In the home console market, Sony has gone above and beyond to re-establish itself as the go-to company for high-quality gaming, ousting what was once a close rival, Microsoft. Since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hit the market, each exclusive for the Sony console has only reinforced the lack of top-tier content exclusively found on the Xbox.
Now, to kick off 2024, PlayStation has unveiled a batch of the biggest games coming to the console – many of which will be exclusives. The Silent Hill 2 and The Last of Us: Part II remakes certainly whipped up some hype, and another brief look at the long-anticipated Dragon’s Dogma 2 was more than welcomed. However, of the impressive slate to come, these three might prove to be among the most popular and critically acclaimed.
Also read: Unblocked Games WTF: A Step-by-Step Access Guide.
Adventure in the Bakumatsu period
Set in 1863 Japan, towards the end of the Edo era as the Bakumatsu period begins, Rise of the Rōnin aims to deliver yet another immersive, powerful samurai story to PlayStation players. Said to be much less fantastical than Team Ninja’s other outings, like Nioh, and more futuristic than other samurai games, it’s generating a tremendous amount of hype, a lot of which is owed to the theme and the success of PlayStation’s last smash-hit samurai game.
Closing out the PlayStation 4 era, Ghost of Tsushima was a rousing success, selling well over 9.7 million copies worldwide while also collecting stacks of nominations. Since its 2020 release, samurai-themed games have become hugely popular across entertainment media, particularly online casino platforms. As it stands, the highest-rated sites with the best casino bonuses typically draw in vast audiences comprised of many demographics, including video gamers. Unsurprisingly, they lure in the latter group with the latest popular Rōnin games such as Ronin’s Honour and Ronin Stackways, both of which sit among the top games at these bonus-padded casinos.
Legendary fighting game lands to prove a point
Last year was one of the biggest years for the top-end of the fighting game genre. Street Fighter 6 (SF6) finally made a colossal comeback worthy of the storied series, while Mortal Kombat 1 (MK1) also weighed in with another strong entry. Street Fighter 6 sold over 2.5 million units and MK1 breached 3 million, but it was SF6 that landed the fighting game awards and a bit more of the critical acclaim. Either way, the bar has been set very high in this corner.
So, the third major name in fighting gaming has a lot to live up to and, based on the closed network tests, beta, and demo, Tekken 8 should meet – and possibly exceed – the standards set. With superb controls, a stacked roster, and high-impact, stylized, very customizable play, the multi-platform Bandai Namco fighter will take a huge leap forward from what was already a much-loved Tekken 7 that continued to uphold a strong, competitive following long beyond its due.
A brand new sci-fi action adventure story
Right now, anime is riding incredibly high, and while Stellar Blade is being made by a studio based in Seoul, it’s tough not to see some classic anime inspirations in the aesthetic and angle of this new game. The lead looks to be encased in a kind of Ghost in the Shell suit, with some accompanying acrobatic powers, while the drawings from Christianity with Adam and Eve ring back to the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion. More importantly, it looks to be another exciting new game that’ll add more sway to the PS5, even with cloud gaming on the Xbox.
Played from a third-person perspective, in Stellar Blade, you return to the last city on Earth housing humans, Xion, where you (Eve) meet Adam and the elder, Orcal. You then embark on rebuilding the city and taking on the creatures that have taken over the rest of the planet. With fast-paced, very stylistic action in a sci-fi setting, as well as unique Beta and Burst Skills, it seems like the kind of game that could do very well with critics if it sticks the landing.
PlayStation players have a lot of great games to look forward to in 2024, but from here, Rise of the Rōnin, Tekken 8, and Stellar Blade look to potentially be the best of the bunch.
