by av_gamer
And just like that, another year is done. It still seems like the holiday season of 2023 just happened, and now here we go again. A lot happened in 2024, some good, but mostly bad. The video game industry continues to have problems with corruption and layoffs. The Olympics happened, which had a lot of controversy. And we had another Presidential Election, which I won't comment on. Good Vibes Only, like the T-Shirt.
A good amount of games also came out. Not nearly as epic as 2023, where nearly every game was a banger and potential GOTY contender, but still some solid stuff. I didn't get around to many of them, and they are currently on my backlog. But I still played enough games to fill out a list.
Now some extra stuff.
Best Game From Yesterday that I've Played This Today: Neon White
I had this game installed for a long time. But it wasn't until recently that I started playing it. It's an amazing game that is hard to put down. It does the one thing Ghostrunner failed to do. It slowly guides you into the gameplay loop, before becoming more challenging. The crazy anime like storyline makes it even more enjoyable.
Runner-Up: Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Reunion
Another game I put off playing, because I already knew the conclusion. Zack dies, and Cloud takes over. But I'm glad I played it, because the gameplay is a lot of fun, and I spent nearly 100 hours just doing a different Shinra mission that got more challenging overtime. The battles are really ridiculous and Zack is a fun character to play as. The stuff leading to the FFVII story were also well done in the remake, and does a good job adding the whole remake trilogy.
Most Disappointing Game: Stalker 2
While there are legit reasons you can point to as to why this game is underwhelming despite the hype it received before release, it still doesn't change the result. Some say the game being released at all was a miracle. Maybe. But it doesn't change the buggy performance on PC. Lack of controller support. The boring story and much more I could name, but Good Vibes Only. Many of these things might get fixed in time. But as of now, most disappointing.
Now, without further ado, here are the best games I played in 2024.
Showing 1-10 of 10 items
Rebirth takes everything that made the first entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy great and increased it by 10. It's like the first game was a prototype or a long demo, while Rebirth was the real thing. More detailed story, more great music remixes of the original OST. A lot of fun mini-games. And another mind-bending ending, leaving many wondering how the final game is going to play out.
I became a fan of the Persona series when 4 came out. After finishing 4, I tried to go back to 3, only to quickly give up because of the outdated gameplay. Reload fixes all of this, making the gameplay on par with the later Persona games, as well as fine-tuning the storyline, adding new catchy music in the spirit of the later games, and much more. I'm glad I waited, because this Persona is possibly my favorite story wise.
Talk about a strong finish to the year. Indiana Jones is a pleasant surprise. Made by Machine Games, who so far have never disappointed. The game does a great job capturing the feel of the movies. Troy Baker does an excellent job sounding like a young Harrison Ford. The storyline is like a new official addition to the series lore.
One of the most interesting Metroidvania games to come out in a long time. The game is filled with mystery and puzzles that will keep you playing for many hours, well after you've beaten it. It's an experience you shouldn't miss, or the killer ghost dog will get you.
Just when you thought the Call of Duty series was finally falling out of favor, another solid entry to the series happens. Black Op 6 doesn't reinvent the wheel like Modern Warfare did or Call of Duty 2 before it. But it's a solid entry all around, reminding people why they have stuck with and enjoyed this series up to this point. This game was the lifeline the series needed.
An overhead action adventure with a clever gimmick that works. The cool graphic presentation of playing through a children's book, plus gameplay segments outside the book, are really great. The game tells a fun story that doesn't over stay its welcome. I hope they do a more epic sequel in the future.
2024 was a good year for Metroidvania games, and this one is another example. The game is about the hero learning to deal with loss and letting go. It has a deep personal story that will move you. The presentation is also well done and will keep you hooked.
After years of hype, Hellblade II finally came out this year, and it lived up to the hype. The game improved upon everything the first one did. But the stand-out is the graphics and overall presentation. Some of the best you'll see today. It also has an epic story that plays out like a high budget fantasy film.
The Final Shape expansion. Irony is a funny thing. When I mentioned in the beginning about the current problems in the video game industry, Bungie, the makers behind this game is an example. But they also happened to release arguably their best expansion content in the history of the series, which is now 10 plus years old. So much has been changed and overhauled that it almost feels like a new game in many ways. Great quality of life improvements and a great campaign that gives a satisfying conclusion to the light vs dark storyline over a decade old. You see why I put this on the list. The programmers shouldn't suffer because of greedy corporate heads. And here in lies the irony. Bungie put out their best content, but it flopped because of their falling reputation. Still good enough to make my list.
And last but not least, another great metroidvania with great music, great presentation, and an interesting world to explore. You play a cat samurai who is investigating why an all power AI system is acting up. And of course, there is more to the story. While it plays like a Soul-like, you have the option to turn down the difficulty in many ways. For that reason alone, it's on the list. But it's also a great game, many may have missed.