2024 hasn’t been as densely packed with all-time great releases as 2023 was, but it’s still been a stellar year so far, with its first half already having delivered a litany of excellent experiences, both single-player and multiplayer. And if the former is what you’re more concerned with as a players, there’s plenty more still in the pipeline. Here, then, we’re going to go over a few major single-player games (or at least games with significant single-player components) that are still set for launch over the second half of the year.
INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE
MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game has looked increasingly promising with each successive showing, and even though we didn’t get to see any new gameplay at the recent Xbox Games Showcase, what’s clear is that the game is capturing the tone, aesthetic, and humour of the movies quite well. Microsoft has yet to announce a release date for the game, but leaks have claimed that it’s targeting a December release, which means Microsoft could potentially be closing the year with a banger.
STAR WARS OUTLAWS
It’s a bit hard to believe that we have never had a proper open world Star Wars game ever before, but Star Wars Outlaws sure is looking like a promising debut for the IP in that area. From its promise of a classic Star Wars scoundrel story to a complex Reputations system that is looking like it’ll impact the game’s story and its world in some interesting ways, to a blend of cinematic action, exploration, and traversal, Star Wars Outlaws is looking like it has the potential to be one of the year’s better releases.
S.T.A.L.K.A.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL
The wait for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been a long one, and even though developer GSC Game World has been through the wringer during its development process, the open world horror shooter is almost ready to launch. Due out this September, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has looked like a gorgeous, harrowing, expansive experience with each new showing. If this game lives up to its potential, it may very well be a crowning jewel in the Xbox Series X/S library.
WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
More than a decade on from its predecessor’s release, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is right around the corner, and it’s looking like it’s going to be worth the wait. Bloody combat, visual splendour, the promise of a bombastic and action-packed campaign, and meaty co-op and competitive multiplayer offerings- Saber Interactive’s upcoming Gears-like is making all the right promises, and we cannot wait to actually get our hands on it this September.
SILENT HILL 2
The two years after Silent Hill 2’s announcement in 2022 were rife with anxiety, stress, and skepticism aplenty for hardcore fans of the franchise, but impossibly enough, the remake actually looked legitimately good when Konami and Bloober Team finally showed it off recently, first with a new trailer at the last State of Play, and then with an extended gameplay demonstration that followed immediately afterward. Is it looking like it’ll touch the heights of something like 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake? Maybe not. But it is, at the very least, looking genuinely promising in its own right, to the extent that we’re cautiously optimistic about its October release.
LIFE IS STRANGE: DOUBLE EXPOSURE
Life is Strange remains one of Square Enix’s most beloved franchises, down largely to how heartfelt and experimental its stories end up being each time. For its next mainline outing, however, it’s doing something different. Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be the series’ first game to bring back an older playable protagonist, with the original’s beloved Max Caufield returning in a murder mystery split across two timelines, which she will try to navigate with her time rewind powers. It’s a fascinating premise, and we’ll be keenly awaiting the game’s October release.
ASSASSIN’S CREED SHADOWS
How long have we been waiting for an Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan? Too long, and at long last, we’re getting one. Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches this November, and it’ll put players in the shoes of two central protagonists- the samurai Yasuke and the shinobi Naoe, each bringing a unique play style. From a gorgeous open world to improved parkour and stealth mechanics, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is looking like it’s going to check all the right boxes, so we’re more than a little excited to get our hands on it.
BLACK MYTH: WUKONG
Black Myth: Wukong has been on many a radar since it was first unveiled in 2020, and now that it’s finally almost actually here, it’s still generating the same level of excitement. Chinese studio Game Science’s action RPG continues to look like an excellent new fantasy epic for fans of Soulslikes (or Soulslike adjacent games, in this case) to dive into. Whether it can achieve the sort of heights that Lies of P did last year remains to be seen, but expectations are certainly high.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: ECHOES OF WISDOM
Until not too long ago, it was looking unlikely that Nintendo would ever make a new, traditional top-down Zelda game again, but not only is the company doing just that, it’s making one that’s giving in to decades of requests from fans by making Princess Zelda herself the main protagonist. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is looking like a fascinating translation of the kind of absolute freedom that Tears of the Kingdom boasted, and if it can provide that same sort of fun in a more contained experience, it’s going to be a hell of a game.
THE CASTING OF FRANK STONE
Supermassive Games has the kind of mastery over horror adventure games that no other studio in the industry does, and with its next outing, the studio is going to tackle a beloved horror IP in the form of Dead by Daylight, with the single player spinoff The Casting of Frank Stone. Relatively little has been said about the game so far, while a specific launch date hasn’t been announced either, but if Supermassive can deliver the same level of narrative- and choice-driven single-player horror that it’s known for, this one is going to be worth keeping an eye on.
UNTIL DAWN
Speaking of Supermassive, the studio’s breakout hit from nearly a decade ago is also getting another lease of life later this year. Handled by British studio Ballistic Moon, the Until Dawn remaster headed to PS5 and PC this year is promising visual enhancements, a new third-person mode, entirely new collectibles and environments, and more, all of it rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. Until Dawn is an absolute classic, so this is going to be a great opportunity not only for fans to revisit it, but also for those who’ve never played it before to finally jump in.
LEGO HORIZON ADVENTURES
Until even a few weeks ago, suggestions that Sony has commissioned a LEGO-themed Horizon spinoff that’s going to launch day one for the Nintendo Switch would have been laughed out of the room, but these are strange times we live in. Credit where credit is due though, because LEGO Horizon Adventures is looking like an unexpectedly fun take on the franchise, and based on what’s been shown of it so far, it’s very likely going to significantly expand the audience for an IP that’s already massive. Obviously, we’re not expecting LEGO Horizon Adventures to rival the offerings of Zero Dawn or Forbidden West, but it’s likely going to be a fun distraction nonetheless both for series fans and newcomers.
ASTRO BOT
Since Astro Bot Rescue Mission wowed the chosen few who played it when it first launched in 2017, demand has been high for a mainline, console entry for the franchise, and that demand only grew louder when we got a taste of what that would like like with Astro’s Playroom in 2020. Now, Astro Bot is coming in September, touting the series’ biggest adventure, and it’s looking absolutely delightful. We certainly didn’t have Sony’s response to Super Mario on our 2024 bingo card heading into the year, but boy are we glad that we were wrong.
STARFIELD: SHATTERED SPACE
Starfield divided opinion upon its launch in 2023 (though yours truly was certainly a huge fan), but Bethesda Game Studios has the chance to win over several fans with Shattered Space later this year. A 10-15 hour expansion that promises a new storyline, new quests, a new handcrafted location, and more is exactly what Starfield is in need of right now, and what we’ve seen of it so far has also looked solid. A specific release date is currently unknown, but reports say September, so we might hear something from Microsoft soon.
DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD
When Dragon Age: Inquisition launched in 2014, if someone had told us its sequel wouldn’t be out for another decade, we’d be utterly horrified. Regardless, that long wait is almost over, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard is finally coming out this Fall. With deep choice and consequence mechanics, a rich and expansive cast of companions, new and refreshed combat mechanics, and plenty of focus on role-playing progression and customization, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is looking like the sort of return to form that BioWare has been in desperate need of for so long. Whether it lives up to that billing remains to be seen, but we’re optimistic based on what’s been shown so far.
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