My Favorite Games of 2024

2024 was a great year for games. Indie games have only been getting better and better. Smaller studios have seen massive success. More and more games are adopting consumer-friendly practices.

It’s also been a very grim year. Nearly 6,000 developers were laid off in January alone, with thousands more following in the subsequent months. Corporate greed has butchered dozens of projects and studios. Games that took eight years to develop were shut down in less than two weeks. For every record breaking success, there was a record breaking failure.

But today isn’t one for mourning. Today, I’ll be celebrating a few of my favorite releases this year. I won’t say these are the ‘best’ games or the most successful. They’re simply the games that I had the best time playing. Because at the end of the day, fun is always most important.

Funny how easily that gets forgotten these days, isn’t it?

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Fun fact: I was supposed to start a new job the day after Rebirth came out. But then I caught COVID and had to stay home for another week. So I spent the entire time downing cough medication, eating chicken noodle soup, and playing this. It could only have been better if my lungs were functioning properly.

Much like Remake before it, Rebirth is an odd blend of things I love and things that drive me up the wall. When it’s faithfully remaking ‘Final Fantasy VII‘, it’s a dream come true! When it’s doing its own thing, it can either be strange and fun or downright infuriating.

If I’m being honest: I kinda love that. So many remakes these days don’t bother changing or innovating on the original. At least Rebirth keeps me guessing. If the story was just the original PS1 game but with modern technology, I wouldn’t be talking about it right now.

While I’m not entirely in love with the new story, I absolutely love the gameplay! This is one of the most fun action RPGs I’ve played in a long time! Tons of unique builds for every playable character, badass tag-team attacks, player choices, mini-games galore, PLAYABLE SEPHIROTH; it may not be a perfect game, but it gave me everything I wanted!

‘Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth‘ is a rock solid game, flaws and all. Definitely one of Square Enix’s best titles in a long time. I can’t wait to see how the story concludes come part 3.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

‘Shadow of the Erdtree‘ was one of From Software’s most divisive releases. I haven’t seen such heated debates around one of their titles since ‘Dark Souls II‘. There was the usual “Game too hard” discourse, of course. But many of the critiques leveled against it are much more legitimate.

Is the open world too empty? Sure. Are the bosses a bit much even for this studio? Probably. Do some bosses get recycled too many times? Absolutely. Does the performance still struggle? Of course it does.

Even with these issues, I still loved this expansion. Considering the price point and sheer amount of content it provides, calling it a DLC doesn’t seem to do it justice. I wanted more ‘Elden Ring‘, and by golly did it deliver! Some of the best lore in the game. Beautifully designed areas that had my jaw dropping with every vista. The best NPC ever in Igon. For all its rough edges, this was still one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had this year!

With that said, ‘Shadow of the Erdtree‘ proves that From needs to shake things up with their next release. A fact that the devs themselves seemed to realize; from all we’ve learned thus far, ‘Elden Ring: Nightreign‘ is going to be vastly different from their usual games. A three-player co-op roguelike? Sign me up!

Just so long as the co-op actually works. That and the camera. I’d rather trek through a thousand poison swamps than deal with the Nameless King’s camera again.

Astro Bot

I’m still surprised this one got GOTY. I loved this game from start to end, make no mistake. But best game of the year? I dunno. Frankly, I don’t think the games that truly deserved it were even nominated, but that’s a discussion for a different day.

All that aside, Astro Bot is an absolutely delightful game. It sent me straight back to my childhood, playing Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii and having the time of my life. It’s a solid and creative 3D platformer brimming with charm in every single level. You physically cannot have a bad time with ‘Astro Bot‘!

It’s refreshing to have a PS5 game that actually utilizes the PS5’s technology. Not the SSD or hyper-powered graphics, but the actual tech in the controller. The motion controls, HD rumble, adaptive triggers, even the microphone are all used in creative ways across the game. Call me crazy, but if I’m going to buy a game console, I don’t want it to be a less capable PC solely for playing games. Say what you will about them, at least Nintendo still understands that.

You’d think Astro Bot being a playable ad for Sony properties would get annoying. Instead, it turned out to be really charming and wholesome! Team ASOBI made some seriously deep cuts, creating cute little robots out of some truly obscure PlayStation IPs! This isn’t a PlayStation ad; it’s a celebration of the console’s legacy, from games to hardware.

Would I buy a PS5 again just for ‘Astro Bot‘? Probably not. But if you’ve already got one, then Astro Bot is a must-have title. It’s one of the few true exclusives on the console, and it’s a very, very solid one!

Nine Sols

This is far and away the most underrated game on this list. The fact that it didn’t get nominated for anything at the Game Awards is a CRIME, dudes! If you haven’t played it, you are missing out on one of the best Metroidvania titles ever made!

Nine Sols is a fascinating hybrid of genres. You’ve got the item collecting and exploration of a Metroidvania combined with the parry-based combat mechanics of Sekiro. You’ve got a tech dystopia ala Blade Runner sandwiched with Chinese artwork and manga panel cutscenes, all overlaying a beautiful 3D/2D hybrid style. The story is a captivating combination of ninja revenge thriller and dystopian psychological horror.

It’s tragic how overshadowed this game was. I would never have even heard of it if not for the recommendation of a friend. God bless him for it. If I’d missed this, I’d have kicked myself forever! This is seriously ‘Hollow Knight‘ levels of indie game quality!

If you’re looking for a good Metroidvania, go play ‘Nine Sols‘. $30 USD is a steal for this masterpiece. Trust me, you will not regret it!

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

After seeing a gameplay trailer for this game, I went back and played Space Marine 1 to prepare. Since then, I’ve become more than a little enamored with the Warhammer 40,000 universe. I’ve even started painting my first minis. Much to my wallet’s chagrin, I am now a true Warhammer fan.

Which made it much easier to appreciate the amount of love and care that went into Space Marine II. Fighting Tyranids by the thousands was awesome, sure. But it was all the little details that truly blew me away. Hearing a speech from the Imperial Guard on the front lines. Seeing the Space Marines at prayer. Walking through the clouds of incense burnt by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Seeing ships, vehicles, and structures that are near one-to-one with their tabletop counterparts. If ever you had doubt that a Warhammer series would be amazing, just play this game’s campaign.

By the way, super excited about Henry Cavill’s Warhammer show on Amazon. Hopefully he doesn’t get the Witcher treatment again. I can’t deal with a betrayal like that twice.

I also got to play the Space Marine multiplayer this time around. Co-op was definitely the more polished experience, but I still had a ton of fun with the PVP. Sure, there were only a handful of maps and the modes weren’t much to write home about. But it felt like a return to form, an Xbox 360 title’s online play brought back to life. I didn’t need a battle pass or daily challenges to continue playing. Just the sheer joy of bringing death to the Emperor’s enemies.

Not to mention the customization. There’s a ton you can do to create your unique space marine, with even more options on the way. Combine that with the coming waves of free updates, including new multiplayer maps, a horde mode, and more, and this game’s future is looking bright.

Now just let me fight Necrons and I’ll be a happy Astartes.

Balatro

This game is a problem, dudes.

Poker has never been my game of choice. Mostly because I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the rules. Go ahead and call me dumb, but whenever someone tried to explain it to me, I’d just get a headache. The closest I’ve ever come to actually playing poker was acting as the dealer for my friends.

As such, I had little interest in ‘Balatro‘ when it came onto my radar. But I did admire the game for its success. An indie deck builder from a first-time solo developer nominated for Game of the Year? This must have been something special.

Then I made the worst mistake of my life: I played it.

‘Balatro‘ is one of the most addictive games I have ever played. I can boot it up with the intent of playing one game, then lose five hours in the blink of an eye. Between the music and the variety in mechanics and decks, it’s an endlessly replayable game. Fifteen bucks USD is an insane steal! Most impressive of all: it successfully taught me how poker works.

It also taught me a much more important lesson: I shouldn’t play poker.

Marvel VS Capcom Fighting Collection

I’ll admit this one is a stretch. A collection of twenty-year old arcade games probably don’t deserve a spot among the new titles. But this is my list and this is one of the releases I had the most fun with, so here it is.

The Marvel VS Capcom titles are among the most prestigious in all of the fighting game genre. Unfortunately, because of old licensing shenanigans, they’ve been completely unpurchaseable for over a decade. A huge piece of gaming history, gone as if Thanos snapped them out of existence.

Until now. We live in a world where Marvel VS Capcom 2 can be played online with rollback netcode. Which makes the already overpowered Magneto even more god-like! Mahvel is BACK, baby!

But I didn’t spend much time online. I knew how that was going to go. Instead, I spent most of my time playing offline with my brother. And it was an absolute blast every single time! Getting to share these incredible classics with someone who has never experienced them before was too much fun for words!

Hopefully this collection’s success opens the doors for future MVC games. Come on, Marvel! I know you’re making a billion dollars a day on ‘Marvel Rivals‘ right now, but you could make so much more with Marvel VS Capcom 4! Give the people what they want!

Helldivers II

When it comes to pure fun, Helldivers II tops this list by a WIDE margin! I played the hell (pun intended) out of this game when it first came out. As did pretty much all of my friends. The amount of laughs we shared while spreading managed democracy through the galaxy are beyond counting.

Unfortunately, the fun wasn’t to last. Sony’s infamous PSN debacle was just the first blunder. After that, the constant balancing changes spoiled much of the experience. So me and my pals returned to civilian life and went back to other multiplayer games like COD Zombies or ‘Deep Rock Galactic‘.

But then Arrowhead shadow-dropped the Omens of Tyranny update. A new enemy faction, a Halo-warthog style four-man vehicle, melee weapons, and balancing fixes that put the fun back in front. Playing this update fully revitalized my passion for this game, and given the huge resurgence in player numbers, I know I’m not the only one. ‘Helldivers II‘ has never been in a better position than it is now, and the future looks brighter than ever.

This is my game of the year, hands down. It’s a unique and innovative title with a fantastic community and addictive gameplay loop, all while being extremely consumer friendly. The road has been rough so far, but Arrowhead is clearly hitting their stride. I will be playing this one until the battle for democracy is over and won!

Conclusion

Before we wrap up, here’s a list of the games I didn’t get a chance to talk about here. Some of these are games I haven’t played, others that I haven’t finished, or others that I just didn’t feel like talking about again. Consider these my honorable mentions:

• Tekken 8
• Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
• Persona 3: Reload
• Marvel Rivals
• Drova – Forsaken Kin
• Animal Well
• Silent Hill 2 Remake (Review)

Times are changing in the video game industry. With every triple-A flop that releases, we get closer and closer to the bubble bursting. Hopefully we’ll see more quality games than massive lay-offs in the year to come.

Unfortunately, the road ahead is still a rough one. Activision has officially opened the door on using generative AI for their games. Microsoft and Sony will undoubtedly continue their never-ending cycle of buying out and firing developers. If there’s one thing you can count on a corporate executive to do, it’s failing to learn from their mistakes. That, and shifting the blame onto those who actually do all the hard work.

But I have hope that conditions will improve. Quality will always win out over corporate greed. Time will only continue to prove that point.

Now, let’s see what 2025 has to offer.