Who says the year has to take time to get up to speed? After a month in January that served up Tekken 8 and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, February 2024 continues with some proper big hitters.
There’s some Warhammer to nerd over, another installment in the Persona saga, a return of some classics and the eventual launches of Suicide Squad and Skull and Bones.
But what are the 11 Xbox or Game Pass releases from February 2024 that you should be playing?
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
We’re sure that we’ve only just written about a Warhammer 40,000 game but here we are again – a mere two months after the release of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader comes Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters.
So, what has the latest instalment got that the preceding ones didn’t? Well, it’s another turn-based game but this time you’ll be Leading the Grey Knights to exterminate the forces of Chaos. It’s all about tactical combat as you command a squad of elite warriors, master squad positioning and outgun the enemy on the battlefield.
Want to know more? We’ve been hands-on with Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters already.
Persona 3 Reload – Game Pass
The Persona franchise is huge, with a total of thirteen games, not to mention numerous mobile games and re-releases. And that’s just what developers Atlus have provided us here in Persona 3 Reload.
This RPG is a faithful recreation of the original game’s narrative, but it’s got a sparkly makeover having been graphically rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4. We also get a revamped battle system and a new English voice cast with the main star being some bloke out of The Umbrella Academy.
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash
Looking similar in looks, if not gameplay, comes another japanese offering in the form of Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash – a 2 vs. 2 action game based on a popular manga series.
You’ll get to play through some of this narrative in story mode where you team up with some of the characters or you can join others in online battle mode. In order to smash your way through your opponents you’ll have to master the “Cursed Techniques”, a method used by powerful Jujutsu Sorcerers and call upon help from Cursed Spirits – sounds simple enough.
Project Downfall
The blurb for Project Downfall starts off telling us that ‘The world we have known is coming to an end. The European Union is in disarray, with a new superpower emerging on the horizon’.
If you’re hoping for a game entrenched in political commentary about post-brexit Britain then you’ll be sorely disappointed – Project Downfall is a first person adventure shooter set in the futuristic city of Crimson Tide.
It draws inspiration from the movies Falling Down and John Wick and sees you play a Jekyll and Hyde character. By day, you are an upstanding citizen with a well paid job and crib with an amazing view. But, by night, you’re a self-proclaimed dealer of justice, dispatching all sorts of scum by any means possible.
Open Roads
Enough of the fighting, let’s calm things down a bit and bask in some classic road trip vibes.
In Open Roads you’ll get to chill in the car alongside 16-year old Tess and her Mum, Opal, as they take a road trip to explore a series of long-abandoned family homes, unlocking memories and uncovering truths.
Open roads is a narrative game with stunning hand-drawn animation and star performances. The game comes from Annapurna Interactive, who have previously brought us gems like Cocoon, one of our top Indie games of 2023. We’re hoping Open Roads will bring us another immersive experience.
**Open Roads has now been pushed back to launch on March 28th 2024**
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Next up is a game coming from another of our favourite indie developers – DON’T NOD whose game Jusant is also one of our recommendations from last year.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is set in 1695 where lovers and Banishers – skilled ghost hunters – Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith run into a spot of bother when Antea gets fatally wounded, becoming one of the spirits she’s supposed to be hunting down. Cue a desperate quest across the wilderness of North America as the couple tries to free Antea from her newfound predicament.
Characteristic of DON’T NOD games, you’ll have to make tough decisions that affect the story, the world and the fate of all characters, dead or alive.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft
This must win the prize for the most unnecessary long game title, but does it win the prize for best game this month?
If we ever need to remind ourselves just how old we are then all we need do is remember that the first Tomb Raider game was released 28 years ago – and unlike us Lara is looking even better now then she did then.
In Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, you’ll follow everyone’s favourite gun toting, gymnastics performing archaeologist as she travels around the world facing off against deadly foes and dangerous myths.
You’ll get to enjoy the original three Tomb Raider Adventures, with all expansions and secret levels, lovingly restored with upgraded graphics. Although if you miss the original angular Lara you can switch back to her famous polygon look at any time.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
It looks like February is the month for remakes as we have another in the form of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake.
This new and improved version of the original game from 2013 features rebuilt characters and landscapes updated to the latest generation of graphics, performance, and gameplay.
The story sees the two sons in question go on an epic quest to find the ‘water of life’ – the only thing that can heal their father from a deadly illness. Each brother has their own unique skills, and you’ll have to use these in order to solve puzzles, traverse dangerous locations, and fight deadly bosses.
There is a choice of two modes. In single-player mode, you’ll be able to switch between the brothers or you can play with a friend in local co-op mode, each controlling one of the brothers.
Qomp2
Not a remastered but a reimagined game this time with Atari’s Qomp2. The game takes inspiration from the OG computer game, 1972’s Pong and its spiritual successor, the 2021 experimental indie title Qomp.
There’s no complex narrative here. But there is a story, of sorts. You control a pong ball who has broken free of its life stuck between two paddles only to enter a world full of traps and enemies. To help this poor imprisoned ball get through the thirty levels unscathed you’re armed with simple two button controls that allows you to manoeuvre the ball – one that changes your direction and one that moves you forward. We’re not going to lie – this one looks like it could be tricky.
Skull and Bones
This is the month that Skull and Bones, the long awaited pirate action-RPG is finally coming to consoles…we think.
Your mission is to become the most infamous pirate kingpin. To get to these heady heights you’ll have to excel in all the useful piratey things: winning naval battles, finding treasure, facing deadly sea monsters and shouting ‘me hearties’.
If you’re wondering what took developers Ubisoft so long to finally get this game to market then it might be because this immersive world is going to be massive, and they promise to keep the seven seas alive with new content releasing every season.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Coming from Rocksteady Studios, who previously brought us Batman: Arkham Trilogy, we’re expecting Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to be a joyous romp around Metropolis.
In this action-adventure third person shooter you’ll get to join the infamous anti-heroes and dive into the mayhem alongside Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark to take on an impossible task – kill those do-gooding bores the Justice League.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League promises us unique traversal mechanics tailored to each Squad member – what this actually means we’ll hopefully find out (we’re hoping that it’s going to be more than a different walking gait for each character). And if you think you’re going to need a little help in taking down Batman, then your friends can join you in online co-op.
A more than solid month in February with many Xbox and Game Pass games worth checking out. But don’t think that March is going to go easy on your wallet – we’re mostly looking forward to some more South Park, Dragon’s Dogma and wrestling with WWE.
For now though, let us know what you’ll be playing on Xbox or Game Pass in February. The comments are below.
