Mr Viral
With 2024 nearly done, there were some fantastic titles launched in the last calendar year across all platforms including AAA and indie titles – here’s how our ‘Game of the Year’ list looks
15:02, 23 Dec 2024Updated 15:18, 23 Dec 2024
Helldivers 2 keeps getting better, and now players are flocking back(Image: Arrowhead Game Studios)The gaming industry’s had a massive 2024 and with the year almost over – we’re putting down our controllers to reflect on the last 12 months and take in all the good things – and the bad.
For one, the industry continues to reckon with the fallout of colossal acquisitions and consolidation, with 2024 unprecedented in terms of layoffs across some of the biggest companies in the space as studios chasing trends at the behest of shareholders and CEOs pay the price.
Thankfully, there were positive moments, too, and our list is testament to that. From Call of Duty to a long-dormant RPG franchise and a multiplayer title that spread like wildfire across our friend lists, here are our picks for the best games in 2024. Here they are in alphabetical order!
Astro BotAstro Bot is adorable and imaginative in equal measure(Image: Team Asobi/Sony Interactive Entertainment)Release Date: September 6Platforms: PS5It’s hard to believe Astro Bot (the character) is now close to being one of Sony’s most recognisable mascots, a family-friendly foil to Kratos, Aloy et al , especially since he started life in a series of VR tech demos before being preinstalled on PS5’s to showcase the DualSense controller features.
He finally got his fully-fledged debut in 2024, and what a title it is. Aside from being a celebration of 30 years of PlayStation, it’s one of the best platformers around when Nintendo’s plumber’s 3D adventures are in short supply. It’s that rare collectathon I never tend to finish, but when it comes to nabbing those adorable bots I simply couldn’t resist. Here’s hoping for more adventures to come.
BalatroBalatro will consume your life(Image: LocalThunk/Playstack)Balatro’s magic is that it distills the “quick to learn, impossible master” philosophy into a game where a run can take you anywhere from 10 minutes to hours. Using Poker as a starting point, it becomes a high-score chase where every single run is different, owing to seemingly endless numbers of Jokers to apply to your deck.
Stacking the cards in your favour, making difficult choices between rounds and building a strategy on the fly makes Balatro one of the best roguelikes around, and with its arrival on mobile there’s every chance you’re playing it every moment you get, too.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Black Ops 6 is Call of Duty at its best(Image: Grab)It’s been a while since I’d consider a Call of Duty title worthy of being included in such esteemed company, and that’s from someone that enjoyed last year’s nostalgia-laden Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer. Black Ops 6 is really the definitive package, with a fun spy thriller campaign, a return to the glory days of round-based multiplayer (complete with free new maps) and that all-important multiplayer suite.
It’s the first Call of Duty in years where I find myself logging on regularly for a quick session in the evenings, and while there are always things that could be improved, it’s the most fun I’ve had in the series since Black Ops 2 – high praise indeed. The fact it’s getting a year of post-launch support has me ready to spend a lot of time back in the CoDverse in 2025.
Dragon’s Dogma 2Dragon’s Dogma 2 saw the franchise re-emerge after 12 long yearsIt had been 12 years since the first Dragon’s Dogma (not including the expanded Dark Arisen version), and many fans had written off the prospect of a sequel. Thankfully, whether you’re a fan of the original or not, it arrived as one of the most enjoyable RPGs in a year packed with them.
It’s an open-world game that refuses to hold a player’s hand, letting you loose to explore as you see fit, with action combat and an ending that poses plenty of questions about the journey to reach it. Then there’s the brilliant Pawn system, that lets you recruit other players’ party members for your own escapades. Now that many of its technical issues have been smoothed out, it’s a great time to try Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Final Fantasy 7 RebirthFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth brought the second chapter in the Remake trilogy(Image: Square Enix Creative)Another RPG, albeit one very different in nature, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth had a difficult task of expanding the scope of 2020’s Remake while staying true to the huge world explored in the second chunk of the 1997 original.
Somehow balancing those two expectations with aplomb, Rebirth is the continuation of Cloud’s story, breaking away from the original in surprising ways while bringing much of it to life in incredible style. Staples like the Golden Saucer are even flashier, and it doesn’t hurt that it builds on the fantastic combat found in the last entry, too.
Helldivers 2Helldivers 2 is one of the biggest-selling games of the year(Image: Arrowhead Game Studios/PlayStation Publishing LLC)When Helldivers 2 arrived in February, no one could have predicted the camaraderie that would sweep gamers on PC and PS5 in the quest to spread ‘Managed Democracy’. A Starship Troopers-tinged play on fascism and those who blindly follow it, Helldivers 2 is as funny as it is chaotic.
Dropping into alien worlds to complete objectives and escape by the skin of your teeth is a rush that never gets old, especially as you’re just as likely to be killed by your teammates errant gunfire or artillery strike as you are by the insectoid or robotic foes you’re there to fight.
Indiana Jones and the Great CircleIndiana Jones and the Great Circle is the biggest and best Xbox game of 2024(Image: Machine Games/Bethesda Softworks)If there’s one studio that’s a dream fit for a game about punching Nazis, it’s Machine Games. Fresh from overhauling the iconic Wolfenstein series, the team has delivered a whip-cracking extravaganza that’s easily the best Xbox game of the year.
Offering plenty of puzzles and action, as well as a very good Harrison Ford impression from Troy Baker, The Great Circle is exactly what fans of the Indiana Jones IP had been hoping the last couple of movies would be.
Metaphor ReFantazioMetaphor: ReFantazio is just as good as Persona(Image: Atlas/Sega)Helmed by many of the key personnel behind Persona, the megahit RPG series from Atlus, I admit to being skeptical about Metaphor ReFantazio. I’m pleased to say I was wrong in that regard, as it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its sister franchise.
There are many, many similarities, but Metaphor goes all-in on its fantasy setting to channel a little Game of Thrones, a lot of Persona, and some wonderful meta commentary to weave a complex narrative that’s one of the best JRPGs of the last few years.
Pokemon TCG PocketPokémon TCG Pocket is our favourite mobile game of the year(Image: Pokémon)Whether you’re playing it to open packs or battle other players, Pokemon TCG Pocket is one of the best mobile games of the year and has hopefully reignited passion for the real cardboard-based game.
A generous pack system means it’s always worth logging in, and streamlined battling means there’s always time for a round or two while commuting. My only complaint is I’d like a Marvel Snap-esque PC port so I can admire my cards in even greater detail, but maybe I’m being greedy.
Star Wars: OutlawsStar Wars Outlaws just got a huge patch(Image: Ubisoft)Sure, Outlaws launched to middling reviews, and those were certainly justified, but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had all year. It’s more focused on stealth than action, and while its open-world segments won’t click for all, a recent patch makes it well worth revisiting.
At any level, it’s incredibly authentic to the Star Wars IP, packed with recognisable sights and sounds that makes each of its worlds fun to explore, and the more time you spend with its more complex systems, the more it rewards players looking to roleplay a scoundrel in a galaxy far, far away.
Tactical Breach WizardsTactical Breach Wizards is a delight for turn-based fans(Image: Suspicious Developments)One of the funniest games on this list, Tactical Breach Wizards takes place in a very British world where magic is commonplace, meaning there are traffic wardens with superpowers and all sorts.
Players unravel a plot one tactical battle at a time, using the ability to rewind time, magic spells like chain lightning, and reliable automatic weapons to clear rooms in puzzle-like fashion.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom made Zelda playable(Image: Nintendo/Grezzo)It’s taken some time, but we finally have a Legend of Zelda game starring the titular princess as she has to save Link in a nifty reversal of roles – but that’s not all that’s new with Echoes of Wisdom.
The game is built around Zelda’s ability to make Echoes of objects and even enemies she’s encountered. That means there’s a constant supply of new things to try, helping you reach new areas, use surprising techniques against bosses, and more.
Honorable mentions2024 was so packed with games we couldn’t quite get all of them on this list. Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a must-buy for anyone that has even a passing interest in the long-running franchise, for example, while Tekken 8 is one of the best fighting games in a series that dates back to the original PlayStation.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent party game, and one that’s sure to see some use in our homes throughout the holidays, while Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree only misses out by virtue of being an expansion and not a full game.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard also just about misses out but remains a fantastic, action-packed RPG, and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings back the affable Ichiban Kasuga for another run as main protagonist in the series with predictably heartwarming results set against a backdrop of violence.
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