Every September, I highlight a few upcoming games I’m eager to play for the rest of the year. Back in July, I was almost certain this blog would go live a month earlier. August had a lot of great games I wanted to talk about, not including Black Myth Wukong. While that surprised me as more info came out, it wasn’t the one I wanted to include.
Originally, both Star Wars Outlaws and World of Warcraft The War Within were games I was excited to play. Yet, that changed as the preview hype around Star Wars Outlaws came. As for The War Within, I did get back into WOW over the summer, it didn’t last long and there was zero mainstream hype. Sure, the ads I see on Reddit are interesting, no one is talking about it.
For this feature, I have a few rules in place. I only include games that have known 2024 release dates. If the game currently only has a Q4 2024 or a generic 2024 release date, I didn’t include them. This is usually the case for Indie games, as many will look to launch on a date when there isn’t competition. This is a smart move, especially on Steam, but it doesn’t help me here.
I also won’t include any sports games or games from my employer, Electronic Arts. I will play FC 24 and NHL 25 at some point this year. If I wasn’t working at EA, Dragon Age: The Veilguard would be on this list, but it’s unfair to include it. Also, I’m pretty certain my name will be in the credits. Lastly, I try my best to offer a variety of genres, but that’s also not always possible.
For this year’s edition…
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (September 26)
Back in 2019, I was so eager to play the Link’s Awakening remake. Even with the less-than-appealing “chibi” art style, the Game Boy original holds a special place with me. Unfortunately, after playing through the first dungeon, I had enough. It wasn’t a bad game, I preferred the original version more.
But with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, I’m curious. Sure, it’s using the same art style as Link’s Awakening remake, but it’s an entirely new story. They’ve finally put Princess Zelda in the main role, which has long been requested by fans. This doesn’t feel like a short experience and her inclusion is only a marketing ploy.
The preview coverage has done a lot to highlight her cool abilities. But, I also feel like there is even more they’re holding back on us. I’ve only skimmed the trailers because I want to discover her abilities naturally. I can’t wait to give this a go after it launches on September 26.
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (October 8)
Last year, I put a lot of time into Diablo IV. Even though it didn’t crack my Top 10 of 2023, I had fun with its campaign. But, even with the steady flow of seasonal content, I didn’t return to the game. With the Vessel of Hatred expansion, I have a good reason to go back.
There is a lot here that has piqued my interest. I want to try the new class, the Spiritborn. On top of that, the regions that they are introducing in the expansion look interesting. The main one was from Diablo II, but it will be the first time I explore it. Lastly, I want to see how they continue the story, which is the main reason for playing.
I’m not sure how you begin the new campaign content. I suspect we’ll have to start a new character. That’s fine, as long as we’ll start it with a character who is leveled accordingly. This is normal for those who have stuck with the game’s season content. But for us lapsed players, the key here is making sure we can have fun immediately.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (November 14)
Since it was first announced, I’ve been eager to get my hands on the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Before this year, I had only heard good things about the original game. Back in January, I tried the Game Bog Color version of Dragon Warrior III. At that point, we still didn’t have a clear date for the remake. Now, that we know it’s slated for November 14, I can’t wait to play it.
Like a lot of games, I have avoided the pre-release hype. My time with the GBC version was short, only putting in about an hour of it. I liked the open-ended start to the game, but I knew there was more for me to discover. I’ve managed to avoid spoilers for a 30-year-old game, so I think I can wait a bit more.
My familiarity with the Dragon Quest series only goes so far as playing Dragon Quest IX and XI. The main story for both games ran well over 40 hours, but DQ III seems to be a bit more manageable at around 30 hours. I never finished IX or XI, so hopefully, I can complete this version.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (December 9)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle squeezed into this list. Its release date announcement at Gamescom two weeks ago helped get it here. It was looking like Microsoft would delay this into 2025. Now that I know it’s coming in early December, I had to include it.
I’ve been looking forward to this game. I grew up loving the Indiana Jones films, but my interest in the games was never that high. Yet, with my adoration of the Uncharted franchise I am hoping this follows a similar path. A good Indiana Jones game needs to follow the formula that has made the film series so popular.
It needs to offer a solid mix of puzzle-solving, exploration, and light combat. From the early footage shown for the game over the last few months, I think they’re on the right path. Outside of technical problems, the older Indiana Jones games followed the source material. They lacked the cinematic feel, but the tech is now there for Machine Games to give us that.
Honorable Mentions
I didn’t want to go overboard with the games this year, but there are many more I am looking forward to playing. The following are a few I want to play at some point in 2024. These might not be the ones I play on launch day, but I plan on giving them a go before the year ends.
- ASTRO BOT (September 6)
- Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (September 11)
- Test Drive Unlimited – Solar Crown (September 12)
- Frostpunk 2 (September 20)
- UFO 50 (September 18)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (October 10)
- Unknown 9: Awakening (October 17)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (October 24)
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership (November 7)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 – Heart of Chernobyl (November 20)
