ONE37pm's 30 Most Anticipated Games of 2024

While we continue waiting for the long-in-development Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, we'll gladly accept this "Metroidvania" take on one of Ubisoft's greatest IPs. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown features a new hero named Sargon, who runs alongside his fellow warriors in "The Immortals" in a bid to save the kidnapped Prince Ghassan. Every time we see this game in motion, we can't help but get even more enthusiastic about it. The flashy combat impresses as you can pull off some slick combos with Sargon's double blades, plus the epic boss fights and the time-based powers players can tap into look incredible.

The Like a Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) franchise made a smooth transition from its beat 'em up gameplay focus to a newly implemented turn-based RPG combat structure. We're glad that major change worked, which is why we can't wait to see how much better it gets once Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth comes out. Ichiban Kasuga is back, plus he's bringing former series frontman Kazuma Kiryu with him on a new adventure that'll bring them to the warm and sunny shores of Hawaii. We're already expecting to shed some tears over this sequel's story since our boy Kiryu is suffering from cancer for this next go-round. On the gameplay front, we're so hyped about this game's improved turn-based battle mechanics, a slew of new minigames (Happy Resort Dondoko Island looks awesome!), and playable arcade ports of Virtua Fighter 3 & SpikeOut.

Based on the millions of copies sold via Tekken 7, we aren't shocked that Bandai Namco blessed Katsuhiro Harada, Michael Murray, and the rest of the Tekken development team with a massive budget for a sequel. Judging by the trailers we've seen and the betas/demos we've played, Tekken 8 is getting everything it needs to emerge as a welcome enhancement over its predecessor. On the debuting character front, we've already fallen in love with Azucena, Victor, and Reina. Plus a ton of our series faves are back with some new drip afforded to them. The new "Heat" gauge system allows for more in-your-face action and longer combo strings, which we can't wait to master and break out during our many online ranked matches at launch.

After several disappointing delays, and a shocking change in the development studio working on it, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is FINALLY slated to drop in 2024. The beautiful anime art style that was revealed at the beginning of this game's development lifecycle has been kept intact and still looks marvelous. Watching the likes of Katalina, Rackam, Io, and Eugen dominate the battlefield with their chosen weaponry while clashing with mythical beasts has increased our excitement for this action RPG tenfold. With promises of towering beasts being presented as challenging boss fights, a deep endgame with online co-op multiplayer missions, and a vast world to explore, Granblue Fantasy: Relink sounds like it'll keep us busy all year long.

"Hey, it's the Pokémon with guns game!" Yep, and its name is Palworld! Ever since we saw the first piece of footage for this game, we were floored by its creature designs and the fact that this game's collection of beasties can be taken down with all manner of firearms. Palworld is one-half open-world survival, while the other half is mainly composed of crafting elements. Encountering those cutesy "Pals" is the most enticing portion of this game that helped it earn a deserving placement on this list of our most anticipated games of 2024. Blasting them, recruiting them, mounting them, and commanding them to aid your combat & base production efforts means we'll be spending a whole lot of time getting familiar with them all.

February is setting itself up as the busiest gaming release month of the year. Another one of the most anticipated games of 2024 that just so happens to be dropping during that month is a major JRPG remake. Persona 3 Reload fulfills a longtime fan request and it's shaping up to be something special - the new and improved visuals, a Persona 5-esque art style applied to the game's user interface, and additional quality-of-life features are all going out of their way to refine an already amazing product. Just like Persona 5, Persona 3 Reload will bring with it a lengthy campaign backed up by a mature storyline and brand-new social activities that'll bring players closer to their beloved party members. We can't wait to reunite with Yukari, Aigis, and Aigis!

The first Helldivers is one of the most challenging top-down shooters we've ever played. Even with its high difficulty level, we still enjoyed living out our Starship Troopers dream scenarios by blasting ginormous bugs and other hostile alien races. Now the developers behind that game (Arrowhead Game Studios) are going big with the follow-up to that sci-fi shooter by switching it to a third-person perspective and presenting players with even bigger bugs to contend with. Helldivers II looks like it'll retain everything we love about the first game and strengthen all those features to a high degree. Friendly fire is still a huge deal here, so we'll be careful not to shoot our buddies in the back by mistake. Loading up another player's rocket launcher so they can blast a massive insect's outer shell apart looks so awesome, by the way!

Final Fantasy VII Remake fulfilled a dream scenario fans have had for decades. Upon completing it, everyone caught on to the fact that the game felt like more of a sequel instead of a refreshed reimagining. Now we're locked in to see what other major changes are coming to the original game's storyline and how Zack's timeline plays out in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The visuals look even better here now that this follow-up is strictly on PS5 - the new and improved versions of the "Gold Saucer" and "Costa Del Sol" help this game shine. The huge array of double-team attacks makes combat even more complex and rewarding. Then there's the fact we can play as Sephiroth here, which is worth the price of admission alone!

What's up with all those weird names for Japanese-made RPGs? Triangle Strategy, Live A Live, Octopath Traveler, and Bravely Default immediately come to mind when we get embroiled in that funny hop topic! There's another release that's set to join that list and it's Unicorn Overlord. Never mind the strange name, though - it's the game's gorgeous art style brought forth by Vanillaware that has us excited to see what else it has to offer. From the info we've derived from coverage of this game, Unicorn Overlord will feature tactical RPG mechanics with real-time combat that employ combat parties formed from multiple units. That unique approach to combat has us ready to spend dozens of hours in the beautiful fantasy realm of "Fevrith."

Lauded Capcom game director and designer Hideaki Itsuno has lent his talents to incredible IPs, such as Rival Schools, Power Stone, Devil May Cry, and Dragon's Dogma. Once he finished his work on Devil May Cry 5, everyone had a sneaking suspicion of what he was planning to make soon after. Those suspicions were confirmed when Itsuno told the world about Dragon's Dogma 2, the long-awaited sequel to one of Capcom's most underrated action RPGs. Familiar elements of the first game, such as becoming an "Arisen," choosing their combat-focused vocation, and exploring a vast open world alongside AI-controlled "Pawns" are all here and accounted for. The crispier graphical sheen and ginormous beasts you can climb on during epic battles also have us ready to become addicted to this medieval fantasy title.

The "Mushroom Kingdom's" proud and fearless leader Princess Peach is getting her own Nintendo Switch exclusive years after starring in the Nintendo DS platformer, Super Princess Peach. Prince Peach: Showtime! is doing things a lot differently in comparison to that handheld platformer by throwing Nintendo's royal defender into an action-adventure game built around the theme of players participating in a stage play. During this showcase, Peach will be able to change into varying outfits that alter her abilities - we can't wait to don her Three Musketeers fit and use her rapier to morph into "Swordfighter Peach." The rest of Peach's costume changes and the game's whimsical feel should be enough to make this 2024 Switch exclusive a mandatory pick-up for gamers of all ages.

The Nioh games are fire, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is pure class, and Wo Long: Fallen Dyntasy is heat. The development studio responsible for making all those games as good as they are is Team Ninja, who's set to put out another hyperfast action RPG called Rise of the Ronin. This time around, players will get thrust into the Boshin War set during the late 19th-century Edo period. With your custom warrior at the ready, you'll engage with a wide variety of foes and cut them to bits with a slick katana that can even catch flame-based projectiles and get set on fire to do even more devastating damage. We can't wait to soar through the skies with those mechanic wings and explore real-world locales across historical Japan.

It's no coincidence that after this highly anticipated spiritual successor to Suikoden was announced, Konami came out of the blue to announce an HD remaster for the series in the form of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. Chances are that the remastered collection is going to be pretty damn good, but we're a bit more enthusiastic about this brand-new strategy RPG. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is looking to replicate everything fans still regard so highly about the classic Suikoden games - it features 100+ playable party members to bring into the fold, anime-inspired 2D visuals, and an intriguing storyline focused on saving the denizens of a war-torn world. We've already prepared ourselves to pour hundreds of hours into this one!

The Game Awards 2023 had its fair share of massive reveals and smaller ones that still got us excited for what's to come. One of the more notable world premiers that took place during the ceremony was a trailer for a brand new IP being supported by the EA Originals program. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU focuses on the journey of a grieving young man named Zau who sets out into "Kenzera" to find a way to revive his deceased father. You can expect to get in tune with this game's African-inspired themes during a Metroidvania action/adventure experience. Eye-popping environments, extravagant combat encounters, and a heart-tugging story are the three main pillars of this game we can't wait to check out for ourselves.

We'll admit - we were skeptical of this "Soulslike" game hailing from a little-known Chinese development studio. But we've slowly become more optimistic as extended gameplay footage of this upcoming action RPG came across our timeline. Black Myth: Wukong adopts the plotline of the classical 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West and gives it more of a darker twist. Sun Wukong aka "The Destined One" is the main protagonist here in a world filled with nightmare-inducing creatures that present a hell of a challenge when it comes time to defeat them in battle. The graphical presentation of this upcoming game is awe-inspiring, plus the action we've seen from it looks like it'll be a joy to master. Lies of P was the best Soulslike of 2023 - Black Myth: Wukong looks like it'll take that title for 2024!

The first Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is one of those underappreciated hyperviolent action games of the seventh generation. Its hulking "Space Marines" lie at the heart of that game's campaign during their bloody battles with a flood of "Orks." We never imagined a sequel would ever become an actual thing, but thankfully we were wrong! Space Marine 2 is a visual showcase that looks like it's making proper use of the current-generation power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S hardware. This sequel's battlefields are even more crowded, which excites us because we can't wait to tear out enemies to shreds with our trusty "Chainsword" and blast them from afar. Now and then, we need a simple action game that's all about wreaking havoc and not much else. In 2024, this will be that game.

Amazon Games has been throwing its weight behind some heavy hitters in the MMORPG genre. For this next selection on the list of our most anticipated games of 2024, we're going to highlight the publisher's next foray into that style of online multiplayer gameplay. Blue Protocol is a free-to-play MMORPG that utilizes an attractive anime art style and lets players navigate a vast realm where a wealth of foes seek to destroy you. The combat we've peeped from this game looks to be the best part of this game - the "Blade Warden" and "Twin Striker" classes stick out as the ones that entice us the most. Blue Protocol has all the makings of a huge international hit as it's already garnered plenty of positive buzz in Japan. Here's hoping it lands with a bang on North American shores!

WayForward has solidified itself as a development studio that understands how to revive classic IPs and create new franchises that harken back to the gameplay of the 16-bit era. The studio's next project is set to breathe new life into a legendary Konami series by improving upon everything fans loved from the original game. Contra: Operation Galuga marks the return of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as they're joined by newcomers Lucia and Ariana during a new side-scrolling crusade against a terrorist group known as "Red Falcon." Familiar weapons such as the spread shot, laser, and homing missiles make their return here alongside recognizable locales such as the jungle and waterfall stages from past series installments. This return to form for the Contra series looks like it'll be a slam dunk for WayForward's classic gaming revival efforts.

The first Hades caught everyone off guard by its greatness - a lot of gamers initially uninterested in what it had to offer eventually gave it a chance and became enamored with its addictive roguelike formula. Now we're finally set to take the plunge with the sequel that puts the "Princess of the Underworld" in the driver's seat for a brand new adventure. Hades II retains the same striking art style, top-down perspective, and fast-paced gameplay of the original - that's why we're so excited to check out its Early Access state and see how it improves over time. New locales, weapons, characters, and more are being set up to make this new & improved roguelike journey into the "Underworld" an engrossing one.

The development team behind the third, fourth, and fifth Persona games is stepping away from the series for a minute to create something just as stylish and charming as that prized JRPG series. Their latest project, Metaphor: ReFantazio, looks like it'll be a version of Persona that takes place within a medieval fantasy realm. To elect a new king, this game's protagonist and his partner embark on a trek across the "United Kingdom of Euchronia" to break a curse placed on a prince who is believed to be deceased. A mix of active & turn-based combat, bonding moments between the main party members, and a gorgeous art & audio presentation are all coming together to create the next JRPG epic.

Development studio Moon Studios did a bang-up job with its Metroidvania-inspired adventures Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Now the studio is tackling another genre - isometric action RPGs. No Rest for the Wicked caught our attention at the Game Awards with its visceral combat and distinctive art style. As a member of the "Cerim," a group of holy warriors, you'll head out on a quest in a bid to bring an end to an evil presence known as the "Pestilence." No Rest for the Wicked has an online co-op component, so we're super excited to hack and slash through its downtrodden world with a friend.

Mario's RPG exploits are getting some shine again! 2023 saw the long-awaited release of the Super Mario RPG remake. Now we're set to receive another remake focusing on Mario's more...well, "paper-thin" exploits. The Nintendo GameCube classic Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is getting a worthy clean-up job that's set to make its attractive art style look shinier than ever before. The active button press mechanics for combat, the on-stage gimmick presented during those battles, and the clever ways Mario can turn himself into a paper-based object that can help him navigate his paper machete world are making their welcome return here. We can't wait to run into Madame Flurrie, Vivian, and the rest of the Paper Mario gang once again!

Developer Evening Star has Christian Whitehead among its roster, who is best known for his celebrated work on Sonic Mania and Freedom Planet 2. Now he's set to work on an original project called Penny's Big Breakaway, which gives us serious Sega Dreamcast platformer vibes. The main character placed in this game's bright and bubbly world is Penny, who's forced to use her trusty yo-yo to stay on the move and knock down the penguins sent to capture you by a pissed-off emperor. The 3D platforming, art style, and music all come together in a wonderful package that'll hopefully produce a quality throwback to the good old days of Sonic Adventure and Rayman 2: The Great Escape.

Developer Ninja Theory has been in the lab cooking up this game for a crazy long time (the studio revealed it back in 2019!). Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is setting itself to be one of the biggest Xbox console exclusives of the year due to its expanded scale in comparison to its predecessor. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice looked amazing and the same can be said here - every piece of footage put on display for this sequel has us in awe of how realistic the motion-captured actors look. We're ready to follow Senua once again as she deals with her fractured mental state and the darkness that overwhelms her homeland of Viking Iceland. Here's hoping the melee skirmishes from the first game get some welcome upgrades!

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has played a huge part in delaying the developmental effort put into this game by the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World. Even with all the depressing warfare troubling it, GSC is still working hard to refine its biggest project to date. Every time we see this highly immersive FPS in action, our excitement grows as anticipate the chilling horrors that we'll run into as we navigate every corner of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. As the 21st selection picks on this list of our most anticipated games of 2024, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl sticks out due to just how stunning it looks and how unnerving it's setting itself up to be. Confronting human threats while also being forced to fend off more supernatural foes looks like it'll be an engrossing activity that will give the Xbox Series X|S an amazing console-exclusive experience.

We've gotten some great Star Wars games in the past couple of years - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Star Wars: Squadrons prove that that "galaxy far, far away" can still produce worthwhile gaming experiences. Even the retooled Star Wars Battlefront II fulfilled its full potential after all was said and done! The next Star Wars game we're hoping ends up as another banger is The Ubisoft-published and Massive Entertainment-developed (Tom Clancy's The Division series and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) Star Wars Outlaws. As the outlaw scoundrel Kay Vess, players will put their laser blaster to great use as they attempt to pull off a major heist. That means we'll all be exploring varied planets, running into the biggest scallywags of the galaxy, and making our presence felt in a Star Wars period that takes place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has entered into some fun partnerships with upcoming Chinese and Korean development studios in recent years. One of the Korean developers from that global effort to give the PS5 more quality console exclusives is Shift Up, which is currently cooking up one of the most eye-popping hack-and-slash games we've ever seen for the current generation of consoles. Stellar Blade features a combat-ready heroine named Eve, who spends her time on Earth trying to relinquish control of the planet from the alien invaders known as the "NA:tives." From what we've seen of this action RPG thus far, we've been floored by just how electrifying all its combat footage has turned out to be. We're more than ready to hop into this game and try out all those slick melee combos that Eve is capable of.

The Plucky Squire has so much going for it - its visual prowess blows our minds the most as it mashes up elements of 2D and 3D graphics within its many realms. The storybook presentation is strong enough on its own, but it's the crazy transitions to the outside world that help earn this innovative title on our list of the most anticipated games of 2024. This game looks like it'll entertain greatly thanks to its retro NES/SNES Legend of Zelda gameplay mechanics and 3D sections that give us heavy LittleBigPlanet vibes. Publisher Devolver Digital has always been known to put out games that normally wouldn't get a chance with larger gaming publishers - we're overjoyed at the fact that DD is helping bring developer All Possible Futures' project to the masses.

Square Enix must have finally gotten the memo from Mana fans when they made it clear that they wanted more after the remake of Trials of Mana. Now the lauded Japanese publisher/developer is set to drop an entirely new entry in the action RPG series that looks like it has a sizable budget and some talented developers behind it. Visions of Mana features the same pretty anime art style, cheery atmosphere, and signature action RPG combat the series has lived by for decades. It's time to make yet another pilgrimage to the legendary "Tree of Mana" and defend it from the cute yet deadly creatures that disrupt the goodness of this game's whimsical world. We hope Visions of Mana marks the epic comeback the Mana series so sorely needs!

miHoYo has earned our trust as a respected game developer thanks to its work on the likes of Honkai Impact 3rd, Genshin Impact, and Honkai: Star Rail. Now they're preparing to give its fans another addictive RPG cleverly titled Zenless Zone Zero. What separates this latest release from the Chinese publisher/developer's past projects is its futuristic post-apocalyptic cityscape called "New Eridu." As a "Proxy," you'll dive into alternate dimensions called "Hollows" and confront the evil forces known as "Hollows." We're so ready to take this one for a spin due to how cool its combat-focused characters look in battle - the revolver-wielding Billy Kid, the swordmaster Hoshimi, and the fighting bear Ben Bigger look to be our mains once Zenless Zone Zero finally launches.