Replaced (Xbox Series X|S)

Sad Cat Studios first revealed Replaced back in 2021 and, if you were watching The Game Awards back in 2022 you'll have caught its trailer, which was one of our absolute highlights of the entire show.

This "2.5D sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer" is set in a highly stylised, cyberpunk version of an alternate 1980's America, and in it you play an AI trapped inside a human body, fighting against the all-pervading filth and depravity that's engulfed this fictional version of Phoenix.

The action here looks slick and free-flowing from what we've seen, and the devs are promising a deep and thoroughly engrossing dystopian mystery to go along with it. Another banger for Xbox Game Pass in 2024 then, it seems.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn (Xbox Series X|S)

It's been 33 years but we like to think our Shadow of the Ninja skills - skills developed through countless hours sat in front of a NES console with an incredibly hot Pop Tart stuck to our faces - are still good to go.

This carefully remastered rebirth, which is developed by the original team, certainly looks the business and we can't wait to dive back into childhood memories with modern controls and conveniences in tow. Can Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn recapture the magic of its 1990 predecessor?

Well, the dev team has stated that "even though the average age of the team members is now 55, their passion for game development remains strong", so it seems as though old people may well have something of worth to offer society after all.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Sonic X Shadow Generations (Xbox Series X|S)

The excellent Sonic Generations is already playable on modern Xbox consoles through backwards compatibility, but if you want to take the experience to the next level, you'll want to check out Sonic X Shadow Generations!

This is a remaster of the Xbox 360 version complete with improved visuals and bonus content, while the "Shadow" part of the game is actually an entirely new campaign, featuring never-before-seen powers and abilities.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Xbox Series X|S)

Listen. Some of us (me) are old enough to remember the excitement of the weeks leading up to the release of 1990's original movie take on the TMNT. We were out of our minds for it (well, I was) and in the many years that have followed we've been adamant that no future take could ever surpass the OG.

Happily though, we've recently been proven completely wrong as 2023's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem wasn't just better than any previous Turtles movie, it's one of the best superhero movies out there, with a style to match the slickness of even the mighty Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its super-cool sequel.

It's everything a TMNT fan could have ever wanted, and this video game sequel of sorts (it's even officially licensed by Nickelodeon could really be something special if it manages to balance action, camaraderie and the exploration of adolescence as well as its source material did. We've been eating good on the Turtles front recently, so let's hope the feat continues when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem drops later this year.

  • Release Date? TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (Xbox Series X|S)

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is one hell of a mouthful, but it's also looking like it could be one hell of a game. Retaining much of the DNA of earlier entries in the series, Solar Crown sets out to drive the franchise forward into a whole new generation via a revamp that sees the racing action set in a vibrant open world.

Players have free reign to progress as they please here, race, cruise around, relax and hang out utilising the game's various social elements. It's all sounding pretty slick and, after multiple delays, we're hoping to be blasting onto the track sometime this year. Either that or we'll have to copy and paste this entry into a third consecutive New Year's feature. Your move, Kylotonn.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

The Casting of Frank Stone (Xbox Series X|S)

"The shadow of Frank Stone looms over Cedar Hills, a town forever altered by his violent past. As a group of young friends are about to discover, Stone’s blood-soaked legacy cuts deep, leaving scars across families, generations, and the very fabric of reality itself."

We've nicked that quote off the game's Steam page because we don't know a lot about this one yet beyond the fact it's set in the Dead By Daylight universe. However, with Supermassive Games at the helm, a narrative that's shaped by your actions, and a dark and disturbing art style all present and correct, you can colour us incredibly excited to see what's in store for us when this psychological eventually horror drops.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

The Plucky Squire (Xbox Series X|S)

Devolver Digital has an uncanny knack of finding exquisite cuts of indie goodness to get behind, and The Plucky Squire certainly looks like it's set to be another.

If you've checked out the game's trailer you'll have noted its amazing art style, one that sees its characters bound across the pages of a book as they traverse levels, and gameplay that utilises unique perspectives, switching from 2D to 3D as throws clever puzzles and mechanics - such as boxing badgers and jetpack flying - in your path. We can't wait!

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Towerborne (Xbox Series X|S)

Although it isn't being developed in-house, Towerborne is being published by Xbox Game Studios in 2024, and therefore there's been quite a lot of attention around it. Stoic is the developer in this case, which previously worked on the excellent Banner Saga series of games, so there's every reason to be intrigued ahead of its arrival.

In Towerborne's case, it's an action-adventure game in which you can either compete solo or with up to three other players, working to complete Quests before returning to The Belfry to improve your gear ahead of your next outing.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

Another game that's seen more than its fair share of delays and disruption, we still don't have a firm release date for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, but surely we're close now!

It's been almost two full decades since the first Bloodlines dropped and, even though previews point towards a sequel that's set to launch in a less complete state than its predecessor, we're still hopeful that The Chinese Room taking the reigns will ensure this one's future is less rocky than its past.

Get it right and this could be one of the biggest RPGs of the year, and you know we're down for having around Seattle with vampires 24/7, so plenty to be excited for, if they get it right. Fangs crossed.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Visions of Mana (Xbox Series X|S)

It's been a long time coming, but we're finally getting a brand new entry in the 31 year old Mana series. We've been playing and loving these games in one form or another since all the way back in 1993 and, although the quality hasn't always been there, the idea of this latest effort being something of a return to the glory days of the SNES is an enticing one to say the least.

It's only just been announced for release at some point this year, but with many of the original devs still on the team and a semi-open world structure to dig into, we're keeping our fingers crossed that Visions of Mana delivers the RPG goodness sometime in the next 12 months.

  • Release Date: TBC 2024
  • Xbox Game Pass? No

And that's our picks for 2024 so far. Make sure to let us know what games are on your radar for the months ahead and, of course, what you think we've missed out in the comments below!