchestra, and an improved performance should treat returning fans & first-timers to one of the finest remakes of 2024.

• Developers: Nightdive Studios, LucasArts
• Rating: T for Teen

Nightdive Studios have done some amazing work when it comes to remastering retro first-person shooters - System Shock, Rise of the Triad, and the first three Turok games have all gotten worthy upgrades thanks to the studio's continued work. The next remastered FPS on its docket is a LucasArts classic known as Star Wars: Dark Forces, which is all about a mercenary named Kyle Katarn who sets out to infiltrate the "Galactic Empire" and discover the intricate details behind the "Dark Trooper Project." All fourteen of this game's stages have been graphically updated to feature 4K and 120FPS-enabled visuals. Remastered cutscenes are also a huge part of this rejuvenated take on a gem of a Star Wars FPS experience.

• Developer: KillPixel
• Rating: M for Mature

The thriving sub-genre of "boomer shooters" has given 80s and 90s babies a whole new array of first-person shooters inspired by the likes of DOOM and Quake. 3D Realms, the developers responsible for the classic FPS Duke Nukem 3D, have cooked up a new FPS that evokes the look, sound, and feel of classic shooters with WRATH: Aeon of Ruin. Since entering Early Access on November 22, 2019, the game has gotten increasingly better. Thanks to the power of the "Quake-1 Tech" development engine, this boomer shooter transports players to a destitute world tortured by the "Guardians of the Old World." As an "Outlander" chosen to dispose of them by the "Shepherd of Wayward Souls," you'll need to blast everything in sight to complete your burdensome mission.

• Developer: Square Enix
• Rating: T for Teen

After the "Remake" comes a "Rebirth." Square Enix made a whole lot of dreams come true when it revealed Final Fantasy VII Remake at E3 2015. Thankfully, the high expectations attached to that game were met once it launched in 2020. The bonkers ending sequence of that game clued everyone into the fact that some major changes have been applied to the FF VII universe and have resulted in the fates of their favorite characters possibly changing for the better (or worse!). Now we're due for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which will take Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, Red XIII, and Yuffie outside of Midgar for a grand adventure. The second part of a planned trilogy is set to introduce two-person "Synergy Ability" attacks, a ton of recognizable & brand new minigames from the original FF VII, a lineup of colored "Chocobos" that utilize different methods of movement, and a whole lot more. We're dreading what will happen to Aeirth once we finally get to the "Forgotten Capital" in this game...

Find out more about this game right here.

Be sure to check out our review for this game right here.