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ebruary used to be a dry month for new game releases, but in the last couple of years, the industry has flipped that notion on its head. Now one of the busiest months on the calendar, February 2024 is a stacked month full of high-profile releases and smaller niche games looking to monopolize your precious free time. The most romantic month on the calendar isn’t pulling any punches with early releases like Persona 3: Reload, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash.
Then there’s the rest of the month to brace yourself for as well, as Mario rekindles an epic rivalry with Donkey Kong, Ubisoft’s long-delayed Skull and Bones finally ships out, and Pacific Drive explores an exclusion zone full of assorted homicidal nastiness. And to cap everything off, there’s Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth to look forward to–or dread once you get to thatpart in the storyline–arriving on PS5 on the last day of the month.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink (PC, PS5, PS4) — February 1
Sure, Granblue Fantasy: Relink looks like a very very anime game, but beneath the flash and glitz, it looks like a fun adventure set in a world of dragons and possibly even dungeons. Interestingly, Platinum Games was originally developing this title before Cygames took over, but this new Granblue has retained the DNA of Platinum’s trademark action design. If the approachable action and wild combo-driven gameplay holds up over the course of the main campaign, Granblue Fantasy: Relink could be an under-the-radar hit this year
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch) — February 2
The sky is blue, water is wet, and popular Shonen anime series always get a fighting game adaptation. Jujustu Kaisen has been a fan-favorite manga and anime for a few years now, and this 2v2 brawler will allow you to wield the cursed energy of Jujutsu High’s most powerful students. You won’t just be mastering their individual skills in this fighting game, as you can also aim to unleash harmonious Joint Attacks against vile Curses in each battle.
Persona 3 Reload (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) — February 2
Easily the darkest entry in the Persona series, Persona 3 is locked and reloaded for its debut on modern platforms. Its combat has been substantially improved and several quality-of-life updates have been added, but at its core,this is a remake that is aiming to be as faithful modernization of the original game. It’s a good time to be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber as well, as Persona 3 Reload will be available as a day-one addition to that service.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) — February 2
Almost 10 years after the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, Rocksteady is back and ready to explore the DC Universe once again. This time, DC’s most dangerous–and expendable–supervillains are in the spotlight, as Rocksteady shifts towards a live-service experience. We’re not too certain if Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League can successfully juggle multiple ideas, but after several lengthy delays, it’s time to see just how the game will evolve over the weeks and months to come.
Foamstars (PS5, PS4) — February 6
Foamstars looks like a fresh take on Nintendo’s popular Splatoon series, but this new 4v4 shooter from Square Enix has some interesting ideas up its sleeve as you keep the streets clean. The game is launching with a healthy number of PvP and PvE modes, Square Enix already has its first year of content mapped out, and for PS Plus subscribers, it’ll be one of the free games of the month that they can grab and try out.
Helldivers 2 (PC, PS5) — February 8
A Starship Troopers game in all but name, Helldivers 2 looks like a chaotic slice of bug-eradicating action set on distant planets. It’s a tongue-in-cheek third-person shooter where the only thing more dangerous than armies of giant alien insects are your fellow soldiers, as friendly-fire has been turned on.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) — February 13
Dontnod’s next game looks like a spooky good time, as you’ll get to explore the ghost-infested surroundings of a small New England village, keep an eye out supernatural menaces hunting you, and dive into a story focused on a doomed love. It’s God of War mixed with Ghostbusters, and that might just be a fascinating action-packed combo to check out when the game is released.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch) — February 14
It’s going to be a while before Lara Croft returns in a brand-new adventure, but for longtime fans looking to celebrate her early adventures, there is good news! The original trilogy of games have been updated with more modern graphics, but if you’re in a retro mood, you can switch back to the original polygons for an old-school experience. All of the expansions and secret levels are included, making this the definitive collection of the original Tomb Raider games.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) — February 16
An old rivalry is rekindled this month, as Mario clashes with Donkey Kong in this remake of the first game of the spin-off series. Donkey Kong has stolen Mini Mario toys and hidden them across the world, and it’s up to players to take control of Mario, recover all those collectibles, and teach the powerhouse ape a lesson across a diverse lineup of stages. A new two-player co-op mode is being introduced in this game, as a second player can play as Toad and help Mario out with difficult puzzles.
Skull and Bones (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) — February 16
Believe it or not, Skull and Bones finally is finally setting sail in February. Set in the golden age of piracy, there’ll be oceans to explore, ships to pillage, and naval consequences to deal with when your infamy rises on the treacherous waters. It’s up to you to forge your own legend, and just like several of Ubisoft’s other live-service games, you’ll be able to create a distinctive look for your character, crew, and ship in your high-seas voyage.
Slave Zero X — February 21
A direct prequel to the 1999 action game Slave Zero probably wasn’t on your 2024 bingo card, but here we are! While the original Slave Zero was a 3D game, Slave Zero X is primarily a 2D game with the occasional half-dimension added in when necessary. It looks like an intriguing blend of stylish action a la Devil May Cry mixed with the deep combat of fighting games like Guilty Gear. It looks fast and fluid in action, and with plenty of story beats to explore, it should be a fascinating expansion of the world of Slave Zero.
Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance — February 21
We’ve seen plenty of Terminator games focus on the more action-packed side of the franchise over the years, but a strategic dive into the war between humanity and our future AI overlords sounds like an interesting new direction. Taking place during the Future Wars between humanity and Legion’s synthetic intelligent machine network, it’ll be up to you to lead the resistance in tense and challenging encounters while the world around you falls apart. And if you’re cunning, a little impromptu demolition can help you gain an advantage on these battlefields.
Nightingale (PC) — February 22
Nightingale looks like an ambitious new entry in the survival-crafting genre, and it’ll begin its journey with an early access release on PC this month. Set in the Fae Lands, it’ll be up to you to explore this dangerous land after you’re transported there to escape a plague that has driven humanity to the brink of extinction. Developer Inflexion Games–a studio formed in 2018 by a group of industry veterans–plans to create an evolving narrative over time for Nightingale, as it continues to work on this Victorian era-inspired game.
Pacific Drive (PC, PS5) — February 22
There’s nothing better than a relaxing car cruise, something Pacific Drive definitely won’t be. Instead, you’ll be exploring a quarantined zone full of danger in this first-person roguelike driving game. Your trusty station wagon provides some security against the forces conspiring to un-alive you, but you’ll need to take care of your vehicle if you want to escape and see the light of day.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch) — February 28
Launching exactly 29 years after the original game, Nightdive Studios is bringing this classic Star Wars first-person shooter into the modern age. The game will support up to 4K resolution and 120fps gameplay on PC and all consoles–but not you, Nintendo Switch–current-gen controller features, and it’ll ship with a fresh batch of Trophies/Achievements to hunt down.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5) — February 29
Final Fantasy 7 Remake told a story that felt comfortably familiar when it was first released several years ago, but Rebirth is headed into exciting and unknown territory when it arrives later this month. What does the future hold in store for Cloud and friends? There’s only one way to find out, as this middle chapter in the Remake trilogy is teasing an even bigger deviation from the established canon of this series, the arrival of fan-favorite characters, and a potentially devastating climax.