The Almost Didn't Happen List for 2024

This is a fun project in theory, but lately I've been struggling to find the motivation to write or do much of anything. I think that was also reflected in the games and other art I consumed throughout 2024. I started out strong, and you could clearly see my interest in just about anything wane as the year went on.

This was the first year I actually struggled to put 10 games in the top listing, even though I played enough games to cover each slot. So we'll see how this one goes.

Zach's Top 10 Games for 2024

10. Black Myth Wukong - Game Science - PS5, Xbox, PC

It's a shame that this is one of these games that has such a weird, creepy fanbase around it. I remember seeing the early visual demos of it years ago. They created these graphically amazing scenarios that they used not to advertise the game, but to attract new, needed talent to help finish the game.

I'm happy to say that the game turned out as good as it seemed it could be - kind of.

First and foremost, this is one of the most graphically beautiful games ever made. But, I don't necessarily mean just for the moment-to-moment gameplay. It's very clear that the developers have a deep love for A Journey to the West, and took the time to craft completely unique interstitial movies between each chapter. Each of these movies uses a completely unique art style that differs from the last, with one being beautiful watercolor paintings, with another being interesting stop-motion animation. Each is used to tell different stories about the characters we're dealing with, which goes a long way as the game otherwise uses a very Souls-like style of storytelling (or lack thereof).

Unfortunately, as someone who has not read A Journey to the West, I was completely lost for most of the game.

The combat in the game is mostly what you would expect from a Soulslike (I keep calling it this even though the developers insist it's nothing like it - it is). You move through mostly linear zones (though some open up later - and not necessarily for the better), fight tough enemies, and have limited healing items. A key difference here that will please people that don't like the typical difficulty of these games is that experience is never lost. In keeping with the overall narrative, the idea is that other monkeys have tried to follow in Wukong's steps, with each newcomer being stronger than the last. This cycle will continue until someone (you) is strong enough to ascend to the heights of Sun Wukong himself.

The combat is mostly fun. However, it gets repetitive quickly as you'll always be using the same bo staff and similar armor. You can eventually create lite builds that favor different stances, but I ultimately found that the same strategies would work for me throughout the entire game. Call in shadow clones, charge up your heavy attack, run away, repeat. There is technically a parry in the game, but it never quite came naturally to me the way it does in a game like Sekiro, for example. I guess it's a plus that you can still get through the game without issues not necessarily mastering every mechanic.

Despite my criticisms, it's obvious that Black Myth Wukong was one of the rare passionate love letters from a developer that truly loves the source material. However imperfect, the quality shows through, and it was still a highlight of the year to play.

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9. Astro Bot - Team ASOBI - PlayStation 5

I've loved the prior Astro Bot games, so this was a no-brainer buy this year. I'm happy to say that it's everything you would want and expect having played the past games.

However, this time around, Team ASOBI was given far more tools to have fun and celebrate the legacy of PlayStation. There were some huge highlights, celebrating games ranging from Ape Escape to God of War: Ragnarok, and even a surprise with Loco Roco. The remixes of each of these games soundtracks was a major highlight.

Some are comparing this to the heights of a platformer like Mario (it even won Game of the Year), but I don't think the quality is necessarily that high. I do feel that your enjoyment of this game is contingent on how knowledgeable you are of PlayStation and its legacy. And that doesn't just apply to first party studios and games, but classics like Arc the Lad, Klonoa, or Incredible Crisis (note - I don't even know what this last one is).

However, the platformer was a pure delight, and Team ASOBI's acceptance speech brought on the tears (although Swen Vincke's speech already got me worked up prior during GOTYs). The idea that this could be some kid's first video game is quite nice, and reminds me of why I play video games in the first place.

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8. Warhammer 40k: Space Marine II - Saber Interactive - Available on everything

During my trip to Tokyo earlier this year, I stopped one of Game Workshop's flagship stores in Akihabara. The store was massive and filled with beautiful terrain, destroyed facilities, and beautifully painted space marines, aliens, and even some cool Lord of the Rings stuff. I worked for a few years in a gaming store that sold Warhammer supplies, but I never took an interest due to the pricing and complexity involved with building, painting, and playing.

Until a particularly friendly sales rep set me up with a free space marine mini and got me painting now as a regular hobby.

Getting over that fear of painting allowed me to recognize that Warhammer 40k is everything I love about games and sci-fi. I went down a huge rabbit hole watching multi-hour long videos explaining the universe and all of the different factions. After doing all of this, I remembered that I had bought the original Space Marine on a deep sale for a few bucks on Steam years prior. I decided to play it, and loved the early 2000's, Gears of War-like process of simply murdering aliens. Needless to say, I was now stoked that a sequel was coming out - and I managed to skip the wait by getting into the hobby so late.

I think that Space Marine II may disappoint some, while others will love it for the same reason. The sequel is extremely true to the original, with much-enhanced visuals. More importantly, it takes advantage of modern tech to finally represent the Tyranid swarm in a way that most systems can handle. Oftentimes, it's only you and two other marines fighting off against hundreds, and it's awesome.

Basically - if you like Warhammer 40k - it's impossible to not like this. The story won't convert anyone brand-new, but it has all of the right trappings for someone who has already sworn their faith to the God Emperor of Mankind.

I also got some light play out of the cool multiplayer mode, which lets you play side operations, which canonically take place simultaneously alongside important story missions with the main character Titus. As you progress in multiplayer, you can unlock new weapons, perks, and even "paint" your marine to look like other factions in the universe besides Ultramarines.

If you want just a classic, bloody action/shooter - I'd recommend picking this up.

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7. Persona 3: Reload - Atlus - Available on basically everything

From what I understand, this is a pretty faithful remake to the PlayStation 2 original, so I won't belabor this.

I did play Persona 3 Portable on the Vita for many hours. However, one night I spent multiple hours in Tartarus just to get one-shot by a random mob, and lost all that progress. I didn't find the game nearly as compelling as Persona 4: Golden, so I didn't go back.

I decided to give it another try with this gorgeous remake. And make no mistake, if you didn't realize after Persona 5, Atlus doesn't miss when it comes to style. Though Metaphor: ReFantazio also uses a unique art style, it can be argued that Reload is their most visually impressive game to date.

Most of my complaints about Portable still stand. Tartarus is a nightmarish slog and it is not fun. At least in this iteration, you have full control over your entire party and can better prepare for the nonsense you might stumble across inside. Nevertheless, every moment in Tartarus was trying to just get to the next wall as fast as possible so that I could move on.

I didn't find the social relationships particularly great either. Most of the other students and townsfolk are one-dimensional, and it doesn't help that you can't bond with your actual teammates until later on.

What the game does well, though, is giving an interesting mystery surrounding the main character that slowly unravels as you try to understand why the Midnight Hour occurs. In truth, what pushed this game over the hump of just being okay, was one of the best endings to a story I've ever seen. I had always heard the hype around this game, and that some consider it their favorite Persona. Though I can't say I agree, it hit me like a ten-ton truck.

This game focuses heavily on death and letting the people we love go. It was a surreal experience that my grandmother who was dying of cancer died about two weeks later after playing this. So I suppose this is one of these games that maybe doesn't deserve to be in the top 10 by its own merits, but my unique experience with it this year makes it pretty unforgettable.

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6. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Machine Games - Xbox, PC

The only reason I had any interest in this game was because I loved the prior Wolfenstein games developed by Machine Games. I was also intrigued that they would venture to make an Indiana Jones game after PlayStation already experienced success with Uncharted. Clearly, that franchise takes direct inspiration from the former, but I already have a deep attachment to Nathan Drake and his story.

I'm still shocked to say - this game singlehandedly made me an Indiana Jones fan.

I had actually never seen the films (sacrilege to many, I know). But the storytelling in this game is so good, that I wanted more before I was even finished. I'm going to make even more angry by saying this - but - after watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, I walked away saying: "The video game's storytelling and characterization is SO much better."

I think Todd Howard's vision, along with Machine Games talent, recognizes the shortcomings that come from 80's action movies, takes things we've learned from storytelling in games, and somehow manages to create a compelling game that allows you to immerse yourself as Indy. The game made me like the character as a person much more, and the immersive sim take worked so much better for roleplaying an archaeologist, as opposed to the run and gun style of Uncharted.

My only real criticism is that the game feels too long. It has open world elements that, on one hand, allow you to feel more like you're Indy by engaging in side quests or making your own discoveries. On the other hand, I got to a point where I kept saying "when will this end?!" And, I mean it in the best way, as the villain and the overarching story were interesting. I just wanted to get to the next story beat faster.

There's no doubt Xbox needed this win. So, I'm glad to say that this game is a great time, and arguably the best Indiana Jones story there is.

5. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios - Available basically on everything

If you read my writeup last year, you saw that I put in the work of playing through every Yakuza game in preparation of Kiryu Kazama's story ending.

The prior Like a Dragon, starring Ichiban Kasuga, was undoubtedly my favorite game and story of the franchise. I was waiting with baited breath for Ichi's sequel, especially as we got another interstitial game starring Kiryu. However, the trailers showed all their cards and made it clear from the start that Kiryu was dying of cancer, and this would be his sendoff. I was already emotional and anxious to see how they could make the most of both character's story arcs, and ultimately be a passing of the torch.

They kind of do that?

First off - this is an incredible video game and RPG. The franchise desperately needed to move on to new locations if it aims to reinvent itself and move beyond the Yakuza name and cliches. Moving the story to Hawaii introduces a lot of new opportunities and game elements, while still holding true to the class elements, such as the insane sub-stories and minigames, that make the games memorable.

My biggest issue with this game is that I feel Ichiban's role, while critical for the plot, takes a backseat to Kiryu. In fact, we play a significant chunk of the game as Kiryu, with Ichi's party still back in Hawaii. While this is a detriment to Ichi's story, this segment also has some of the most emotional, tearjerking scenes in the game. It offers heavy payoff for those that have played all of Kiryu's games - even the silly side stories. It's a powerful thing to watch a dying man, who was seen as nothing more than a criminal, get to revisit the past and understand how people really view him and value his legacy.

To sum it up - I feel that the story really honored Kiryu, but didn't do enough to move Ichi's story forward. I understand what they tried to do with him as a response to lessons learned from the last game, but I think most will agree that it wasn't handled the best. We love Ichiban's reckless love and optimism, but you don't want to see someone like that continuously be taken advantage of. There's a balance between being a good man and allowing yourself to be used. As such, his ending left me feeling like he hadn't taken the next step in his character arc, and is more or less where we left him in the prior game.

That said - the game still hit all of the beats that I love. In a franchise this long, sometimes stories are stepping stones, but the overall game here is still spectacular.

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4. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth - Square Enix - PS5

The biggest surprise for me with this game is that it's not higher. It's the first time I've put a mainline Final Fantasy game this low (he says as it's still in the top 5).

Let's get the positives out of the way first.

It's still an absolute miracle that this Remake project exists. Rebirth continues this by faithfully bringing every classic location to life. Many had worries how they would handle a more open world, but I always made the argument that the original's "open world" was devoid of life to begin with. What Square does here is perfect, as it gives you massive zones to explore as the story progresses.

The game is filled with amazing voice acting, and even new, original character moments (thinking between Cloud and Tifa) that help elevate these characters beyond their original counterparts. For me, they show a deep understanding of who these characters are and what they're dealing with as the new content never feels out-of-place or shoehorned in. I feel they did a fantastic job expanding on the story itself, rather than adding or changing things.

They also make some excellent changes to combat, finding a natural fluid way to include your now expanded roster of characters. Some fights are genuinely challenging, forcing you to both strategize from a typical RPG perspective, while also needing to execute on the action gameplay side. This is still my favorite combat system, and what I feel is the best evolution of turn-based combat.

Rebirth does struggle for me in two areas, however. First, when you consider how long this section of the story takes in the original, this entire game feels too long (a theme this year). While the open zones initially feel great, by the time I got to the Gongaga area, I was absolutely exhausted by how annoying it could be to get around. It also may be my problem as a completionist, but there's also too many side quests, which offer good rewards, but don't always add a lot to the characters or the story.

Secondly, to perhaps no fault of its own, this is unfortunately that middle chunk of the story that doesn't offer a lot of build up or resolution. You are more or less just looking for any clues about Sephiroth, before ultimately arriving at the City of the Ancients. This wasn't really a negative for me, as I love the original and knew what to expect, but I'm kind of in this in-between state where the shine of Remake wore off a bit, and I'm more interested in seeing where they're going and how it will pay off.

They will once again piss off hordes of fans with huge, controversial changes to the ending. But, with that said, they still managed to do what I think they couldn't do - make me shed a tear over what everyone knows is coming. The minute the music hits in the transition to the Jenova boss fight, I felt it. So, bravo on that.

I'm not negative on the changes, as I'm not entirely convinced on what's happening one way or another. They could be changing everything as we know it. On the other hand, Cloud is such a psychologically damaged character, and I think they're doing a magnificent job of showing how broken this man is this time around. Seeing the legitimate fear and pain on his friends' faces as they can clearly tell he is not right, while he, himself, is aloof to it, is working well.

What I would like from the next part - keep the open world zones, but focus on meaningful content over packing the game with quests and minigames. I just hope that they can stick the landing with part 3.

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3. Balatro - LocalThunk - Switch, PS5, Mobile, PC

When this game came out, it was the first time I started to hear people in the media refer to it as a "forever game." Now that I've played Balatro for dozens of hours, I know what it means.

For me, this game goes in the category of classics like Tetris, where the objective is straightforward and never changes. The game is designed around one thing, and it does the thing masterfully. Balatro is one of those games.

For a quick summary - the game uses the rules of hands in poker, without having you perform any actual gambling. Each round gives you a point score to beat, and you earn points based on the difficulty of hand that you can play, along with the types of cards used to make the hand. They mix it up by giving you jokers, which are effectively power-ups, that encourage you to strategize around certain suits or hands to create exponentially higher scores. I found it difficult to even win a game at first. But, over the holiday break, I played it nonstop on my phone racking up wins, trying to unlock new decks and challenges to try.

How do you compare a game like Balatro to Final Fantasy? You can't, really. All you really can do is look at how well the game does what it sets out to do, and how much fun you can have doing it. While it may be some time before I replay any other games on this list (if ever), Balatro will be a game that I can pop on forever and have a ton of fun.

2. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - FromSoftware - Available on basically everything

If there's anything I love as much as Final Fantasy, it's FromSoftware. In preparation for this massive DLC, I created a new character in Elden Ring and played through the entire game to sharpen up my skills and knowledge of the game.

It's a great thing I did, as Shadow of the Erdtree is absolutely ruthless. It's a mistake to say your level doesn't matter at all, but the DLC uses a separate leveling system, which requires you to discover and collect fragments throughout the new region. Each time you acquire one, it gives a percentage boost to your overall stats. Even if you have a level 150 characters, if you have no fragments, you'll get smacked by even basic enemies.

This DLC is another example that developers could learn from - under promise and overdeliver. They touted the DLC as being as large as Limgrave, the tutorial area effectively in the base game, but delivered a DLC that takes another 30-40 hours easy to complete. It offers some of the most artistic and visually beautiful areas in the game, and provides a ton of meaningful lore and context for characters we knew about prior.

There are several new weapon archetypes, including a first-ever hand-to-hand combat style that's brilliant and fun to play with. It does have some of the minor shortcomings of the base game (filler-feeling side dungeons and too many reused bosses as filler). But, all of the original content and legacy dungeons here are superb.

Also - bragging rights that I managed to beat the final boss pre-nerf.

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1. Silent Hill 2 (2024) - Bloober Team - PS5, PC

I never actually played the original Silent Hill 2, or any Silent Hill, for that matter. A YouTube group I used to follow did a playthrough that I loosely watched, and it stood out to me as being a great game.

The announcement of a remake brought two feelings: one, excitement, and two, apprehension that Bloober was developing it. I didn't feel the caliber of their games warranted the responsibility of remaking this classic, and the early previews of it looked rough.

I'm thrilled to say that this game is magnificent.

It's one of those games and stories that I incessantly talked about to anyone who would listen for weeks after I finished it. Not just the psychological horror and themes of trauma, but the masterful atmosphere and feeling that persists throughout the game. Sure, this game is categorized as psychological horror, but I feel that this tag doesn't do it justice.

I felt like I was James Sunderland in this game, insofar as what I was feeling the entire time playing the game wasn't fear. It was that dread that sits in you not when you're afraid of harm, but when something is deeply wrong. I thought of struggles with depression, in which it feeds itself by convincing you that you deserve to be sad, alone, and isolated. I identified with this feeling immediately, and was amazed at how they managed to conjure this feeling in the player just through the act of gameplay.

I truly feel that Luke Roberts delivered the performance of the year, and deeply understood the character's psychological issues. With a remake, there's always fear: will they change the mood, will they overexplain, will the dialogue miss the point? The way James is portrayed is perfect in that what is unsaid is more powerful than any of the dialogue, which is an interesting compliment to pay to someone who voice acts. But, his physical acting shows through beautifully through the motion capture. There's a simple scene from the original in which James and Maria take respite in an abandoned bar. Though very little is said, we get hints that James has a troubled past and clearly struggles with alcohol, simply through his eyes and a subtle hand twitch. It's this sort of attention to detail in every scene that stood out to me.

The game also strikes a balance I personally want from horror of making you feel like you could die at any moment, while never actually crossing that threshold. When you die too often and have to repeat scenes, it loses its power. There was a perfect balance of dread, while not making combat encounters too annoying or impossible. If you know the story and themes of this game, it's an ideal fit, as we're here to be punished, not to be killed.

Though other games definitely achieved more remarkable feats in gameplay, world design, or art direction, Silent Hill 2 was the game I kept thinking about over and over again long after I played it. I think it comfortably replaces the original.

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All Games I Played This Year

Immortals of Aveum - It's fine

Dead Island 2 - It's fine

Dragon's Dogma - It's great

Trails in the Sky FC - It's great

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - It's great

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - It's great

Tekken 8 - It's great

Granblue Fantasy: Relink - It's great

Persona 3: Reloaded - It's great

Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth - It's great

Fallout: New Vegas - It's great

Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide - It's fine

Starfield - It's fine

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 - Not great

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League - Not great (but fun?)

Stellar Blade - It's fine

Fallout 1 - It's great

Pokemon Leafgreen - It's great

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep - It's fine

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs - It's great

Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree - It's great

Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Not great

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - It's great

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail - It's great

Dark Souls 3 - It's great

Nobody Wants to Die - It's great

Thank Goodness You're Here - It's fine

Still Wakes the Deep - Not great

Balatro - It's great

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine - It's great

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 - It's great

Astro Bot - It's great

Secret of Mana - It's fine

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions - It's fine

Black Myth Wukong - It's great

Mortal Shell - It's fine

The Plucky Squire - It's fine

Silent Hill 2 (2024) - It's great

Silent Hill 3 - It's fine

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House - It's great

Metaphor: ReFantazio - It's fine

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - It's fine

Life is Strange: Double Exposure - Not great

Dragon Age: The Veilguard - No opinion rendered - I haven't got very far

Dragon Quest III HD-2D - It's great

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - It's great

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk - It's fine

Slay the Spire - It's great

Final Fantasy VIII - It's great

FANTASIAN: Neo Dimension - It's great

Hades 2 (Early Access) - Cool so far

Helldivers 2 - It's great

Honkai: Star Rail - It's great

Zenless Zone Zero - It's fine

Warframe - It's fine

Marvel Rivals - It's fine

Path of Exile 2 (Early Access) - It's great

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Other Things I Loved This Year

TV

The Bear (All Seasons) - Didn't expect a cooking show to be about my whole life growing up

Shogun - Some of the best acting and storytelling ever

Fallout - An actually good video game adaptation

Invincible - I just love Invincible

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MOVIES

Dune Part 2 - Doing the book justice; I hope we get Messiah

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once - Another movie to emotionally wreck me in public on a plane

Turtles All The Way Down - See above

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MUSIC

Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden - This album legitimately saved my life in a very bad time.

Periphery - Djent is Not a Genre - The album that reawakened my love for metal.

Twenty One Pilots - Clancy - The band that is continue to help my mental health as I get better.

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That's it! See you next year... maybe.