The must-play video games of winter 2024
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Below you’ll find our pick of 14 games you need to have on your radar throughout the winter season, from massive RPGs likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to awesome survival games such as Pacific Drive and Nightingale. Of course, there are plenty of other games launching in the next three months that we’ve been watching for a little while now, the likes ofSkull and BonesandSons of the Forest. For a more all-encompassing look at what’s on the near horizon, you’ll want to check out our lists of theupcoming PS5 games,upcoming PC games, andupcoming Xbox Series X games.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ichiban Kasuga is set to line up alongside Yakuza legend Kazuma Kiryu in what is promising to be one of the most outrageous adventures of the year. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is expanding the borders of the long running RPG series, shifting the turn-based action outside of Yokohama and into the sun-soaked streets of Hawaii’s Honolulu City. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku is widening the scope of play, expanding the Jobs system to give each character a wider set of perks and playstyles to draw from, and increasing the audacity of the world as it introduces a suite of new minigames to distract you from the darker overtones of the core storyline.
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Don’t Nod has always shown an aptitude for experimentation. The studio has delivered everything from Jusant to Life is Strange to Vampyr in the last decade, and now it’s trying its hand at a fully-fledged paranormal action-RPG in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. You’ll be playing as two ghost-busting protagonists, one of whom becomes a spirit herself over the course of the game’s opening hours, as they battle phantasmic forces plaguing the town of New Eden. The slick third-person combat and unique movesets of each character are a far cry from the clunkier play of the action-focused Vampyr, but Don’t Nod shines when telling sweeping narrative-driven adventures and this looks like a story set to make this winter a little more interesting.
Come for the trippy wicked vibes, stay for the challenging combat and excellent platforming. Ultros is a new metroidvania which has you attempt to wield a time loop to escape the horrors contained within a cosmic uterus, battling all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures as you move through vibrant levels – the cleaner the kill, the better the bounty of organs that you can harvest to improve your suite of skills. Ultros is a pretty wonderful experience with a unique approach to progression, tied to a gardening system that has you planning seeds and cultivating them across multiple loops – the vines eventually unlocking new pathways or improving certain abilities. It’s weird, fun, and challenging.
Ironwood Studios is putting forward a pretty novel take on the survival genre, pulling focus away from ensuring you have enough energy and sustenance to see another day and is instead shining the spotlight on an old station wagon. In Pacific Drive, you’ll need to venture out into the Olympic Exclusion Zone – a reimagined Pacific Northwest that’s being assaulted by a raft of supernatural dangers. You’ll do this from the driver’s seat of your vehicle, something you’ll need to keenly maintain, repair, and improve between excursions from an abandoned garage which acts as a homebase. Driving to survive in a hostile world is a great concept, and everything we’ve played of Pacific Drive so far has certainly ignited the imagination.
Square Enix is about to take one of thebest RPGsinto an entirely new direction. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a pretty interesting reimagining of the 1997 original, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth seems intent on further upending expectation. The second installment in a planned trilogy, Rebirth is essentially building a fresh experience around foundational story beats – so while you should expect open-area exploration beyond the confines of Midgar and as much time at the Gold Saucer as you can handle, who knows what’s going to happen to key characters from there. Factor all this in with further refinements to the action-combat systems, and we’re looking at one of the most anticipated RPGs of the generation.
Developer:Paradox InteractivePlatform(s): PCRelease date: March 5
For a great many years now, Homeworld has long-been considered one of thebest RTS gamesof all-time. That’s why we’re so damned excited by Homeworld 3 from Blackbird Interactive, a return to the pioneering strategy set throughout space. An extensive campaign mode is showcasing a truly impressive 3D ballistics system, with combat necessitating that you’re aware of threats coming at you from all angles. Homeworld 3 is also launching with a new co-op more that’s been infused with a roguelike structure, a smart push to get players to experiment further with the variety of ship classes and combat styles available in the game. Whether you’re a longtime franchise fan or new to the series, Homeworld 3 looks essential for all strategy game fans.
It’s a swordfighter! It’s a pirate! Not really, it’s Princess Peach Showtime. The Mario universe’s original Royal Highness is finally taking the spotlight again in thisupcoming Switch gamelaunching in March. The action platformer will see Princess Peach battling Grape and the Sour Bunch in an effort to rescue Sparkle Theater from their evil clutches, and she’ll have to take on a variety of starring roles to do so and make use of her new powers in the process. We haven’t had a Peach-centric game since Super Princess Peach launched on Nintendo DS in 2006, so this is one magical adventure worth picking up this winter.
Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+’s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you’ve definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.
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