The first month of 2024 has come to an end, and while several fans are anticipating heavy hitters like Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth to be released in February, that doesn’t mean January didn’t have some exceptional games.
So, we figured why not take a step back and look at the five best games January 2024 gave us. From sequels for already popular games to surprise hits that no one saw coming, here are the top five games that were released in January 2024.
5. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The first entry on this list is a weird one. While the Prince of Persia franchise is definitely a long-running one that has several fans all over the world, it has been dormant since the last game came out over a decade ago. With the several delays in the release date for the remake of Sands of Time, Ubisoft Montpellier decided to take things into its own hands to deliver a new game in the series.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2.5D side-scrolling action-adventure platform video game that goes back to the side-scrolling roots of the series. Players don’t play as the prince in this, but as Sargon, who can jump, slide, and air-dash to clear a series of increasingly difficult levels.
Most weren’t expecting too much from The Lost Crown, but the game’s excellent visuals and music, paired with its addictive yet challenging gameplay made it a hit among both new and old fans of the series.
While this isn’t quite the reboot most long-time Prince of Persia fans were hoping for thanks to the spinoff nature of The Lost Crown, we hope Ubisoft takes this game’s success as evidence that there are still fans of the series anxiously waiting for it to make a return. After all, it wouldn’t hurt them to stop pumping out so many Assassin’s Creed games to focus on some other IPs, right?
4: Enshrouded
While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown had the advantage of coming from both an influential studio and being part of a beloved franchise, Keen Gamers’ Enshrouded didn’t have that luxury. Regardless, it came out with a bang and won the hearts of survival game fans all over the world to become a game to remember.
Even though the console versions of the game will be released later in 2024, Enshrouded grabbed more than 1 million players in just four days, a feat that even most AAA games struggle to accomplish. Of course. Enshrouded has its difficulties. However, that hasn’t stopped countless players from grouping with their friends to conquer any obstacle the game throws at them.
With its excellent gameplay loop and a fresh approach to the otherwise oversaturated survival genre, we can’t wait to see what the developers of Enshrouded bring to the table later in its life. If you’re an Android gamer, there’s always the option to play Enshrouded through GeForce NOW, especially with its recent 120Hz support.
3: Tekken 8
Come on, does the Tekken series even need an introduction? Tekken has become a staple in the gaming community for being THE fighting game, despite several games in the genre popping up.
With even more polished gameplay and a surprisingly exciting story that had even those who typically buy Tekken games for the multiplayer playing through it, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Arika outdid themselves this time. Combos are even more satisfying than Tekken 7, and the game is expected to receive some fan-favorite characters in the form of DLC.
Of course, the biggest thing we’re anticipating is how Tekken 8 will revolutionize the eSports scene. Tekken has already been a staple in the eSports scene for years now, and we have no doubt that several new professional players will emerge to climb the ranks and make a name for themselves through their skills.
2: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The series that was once called Yakuza just barely made the cut in this list thanks to its release at the very end of the month. However, boy was all of the wait worth it? Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, also called Yakuza 8, or the ninth mainline entry in the series, is the direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon and the spin-off title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
While most fans probably fell in love with the series thanks to its brawler roots, Yakuza 7 took the series to a new turn-based direction, and we’re all here for it. Even though it just came out, JRPG fans are already calling Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth one of, if not THE Best JRPGs on PS5 and other modern consoles.
With a story that promises to be more personal and grounded than most entries in the series, long-time fans of the series were not disappointed in what became a celebration of the Yakuza series and an official farewell to the old protagonist, Kiryu Kazuma. Excuse us as we quickly dry our tears.
1: Palworld
If you were using the internet at all in January 2024 then you’ll likely already know about Palworld. The “Pokemon with Guns” game came out of nowhere to climb the ranks and have more current players than even some AAA games like the Game of the Year 2023 winner Baldur’s Gate 3.
After all, what’s not to love about Palworld? Not only does it have a similar premise to Pokemon, but there are also several creatures, known as Pals, that look almost identical to Pokemon. While the comparison to Pokemon isn’t exactly unwarranted, many fans of Nintendo’s IP consider Palworld to represent what Pokemon would have been if it grew with its original audience.
However, Palworld isn’t a direct copy of Nintendo’s IP, as the developers have implemented several mechanics that Nintendo wouldn’t even dream of adding to its Pokemon games. These mechanics include the freedom to do, well, anything you want. Defeat Pals, enslave them, capture humans, start your factory, harvest the meat of Pals, or learn the best way to earn gold in Palworld so you put kings to shame. If you can think of it then you can likely do it in Palworld too.
It’s this freedom and unique concept that resulted in Palworld climbing the gaming world and breaking several records that games backed by popular developers even couldn’t. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Palworld.
Conclusion
This concludes our list of the top 5 games that were released in January 2024. Which games were your favorite? With the year just starting, we do not doubt that several amazing games will be released as it progresses, and with a strong start like this, the future is bright for gaming. For more on the hottest console games about to be released in the other months of 2024, check out GamingFlaws.
2024-02-22 15:05:58