As we plan to say goodbye to the crazy year that has been 2023, we prepare to welcome in 2024. With so many worthy titles hitting the shelves (both digital and otherwise) over the last year, 2023 set a high bar with releases such as Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Starfield coming out alongside the Resident Evil IV and Dead Space remakes, 2024 has a lot of ground to cover if it’s to be as eventful as this past year.
Here are two massively anticipated games that are due to land next year, exclusive to Xbox.
Hellblade 2
When Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice first rolled out back in 2017, Ninja Theory showed the gaming world that they weren’t just about fast-paced action hits such as Devil May Cry (2015) and the vastly underrated Bleeding Edge by bringing us a rich and immersive game with a slow and steady pace.
With Hellblade the British development studio instead brought us innovation and a fresh approach to adventure gaming. Working closely with expert psychologists, Hellblade was the first AAA title to tackle the taboo subject of mental health the game, not only provided an unforgettable story, but also spreading a much-needed awareness across the gaming masses.
Hellblade 2 will bring both the same approach to mental health along with the same abundantly rich storytelling. However, hearing that the leading lade herself, Melina Juergens has recently had to undertake demanding courses in martial arts for her role as Senua this time around, tells us that Ninja Theory have upped their game in the combat aspect of Hellblade 2. It will be interesting to see how this pans out as a solid combat mechanic was one of the very few things that were absent from the opening game.
While Ninja Theory are holding their cards to their chests in regards to further details, you can expect the same haunting whispering conversations that take place in Senua’s mind; an atmospheric world, full of evil creatures and despair and a bevvy of mind-bending puzzles to navigate your way through.
Sadly, PlayStation 5 owners will miss out this time around but Hellblade 2 will be releasing on Xbox Series X|S and Microsoft Windows sometime in 2024 – stay tuned for more on this at a later date.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2
Having first being penned into the diary for a 2021 release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 was delayed until 2022 before again being pushed back to an unknown date in 2024. Hopefully, next year will be the year in which we finally get to enjoy what looks set to be an explosive RPG. While frustrating to those that join me in the anticipation, the reason is more than excusable.
Being a Ukrainian development studio, the team at GSC Game World have been working to bring the game up to a releasable standard while quite literally under fire during the current Russian conflict. Despite having lost a lead developer, Volodymyr Yezhov, in a hard-fought battle, the defiantly brave team have continued to work on the game to have it released for next year.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world (stand aside, Fallout) that looks to be heavy in both atmosphere and opportunities for deep exploration and untold discovery. Set in the barren lands of Chernobyl, you traverse the nuclear-devastated city as you fight for survival and are forced to make difficult choices, which could well be detriment to your downfall. There are very few details surrounding exactly what the story is about but all of the signs are pointing firmly in the direction of an enthralling narrative that will twist and turn its way to a crescendo of an ending.
S.T.AL.K.E.R will be arriving on Game Pass on day one of its release in the first quarter of 2024. Sadly, PlayStation players will lose out on this highly anticipated blockbuster.