2020 is a special year. It’s the first in a decade, so it just has to set the right tone in terms of good game releases. Plus, behind was a frankly weak 2019, so the players slightly missed a wide selection of high-quality hits. Fortunately, there will be no problems with them, yet in the meantime, one can consider playing a bit less complex games at toomkygames.com.
It’s worth mentioning that now we will focus in detail mainly on the games of the first half of 2024, listing only a few of the most striking projects of the autumn-winter season. But we will definitely return to the games of the second half of the year — their details and release dates are usually known after the E3 exhibition.
1. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Release date: March 11, 2024
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Genre: Metroidvania
Continuation of ORI and the Blind Forest, the main platformer of Microsoft can cause very contradictory feelings. On the one hand, the game about the adventures of the little spirit is just incredibly beautiful — so much so that you want to pass it on, without stopping. On the other hand, this is a complex, hardcore platformer, many locations that make you grind your teeth, spend a lot of time, and constantly stop yourself from trying to break the gamepad against the wall. However, when you pass another difficult place, you get special satisfaction in ORI.
2. Dreams
Release date: February 14, 2024
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Dream Simulator
Developer / Publisher: Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Dreams are one of the Most unusual PlayStation exclusives, which can’t even be called a game. Media Molecule Studio, which once released Little Big Planet, describes its new product as a «dream simulator» in which you can create different worlds with unusual characters and your own laws. In a nutshell, it’s almost impossible to explain how it works, so it’s better to read our preview of the game.
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Release date: April 10, 2024 (Episode 1 of 3)
Platform: PlayStation 4 (temporary exclusive)
Genre: JRPG
A remake of the seventh part of Final Fantasy, which many consider not only the best in the series, but it is one of the most famous video games in history in General. The main intrigue is how far the game will depart from the original: the developers promise a «retelling» of the FFVII plot, a lot of improvements in the combat system, as well as a completely different feed — the game will be divided into three episodes, and only the first one will be released on March 3.
4. Nioh 2
Release date: March 13, 2024
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: ARPG
Continuation of the action in the style of Dark Souls, but in the scenery of medieval Japan. From the second part, we expect an equally fascinating story, as well as a proprietary fencing system, which will certainly be enriched with new techniques and tricks.
5. Doom Eternal
Release date: March 20, 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre: FPS
Developer / Publisher: id Software / Bethesda Softworks
In 2016, Bethesda relaunched the Doom series, doing the almost impossible: recreating in a remake of more than 20 years ago the atmosphere of the «same» game that was once played on 486 computers. Doom 2016 was not a perfect game, but the main concept was recognized as successful — and Doom Eternal, in General, should be «the same, but better». So: even more shooting, crazy monsters and blood pouring out of them, as before, an interesting little story and excellent multiplayer, in which you can get stuck for a much longer time than in the main game.
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Release date: March 20, 2024
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Simulation
Animal Crossing is one of Nintendo’s most unusual exclusives, a game where the hero lives together with a small community of anthropomorphic animals, helping him develop. In addition to the stunning atmosphere, the game captivates with attention to small details. For example, the time in it coincides with the real-time: therefore, if something is allowed only on Sunday, you will have to mark this day on your calendar. The new part also takes into account the weather, and the community will now have to go to a tropical island with its own rules and procedures.
7. Half-Life: Alyx
Release date: March 23, 2024
Platforms: PC (VR only)
Genre: FPS
Developer / Publisher: Valve
The new Half-Life, which we have been waiting for more than 10 years, was announced in a completely unexpected format-a shooter in virtual reality. The plot of Half-Life: Alyx will unfold between the events of the first and second parts, and the main character will be a well-known Alix Vance.
Judging by the trailers, there is a hope that Half-Life: Alyx will bring games in virtual reality to a whole new level: the gameplay has a lot of chips that are only available in VR, like opening doors or peeking through small openings. But to experience all this, you will have to pay a decent amount of money for a virtual reality helmet and a controller that tracks hand movements, as well as a fairly powerful PC — VR-games traditionally have high system requirements. Well, or look for a virtual reality club near your home — there are many of them today.
8. Bleeding Edge
Release date: March 24, 2024
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Genre: MOBA
Little is known about the new network action game Ninja Theory. Players will be allowed to participate in 4 – on-4 matches, fighting for completely insane characters on levels with an equally insane color palette. The characters look different from each other, so there is hope that team tactics will be essential for victory.
9. Resident Evil 3 Remake
Release date: April 3, 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Survival Horror
The remake of the original Resident Evil 3 will tell about Jill Valentine, who is trying to get out of the flooded and engulfed by fires in raccoon city. Despite some changes in comparison with the original, the game will be made clear in the style of the series: a frightening atmosphere, unusual monsters, a minimum of ammunition and a tiny inventory that will make you regularly wonder what items will help you survive in the next twenty minutes?
The set will also include the online game Resident Evil Resistance — in which one player takes on the role of a scientist who puts an experiment on a team of survivors. Using a deck of cards, he places traps and monsters on the level, through which the survivors will then break, which are also controlled by the players.
10. Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: September 17, 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: RPG, FPS
A project that needs no introduction is a new ambitious game by the authors of “the Witcher”, this time — in the setting of the popular in certain circle’s tabletop Cyberpunk. This is the year 2077, in which new technologies have not brought happiness: people stuffed to the very tailbone with implants continue to live in cities clogged with garbage, on the streets of which the power is divided by gangs. In fact, in such conditions, the player will find himself-he will have to choose which faction to work for, go through the main campaign and side quests, swing under a more convenient style of play (from a straight-forward warrior to a hacker) and do other things typical of any role-playing game in the open world.
11. Gears Tactics
Release date: April 28, 2024
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Genre: Tactical strategy
Developer / Publisher: Splash Damage / Xbox Game Studios
This is a tactical game in the universe of the famous shooter Gears of War. We are promised a campaign of more than 40 hours, the ability to select fighters of different specializations in the squad, and customize them in the process of pumping to your taste. And all this in the company’s blood-brutal atmosphere.
12. Marvel’s Avengers
Release date: September 4, 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Action
The Developers / Publisher: Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréal / Square Enix
An expensive and beautiful action game on «The Avengers», which is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and it’s previously made an excellent restart of Tomb Raider. The novelty is primarily focused on co-op passage — four players will control for superheroes, combining their abilities in battles and just tricky situations. It is not yet known whether it will be possible to play alone: fragments where the characters act by themselves do exist, but it is not a fact that a full-fledged single will still appear.
13. The Last of Us Part 2
Release date: May 29, 2024
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Action
The Last of Us 2 is likely to be the last major exclusive of the PlayStation 4, which is why special attention is focused on the project. There are enough doubts: after all, the first part set a very high bar, and at the time, the bosses of Naughty Dog even said that The Last of Us is a complete story that does not require continuation.
But over the years, the approach has changed. The Last of Us Part 2 tells about a grown-up Ellie who takes revenge for her beloved — this fact has already caused a lot of discussion in the network. The world of The Last of Us has changed significantly over the past years, humanity began to cope with the crisis slowly, but the mutants affected by disputes and quite healthy bandits still pose a huge danger. Eli is unlikely to be strong enough to fight enemies in the open, so as in the first part, stealth and stealth killing will continue to play an important role.
14. Dying Light 2
Release date: Spring 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer / Publisher: Techland
Dying Light 2 tells the story of what may happen in the world a couple of decades after the zombie Apocalypse. Humanity has survived, learned to defend itself from the living dead, building a semblance of a feudal system — in the city, several groups can rule here at once, maintaining a delicate balance. Between them, the player will have to maneuver, acting as Aiden-infected, who did not become a zombie (at least, yet), but received incredible dexterity and strength. The latter determines the style of Dying Light 2 — like the first part, it is a dynamic parkour action game, in which much depends on the reaction and intelligence of the player.
15. Watch Dogs: Legion
Release date: TBD, 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4
Genre: Action
The events of the new Watch Dogs will unfold in London of the future, where the government controls every step of the population. The Legion subtitle means the main gameplay feature that allows you to create an entire resistance unit by hiring any character in the game world. For each NPC, the system will generate a unique voice, appearance, and set of animations. And some events will depend on which character the player passes the mission for — a young guy or a grandmother.
Legion was supposed to be released in the spring, but the failure of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint led Ubisoft to postpone the release of all its major games. The company wants to focus on quality and make each release truly unique.
16. Ghost of Tsushima
Release date: summer 2024
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Action
Not much is known about the samurai action from the authors of inFamous. At the Game Awards 2019, only the second trailer was shown and the approximate release date was revealed.
The events of Ghost of Tsushima take place in the year 1274. At this time, the Mongols invade Japan for the first time and take control of Tsushima island, killing and robbing local residents. The player will control the samurai Jin Sakai, who decides to resist the invaders.
In the sequel, the authors decided to abandon large clusters of enemies and focus on camera and cinematic fights, which are dominated by rare but accurate blows. Battles in Ghost of Tsushima are described in three words — «dirt, blood, and steel».
17. Little Nightmares 2
Release date: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.
Genre: Platformer, Survival
A new part in a series of platformers, the hero of which is trying to get out of the world of nightmares. Players will find a new character named Mono, and the company will be the heroine of the first part, the Sixth.
Closer to the holiday season, we are waiting for the launch of two new-generation consoles at once-the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the starting lines of which Sony and Microsoft will certainly try to make as impressive as possible. It is already known that the Xbox SX will promote Halo Infinite, and for the PS5 so far, Godfall is a loot-slasher in the fantasy setting, which will be developed by Gearbox Software. Do not forget about the E3 exhibition, where there will traditionally be a lot of high-profile announcements for the second half of the year.
It is worth mentioning that now we will focus in detail mainly on the games of the first half of 2024, listing only a few of the most striking projects of the autumn-winter season. But we will definitely return to the games of the second half of the year — their details and release dates are usually known after the E3 exhibition.
