Good news for gamers: after months (and sometimes years) of delays, February promises to be a good month for gaming. The next four weeks are stacked with exciting titles, from big blockbuster releases to the remakes of beloved classics.
What's on the cards? First up, there's the long-awaited Arkham sequel(ish) Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which promises a return to the acclaimed Arkham Universe, but this time in the shoes of the infamous Suicide Squad. Yes, the publicity hasn't been great, but it's still developer Rocksteady's first big game since its acclaimed Batman trilogy.
There's the return of third-person-shooter Helldivers, which sees the player enter a universe that's teeming with foreign aliens to be defeated. There's the upcoming Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake, which pits the two franchise icons against each other in a battle to own (what else) the most tiny Mario wind-up toys.
And for fantasy fans, there's a double treat: first of all, there's upcoming fantasy RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, which puts the player in the shoes of a ghostfighting duo from 1600s America, and of course, the latest Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.
The latest in Square Enix's ongoing remastering project, Rebirth is promising to refresh the saga and, from the looks of things, take it in surprising new directions. One of its stars has already teased that we'll be seeing a "very... unhinged side of Cloud": exciting stuff.
With all that to look forward to (plus a remaster of the original Lara Croft games), here's our guide to the titles that should be at the top of any gamer's list.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
The Suicide Squad hasn’t had the best time in the media of late. Two unloved films and several TV appearances later, they’re finally getting a video game all to themselves. Kill the Justice League goes one step further, in fact, and flips the script: now, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark are the heroes, and Superman et al are the villains, courtesy of a handy bit of brainwashing. It’s a third-person shooter set in the same world as the Arkham games – and despite negative early reactions from fans, is shaping up to be a massive release.
PlayStation, Xbox, Windows, out February 2
Buy now £69.99, Argos
Helldivers 2
The long-awaited co-op shooter is almost here. Players assume the role of a Helldiver, a soldier given the job of exploring the galaxy and reclaiming planets from the grasp of the enemy in the name of the Super Earth Coalition. As one might expect, the lore is deep: players must juggle between fulfilling Major Orders and going out on a series of operations to fight the bug-like Terminids and sinister Automatons with the aim of eradicating the enemy entirely.
PlayStation 5, Windows, out 8 February 2024
Buy now £34.99, Amazon
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Calling all RPG lovers: this one should be on your go-to list come February. Delayed several times by Focus Entertainment, Banishers follows Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith, ghost hunters in 1600s America whose lives take a turn when Antea finds herself dead, and a ghost. Featuring some genuinely exciting gameplay – players can switch between Red’s conventional weapons and Antea’s spooky spiritual ones as they battle the undead – it’s flown under the radar so far, but all the signs point to something good.
PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, out February 13
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
Begone, blocky cuboids! This loving upgrade of the original Lara Croft trilogy returns gamers to Croft Manor for vaguely problematic relic-grabbing shenanigans. The controls have been upgraded, the 2D models have been swapped out for 3D ones and generally it all looks a lot more polished – while maintaining the overall feel of the original. Even better, it’s possible to switch between the new visuals and the heavily pixellated originals – for all the hardcore Noughties fans.
PlayStation, Xbox, Windows, Nintendo Switch, out February 14
Buy now £22.49, PlayStation
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Old rivals Mario and Donkey Kong are duking it out again in the latest Nintendo game – a remake of the original 2004 Game Boy title. You play as Mario, who (over a truly stonking 130 levels) must reclaim all the mini-Mario toys that Donkey Kong has stolen in a fit of rage. Naturally, there are puzzles galore, but rest easy: the game will also include a new Casual Style, which turns the difficulty down.
Nintendo Switch, out February 26
Buy now £39.99, Argos
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Square Enix looks set to continue its winning streak with the latest in its series of remastered games: but this time, it’s the beloved (and iconic) 1997 game Final Fantasy VII that’s getting a bit of spit and polish. The premise is the same – Cloud and the gang set out to defeat the evil Shinra Corporation and its resident bad boy Sephiroth – but aspects of the plot, turn-based combat system and even the world have all been upgraded. The result is something that looks gorgeous, and looks set to be a sure-fire award winner.
PlayStation 5, out February 29
Buy now £69.99, Argos
