Each year, gamers everywhere have a list of their most anticipated games, so CGM is here with our Most Anticipated Games of 2024!
2023 has been an overwhelming year for video games, with nearly every month seeing a host of massive releases. We have already crowned our Game of the Year 2023, and it doesn’t seem like the huge releases are going to stop in 2024 either, as the first few months are jam-packed with major releases, especially for fans of RPGs.
From highly-anticipated sequels to new IPs from some of the best teams in the industry, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next year. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of CGMagazine’s ten most anticipated games of 2024.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Release Date: February 29, 2024
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a bold reimagining of an all-time classic, but it opened up just as many questions as it answered. Square Enix clearly isn’t playing things conservating with a normal remake, as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth promises even more drastic changes and additions. People have been talking about FF7 Rebirth non-stop, so it had to be on the Most Anticipated Games of 2024 list!
Even though the story seems to follow the path of the original Final Fantasy 7, Rebirth brings back fan-favourite character Zack Fair in a mysterious new role. It’s also a game that looks wildly ambitious, with a massive open world, a smorgasbord of minigames, and brand-new party members like Vincent Valentine. By all indications, it looks like Rebirth could be a glimpse into the future of the series.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Release Date: January 26, 2024
Like a Dragon, previously known as Yakuza, has exploded in popularity over the last decade, quickly becoming one of SEGA’s biggest franchises. However, 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a massive shift, transforming from an action-brawler to a turn-based RPG.
Infinite Wealth dives even deeper into RPG territory, bringing back the lovable Ichiban Kasuga, as well as longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. The Like a Dragon games are wholly unique in the way they can balance dramatic crime stories with off-the-wall humour, and that might be cranked up to eleven for Infinite Wealth.
This is the first game in the franchise to take place outside of Japan, taking the action to Hawaii. If you need any proof of the series’ quirkiness, just look at the trailer, which has Kiryu announcing he has cancer just minutes apart from an Animal Crossing island mini-game. Infinite Wealth is going to be a trip, so of course it would be one of the most anticipated games of 2024.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Release Date: March 22, 2024
The original Dragon’s Dogma was a wildly ambitious open-world RPG from Capcom that, unfortunately, was a bit hamstrung by development cuts. It was obvious some ideas were cut, but Dragon’s Dogma still had a lot to love with its dense lore-heavy story and a phenomenal combat system that felt like a fusion of Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls.
Twelve years later, it looks like Dragon’s Dogma 2 might finally deliver on Capcom’s vision. In all regards, this looks like a massive sequel that takes what the first game did well and cranks it up to eleven.
Capcom has said the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be seamless and four times the size of the original. On top of that, it looks like the studio has tightened up combat, brought back the Pawn and Vocation systems, and drastically increased the scale of enemies and bosses.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is built on Capcom’s gorgeous RE Engine, used on the Resident Evil remakes and Devil May Cry V. With that in mind, it’s hard to see Capcom’s hot streak ending anytime soon.
Avowed
Release Date: 2024
Obsidian has made a name for itself by crafting massive RPGs with deep and complex character-focused stories. The Outer Worlds was ostensibly the studio’s take on a sci-fi Fallout, and now Avowed looks to do the same with the fantasy genre, landing it on the Most Anticipated Games of 2024 list.
While we haven’t seen a ton of Avowed yet, what Microsoft has shown looks incredibly promising. Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, Avowed is a first-person action RPG that gives you access to a wide array of magic, weapons, and even firearms. Just based on one trailer, Avowed looks to have everything that made past Obsidian RPGs great: an expansive world, dynamic choices, detailed companions, and a whole helping of humour.
Star Wars Outlaws
Release Date: 2024
Recent years have seen a swathe of great Jedi-focused Star Wars games, but Outlaws scratches an itch that fans have wanted for decades, playing as a scoundrel.
The Ubisoft-developed open-world game takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, casting you as an outlaw named Kay Vess. You and your robotic partner, Nix, are trying to pull off the greatest heist ever seen in The Outer Rim.
Star Wars Outlaws looks tremendously ambitious and expansive, as supposedly, players will be able to explore a wealth of planets that include Tattooine and Akiva. Ubisoft also looks to be using its expertise in stealth games with Outlaws, combining that with numerous combat and vehicle options. If Ubisoft can pull it off, this might just be the open-world Star Wars game we’ve always dreamed of.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Release Date: 2024
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand new fantasy title from key members of the team behind Persona 3-5, and it’s easy to see the connection. ReFantazio is absolutely dripping in style, and its world looks fascinating just after a couple of trailers.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is set in a fantasy world called Euchronia, inhabited by eight different races of beings. While this is a brand-new project, the game looks to be pulling quite a few elements from the Persona series, including bonding with teammates, a calendar, and a battle system focused on exploiting weaknesses. What’s interesting, however, is that ReFantazio is integrating action elements that can be utilized to get the jump on enemies and set your team up better before a battle. ReFantazio also seems to heavily include religious elements in its story, with the developers saying “utopia” is a central narrative theme.
The Persona games are beloved by many for any number of reasons, but seeing that team get to create something new is even more exciting, which is why it is on the Most Anticipated Games of 2024 list.
TEKKEN 8
Release Date: January 26, 2024
Fighting games are in the midst of a massive renaissance, with Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 breathing new life into the long-running series. Now it’s TEKKEN’s turn to do the same thing, and it certainly looks like TEKKEN 8 is up to the task.
TEKKEN 8 seems to focus more on an aggressive playstyle, with new mechanics like a Heat Gauge that rewards staying on the offensive. This new Heat system will award players chip damage and even completely change movesets at times. The sequel also looks visually stunning, putting more emphasis on making battles feel cinematic, including some dynamic stage destruction.
On top of all that is a greater emphasis on story, with a narrative that looks to embrace the history and legacy of TEKKEN. It certainly seems like TEKKEN 8 is poised to be the full package and might be able to join the other titans of the genre in redefining fighting games forever.
Hades II
Release Date: Q2 2024
Hades was a revolutionary title when it released in 2018, garnering tremendous amounts of critical acclaim and even quite a few Game of the Year awards, including CGMs. That makes expectations sky-high for Hades II, which is the first sequel Supergiant has ever made.
It looks like the studio is doubling down on the formula in the first game, this time casting you as Melinoë, daughter of Hades and sister of Zagreus. This time around you’ll be fighting the Titan Kronos, who’s kidnapped Hades and declared war on Olympus.
The formula of Hades looks to be the same, just on an even bigger more ambitious scale. This means more gods to gain boons from, a variety of new enemies, and more elements to reinforce the roguelike design. There still a lot we don’t know about Hades II, but the sequel is planned to release in Early Access in 2024, and if the first Hades is anything to go by, this will definitely be one of the most anticipated games of 2024.
Unicorn Overlord
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Unicorn Overlord is a gorgeous new strategy RPG from Vanillaware, the acclaimed studio behind titles like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Odin Sphere. Even better, it looks like Unicorn Overlord has taken liberal inspiration from a series that helped create the genre, Fire Emblem.
With a lavishly gorgeous art style, Unicorn Overlord is setting the stage for a grand tale about a continent embroiled in war. Early trailers have shown an interesting split between real-time strategic battles and exploration on a massive overworld map, but we’ve also learned that there’s going to be some kind of relationship and bonding mechanic. Each of Vanillaware’s games feels entirely distinct from anything else, so it’ll be exciting to see what surprises the studio has in store this time.
Princess Peach Showtime!
Release Date: March 22, 2024
It’s been 18 years since Princess Peach starred in her own game, so it’s past time for that to change. In what may be the last year of the Nintendo Switch’s life, Peach takes center stage in a 2D sidescroller that seems to take inspiration from Kirby.
The entire game is themed as a stage play, and Peach has multiple different outfits, or jobs, that she can switch between. So far we’ve seen outfits for Swordfighter, Detective, Patissier, and Kung Fu. All of these outfits grant Peach different abilities she can use to solve puzzles, and defeat enemies.
Nintendo has been on a hot streak recently with imaginative new entries in classic franchises, like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pikmin 4. Princess Peach Showtime! looks different from anything Nintendo has done before, and it could end up being one of the most charming game of the year, landing it on our Most Anticipated Games of 2024 list.
