Here’s a list of some of the best video games that 2024 has to offer, from ‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ and ‘Astrobot’ to ‘Animal Well’ and ‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’
The best video games of 2024 include 'Silent Hill 2' Remake, 'Astro Bot,' 'Persona 3 Reload' and more. Photos: Bloober Team, ATLUS, Asobi
Gamers have had a good run this past year, narrowing it down to the best games of 2024 is probably as difficult as playing a souls-like game and expecting to beat the final boss without a scratch. This year has a lot of heavy hitters, from both established and indie developers. For the sake of simplicity and fairness, this list will not contain DLCs (*cough* Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree *cough*) or games still in early access (looking at you, Hades II).
Whether or not controllers have been thrown in frustration or keyboards smashed in the heat of the moment, it was an undoubtedly fun year with filled with both new and exciting titles and the company of old, well-known franchises. Without further ado, here’s the best of 2024, in order of the release date to jog up your memory.
Developer: ATLUS
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows
Step into the shoes of an orphaned transfer student who returns to his hometown after 10 years. Things however have changed; a lot. The strangest is the appearance of the Dark Hour, the mysterious 25th hour in the day. Teaming up with your cohorts, it’s up to you to put an end to the Dark Hour. Persona 3 has many iterations, each one different from the other. It is still the franchise’s boldest take in every sense, from the themes, the characters and their grief, the method of summoning one’s persona. P3R may not be the ultimate adaptation of P3, but it comes incredibly close.
Developer: LocalThunk
Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Roguelikes are fun and come in many different varieties. Deckbuilding roguelikes are especially popular, but have you ever come across one built on the foundations of poker? Not a fan? Not to worry because Balatro’s poker is nothing like the poker you know. For starters, there is absolutely no ‘actual money’ involved. The aim of the game is to beat your high score in ways that usually break the rules of normal poker. Despite its simple appearance, Balatro grows on you and before you know it, you’re addicted. ‘I can stop when I want’ will be your helpless mantra because you simply cannot. Remember 99% of gamblers quit just before they win. So, win big or go home.
Developer: Endnight Games Limited
Platforms: Windows
You return to the dreaded Forest, this time better prepared and willing because you and (if you’re on multiplayer) your team have been tasked to find a missing billionaire on a remote island. Too bad for you because this is the same island where cannibals run free and wild, and mutants are crawling everywhere. Sessions of this game go from hilarious to downright terrifying with friends. One second you think there’s a helpful islander coming to greet you with his banjo, the next minute it dawns on you that the instrument in his hand is not a banjo, but a motor with a saw attached aka an instrument of your impending demise!
Developer: Square Enix
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Does FFVII even need an introduction? The most iconic and beloved 1997 JRPG has been remastered from the ground up. FFVII Rebirth is the second installment of the Remake trilogy. Take control of amnesiac Cloud Strife and his crew as you journey across the continent to face off against shampoo model and dishy evil One-Winged Angel, Sephiroth. This game is massive — you get to uncover the history of the land, fight powerful summons and enemies and become the champion of hit card game Queen’s Blood. Endless hours of minigames lie in store, cute chocobos are waiting patiently to be petted, zip across Costa del Sol’s pristine beaches in your awesome segway, perform impromptu piano concerts and wow the people. Oh, but just remember the planet is dying and you’ve got to fix that. This beautiful game has it all, amazing graphics, an incredible soundtrack, great plot. You’re served FFVII Rebirth on a silver platter, there’s a healthy serving of fun followed by a glass of tears to wash it down. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s mosey!
Developer: Mike Klubnika
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Gamblers, you are eating good this year, just be careful not to eat lead. In this game, the stakes are considerably higher than the norm. You wake up in the dingy, grimy bathroom of a dark club with loud music. There are pills on the counter, take them if you want. You head to the room at the back. There’s a low table with a 12-gauge shotgun. Out of the darkness pops a grinning mien with razor-sharp teeth, the Dealer. And so, begins a game of deadly Russian Roulette. It is entirely possible to beat the Dealer at his own game and go home with a suitcase full of money. Just be careful that you don’t blow your own head off. Despite the simple premise, Buckshot Roulette will sink its claws into you, and you’ll find yourself back at the table again, and again, and again. There’s even a multiplayer mode so you can play with friends. Again, there’s no actual money involved in this game too.
Developer: Billy Basso
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
This dark little Metroidvania game is hard to describe especially without spoilers. Equating it to a puzzle box would be the most apt comparison. There is little to no hand-holding or explanation, nor is there any right or wrong way to go about opening it. But there is a thrill that you chase, unlocking each layer and being rewarded with secrets. Play as a cute little blob, traversing the depths of a hauntingly beautiful, dark neon subterranean world to uncover its secrets. The visuals and sound design will pull you deeper and deeper into the well. At times you’ll find yourself frustrated with your misbehaving yo-yo. Sometimes you’ll laugh in delight when discovering a way around your problems. Other times you’ll be running terrified while being chased by a kangaroo.
Developer: SFB Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Abandoned theme parks are abandoned for a reason, as you’ll soon find out in Crow Country. Mara Forest is determined to get to the bottom of the strange disappearance of Edward Crow and the closure of his theme park. This game is a love letter to early installments of the Resident Evil and Silent Hill games with its fixed camera angles, gameplay and exploration mechanics. Find yourself transported back to the early days of gaming while playing Crow Country.
Developer: Simogo
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
If David Lynch — for some unfathomable reason — decided to make a game like Resident Evil without the zombies, using the palette of Sin City, then it would be Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. This might just be the best gothic puzzle solving game released. With its rich narrative and excellent puzzle design, you will be rivetted to the screen. Set in an indescribable location veering between a museum and a hotel, this noir detective game will have you going through everything with a fine-toothed comb and going through paper like no man’s business.
Developer: Coal Supper
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Mac operating systems
This delightfully silly game will have you in stitches by the end of it. Take on the persona of a tiny balding peddler who, at the behest of his employer, must travel to the fictional English town of Barnsworth to meet with the mayor. Unfortunately, the mayor is held up in a meeting, so you’ve got a lot of time to kill. Fortunately, the townsfolk will keep you occupied as they have plenty of troubles just waiting to be solved by an enterprising individual such as yourself. If your preferred choice in humor is classic British like Monty Python, then this my friend, is a game for you.
Developer: Team ASOBI
Platforms: PlayStation 5
The first game that you play on a PS5 is undoubtedly Astro’s Playroom, whose primary function is to get you acquainted with the console. Now, that tiny white and blue robot has his very own game — Astro Bot. The PS5 mothership has exploded, and Astro’s crewmates have been scattered all over! Will you help him gather them all and repair the ship once more? This platformer is a celebration to all the standout franchises in the 30 years of history of the PlayStation console. A game, a museum and a celebration all in one, this triple threat is not to be underestimated.
Developer: Wrong Organ
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
This game is what happens when the events of The Shining take place in the world of Star Trek. Seriously, there’s a character here whose appearance is inspired by Shelly Duval’s Wendy. Space freighter Tulpar is floating in the far reaches of space after a crash. With food rations set to run out in six months and the crew of five slowly catching cabin fever, things are looking grim, Mouthwashing is their story. That mouthwash they found, supposedly kills 99.9% of germs and the crew can only hope that it’ll kill them too. Death, after all, is better than their living hell. 12/10 existential dread, 10/10 psychological horror, 1000000/10 Mouthwash.
Developer: Bloober Team
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows
Return to that restless dream 23 years ago. Silent Hill 2 (2001) is a cult classic and the definitive psychological survival horror game. The franchise has now got its second wind with this remake. Silent Hill 2 Remake is a slightly tweaked version of the original, reimagined for a more modern audience. James Sunderland arrives at the foggy town of Silent Hill looking for his dead wife Mary. Is he going to find her at their special place? Looking better than ever before, you can now see the monsters that scared you back in the day in all their hyperrealistic glory. This game will occupy your restless dreams and waking nightmares.
Developer: ATLUS
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Funny how things work out, this list began with a game from ATLUS and ends with a game from ATLUS. From the makers of the Persona games comes Metaphor: ReFantazio. This game is part-life simulator, part-dungeon crawler. On the surface, it looks like a high fantasy medieval steampunk Persona. It is not. For one thing, we have a voiced protagonist! The United Kingdom of Euchronia is in a state of utter chaos after the assassination of its king. The responsibility now falls onto your shoulders to make sure the rightful heir takes the throne. The deceased king however has a different maverick idea — democracy. With the keys to the kingdom now ripe for the taking, it is up to you to win the hearts of the public. Featuring gorgeous artwork and a fun soundtrack, this politically charged fantasy game will have you questioning the nature of ‘utopia’, uniting against the greater evil and taking initiative to make a difference in the world.
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