As per usual, only about five percent of the games I played this year were released in 2024. That being said, this was a damn good year for games and I managed to play quite a lot, so over half of this list are BRAND NEW titles! There were some great updates released to old favourites, I finally played some games I’ve been meaning to for a long while and, most important of all, The Witcher 4 was officially announced. I pray it launches better than CD Projekt Red’s last game, which was Cyberpunk 2077.
I spend most of my spare dosh on games, however, there are some games I still haven’t picked up, including the Game of the Year winner Astro Bot. I shall be playing that next month, I’ve been looking forward to it since it came out in September. A few others I’ll get around to are Nine Sols, Animal Well, Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Resident Evil 4 remake. Right, here we go.
Oh, one more thing. Why out of the five GOTY nominees, was one of them a goddamn expansion when I can think of at least five other games that deserved a spot. Was Shadow of the Erdtree that good? Genuinely asking, I have not picked it up yet. I’m still glad a 3D platformer won.
Honorable Mentions
The two Layton games I played this year, Spectre’s Call and Miracle Mask were both great, even if the former is probably the weakest entry of the six. I finally got around to playing Bioshock Infinite, which I’ve always heard great things about, and now I’m three for three on loving the entire series. Submachine Legacy isn’t just nostalgia bait for the era of Adobe Flash but collects all of the beautifully hand-drawn Submachine games, each being a more convoluted and challenging labyrinth than the last. I haven’t finished Control yet, as I feel I’ve gotta play through Alan Wake to fully appreciate it, but other than that buy-in, it’s a phenomenally executed idea.
I also decided to replay two of the greatest games ever made, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and they could both easily be the best game I played this year, but that’s no fun! Sker Ritual recaptured the joy of playing COD Zombies back on the 360, and before I talk about the year’s Zelda title I’ll mention Cadence of Hyrule, a collaboration between the Nintendo series and indie gem Crypt of the Necrodancer, which is an absolutely amazing combination that I still can’t believe happened. Nioh and De Blob 2 also just missed the top ten and I wrote whole paragraphs about both before knocking them out, what a crying shame.
10. Dead Estate
Released October 2021 (Steam release), Developed by Milkbar Lads
I’ll avoid saying too much, as there’s an unedited piece I’ve gotta dust off regarding this game but, thanks to the final update in October, I dropped a good amount of time into what I’d call “the most underrated roguelike on Steam”. Far past its humble beginnings of winning an annual Newgrounds competition, Milkbar Lads have been working on the game for the past six years, and have finally said goodbye with the most content-filled update yet. It’s unique, It’s addictive, it’s stylish as heck and it’s one of the best examples of developers who truly love the games they’re making. It’s a great title for achievement hunters such as myself, and if you’re a pervert then you’ll probably appreciate Cordelia’s overtly adult (and somewhat over-the-top) character portraits. Stay for the gameplay though, please!
9. Marvel Rivals
Released December 2024, Developed by NetEase Games
But Eddie! This game only came out a few weeks ago! Well, not only was I blown away by the beta for this superhero team shooter back in August, but it’s also just that good. What’s initially perceived as a third-person Overwatch clone (which it is), proceeds to be the most fun I’ve had with an online shooter in years. The amount of polish applied in every aspect of this game is remarkable. I’m talking menus, UI, character design, voice acting/character interactions, gameplay, matchmaking, developer transparency, and the viability of playing most of the staggering THIRTY-THREE characters at launch. They need to nerf Jeff (my beloved) and Iron Fist, but given how vocal NetEase has been regarding their gameplay model, future plans and intended changes, I’ve high hopes that this will continue being top-notch. Blizzard, take notes.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Released September 2024, Developed by Nintendo, Grezzo
I feel bad for ranking the first Zelda-led title in the long-running and critically acclaimed series this low on the list, but that’s just a testament to the other games. This is a brilliant title and deserves to be seen alongside the recent 3D Zelda games. While often focusing more on puzzle solving than combat, thanks to the focus on Zelda’s Echo ability, the familiar journey across Hyrule feels brand new. It’s a Zelda title, so everything you expect to be great still is, but the added quirks of its non-traditional gameplay allay my fear of a top-down Zelda game not landing in the modern age. Now if they can remaster A Link Between Worlds so more people can experience that gem, that’d be great.
7. Mega Man Legacy Collection
Released August 2015, Developed by Capcom, Digital Eclipse
Six games for the seventh spot might be cheating but I’m counting collections and it’s not the only one on this list. I’d played through Mega Man 2 a few years back and enjoyed it enough, but it wasn’t until I beat all six original titles this year that I came to appreciate how special these games are. The challenging gameplay is now a lot easier to enjoy and admire, thanks to the classic retro-rewind feature you’ll find in most re-releases of classic games, if you’re like me however, you’ll find yourself using it sparingly to experience what a game from 1987 truly felt like. The answer is hell, it felt like hell. But the good kind of hell, like the feeling of beating a Souls boss after being killed by it thirty times. While the previous games on this list I could easily recommend, the more specific niches of what I enjoy, including being beaten to a pulp, will start to show from here on, Mega Man 1-6 being no exception.
6. Black Myth: Wukong
Released August 2024, Developed by Game Science
I saw a lot of people annoyed that this didn’t win GOTY, and I can see why. This is a phenomenal game and if it came out a few years back, it would probably be the absolute peak of AAA games, which is crazy as it’s the first proper one to come out of China. The retelling of the classic Chinese mythos, Journey to West, is not only a masterclass in satisfying combat but a continued gift that keeps on giving. Compelling chapters focusing on different lands, characters and enemies, and over a hundred boss fights, many having a wider cinematic scope to them, make this a rare case where the AAA price reflects the product you’re getting. The journey is long, but not once does it feel like it’s dragging, and if you don’t tend to play many games in a year, this one could easily be all you need.
5. UFO 50
Released September 2024, Developed by Mossmouth
I’d probably rank this A LOT higher if I’d played all of the FIFTY original games housed in this title, but I’ve only played half of them (for over twenty hours). Still, I cannot believe the audacity of UFO 50. The developers behind the Spelunky games decided to write a love letter to the classic arcade and early home console gems of the past, and it just so happened to be so, SO good. Each of the refined games varies from high-score-based, cabinet-style, coin gobblers; to strategic turn-based games; to full-blown multi-leveled experiences, a lot of which will take up hours and hours of your time. The lore behind the fictional company UFO Soft, said to be responsible for developing each of the widely differing games, is a true delight, with accompanying development details behind each release and an intro that depicts the restoration of their long-forgotten classics. I could do a review for each of the fifty games and most of them would be resoundingly positive, but that would take a damn long time, so just trust me on this one.
4. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
Released Feb 2024 & Developed by Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics, Core Design
But Eddie! Not only is this another collection, but you’re ranking games that came out over twenty years ago in your top five games of 2024!!!! What the hell! Hear me out. As a pioneer of not just 3D platformers but games as a whole, the original Tomb Raider games are genuine landmarks in gaming’s history. Lara Croft is still one of the more iconic gaming characters, and for good reason. It’s no secret that 3D platformers are one of my favourite subgenres, so having all three games (expansions included), with the option of swapping from the original release to modern visuals and performance with the tap of the F1 key is a genuine treat. Over 250 achievements, timeless level designs, and a price tag of only twenty-five quid is my idea of heaven. It’s been a joy to play through the collection over the whole year, no matter how difficult some areas are, and I cannot wait to pick up the next three when they re-release in February!
3. The Talos Principle 2
Released November 2023 & Developed by Croteam
My favourite game of 2023 was The Talos Principle, and ironically this sequel came out the very same year. If I’d played both games a year earlier, then this would have easily taken the top spot instead. I cannot stress enough just how good both of these games are. While the first had you solving difficult physics puzzles alone, casually contemplating philosophical and ethical concepts, the sequel is arguably more remarkable for having the gusto to follow that up. The isolated setting is gone, and the future of the planet, along with the thousand AI that inhabit it make for a concept so wide in scope, and yet so masterfully executed, that even though I prefer the sombre, desolate atmosphere of the first game, this one ends up being vastly more impressive. What a miraculous series to experience.
2. Persona 3 Reload
Released February 2024, Developed by Atlus, P Studio
If a Persona game comes out, it’s almost unfair to the other games of that year. This one is a remake and it’s still my top 2024 release. I adore Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal, and the spinoff Persona 5 Strikers, so when they announced that the nearly twenty-year-old fan-favourite Persona 3 was getting a modern reimagining I was immediately sold. Having never played the original, I can see that, even without a lot of the features present in the most recent entry, 3’s characters and storyline could easily be considered the best in the series. The updated visuals, especially when it comes to the fights, are so goddamn slick. The presentation of everything from the character portraits to the menus (and of course the soundtrack) is stellar. Even Tartarus (the infamous singular dungeon) doesn’t hold the game back from being phenomenal. It’s a shame that Atlus screwed people over with the expansion pack, but you can’t deny they’re releasing hit after hit. I’m not surprised that a lot of people are giving the new Atlus RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, their pick for game of the year. I’m sure I’ll end up as addicted to that game as I get with any given Persona title.
1. Noita
Released October 2020 (1.0), Developed by Nolla Games
I can barely recommend the best game I played this year. Noita has by far, the steepest learning curve to any game I’ve ever played. You will die many, many times. You’ll think you’re getting the hang of the endless wand-tinkering, then accidentally kill yourself. You’ll get turned into a sheep and one-shot enough to make you uninstall the game, multiple times. And yet, you’ll come back. Or at least I did. It’s hard to sell a game that is as difficult as Noita, but if you stick with it, and learn from all your mistakes, experiments, and deaths, you’ll find that suddenly you’re progressing further and more consistently than before. Your knowledge of the huge map becomes deeper and certain charted areas become crucial to whatever your goal is, of which there are many. It’s a ridiculously huge, uniquely impressive open-ended experience.
The game engine Noita uses simulates every pixel, meaning that each tiny square on your screen can move, be destroyed, explode, catch fire or in most cases, kill you. That’s on top of the plethora of enemies and bosses that all have the chance to quickly and brutally annihilate you. With the ever-present risk of death, the reward of finding and experiencing all there is becomes that much more satisfying. Chemical reactions involving real and fictional substances can be either a detriment or a huge help, potions can help you enormously if you know what they do, and the only way you’ll ever know is by using them. If you do take the plunge into Noita, do yourself a favour and go in blind. You’ll see for yourself why Noita is the best game I played this year.
