Space, advanced robotics, and dystopian cities, these are just some of the elements that make up the sci-fi genre. These fictional tales aren’t about what is but what could be. When science reaches its peak, it unlocks many different possibilities.
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Sci-fi games have come a long way since the first pixelated ships tried to blast alien invaders. 2024 is full of sci-fi experiences that had players revisiting old plotlines and teaming up to fight one of the greatest wars in video game history. Here are a few sci-fi games that were just out of this world in 2024.
10
Zenless Zone Zero
Meet Some Of The Most Creative Characters
- Released
-
July 4, 2024
- Publisher(s)
-
HoYoverse
- ESRB
-
T (Teen) – Suggestive Themes & Violence
Every time Hoyoverse releases a game, players immediately want to get to know all the characters. Zenless Zone Zero takes a more apocalyptic sci-fi approach to the story with a hint of retro analog flavor.
Zenless Zone Zero lets you hack and slash through enemies as you complete various missions within the pocket dimensions called Hollows. This will allow you to spin the gacha for the chance to get new characters to play as. This is one formula that worked for Hoyo in the past and continues to pull its weight in 2024.
9
Nobody Wants To Die
The Rich Keep Winning
- Released
-
July 17, 2024
- Developer
-
Critical Hit Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Plaion
In the cyberpunk future, the rich manage to buy their way into immortality. However, there is a serial killer on the loose who is making short work of the elite. This is where you come in, as you are a futuristic detective tasked with solving the case.
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Like all good detective stories, this one takes place in New York but in the year 2329. This game blends the noir aesthetic with a cyberpunk city as you use futuristic tools to search the past and the present for clues.
8
Once Human
Survive The Apocalypse Together
Survival
Shooter
Open-World
- Released
-
July 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Starry Studio
- Publisher(s)
-
Starry Studio
, NetEase, Inc. - ESRB
-
t
Open-world survival shooters have a tendency to feel like Arma 3 clones, but Once Human has plenty of creative creature designs, multiplayer action, and customization to set itself apart from the rest.
In fact, one of the major factors besides the eerie post-apocalyptic premise that makes it stand out is that it also doubles as a creature collection sim. Yes, the monsters in this game can be captured and utilized for stat buffs as well as for combat. This odd inclusion makes it one of the most interesting survival games of 2024.
7
Wild Bastards
Blending Sci-Fi With The Wild West
Wild Bastards
- Released
-
2024
- Developer(s)
-
Blue Manchu
- Publisher(s)
-
Modus Games
, Maximum Entertainment - ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Violence, Language
Mixing genres always results in some of the most creative ideas. Wild Bastards blends the wild west with sci-fi to create a heart-pumping roguelike strategy shooter. Despite taking place in a 3D world, all the designs for the characters and the world around you have a 2D style.
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To make this game even more unique, you start it off with two characters and must save the others by visiting different planets, blasting enemies, and upgrading your skills. To do this, you will need to strategically move your Outlaw through the spaces of a game board. You have a limited number of moves, and landing on the same space as enemies triggers an encounter. So pick your moves wisely.
6
Frostpunk 2
Building A City During The End Of The World
Strategy
Survival
City Builder
- Released
-
September 20, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
11 Bit Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
11 Bit Studios
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
City builders usually let players do some construction before the world ends. In Frostpunk 2, you need to build your city in a world that has been frozen over. This is an endless winter, but as the one in charge, you’ll be the one managing resources to keep the heat on, your population expanding, and some semblance of civil order.
This level of control and opportunity for chaos makes Frostpunk 2 one of the most detailed city builders of the year. It also gains favor for playing with the genre and staying true to the first game’s premise.
5
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Guts And Glory
Third-Person Shooter
Hack and Slash
- Released
-
September 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Saber Interactive
- Publisher(s)
-
Focus Entertainment
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
If you have ever wanted an entry point for the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, then Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is the best chance you’ll get in 2024. It lets you fight for the Space Marines in an action-packed third-person shooter.
Enemies known as Tyranids are everywhere,e and they constantly swarm you. However, despite having the odds stacked against you, you have ways of evening the odds. You can have human players fighting alongside you, or you can switch between ranged and hack-and-slash combat for a bloody good time.
4
Helldivers 2
For Democracy
Helldivers 2
- Released
-
February 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Arrowhead Game Studios
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Helldivers 2 ruled the first quarter of 2024 with an experience that united the entire gaming community. This third-person shooter had players fighting across different planets while taking them back from bugs or automatons.
This game made every accomplishment feel like a community effort as players banded together to fight a battle they probably wouldn’t survive. The game also has some clever design choices, such as needing Strategem codes in order to call in supplies or support. This just made the battle more immersive and realistic.
3
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
A Remake That Takes Risks
- Released
-
February 29, 2024
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has all the checkmarks of a sci-fi story. There’s a dystopian city on the verge of collapse due to the evil conglomerates that control society. With the planet being sucked dry, it’s only a matter of time before the world dies.
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However, in this reimagining of the second disc of Final Fantasy 7, it’s not just the planet but reality at stake. This RPG with real-time combat follows through with the mind-bending twists at the end of the first remake. This is one of the best remakes of 2024 and one of the best sci-fi games in the lineup.
2
Stellar Blade
Another Day, Another Apocalypse
- Released
-
April 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Shift Up
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- ESRB
-
M for Mature
Stellar Blade stands on the shoulders of Nier Automata to deliver a similar but just as satisfying experience. You play as Eve, who is sent down to Earth to fight creatures known as the Naytibas. This can range from small grunts on the ground to larger-than-life monsters with cosmic horror vibes.
With simple but satisfying sword combat, you’ll be hacking, slashing, and parrying enemies as you explore what remains on Earth. This game also hits you with philosophical questions as you work your way towards multiple different endings.
1
Astro Bot
Putting The Play Back In PlayStation
- Released
-
September 6, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Team Asobi
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence
PlayStation gets a win with the release of Astro Bot. Turns out all you need to make a good game is to make the gameplay fun. Astro Bot has you take the role of a cute little robot that needs to find the parts to repair his spaceship.
As you rescue other robots scattered across the world, you’ll also encounter plenty of obstacles that give Astro Bot special abilities and unique animations. With an instantly recognizable style and plenty of collectibles to chase after, it feels like a return to form for the 3D platformer genre.
