Must-Play Games That Will Blow You Away In 2024

2023 was an impressive year in gaming, no doubt about it. With top-tier AAA titles such as "Baldur's Gate 3," "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom," and "Armored Core 6," not to mention indie gems like "Blasphemous 2," this year has been packed with exciting experiences.

As we wind down, let's take a closer look at a select handful of exciting titles scheduled for release in 2024. It's early days yet, but what has already been announced for release next year should have gamers brimming with excitement and anticipation. What follows is a list of some of the most technologically impressive, interesting, and unique titles in the 2024 pipeline, titles that should be on every gamer's radar. Whether you're an RPG fan, a shooter fan, a lover of quirky indies, or just a fan of well-crafted games that are trying to do something different, there's something here for everyone to get excited about.

So put on your blast helmet, get your hype goggles on, and prepare yourself as we take a look at the must-play titles that are bound to blow you away in 2024!

"Palworld" is an open world survival and crafting game developed by Pocketpair that has a rather unique premise. The story is centered around cutesy, colorful monsters of varying size, shape and ability known as Pals. These Pals can be captured, tamed and bred and then utilized in a variety of interesting and surprising ways. Sound familiar?

Whether their utilized for traversing the beautiful open world, harnessing their elemental properties, or their affinity for manual labor, Pals are your ... pals! They're primarily there to provide companionship and utility in a vast open world full of danger and opportunity. Where "Palworld" differs from similar games is in the combat, which appears to be centered around guns. Lots of them. 

It looks like your cute Pals will be able to arm up, as the trailer shows a rather large yellow cat looking Pal wielding a minigun, as well as a moment in which the player character rides a giant blue dinosaur with missile launchers mounted to its shoulders. "Palworld" is "Breath of the Wild" meets "Pokémon" meets "Borderlands" — and it looks totally bonkers in the best way.

To say "Tekken 8" looks stunning would be an understatement. Using the power of the Unreal 5 engine, the eighth mainline entry into the iconic fighting series looks like a true next-gen fighting game. The game features 32 unique characters (many returning from previous entries), each with incredible details such as cloth and hair physics and high-quality animations depicting actual muscle movement relevant to each of their unique fighting styles. While the designs for the characters will look familiar to fans of this long-running series, it is very apparent each of them has received a significant upgrade in the visual department. Not only that, but there'll be a whole bunch of alternative costumes for each of them, unlockable through the story mode and the all new Arcade Quest.

Speaking of, Arcade Quest is an exciting new single-player mode that allows players to designing their own avatar and compete in virtual tournaments. It's a pretty unique premise and allows you to focus on combat outside of the main story, but still remain invested. "Tekken 8" also introduces a new mechanic called the Heat System, which rewards aggressive gameplay by unlocking special movements and ability enhancements unique to each character. Overall, "Tekken 8" looks to be thrilling experience and excellent way to "kick" off 2024.

Ubisoft blesses patient fans with "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" in January 2024. This is another reboot and reimagining of the famed platforming hack-and-slash franchise, this time featuring a brand new protagonist, storyline, and graphical style. In a world inspired by Persian mythology you play as Sargon, the youngest of a group of warriors known as the Immortals. The prince (of Persia) has been kidnapped and it's up to Sargon to rescue him. On this quest, you'll visit a strange new land where time appears to behave erratically.

The game looks to be an absoluteblast. Featuring fluid action and absolutely stunning animations, this Metroidvania oozes visual flair both in-game and in the cutscenes, to the point of almost resembling a high quality animated movie. What's even more impressive is that Ubisoft is aiming for 60 FPS on all platforms. No matter what you're playing it on, you're bound to be blown away by how beautiful "The Lost Crown" looks and feels to play.

In "Granblue Fantasy: Relink," an action JRPG from Cygames, Inc., you play the captain of an airship. You'll employ various skyfarers in your party of four as you embark on your epic quest to save the Sky Realm, a vast collection of islands floating in a blue expanse. It's here where you'll discover the secrets of the Primal Beasts and a mysterious organization known as the Church of Avia.

The real-time combat on display in the trailer looks like a total blast: meaty, responsive and appropriately flashy for a JRPG. With the party-based combat system, you'll be able to perform group-based specials know as Link Attacks and Chain Bursts, which are bound to be an absolute visual delight, not to mention crucial for overcoming the games more intimidating encounters. What's even more impressive is that all of this will be achievable with online co-op play (up to 4 players).

With its stunning visuals, beautiful character designs, and rich lore, everything about "Granblue Fantasy: Relink" appears to be a love letter to the JRPG genre.

The "S.T.A.L.K.E.R" franchise is an open-world FPS sensation that oozes grit and foreboding atmosphere. "Heart of Chornobyl" is due to finally arrive in the first quarter of 2024 and aims to blow its predecessors out of the water. "S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2" will be running on the Unreal 5 engine and it looks absolutely amazing. The Zone, the infamous central location of the "S.T.A.L.K.E.R" series, has never appeared quite as inviting and horrifying as it does in the gameplay trailer released a couple of years back.

From underground labs full of anomalous horrors, to the wide open fields, radioactive swamps, and hollowed buildings on the surface everything looks breathtaking. But it's not just the visuals that aim to impress, as "S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2" will blend elements of FPS action and RPGs to really push the gameplay and player freedom to new heights. Combined with a non-linear story that unfolds around you, "S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2" looks to be an absolutely stellar experience that'll have you white-knuckling your controller as you delve into The Zone's darkest depths and decide its fate.

With mod support right out of the gate and multiplayer coming soon after release, there's plenty here to get excited about.

If you've played the original "Final Fantasy 7," you must remember the part after leaving Midgar and being thrust into the open world. After following a semi-linear, narrative-driven section set in an oppressive urban location, it was absolutely breathtaking to suddenly find yourself in verdant landscape full of opportunity and Chocobos!

"Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth," the sequel to "Final Fantasy 7 Remake," aims to recreate this exact feeling and turn it up to 11. Gaia has never looked so beautiful, and seeing so many familiar locations in the trailer with next gen graphics is mind-blowing for longtime fans. Square Enix is really putting the Playstation 5 to work here, and getting to explore Gaia on foot — with this level of graphical fidelity — is an extremely enticing prospect. In the game's story trailer, Cloud and his friends can be seen fighting on the beach; in the background you can see the city of Junon, complete with its massive cannon. That's just one of many locations you'll be revisiting in this massive sequel, which further reimagines the "Final Fantasy 7" timeline.

With the fresh but familiar open world, the introduction of fan favorite Yuffie, and an exciting new take on a beloved story, "Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth" is set to blow minds sometime in early 2024.

One of the more unique entries on this list is "Pacific Drive" by Ironwood Studios , an open world survival adventure game set in the Pacific Northwest. In "Pacific Drive" Olympic Peninsula has been turned into an exclusion zone due to experiments done by the mysterious ARDA organization. Excluded in what way, you ask? The powers-that-be have placed a 300ft wall around the entire peninsula. Yikes. Within this ominous zone, the ghosts of experiments past haunt the landscape, the mysterious anomalies created from them posing all manner of threats.

The gameplay revolves around exploring this dangerous landscape in your trusty station wagon, gathering resources, and upgrading your vehicle and equipment so that you may safely find your way out of this perilous zone. Along the way you'll interact with unique characters and discover more about the ARDA organization — and hopefully make it back to base before being swallowed up by a terrifying zone storm. Your vehicle will essentially be a roaming fortified base and your first line of defense against the area's many dangers. "Pacific Drive" looks to be rich with interesting mechanics, environmental storytelling and atmospheric horror. Keep your eye on this one.

In early 2024, "Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth" takes fans to sandy shores of Hawaii in this highly anticipated sequel to "Yakuza: Like A Dragon." The "Yakuza"/"Like A Dragon" series has always been a wacky mixed bag of dramatic storytelling contrasted with absurd mini-games and bizarre comedic moments. Setting the game in Hawaii will no doubt provide plenty of opportunities to take these familiar elements and really expand on them. "Yakuza" has always been aware of its own absurdity, but the fact that the main trailer for "Infinite Wealth" shows "Like A Dragon" protagonist Ichiban washing up naked on a crowded beach shows you exactly the tone they're aiming for.

Fans of the series know that each new entry tends to take things up a notch. Ultimately, this dramatic RPG and charming open world extravaganza looks to be a wonderfully hilarious "fish out of water" experience, and we're here for it. While the litany of mini-games and unexpected insanity will be the ultimate selling point, longtime "Yakuza" players will be excited to see the first true team-up between series protagonists Kasuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga. 

The first "Streets of Rogue," brought to us from developer Matt Dabrowski and publisher tinyBuild, was an indie sensation. It took the immersive sim model, added it to a modern urban sandbox with 16-bit isometric RPG graphics, and created a class-based roguelite around that familiar framework. The result was a fantastically open-ended "if you can think it, you can achieve it" type of experience. Expansive in choice and fantastically absurd in its delivery, "Streets of Rogue" is the type of game that hooks you on the moment-to-moment experience and has you thinking about all the different ways you can play it between sessions. The game's co-op side only opens up the possibilities even further.

"Streets of Rogue 2" — due to arrive sometime in 2024 — looks to surpass its predecessor in every conceivable way. There's been a significant graphical upgrade, sporting an almost 32-bit era aesthetic. There's been a move to a bigger, more expansive open world, with rural environments and city streets. Vehicles are a new option, as is agriculture, if that's your thing. It also appears as if the absurdity has been taken up a notch, as the trailer features a character riding a bear, then turning kaiju-sized and smashing through entire buildings. Judging from the rather charming announcement trailer released in late August 2023, "Streets of Rogue 2" looks to be elevated in all the right places.

Obsidian is a developer synonymous with the RPG genre, thanks to its affinity for world-building, complex characters and engaging gameplay. "Avowed," set in Obsidian's "Pillars of Eternity" universe, looks to be yet another entry from Obsidian that is bound to blow our collective minds in early 2024. You pay as an envoy of Aedyr that has been sent to The Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plague ravaging the island. This plague and its origins hide a secret with cataclysmic consequences. Based off the trailer and the dev's reputation for outstanding RPG experiences, you can guarantee this one is going to be a hit for fans of Obsidian's previous work.

The new game features a number of diverse combat options. In the official gameplay trailer, you can see the player character wielding a variety of weapons, including duel flintlock pistols, swords, shields and bows. In addition to these, players can also cast some extremely powerful spells with devastating effects. The Living Lands themselves look gorgeous, boasting plenty of vibrant colors and expansive landscapes. The enemy designs are also worth noting; the art department for Avowed have been very creative and it shows. From hulking brutes to fungus-covered zombies, the details and animations of the enemies on display are quite stunning.

French developer Asobo Studio has developed the next generation of airborne sim with "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024." Utilizing the developer's proprietary engine, "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024" takes advantage of cloud technology and machine learning to simulate real-world locations with amazing accuracy and incredible graphical fidelity.

In this latest and greatest iteration of the "Flight Simulator" series, you'll be able to experience a wide variety of aviation-based careers from the comfort of your own home, including helicopter mountain rescue, cargo shipment, wildfire emergency response, VIP charter services, air racing and more. There's no end to the aerial opportunities at your disposal with this impressively expansive sim. The sky truly is the limit — and the sky is vast. As the name suggests, expect to take flight sometime in 2024. The game is also confirmed to be a Day One Xbox Game Pass release.

Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment brings its tried and true open world formula to the "Star Wars" universe with "Star Wars: Outlaws." Set between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," you play as Kay Vess, a rogueish criminal type looking earn their freedom in Imperial controlled space. To achieve this goal you'll work with various crime syndicates and visit a wide variety of worlds while dodging stormtroopers, corrupt Imperials, and other villainous scum along the way. But you won't be going it alone, as your trusty animal companion Nix and your Commando Droid friend ND-5 will be accompanying you for the adventure.

What's immediately apparent about "Star Wars: Outlaws" is the level of detail on display. The atmosphere is rich with that classic "Star Wars" vibe and the character work and voice action appear to be movie-quality. Gameplay-wise, "Outlaws" looks to be a rich feast. This is a third-person action game with player choice at the forefront of its design philosophy. You can choose to handle encounters with stealth or cunning, or you can brute-force your way with blasters-a-blazing. There's rich dialogue options for each interaction, and every choice you make will have immediate or long-term consequences that effect your standing with the Syndicates and Imperialists across the galaxy.

Ultimately, "Star Wars: Outlaws" looks to be a must-have for fans of the franchise — especially if Han Solo was your favorite character from the original trilogy.