September 14, 2023, was busy for video game fans as two major companies organized their events on that day. PlayStation conducted the State of Play livestream, while Nintendo held the Nintendo Direct. Some complain that both events lacked ground-shaking revelations. However, it doesn’t mean that we didn’t hear anything exciting. We’ve wrapped up the most important announcements.
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
- Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways and The Mercenaries
- Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- SaGa Emerald Beyond
- Detective Pikachu Returns
- Princess Peach Showtime!
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong Remake
- Mario RPG Remake
- Other Mario game remasters
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
- Release date: February 14, 2024
The next Valentine’s Day is going to be memorable for all gamers who have fallen in love with Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series. The iconic heroine will return that day with a new version of her classic adventures. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered will be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X. The collection includes original games and their expansions:
- Tomb Raider I + The Unfinished Business,
- Tomb Raider II + The Gold Mask,
- Tomb Raider III + The Lost Artifact.
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Remaster versions, developed by Aspyr, don’t interfere with the gameplay. The only change is to update the visual side of the games. Moreover, players who prefer the retro vibe can switch the graphics to the original look anytime.
Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways and The Mercenaries
- Release date: September 21, 2023
The highly praised remake of Resident Evil 4 will get much-anticipated DLCs. Both Separate Ways and The Mercenaries will be released on September 21; hence, players will only have waited a week since the announcement.
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Separate Ways is a paid story DLC that lets players follow the Resident Evil 4 events from Ada Wong’s perspective. The new scenario fills in puzzles missing from the original story. The Mercenaries is a free extension that provides Ada Wong and Albert Wesker as playable characters and a game mode in which you will try to survive as long as you can against never-ending hordes of enemies.
Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn
- Release date: November 9, 2023
Tales of Arise is a 2021 action RPG that introduces a new world and storyline, building on the beloved Tales of series. Players embark on a journey with a man and woman from Dahna and Rena, two opposing worlds. The game was praised for its stunning visuals, unique soundtrack, and engaging combat system.
Now it gets a story DLC offering an entirely new chapter set after the original game’s ending. Moreover, the Beyond the Dawn expansion features a new character, a girl named Nazamil, who has both Dahnan’s and Renan’s blood in her veins.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Release: December 7, 2023.
The action-adventure game set in the universe created by James Cameron was announced years ago. Now, its release is finally on the horizon, and we’re getting more details on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
The trailer shown at the State of Play throw light on its story and the protagonist. We will assume the role of a Na’Vi who had been kept away from her world and people for 15 years. As a result, she has to learn the ways of the Na’Vi and reconnect with Pandora. The gameplay will offer mechanics we know from the Avatar movies, including flying on an Ikran, raiding on a Pa’li, and fighting against the RDA. Frontiers of Pandora is coming to PC and the next-gen consoles.
SaGa Emerald Beyond
- Release date: 2024
Square Enix revealed a new installment in its sci-fi RPG series. SaGa Emerald Beyond will feature six playable characters:
- Tsunanori Mido – a human puppetmaster
- Ameya – a witch disguised as a schoolgirl,
- Siugnas – a recently awakened vampire lord,
- Bonnie and Formina – cops trying to take down a mysterious crime organization,
- Diva No. 5 – a singing robot who lost both body and voice.
All characters have different goals, but their stories are interconnected, just like the 17 worlds that players can explore on their journey. Players’ choices will determine how the story will develop and how it will end. SaGa Emerald Beyond will be available on all popular gaming devices, including the Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, PC, iOS, and Android.
Detective Pikachu Returns
- Release date: October 6, 2023
We’re only a few days away from the release of the new game that will take us to Ryme City to solve mysteries with the world’s most famous Pokémon and his partner, Tim Goodman. Players will have to search for clues, investigate scenes, and use other skills to solve cases, including finding Tim’s missing father and unraveling the scheme behind the Pokémon-related incidents. During the Direct event, Nintendo revealed a trailer that shows the unique abilities of different Pokémon that help the detective duo crack tough cases.
Princess Peach Showtime!
- Release date: March 22, 2024.
Nintendo announced a new title featuring Princess Peach some time ago. Now we know that it’s an action-adventure game called Princess Peach Showtime! Players will control the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, who can transform into Kung Fu Peach, Swordfighting Peach, Detective Peach, and other forms, and use different abilities to get rid of the Sour Bunch and the wicked Grape.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Remake
- Release date: February 16, 2024
20 years after its Game Boy Advance premiere, Mario vs. Donkey Kong will be released for the Switch. It’s a puzzle platformer game that follows Mario as he pursues Donkey Kong, who has stolen Mini-Marios from the toy factory. The 2024 version offers significantly updated graphics, among other improvements.
Mario RPG Remake
- Release date: November 17, 2023.
There were not many details on the remake of the first ever Mario RPG game. However, Nintendo revealed a new trailer. The upcoming version of the 1996 classic features modern graphics as well as some new features, including the ability to damage all the enemies by performing a perfect attack and unlocking the more powerful versions of already defeated bosses. Moreover, Mario RPG Remake features an original soundtrack and newly arranged music. Players can switch between them freely.
Other Mario game remasters
- Release date: 2024
Nintendo also shed some light on another remastered version of its older hits. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, the updated version of the Nintendo 3DS classic, will come out next summer. In this action-adventure game, also known as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, players assume the role of Luigi, who must capture ghosts.
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Also, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will hit Nintendo Switch in 2024. This GameCube RPG features a turn-based battle system and tons of mini-games. As Mario, you must explore a mysterious Thousand-Year Door in search of the mystical Crystal Stars.
