It’s so close to 2024 now, which means it’s time to look at what will be landing on our consoles in the year ahead. Already we know of a whole lot of stuff that looks like it will be of a very high quality, and so here are Lindsay’s picks for the year ahead:
Été
One of my favourite games from Day of the Devs (Summer Game Fest 2023 Edition) was Été, the title translating to “summer” from French. The game is set in Montreal during the summertime, and players take on the role of a budding painter with a watercolour brush at the world at his fingertips. Explore by following your curiousity and discover secrets along the water. The storyline involves helping out other artists and is fully voice in Quebec French. Create artworks using the items touched in the world, rotating and resizing at will.
Developed and published by Impossible, Été will be released for PC via Steam in Q1 2024.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
I loved my 3DS, possibly more than I’ve loved any other handheld. The fact that Fantasy Life was available for it sure did help with that; it may just be my favourite game from the console’s lifespan. The sequel was technically released as a F2P mobile game, but it didn’t fare well and shut down pretty quickly. Fans like myself have been itching for more for over a decade now, and more is what Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time promises. Begin by creating an avatar by adjusting their face, choosing their hair, and more. Then it’s time to head to Reveria to restore the island. Gather resources, customise housing, plan the town, and adjust the terrain. Each “life” is basically a class and you can swap between them. The announced classes are Paladin, Woodcutter, Cook, and Artist; there will for sure be others too.
Developed and published by Level-5, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time will be released for Nintendo Switch in (Northern) Summer 2024.
Hollywood Animal
Weappy leaves the world of police games behind with Hollywood Animal. I’ve seen the game compared to The Movies, but it honestly seems significantly more complex than that. Players will preside over a film studio beginning in the late 1920s, guiding it through a decade of difficult decisions. Get creative, enjoy the glamour, and possibly even accept – ahem – “compromises” with Hollywood’s twisted underbelly. Erect buildings, manage resources, and upgrade as required. Choose what kind of studio to be, from trash factory to billion-dollar beast, and keep it afloat through wars, social upheaval, censorship, corruption, strained government relations, and criminal disputes. Form alliances if you want, but prepare to betray them when the time comes (or be betrayed yourself).
Developed and published by Weappy, Hollywood Animal will be released for PC via Steam in 2024.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered
When I consider what would be in my top ten games list of the last decade, The Legend of Legacy for 3DS is definitely there. I was completely obsessed with it for weeks. The spiritual successor to the SaGa series will be released as an HD remaster in the coming year. The game is set on the island of Avalon, which was only discovered a decade ago and remains shrouded in mystery. It is also home to fabled treasures with immense powers. Seven not-quite-yet heroes head to Avalon to fulfill their unique desires. Each one has their own motivations, their own set of skills, their own stories, and their own story conclusions.
Developed by FuRyu and published by NIS America, The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered will be released in the West for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2024. It will be released in Japan for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on February 1, 2024.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island
I’ve been patiently waiting for Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island since it was announced in 2022. I often write about games I’m looking forward to then forget about them until more news comes up, but not with Mythwrecked. I’ve been actively thinking about it for over a year now, hoping that development is going well and that everyone involved will be happy with the final product; the developers seem like good people. Originally set to launch this year, it was delayed to 2024 to give it the best possible end result. Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island follows rookie backpacker Alex when she finds herself stranded on Ambrosia Island, which turns out to be populated by Greek Gods. Not, like, really hunky men and gorgeous women: literal Greek Gods. None of them remember who they are, though. Alex must build friendships with the Gods, prompting them to be willing to help her with their powers. A device called the Ambrosidex to find them all, as well as to track down hidden treasure.
Developed by Polygon Treehouse and published by Whitethorn Games, Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island will be released for PC and consoles in mid-2024.
