As Shigeru Miyamoto’s well-known quote goes: “a delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”
Some of the best games ever made were once delayed before achieving critical acclaim, and we’re hoping that the titles below are no different. Here are 10 games that we were looking forward to in 2023 (and 2022 in some cases) that we still can’t wait to play in 2024. Click on the titles to find them in the CDKeys store.
Alone in the Dark
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: March 20, 2024
Publisher THQ Nordic squeezed in one more delay earlier this month when they pushed back one of the most eagerly anticipated horror games from January to March. Nevertheless, we’re still super hyped about this reimagination of a 90s cult classic.
Set in the haunted Derceto mansion in 1920s Louisiana, Alone in the Dark drops players into the role of private investigator Edward Carnby and his task to investigate “strange occurrences” in an eerie manor. As players explore, they’ll encounter supernatural phenomena and unravel a dark and intricate storyline involving occult rituals, ancient powers… and worse.
If this all sounds like many other survival-horror games you’ve played, it’s because Alone in the Dark was a huge influence on many other survival-horror games you’ve played– namely the Resident Evil series. We can’t wait for the return of this genre-defining classic very soon in 2024.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: February 02, 2024
After a tumultuous, decade-long development process, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is actually almost here. As huge fans of the Arkham games also developed by Rocksteady Studios, we have to admit that all the delays have built our hopes pretty darn high for this sequel. It’s also worth noting that 3 of those Arkham games were released in the time it has taken to produce Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. With fingers intensely crossed, we’re eagerly awaiting this to finally drop in February.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League features an original story set within an expansive open-world city in which you’ll, you guessed it, attempt to kill the world’s greatest DC Super Heroes. Oh, and did we mention there’s an invading alien force and an explosive planted in your head? Yeah, you might want to take care of that too.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer/Published “Don’t Not” (Life is Strange, Vampyr) announced the delay of their latest supernatural action-RPG in September, describing the delay as an effort to avoid an “intense release cycle for AAA titles”. What’s this game all about?
New Eden, 1695. Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith are lovers and Banishers, ghost-hunters who vowed to protect the living from the threat of lingering ghosts and specters. Following a disastrous last mission, Antea is fatally wounded, becoming one of the spirits she loathes. In the haunted wilds of North America, the couple desperately searches for a way to liberate Antea from her new plight.
We’re looking forward to experience yet another immersive and emotional choice-driven mystery when Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden releases very soon. Fortunately, we don’t have much longer to wait!
Homeworld 3
Platform: PC
Release Date: February, 2024
The latest entry in the Homeworld series (debuting way back in 1999) will also drop in February of next year. Originally published by Sierra Games (just like Hlaf-Life), Homeworld 3 is being backed by Gearbox this time around (just like Half-Life Opposing Force).
This third installment in the real-time strategy series will feature more of what the franchise is known for: tactical, beautiful, and unique RTS gameplay in a captivating sci-fi setting. Take control of entire armadas of spacecraft and wage war in fully 3D space at a galactic scale very soon in 2024.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: March, 2024
Yet another fan-favorite series will return in 2024! … barring any further delays…
The dread-filled, post-apocalyptic world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will eventually arrive on Game Pass and as a stand-alone game. You can look forward to “one of the biggest open-worlds to date, filled with radiation, mutants, and anomalies.”
“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl” is the highly anticipated sequel to the “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” series; known for its atmospheric and immersive open-world gameplay set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Developer GSC Game World is at the helm, and will continue the series’ tradition of blending first-person shooter elements with survival horror in a post-apocalyptic setting.
You can look forward to a dynamic open-world environment with a day-night cycle, weather changes, and a branching narrative influenced by player choices.
Skull & Bones
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: February 16, 2024
Set sail for an immersive experience centered around the high seas and the Golden Age of Piracy! Players will take command of their very own ship, allowing them to customize and upgrade it to suit their playstyle. With intense naval combat, (against both AI-controlled and player-controlled adversaries), and open-world exploration (across the Indian Ocean), Skull & Bones promises to deliver a comprehensive pirate experience.
Long story short– Skull and Bones looks to be a combination of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and Sea of Thieves… and we’re definitely into that.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Platform: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: June 4, 2024
In early December, The Final Shape received its latest delay into 2024– from February, back to June. Yet, we are still extremely hyped.
This will be the eighth Destiny 2 expansion, the twelfth expansion of the franchise, and the final entry in The Light and Darkness Saga. What can we expect? Like previous expansions, there’ll be new locations to explore, new supers, a new raid, and of course lots of tantalizing new Exotic weapons. The release of The Final Shape will also kick off a year-long event with new episode-based content. Here’s how it’ll work:
Starting in 2024, Episodes will be replacing Seasons as our new way of storytelling and content update format for Destiny 2. Each Episode will contain new story content and rewards, including a new Exotic mission, Exotic weapon and armor. Episodes will be in three Acts; with a new Act releasing every six weeks—containing new stories, quests, activities, weapons, artifact mods, pass ranks, and rewards.
You’ll definitely want to be part of the action from day one when The Final Shape finally drops next year.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Platform: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: TBA 2024
Open-world games take a long time to develop, and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn ended up needing even more time than developer A44 (creators of Ashen) expected. This ambitious next-gen release will tell the story of humanity’s last stand with visceral action-RPG gameplay in a world where Gods and guns collide. Yeah, we’re definitely keeping an eye on this one ahead of the estimated release of “Q3 2024”.
Ark 2
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: TBA 2024
Ark: Survival Evolved, the hugely popular MMO, is a tough act to follow; and we assume that that’s what drove developer/producer Studio Wildcard’s decision to push back their sequel to 2024.
We’re looking forward to another expansive and visually stunning experience. One in which players can anticipate a mix of survival mechanics, crafting, and co-op multiplayer gameplay; all set in a primal world filled with dinosaurs and humans struggling for control. I mean, how does that not sound awesome?
Pragmata
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: TBA 2024
Finally, Pragmata is a brand-new game from Capcom.
Oh, you need more? Well, there’s actually not a whole lot of info available at the moment. But what we do know is that Pragmata will be a sci-fi action-adventure game. It will also be set in a dystopian near-future in a unique lunar world. It looks mysterious, atmospheric, and very Hideo Kojima-esque to be quite honest. We’re looking forward to the next info drop on this one!
Patience is a virtue, and I hope it will reward us with one of the best years ever in gaming. For more info on the best games you can play right now, or the best games you can look forward to in 2024– subscribe to our blog. And for the best deals on said games– head to the CDKeys store.
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