While January had its fair share of hits and surprises, 2024’s video game release schedule kicks into gear in February. It features multiple big games that have been in development for several years (and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth), an unexpected remake, an eagerly awaited sequel exiting early access and, of course, a rogue-lite. Here are 15 of the biggest titles to look forward to in February 2024.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
Unexpected but welcome all the same, Avantgarden’s remake of Starbreeze Studios’ Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons still features the same story of two brothers, Naiee and Naia, on a journey to cure their father’s illness. Controlling both characters at once, players must solve puzzles, utilizing their unique skill sets to progress.
The original is acclaimed for its gameplay and story-telling, which the remake modernizes thanks to a graphical overhaul and re-recorded soundtrack. It also touts new secrets and local co-op, which was added to the original in its 2019 Nintendo Switch version. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake launches on February 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
After the critically acclaimed Jusant, DON’T NOD is back with a somewhat more traditional action RPG in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. It focuses on two Banishers, Antea and Red, who help spirits move on. Tragedy quickly strikes in New Eden when Antea dies and remains with Red as a ghost. They must now face a tough decision – sacrifice other people to revive her or continue their work, potentially losing her forever.
As players meet other characters and resolve their crises, their decisions will affect the overall narrative, with five different endings to unlock. Combat is also intriguing since you use Red to unleash bullets and slashes or switch to Antea at any time for her supernatural abilities (which are also good for dealing with crowds). Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden arrives on February 13th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.
Pacific Drive
A drive through an abandoned zone at night may sound creepy, but as Ironwood Studios’ Pacific Drive reveals, things can be worse. Players start out traveling the Pacific Northwest before randomly being teleported into the Olympic Exclusion Zone, once a site for various experiments and now home to dangerous Anomalies. Upon discovering an aged station wagon, they brief the corrosion and storms to find a garage and characters who could help them escape.
It’s easier said than done, as they must venture into the Zone to gather supplies and materials, acquiring Stable Energy and braving the storm to make it back alive. They must then repair and outfit their vehicle, unlock new items via the Fabrication Station, and eventually unravel the mystery of the Zone to escape. With a rogue-lite structure, quirks that can alter your vehicle’s performance (for better or worse) and Anomalies that spice up runs in various harrowing ways, Pacific Drive is truly unique. It’s out on February 22nd for PS5 and PC.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
When the Justice League goes rogue, you call Batman. When Batman also goes rogue (kind of), then you call the Suicide Squad, probably. Regardless, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, King Shark and Captain Boomerang – along with a host of supporting characters – are the only ones who can save Metropolis after Brainiac invades and brainwashes the League. Touted as Rocksteady’s “biggest cinematic experience”, and easily its biggest story, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also seems to have some multiverse shenanigans going on with Brainiac’s Elseworlds.
Gameplay-wise, it’s a looter shooter with co-op support, skill trees, mods, gear sets (known as Infamy Sets), an end-game and live-service elements like seasons, a Battle Pass and microtransactions. Players can control one of the Squad, while the AI handles the rest, in single-player, kitting out their character with different guns and exploring the vast city with unique traversal skills. For all the mixed receptions, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has generated some interest. We’ll see if it can deliver a worthwhile experience when it launches on February 1st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.
Skull and Bones
What’s better than one live-service title rumored to have been in development for years and seen multiple reboots? How about two? Skull and Bones has had a long journey, reportedly starting development in 2013 and officially announced in 2017. It’s an action-adventure focused on naval combat, set in the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy, as players seek to establish themselves as legendary pirates. Before that, they must take on contracts for Pirate Kingpins, raiding convoys and transporting goods while contending with opposing forces.
There are multiple ships, each designed for specific purposes with several weapon and damage types. Even furniture can affect your ship’s performance in various ways. Those not keen on PvE can indulge in PvP modes, from the high-risk, high-reward Helm Wagers to the player bounty-focused Cutthroat Cargo, with leaderboards, Kingpin Ranks and whatnot. Skull and Bones is out on February 16th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, with a year of post-launch content planned. Whether it saves past that point is anyone’s guess, but we’re relieved it’s coming out.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The developer is going all out with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga. A massive map with seamless exploration and near-instant fast-travelling, tons of mini-games, new cities and areas not present in the original setting, tons of side quests, new Summons, combat improvements and Synergy Abilities – the list goes on. That’s not even getting into the story side of things, with all kinds of potential revelations teased and characters like Cid and Vincent Valentine making their debut.
It’s almost too much, with 100 hours of gameplay promised, but also oddly fitting for such an iconic part of Cloud and party’s journey, as they venture outside of Midgar to locate Sephiroth. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on February 29th for PS5, shipping on two Blu-ray discs, and already looks like a shoo-in for Game of the Year.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers is back, and despite the third-person perspective, the war to protect the democracy of Super-Earth remains as perilous as ever. If it’s not the massive Bugs and Automations that are out to get you, it’s friendly fire and a poorly placed Stratagem.
Nevertheless, with procedural generation, terrain deformation, stunning visuals and cross-platform play between PS5 and PC, Helldivers 2 promises a much larger scale than the original when it launches on February 8th. That extends to the new Galactic War, as players liberate planets and complete objectives, with the community as a whole progressing the storyline. You can even earn unlocks to outfit and upgrade your destroyer.
Sons of the Forest (1.0 Release)
Almost a year since launching into early access, Endnight Games’ Sons of the Forest is finally set to launch in full on February 22nd for PC. Version 1.0 will expand on the story, with Shawn Ashmore of Quantum Break fame playing a key role, but it’s already grown significantly during its time in early access.
New areas and caves, bosses, items, vehicles, points of interest, and more have been added, along with improvements to building and electricity systems. That’s only scratching the surface, with Cannibals having a wider range of behaviors (and new types); Kelvin having more commands and emotes; and survival gameplay being made tougher (with Hard survival available for those who crave a challenge).
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
The King of Kong is back in the antagonistic role, giving into his consumer urges and swiping a bunch of Mini-Mario toys. As the president of the toy factory, Mario ventures to get them back, traversing multiple stages and eventually defeating Donkey Kong. As a remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance classic with gorgeous new visuals and cinematics, Mario vs. Donkey Kong incorporates more puzzle solving, as players bypass traps and other hazards to gather keys, progress to the next part of the stage and rescue a Mini-Mario.
There are multiple worlds to explore, with Plus and Expert Levels to overcome, but the remake adds two more for over 130 levels, a new Time Attack Mode, local co-op and Casual Style for less punishing gameplay. Mario vs. Donkey Kong launches on February 16th for Nintendo Switch.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Yet another title years in the making and finally primed to launch, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is based on Cygames’ successful free-to-play gacha RPG. Unlike the original, it’s an action RPG that ventures to new lands in the Zegagrande Kingdom. It’s not long before Gran/Djeeta, Lyria and the Grandcypher crew run afoul of trouble involving the Primal Beasts.
Along with Gran and Djeeta, players can play as other characters like Narmaya, Lancelot, Percival, Katalina, Rackam and many more, each with unique abilities and playstyles. Combat is fast-paced, whether building up to Link Time or activating Skybound Arts in tandem to deal massive damage with a Full Burst attack.
Along with an extensive campaign, there are 100 quests in Quest Mode and support for up to four players in co-op. Time will tell if Granblue Fantasy: Relink lives up to the hype, but thankfully, we won’t have to wait long, as it launches on February 1st for PS4, PS5 and PC.
Tomb Raider 1–3 Remastered
Though we’re not anywhere closer to a launch for Aspyr’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, it does have Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered coming up on February 14th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Utilizing the original’s source code and engine, the remasters feature revamped character models and environments with baked and real-time lighting (though you can switch back to the original look).
Modern controls are available in addition to the Classic option, with boss health bars and Photo Mode also available. Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered could be the blast from the past that we need.
Open Roads
A narrative-focused adventure title with gorgeous animated characters set against 3D environments, Annapurna Interactive’s Open Roads is about Tess and her mother Opal. Venturing on a road trip to learn more about the past, they venture to abandoned properties to uncover long-buried secrets. There are extensive conversations and more than a few emotional moments, with actors Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever bringing the duo to life. Open Roads launches on February 22nd for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch, while also available on day one for Game Pass.
Nightingale (Early Access)
Following its announcement in December 2021, Inflexion Games’ Nightingale will finally enter early access for PC on February 22nd. As an open-world survival crafting title, players control the Realmwalker, who ventures to different Fae realms to find the city of Nightingale. It’s easier said than done, with threats like the Bound and Apex creatures out to ruin your fun.
While players can settle down in a realm, building a base and recruiting NPCs, they can also use Realm Cards to shape their next destination, making it more or less dangerous. The early access version will feature three biome types, a progression system “spanning all aspects of gameplay”, various creatures and “comprehensive building and crafting tools, alongside estate management,” as per the Steam listing. Nightingale will remain in early access for nine to 12 months, adding biomes, story and even the city itself, but it should be interesting to see how the base game fares.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance
Originally set to launch in December, Slitherine Ltd.’s Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is now out on February 7th for PC. Based on the Dark Fate timeline, the real-time strategy sees humanity going up against the killer robots of Legion and fighting for survival. Commanding the Founders, players navigate the war torn world of the future, recruiting and training new units for battles.
Other factions can join or oppose you during these conflicts, with different missions opening up depending on your actions. Several unit types, from drones to armored vehicles, are available, and players can control the other factions – the Resistance and Legion – in Skirmish and Multiplayer. As far as Terminator titles are concerned, it’s intriguing and could be the best thing to result from Dark Fate.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4
A new age of Falcom’s Kiseki series is due this Summer, with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak finally launching in the West. Until then, fans can re-experience The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 on PS5 when both titles launch on February 16th. Originally available in Japan for the PS4 in 2017, Cold Steel 3 follows Rean Schwarzer, now a teacher in Thors Branch Campus, training a new Class VII – composed of Kurt Vander, Juna Crawford and Altina Orion – to conduct Special Operations for the Erebonian Empire.
Musse Egret and Ash Carbide eventually join, but rampant conspiracies could shake the very foundation of the empire. As for Cold Steel 4, well, that’s just getting into spoiler territory. The PS5 versions of both titles feature high-definition visuals and all previously released cosmetic DLC. While it’s far from the most graphically impressive pair of RPGs, they make up for it with their story-telling, world-building and excellent combat.
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