Tokyo Game Show holds a very special place within the gaming industry. Not only has it historically been one of the most significant showcases for games and new hardware for nearly three decades, it’s also a fantastic space for developers based in Japan and across Asia to showcase their latest work. Along with Capcom’s massive presence at the show, Square-Enix, PlayStation, Konami, and Sega left a big impact on the show floor following the reveals of their latest games. Even as the gaming industry has evolved, TGS is still one of the most hotly anticipated events each year, affording an opportunity to see some stellar games coming down the pipeline.
While at Tokyo Game Show 2024, I played some of the most anticipated games, alongside others that only just landed on my radar while checking out the sprawling show floor. Here’s my roundup of some of the best games from this year’s show.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: February 25, 2025
If 2018’s Monster Hunter World showed that Capcom’s intense and thrilling beast-slaying series can take a step into a massive world and thrive, the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds proves the popular series can go even bigger. As the franchise’s first true open-world game, Monster Hunter Wilds brings the series’ craft, track, and hunt loop into a larger space, letting players explore its vast world, adapt to changing battles, and face more significant challenges that tap deeper into the experience of being a hunter surviving the wilds.
The main thrill of playing Monster Hunter is the rush of the chase, and from my time playing Wilds, that aspect felt all the more potent now that the game is set in a more seamless world unburdened by loading screens and towns outside the boundaries of the playfield. Playing with a full squad of hunters, we chased after an Alpha Doshaguma and its pack. As we whittled down the lesser foes, the main beast took some swipes at us and fled further into the nearby desert. Just then, a massive sandstorm took place and cut down visibility. Despite the challenges, our unity and teamwork were never stronger. Eventually we caught up to the fleeing beast, but another monster roaming the area got into a fight with our target, creating an unexpectedly more complex battle for us to contend with. Not long after, a powerful lighting storm kicked in.
I was so impressed with what I played of Wilds, which feels like the dynamic and sprawling experience the series has been slowly building toward over the last two decades. The game’s systems fit so well within the structure of a dynamic open world, and the full-on weather storms barreling down on my squad and me were so cool to see in action, not to mention a bit nerve-wracking.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Developer: Sega
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: February 28, 2025
The Like a Dragon series has been on a roll since 2020’s bold reimagining of the game’s brawling mechanics as RPG battles, and now popular anti-hero Goro Majima is finally getting a game of his own that leans into his oddball and cutthroat sensibilities. With Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii—which features classic clobbering rather than turn-based combat—the foil to Kazuma Kiryu finds himself in an unusual spot: he’s lost his memory, and he’s stranded in Honolulu, Hawaii, months after the events of Infinite Wealth. Taking on a new identity as a pirate with a heart of gold, he’ll make a name for himself helping the common folk of Hawaii while brawling with ruffians on land and on the high seas.
My early hands-on time with Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii made it clear that it’s a delightfully silly game, and its self-aware attitude about being a pirate game set in Hawaii helps make it the kind of solo game that Goro Majima deserves. Pirate Yakuza gives Majima a sharper and more over-the-top moveset that brings the series into the realm of a character-action brawler like Devil May Cry or classic God of War (we’ve got air-combos in a Yakuza game now). Switching between his pirate and mad dog fighting styles, Majima can lean into some fierce combat skills that show off his chaotic personality. I had a blast fighting off bad guys on the streets and even taking on side gigs riding go-karts around Hawaii. A Like a Dragon game starring Goro Majima takes the action and humor up several notches, and it already has the making one of the wildest turns for the series yet.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Developer: SNK
Platform: PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: April 24, 2025
While Fatal Fury never reached the phenomenal levels of success of other fighting games that lit up the ‘90s arcades like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, SNK’s series still holds a key spot in the genre’s pantheon. With Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, we see it get a long overdue revival that updates the fast-paced action and off-the-wall battle mechanics for a new era, showing that series regulars Terry Bogard, Billy Kane, and Mai Shiranui have still got the fire to put up a thrilling fight.
Along with featuring a memorable cast of fighters, the Fatal Fury series excelled at giving players options during a fight, and City of the Wolves continues that tradition by introducing an assortment of cool battle mechanics to add some spice to a battle. While you can focus on the classic movesets and fundamentals, the upcoming game really came to life during my play session when using the strategic Rev system, which let me temporarily amp up a fighter’s special moves and even chain together specific attacks that generally can’t be used in succession for some dazzling combos. Much like Street Fighter 6’s Drive system, it feels like an option tuned for newcomers to lay into some fast damage, that can also be skillfully used by veterans to punch through defenses and dish out some slick attacks.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is shaping up to be the kind of update the series needs. It features some ideas from other fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear Xrd, all wrapped in a package that leans into SNK’s ‘90s charm and go-for-broke spirit that has made its games such favorites within the fighting game community to this day. It’s now one of my most anticipated new fighting games coming up, and I can’t wait to play more of it next year.
Nightmare Operator
Developer: DDDistortion
Platform: PC
Release Date: TBD
Riding on the wave of the low-polygon revival movement, Nightmare Operator is a new type of survival horror game that feels equal parts Ghostwire Tokyo and Resident Evil 4. Set in a dystopian, supernatural Tokyo, you play as Misha, a security officer tasked with hunting demons that are plaguing Japan’s cities. Wielding a high-powered rifle that can cut down the youkai, you learn to master your weaponry while uncovering a larger mystery that reveals why humanity is in decline and what’s behind the origins of the hauntings in Japan.
Nightmare Operator was one of the biggest surprises of this show. It effectively balances being a stylistic throwback to low-polygon horror with more contemporary, slick and equally tense action-horror sensibilities. With the core combat feeling akin to Resident Evil 4, Misha can use close-range attacks and firearms to shoot demons and parry attacks from enemies. However, Nightmare Operator adds a fighting game-inspired twist that heightens the tension in fights. To reload or switch weapons, you’ll need to input a fighting game-style motion (such as a down, down-right, forward input). It’s a clever twist to resource management, and I found it kept me on my toes even when up against lesser demons.
Nightmare Operator is still a ways out from release, but I’m already keeping a close eye on what’s to come from developer DDDistortion’s upcoming horror game. It’s got such a sharp sense of style to it, and that’ll make this trip through the wicked city all the more intriguing.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Developer: Konami
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: TBD 2024
It’s been nearly 20 years since the release of the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater on the PS2, and it still holds up quite well as one of the best games in Hideo Kojima’s well-loved stealth-action series. With the upcoming remake Metal Gear Solid Delta, developer Konami aims to give a substantial makeover to the original game that gives the classic experience some modern flair. MGS Delta was one of the most talked-about games at TGS 2024, and for good reason—it has the makings for a fantastic return to Metal Gear Solid 3 that keeps it just as weird and exciting as it was in 2004.
Playing MGS Delta’s recreation of the Virtuous Mission prologue felt familiar even as the mission itself felt more fully realized thanks to the improvements in the visuals and gameplay. As much as I adore the original MGS3, I admit that the game’s controls haven’t aged that well, and I was pleased to see that MGS Delta gives the game a more modern control scheme that still retains that functionally stealthy and action-oriented style, but makes it much more practical and user-friendly. A basic compass is always on screen, weapon and item switching is done with the d-pad, the camo swapping can be done without going into the menu, and CQC is performed with the right trigger. Also, the tranquilizer now takes a bit more skill to use, so no more easily shooting enemies from across the map with a pistol. Mechanically, MGS Delta felt like a mix of concepts from classic MGS3 and MGSV: The Phantom Pain, and that made for a smooth way to play the remake.
What I really dug about MGS Delta is that it keeps the vibe of the original, but features some fantastic updates to the game that heighten what made it such a stone-cold classic. And while I like how MGS Delta is coming together, I do hope the technical performance—the framerate throughout the demo was a bit rough—will improve by release. Seeing a revival of the MGS series without Kojima’s involvement is a little weird. Still, I can’t deny that seeing MGS3 back in the spotlight with a new and faithful recreation of arguably the series’ most well-loved entry has me excited for what’s to come with this revisit.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5
Release Date: October 24, 2024
Square Enix has been actively revisiting its classic and sometimes lesser-known franchises with remakes or entirely new sequels in recent years. Along with Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake, the original Romancing SaGa 2 is also getting a full remake, reimagining the original SNES title into a new 3D game. With Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, we follow the journey of Gerard and several other heroes shaping the fate of the kingdom of Avalon across generations, forging alliances with factions to face off against a looming threat of seven returning mythical heroes that have turned to the dark side.
While starting as a Final Fantasy spin-off, the SaGa series distinguished itself from other JRPGs by focusing more on a choice-driven narrative and non-linear storytelling. Romancing SaGa 2 puts you in charge of ruling a kingdom and deciding what’s best for its people, and I really appreciated the depth found within some narrative choices. In addition to the massive pool of party members to recruit, the unique leveling and character-growth system that rewards you more for your actions in a fight than simply winning a battle gives it such a unique flavor for a JRPG. I have fond memories of playing the SaGa Frontier games, and it was interesting being able to play a reimagined entry in the series that western audiences didn’t get a chance to play upon its first release. I like the classic vibe and sense of adventure that Romancing SaGa 2 is hitting at, and as a player that missed out on the original, it looks like the remake will be a great place to jump in for the first time.
Dune: Awakening
Developer: Funcom
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: TBD 2025
While adaptations of Dune over the decades have had a monumental impact on gaming with the array of real-time strategy and adventure games inspired by Frank Herbert’s novels, we’ve never actually had an opportunity to explore the desert planet of Arrakis at our leisure. But with Dune: Awakening, the developers behind Conan Exiles are focusing on an experience that’s all about surviving a sprawling and hostile alien world, all while forging your own path that’ll eventually see you take control of the planet for yourself.
Creating an online survival game within the Dune universe is an interesting choice, but honestly, it feels quite appropriate given how the lore of Dune often details the challenges of surviving on Arrakis. From my hands-on time, the game really does an effective job of gamifying a lot of the details found within the Frank Herbert novels and film adaptations, such as contending with sandworms, managing water and temperature while in the open desert, and scavenging for resources from defeated enemies. There’s also a deep focus on role-playing, with you creating a custom character with a background and special attributes—such as a mentat, blade master, or soldier. You start as a scavenger but eventually build up survival resources and a base of operations, and you can then become a major player in Arrakis, contending with the other great Houses of the Landsraad.
From my early hands-on time with the game, I got a sense of what Dune: Awakening was hitting at with its survival gameplay, and it’s all about letting players live out that life in the Dune universe. But Dune: Awakening is not just a game about survival, it’s also a game with larger ideas of politics within this universe. It features an end-game that can see players become the Duke of Arrakis, deciding how their version of Arrakis functions on a server with other players—which can see them try and wrest control from the lead player. It’s a cool concept, and I’m hoping the full release will be able to live up to those large ideas and the potential of the Dune universe.
Path of Exile 2
Developer: Grinding Gear Games
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: November 15, 2024 (Early Access)
While many Diablo-style games have come out over the years, the one game that’s managed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Blizzard’s series as one of the great loot-driven action RPGs is Path of Exile. After years of updates and upgrades to the original, it’s finally getting a sequel, and Path of Exile 2 certainly retains the original’s focus on deep (very deep!) class tuning but also expands the scope of the game world in a big way.
Playing Path of Exile 2 was thrilling, and even with Diablo IV going strong, it offered a lot of fun twists that helped it stand up alongside Blizzard’s juggernaut. During my hands-on, I tore through a dungeon as a ranger class with lightning-imbued arrows, but hit a wall when the mid-boss ripped me apart before I could make a dent. Still, even if the challenge was a bit more brutal than I expected, I appreciate just how dense Path of Exile 2 is regarding combat options and character growth. It’s the kind of game that makes you feel like a genius when learning how to tune and bend the systems to your whims. There are some really bizarre class builds for the original game, and the sequel looks to retain and elevate that aspect further. I want to see just how far I can push the classes when the game launches in early access later this year.
Phantom Blade Zero
Developer: S-Game
Platform: PC, PS5
Release Date: TBD
While Phantom Blaze Zero looks to be another Souls-like in the vein of Lies of P or Black Myth: Wukong, it’s actually much more rooted within the combat-heavy, reflex-focused Souls-style games like Sekiro or Nioh. The flow of action and the style of Phantom Blade Zero are inspired by Wuxia fantasy, but with a darker spin. You take on the role of a wandering warrior facing off against demons and invaders, and you’ll master the fundamentals of combat to parry strikes, lay into foes with combos, and unleash powerful weapon arts.
I previously played Phantom Blade Zero at Summer Game Fest, and I was admittedly a bit overwhelmed by just how fast the game was with its combat. But after playing the demo at TGS 2024, I felt a bit more in tune with the game. While it was still a bit overwhelming at times, I was drawn in by how Phantom Blade Zero features such a slick and graceful sense of style for its action. And the boss encounters are exciting to contend with, such as a battle against a foe who wields a flying guillotine that can instantly kill you if you haven’t mastered dodging (it sounds frustrating, but it was actually quite fun in practice to get a handle on). I really appreciate the pace of the game, and it’s certainly shot up my list of action games to keep an eye on in the future.
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