Jason's Most Anticipated Games of 2024

It’s that time of year where we collectively break for the holidays to spend time with loved ones, eat too much food, and, of course, start thinking about next year’s video game releases. One thing I particularly enjoy this time of year is reading Game of the Year lists from writers at various gaming websites. It’s been even more interesting considering what a stacked year 2023 has been for great games. Perusing these lists sometimes introduces me to a game I’ve missed through the course of the year, or that has flown under my personal gaming radar – Inscryption is a good example of this from 2022. Along those lines, I wanted to share my most anticipated games of 2024 with you fine folks, and I hope you’ll find a new game to add to your wishlist by the end.

Helldivers 2

I’ve been writing about Helldivers 2 on Gaming Nexus for a while now; it’s no secret that my excitement for the game is immeasurable. It’s a sequel nearly nine years in the making, and it looks poised to make a leap like Risk of Rain to Risk of Rain 2 in terms of production value. While the original Helldivers was an isometric shooter on PS3, PS4, and Vita, the sequel is shifting to a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective for PS5 and PC, boasting a massive boost in graphical fidelity. It’s still a cooperative shooter that channels the tone of Starship Troopers, with you and your pals blasting through hordes of alien bugs to complete missions. If you’ve never played the first one, you’ll be perfectly fine as this is a “gameplay is king” sort of game. My pre-order is locked and loaded. I’m ready to spread managed democracy on February 8^th.

Pacific Drive

Another game that I’ve been watching closely since its announcement, Pacific Drive is a survival driving game that looks truly unique. You head out in your trusty station wagon on runs across a cordoned off area of the Pacific Northwest occupied by supernatural entities. Gather loot and parts, customize your car for each run, and try to survive as you chart what is known as the Olympic Exclusion Zone. I’m not a huge fan of roguelikes, but Pacific Drive looks different – and I’m not just referring to all the weird stuff happening in the trailer. February looks busy for me, with Pacific Drive releasing February 22^nd for PS5 and PC.

Neva

I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Neva, and I don’t need to know much about Neva. I’ve been trying to stay as in the dark as possible about this game because it is the next project from developer Nomada Studio, the team behind the wonderful GRIS. Neva’s Steam page says we will “Experience the moving tale of a young woman and her lifelong bond with a magnificent wolf as they embark on a thrilling adventure through a rapidly dying world.” Sounds wonderful. GRIS is in my top-10 video games of all-time, so there is no chance I am missing Neva. For now, it only has a vague 2024 release window.

EA Sports College Football

Perhaps my most anticipated game coming in 2024, EA Sports is ready to bring its college football simulation back after a decade-long hiatus. EA’s return to the college gridiron was originally announced in 2022 with a release planned for July 2023. Obviously, those plans didn’t hold, and EA is now full steam ahead to release it in Summer of 2024 following the recent withdrawal of a lawsuit over the hotly debated Name, Image, and Likeness rules in college athletics. Licensing firm The BrandR Group had sued EA over its partnership with fellow licensing firm OneTeam Partners, but all parties have now reached an agreement to move forward. In a statement regarding the withdrawal of the lawsuit, EA confirmed that EA Sports College Football will be in our hands in 2024. That’s news to many gamers’ ears, as we have waited far too long for this. I can’t wait to fire up an online dynasty with my friends, and pull my hair out every offseason over players hitting the transfer portal.

The Precinct

You’ve heard of Grand Theft Auto 6, but have you heard of The Precinct? It channels the classic top-down GTA games of yore, only you’re not committing the crimes – you’re fighting them. Set in the fictional Averno City during 1983, you play as a patrol cop trying to clean up the city from gang activity and corruption, but also solve the mystery of your father’s murder. Engage in car chases, write tickets, thwart bank heists, and much more in this awesome looking sandbox police game. It doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but it’s coming next year to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

XDefiant

I’ve done a huge 180 on XDefiant over the course of this year. My experience with Ubisoft’s upcoming competitive first-person shooter began early in 2023 when I was able to participate in the closed alpha – an experience that completely turned me off to the game. A few months later, the Gaming Nexus crew was granted access to the closed beta, and while not excited about it, I jumped in with the lads in the name of science. I’m glad I did because from alpha to beta, XDefiant improved leaps and bounds, perhaps more than any game I’ve gone through a similar testing process with. The beta was so good, in fact, that the Ubi-verse shooter made the cut for this list. Originally planned to release back in the Summer of 2023, XDefiant pulls in characters and lore from across Ubisoft, including Splinter Cell, The Division, and Far Cry. It was pushed to 2024 while the developer works on a few critical bugs related to netcode and the social party system, as well as switching the game’s servers to Linux. Ubisoft San Francisco boss (and former Call of Duty producer) Mark Rubin shared in his latest update that the team is planning to put the finishing touches on XDefiant and submit it for platform certification after the holidays. Which sounds like we can expect it to launch in early 2024.

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

I don’t attempt to hide my affinity for Police Simulator: Patrol Officer around these parts, which is why I won’t attempt to mask my excitement for Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator. Both games are from developer Aesir Interactive, which, in my opinion, has given us one of the best simulator experiences on consoles with Police Simulator. We don’t know a whole lot about Ambulance Life at the moment, but I think we can infer quite a bit – respond to calls, administer emergency aid, and transport patients to nearby hospitals using a variety of medical equipment and ambulance models. Aesir says to expect Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator in September 2024.