Handheld PCs have become immensely powerful over the past few years. So much so that the distinction between titles has largely disappeared. Want to play something for your PC on the go? You probably just need to tweak a few settings here and there.
Heck, even the Switch, with its largely outdated hardware, still manages to impress with new games simply because experience is its core suit. As 2024 approaches its second stint, we expect exciting portable games not just in the mobile space of ever-powerful smartphones but also within the ever-miniaturizing full computers.
No Mobile Games, Sorry
Indeed, when it comes to being a technical category, mobile games also count as portable games. In fact, they are even more classified that way because they were inherently designed “on the go, on the get-go,” available to be played anywhere and anytime in a jiff.
That being said, we decided to exclude them from our choice list because their category would take away potential entries for worthy games in other sectors. Instead of mobile games that are already “portable” at the onset, we’d like to introduce regular games that would instead have the great capacity to be played on the go.
And with that disclaimer out of the way, we now head over to the main list!
Metroid Prime 4
Genre: First-person action-adventure
Developer: Retro Studios (formerly Bandai Namco)
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform support: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: No official announcements yet, but highly speculated to be in summer 2024.
The earliest vestiges of Metroid Prime 4’s hype were first formed way, way back during E3 2017. Even though the announcement was nothing more than a few seconds flashing a logo, it was still applauded by the fans. Not just because it is another main-line Metroid title, but because the Switch was just recently released at that time. Everybody assumed that it was just around the corner.
Fast forward to 2023, and not only has there been no word since then, but a whirlwind of internal issues has caused development to change hands and start from scratch. Nintendo took the reins away from Bandai Namco in 2019, giving them to Retro Studios instead. There’s also a rapidly closing window of opportunity, as the aging console is technically set to be replaced in the next few years, meaning it’ll be in development hell even longer due to a platform shift.
However, a tantalizing update came with the recent possible leak of the game’s development. According to Nintendo leaker Zippo, a trailer announcement isn’t to be expected until the game is effectively complete, which is slated to culminate sometime in mid-2024.
As for its gameplay, we can still only guess for now. But judging from the success of Metroid Dread, and given that it is still Kensuke Tanabe on the helm, we can surmise that Metroid Prime 4 would yet again attempt to revolutionize the title with a slew of new plus familiar combat mechanics, meshed with an innovatively designed cast of enemies of varying scales. Besides, any tangible information about the game at this point in time would still wildly stir its fans, possibly making its anticipation even bigger than The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Persona 3 Reload – The Answer DLC
Genre: Role-playing, social simulation
Developer: P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus
Platform support: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: September, 2024
Thanks to Persona 5 and its sequel and spin-offs, the beloved derivative of Shin Megami Tensei has finally made its way to mainstream audiences. Atlus, in their ever-enthusiastic wisdom, couldn’t have made a better timing for yet another re-release of one of its most revolutionary titles.
To be fair, this isn’t the first rodeo of Persona 3 in the portable/mobile space. We already had the PSP version (Persona 3 Portable), which even featured an alternative female protagonist to shake up the meta. But for the game to return with the full, detailed glory of its far future successor is a treat that every Persona fan will surely love, and every other mainstream gamer will look out for thanks to Persona 5.
According to several interviews by 4Gamer and Famitsu, director Takuya Yamaguchi stated that much of the focus for P3 Reload was to enhance the core social simulation aspect of the game. It may have put the canonicity of P3 FES into question and negated the alternate scenarios of P3P, but the interactions and scenarios are promised to be richer. At the very least, the game would very much want you to spend more time knowing the characters than running around the dungeon and slaying mobs.
The Answer DLC stirred up much controversy among the community as the game developer promised not to release a charged DLC but rather with the regular updates. Despite that, it seems it will be a sought-after hit, as the original title, launched at the beginning of this year, stands with a 10/10 game review on Steam.
Much of P3 Reload’s streamlined systems, even the basic management of your day-to-day activities, are also inspired by P5. There’s also the graphical performance and genre design aspect, where the current handheld PCs take full advantage of what P3 Reload can offer at almost no cost to their visual quality.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Expansion
Genre: Action role-playing
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform support: PlayStation 5, Windows
Release Date: July 2, 2024 (PlayStation 5)
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail has already generated hype since the FF7 Rebirth remake debuted at the beginning of 2024.
With the grander scale of the story in sight, people expected FF7 Rebirth to be even more of a spectacle. According to the trailers, at least, the story will continue to Shinra’s Junon coastal base, up until Cloud’s team reaches Nibelheim (revealed later to include up to the Forgotten Capital, which concludes Disc 1). There’s also so much more combat content added, with the trailer even showing a tantalizing segment of the famed Gold Saucer amusem*nt park.
Playstation Blog did an interview with the team, and they said that, much like Remake, they want to strike a balance between nostalgia and new adventures. Older veterans, for example, may remember the ultra-simplistic arm-wrestling mini-game in Gold Saucer. Well, it’s now blocky PS1 Cloud Strife versus the muscle dudes, combining both nostalgia and new game elements to an otherwise pretty typical segment of the game.
In addition, IGN also dived into the extra narrative elements of the game. Players of Remake pointed out that while the story as a whole was the same, there is quite a lot of new lore that was not present in the original. Zack, for instance, wasn’t really fleshed out that much until the appearance of the movies and his spin-offs. This time, Rebirth will intertwine his side of the story further, even dedicating an entire episode for him, though probably at the cost of losing the biggest plot twist of the original game’s Disc 2 climax.
Let’s get back to the FF XIV: Dawntrail. This expansion will transport players to the lush and vibrant region of Tural, a land filled with untold stories, exotic wildlife, and rich cultural tapestries. In addition to the new landscapes and creatures, Dawntrail will also bring fresh gameplay dynamics by introducing new job classes. These classes will offer unique abilities and combat techniques, providing seasoned players with new ways to engage in battles and strategic gameplay.
The expansion will feature a variety of new gear sets that enhance performance and allow for extensive customization, ensuring that players can express their individual style while gearing up for the new boss fights ahead. Most notably, the team at Square Enix promised a completely revised music soundtrack, so you’ll swing through your enemies in a new rhythm, which in itself is a good enough reason for many players to wait for its release eagerly.
