2024's Most Anticipated Games - Jess' Picks
2024 has a hard act to follow to live up to the incredible release calendar of 2023. That said, there’s still no shortage of high quality games coming this year. No matter whether you play on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or the Nintendo Switch and even its upcoming successor, you’re going to have a lot to play in 2024. Given that, we couldn’t simply pool the team’s thoughts into one top 10 countdown of the most anticipated games, so we solicited 10 from each person to discuss. Today, hear what Jess has to say about her 10 most anticipated games of 2023, sorted from 10 to 1.
10. Mario Vs Donkey Kong
Call me a bad gamer, but I’d honestly never heard anything about this game until its remake was announced at the Nintendo Direct a few months back. I never came across the original despite owning a Game Boy Advance and being an avid Nintendo fan at the time it was released, but hey! That just means I’m all the more excited to get the chance to play it now. It looks like exactly the kind of puzzle-platformer that will be my jam, and I’m excited to play it in co-op alongside a friend. It’s looking to be another good year for Mario games!
9. Alone In The Dark
It’s Jodie Comer (who I will follow to the ends of the earth), and David Harbour (who is also fine) in a horror-murder-mystery – what’s not to love? I know it’s had a bit of a rocky journey, but I have the utmost respect for the devs for being transparent about their process, and for taking all the time they need to make sure this game is done right.
8. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Honestly, this was barely on my radar until I played a short demo of it at PAX this year, and at that point I was curious. Then I got to play about three hours of it a few weeks ago, and now I’m all in. It might be the game that makes me love Metroidvanias. The gameplay feels so smooth, the puzzles are just the right amount of challenging, and the story is way more compelling than I expected. I’m glad this one’s so close now, because suddenly I can’t wait to spend 20 more hours with it.
7. Decapolice
As a big Level-5 fan in general, I’m always interested to see what they’ve got in the works. We now know that there’s another Layton game on the way, but to tide us over is Decapolice – a game set to provide me with the deduction and mystery fix I need. Let’s solve some crime!
6. Another Code: Recollection
This one came as a bit of a surprise to me, but the more time passes, the more time I spend thinking about it. Trace Memory was a game I always wanted to play on the DS but never got a chance, and now it’s going to be released alongside its sequel, it feels like it’s been a long time coming. Another Code: Recollection will also release nice and early in the year, so I won’t have long to wait.
5. Hades II
The first Hades was an instant classic, and over time developer Supergiant Games has only been getting better and better, so there’s no reason to believe Hades 2 won’t be another feather in their cap. It’s a lot of pressure, sure – people are expecting a lot from this game (and I know I’m one of them by adding it to this list) but they’ve proven they can deliver. The game is being released into Early Access this year – something that has worked for them in the past – and I’m ready to dive right in.
4. Open Roads
I’ve been waiting years for this, and since I last included it on this list, there’s been some controversy at the studio developing it. It’s now in the hands of a team simply known as the ‘Open Roads Team’, who I have total faith are going to bring this Annapurna-published gem home.
3. Star Wars Outlaws
I just really, really want this to be good. I was a little underwhelmed by Frontiers of Pandora (also released by Massive Entertainment this year), but I don’t want to think of that as an indication of how I’m going to feel about this. Outlaws looks like it’s going to be a real romp, and I always do love a good female protagonist – something which it took a while for us to get in the Star Wars universe.
2. The Wolf Among Us 2
This is the second year on my list for this game, but I’m gonna keep putting it on the list until it releases because I’m so damn keen. Though the Telltale formula is now one we’re all familiar with, this is one of the games that defined the genre, and there’s something special about a well-done grisly fairy tale. Playing the first game inspired me to get into the Fables comics, and I can only assume playing the second one is going to inspire a similar amount of emotion.
1. Princess Peach: Showtime
When this game was announced back in June, I truly screamed (quietly, because those Nintendo Directs happen at unholy times for us Down Under). I’ve been waiting a long time to get a game with Peach as the protagonist, and I can’t believe it’s finally almost here. Showtime! looks sort of like Peach’s own Kirby adventure, with this kickass princess at the helm. It’s gonna be amazing.
So that concludes Jess’ list of her most anticipated games of 2024. What are some of yours? Hit us up via social media to let us know what games you are keen on in 2024!
You might see some links on this page that take you to Amazon. We are an Amazon Associate which means we earn a commission from qualifying purchases. These help to keep the lights on here at Player 2 and keep us sending the gaming goodness your way.
