2024 may not be full of the biggest hitting games, but it’s been far from a bad year. In fact, a host of brilliant games have released in 2024 already, and we’re only just 6 months in.
But what have been the best Xbox games of 2024 to date? Well, we’ve rounded up 11 of those that you should be playing on Xbox right this very minute. It’s helped that many of them are available through Game Pass too.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Review – 5/5 – “It’s for games like this in which I bought an Xbox Series X; the reason I love playing games. This is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.”
Following the critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II returns our warrior protagonist to a Viking Iceland plagued by tyranny.
Heading off on a brutal quest to liberate the oppressed, Senua must confront both the external horrors and the persistent darkness within her own mind.
What this means is that you should be prepared to be immersed in a cinematic story with stunning visuals and captivating sounds, all as you delve deeper into Senua’s journey.
Loretta
Loretta Review – 5/5 – “Loretta is a small indie game from a small team of developers, but they have managed to create a tremendous piece of storytelling, one that borrows from the noir genre but still manages to come across as an original piece of work.”
Trapped in a suffocating 1940’s Southern marriage, Loretta snaps upon discovering her husband Walter’s infidelity and a convenient life insurance policy. Yet after swapping the glitz of the big city for a dilapidated farmhouse, Loretta’s desperation fuels a twisted revenge plot. As Walter’s demise becomes a possibility, you become her accomplice.
From there, Loretta plays as a psychological thriller dripping with film noir vibes. You’ll get to navigate conversations with a colourful cast of locals, some helpful, some suspicious. You’ll also solve puzzles, confront the ghosts of Loretta’s past, and decide how far she’ll go. Will she become a vengeful monster, or can you help her find redemption?
In Loretta, you shape her fate and witness the chilling consequences of a love gone wrong.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Review – 5/5 – “After multiple tens of hours playing, you may still find yourself unable to put Dragon’s Dogma 2 down – one more quest, one more fight, and then an hour or two has passed.”
As the Arisen, a warrior marked for a deadly destiny, carve your own path through the vast, perilous world of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
An action RPG, DD2 empowers you to craft your hero’s appearance, fighting style, and party composition, all before exploring sprawling landscapes, tackling quests, and conquering fearsome foes in a solo adventure unlike any other.
The best bit? Well that’s your companion – Pawns, enigmatic beings who offer strategic support, lending a thrilling illusion of cooperative play.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 pushes the boundaries of immersion with cutting-edge graphics, physics, and AI, making your fantastical journey truly unforgettable.
Balatro
Balatro Review – 5/5 – “Balatro is unique in that when you aren’t playing it, you’re thinking about it. And when you are playing Balatro, you’re really thinking about it.”
In Balatro, a deck-building roguelike with a poker twist, you’ll bluff and bet your way to victory. And believe us, once you dip in, you’ll find yourself immersed for hundreds of hours. How can we be so sure? Well, that’s exactly what has happened to us.
It’s all about crafting cunning strategies by building a deck of powerful poker hands and game-changing Jokers. Synergy is key here, as you unleash explosive combos to amass enough chips and overcome ever-increasing blinds. Hidden decks and bonus hands pop as you delve deeper, and each run is found offering a fresh challenge.
The big question though… Can you outsmart the odds, conquer the final ante, and reign supreme in this high-stakes poker underworld?
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload Review – 5/5 – “If you have the slightest interest in PRGs, you need to play Persona 3 Reload.”
In Persona 3 Reload, you become a student with a hidden destiny, left to unravel the secrets of the Dark Hour, a hidden time period shrouded in shadows, where monstrous beings lurk.
You’ll awaken to a phenomenal power, before fighting alongside friends, forging bonds that will forever echo in their memories. This captivating remake of a genre-defining RPG boasts stunning visuals, streamlined gameplay, and a hauntingly stylish interface.
Can you assemble your ideal team to conquer the menacing Shadows and ascend towards the truth? Persona 3 Reload invites you to leave your mark on a world teetering on the edge of darkness.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review – 5/5 – “Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has some series best moments in it, both highs and (very) lows. But stop the count: the 2024 GOTY is out in January.”
Legends collide in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth!
It’s here where we find Ichiban Kasuga, the resilient underdog, and Kazuma Kiryu, a weary hero facing his mortality, brought together by destiny. Or perhaps a darker force.
Sold and playing as an epic saga, Infinite Wealth delivers best-in-class RPG action with dynamic battles where anything goes, alongside utilising outrageous jobs and customizations to unleash strategic attacks on your foes.
Your adventure spans the Pacific, from the glittering streets of Japan to the sun-soaked shores of Hawaii. Face unforgettable challenges, embark on a captivating blend of quests, and create lasting memories in this emotional journey that redefines the Yakuza experience.
Planet Zoo: Console Edition
Planet Zoo: Console Edition Review – 4.5/5 – “Planet Zoo: Console Edition is Frontier Developments at their finest, creating the best zoo simulation game of all-time, and one of the best simulation games in general.”
Planet Zoo: Console Edition lets you craft the ultimate zoo!
From the minds behind Planet Coaster, this award-winning sim lets you design vibrant animal paradises. Intuitive controls make managing your zoo a breeze, while years of free PC updates ensure a wealth of content lands on console, with further DLC packs promised too.
Meet a captivating cast of realistic animals, each with distinct personalities and needs. Design their ideal habitats, ensuring their well-being and watching them thrive in your meticulously crafted landscapes.
Four engaging modes await: embark on a globetrotting campaign, build a sprawling zoo network, conquer specific challenges, or unleash your creativity in a sandbox environment. Planet Zoo: Console Edition puts the wild at your fingertips!
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Review – 4.5/5 – “It isn’t going to be a game for the faint-hearted, what with the difficulty, but there is so much fun to be had that it’s very hard to put Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown down.”
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action-adventure platformer that sees you playing as Sargon, a prodigy destined for legend. And as this is a PoP game, you’ll get to master acrobatic combat, unleash time-bending abilities, and develop awe-inspiring super moves. Why? So you can become a warrior unlike any other!
The Lost Crown will let you explore the mythical Mount Qaf, a cursed land brimming with Persian-inspired wonders and treacherous landscapes. Each biome offers unique beauty and perilous challenges to overcome, whilst you unravel the mysteries of this corrupted realm through an epic narrative.
Puzzles, hidden treasures, and quests await, as you look to restore balance to the land in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Lil’ Guardsman
Lil’ Guardsman Review – 4.5/5 – “Lil’ Guardsman surpassed our expectations – it exists in a beautiful and engaging world and is a rare game that manages to be just challenging enough to keep you interested.”
Lil’ Guardsman is a hilarious deduction adventure in which you take the helm as Lil, a youngster thrust into her dad’s job as the gatekeeper. And no pressure, but the fate of the quirky fantasy kingdom rests on your surprisingly keen wit.
In Lil’ Guardsman you’ll get to question over 100 unique characters, from humans and elves to goblins and cyclopes, using your powers of deduction to analyse their responses and wield your trusty tools to decide their fate: admittance, a permanent nap courtesy of a zappy contraption, or a carefree journey onwards.
Make sure you choose wisely, because who you let through the gates will determine the kingdom’s future!
Brotato
Brotato Review – 4.5/5 – “If you need a new addiction and want to waste more hours than you really should trying to survive, but want to do it as a potato, you should be joining the Brotato crew.”
Brace yourself for Brotato, a top-down roguelite shooter where you become the ultimate spud warrior!
Having crash-landed on a hostile alien world, Brotato, the lone gun-slinging potato, must fight for survival. And they’ll do so by wielding up to 6 weapons at once, blasting through waves of enemies, unlocking traits and items to craft unstoppable builds.
Can you hold the fort until rescue arrives in this fast-paced, endlessly replayable potato power trip?
The Fall of Elena Temple
The Fall of Elena Temple Review – 4.5/5 – “The Fall of Elena Temple has got a killer idea and no qualms about exploring every facet. First we had to calibrate to its fall-reverse-fall gameplay, and then we got beaten round the head by its precisely designed puzzles. A bad game wouldn’t have been worth the effort, and a bad game this is not. The Fall of Elena Temple is worth every drop of your blood, sweat and tears.”
In The Fall of Elena Temple, a retro puzzle platformer built for the quirky GrimBoy handheld, you’ll conquer perilous rooms the old-school way!
Explore, avoid spikes, and collect coins – it’s all quite simple. But here’s the twist: you can rewind your falls! This means you shouldn’t be afraid to take a plunge, grabbing those coins and rewinding back to safety. Just be sure to plan your jumps strategically though, as your rewind power has limits.
If you’re looking to enjoy the pixelated nostalgia of monochrome art styles, The Fall of Elena Temple will happily transport you back to simpler times!
So what do you think? 11 of the finest that 2024 has to offer? Or have we missed some belters out? The comments are below. We’d love to hear what your best Xbox games of 2024 so far have been…
