While 2024 didn’t turn out to be a year for games as strong as 2023, it was still an incredible year overall regardless of which platform you prefer to play games on.
What I will say for 2024, is that while the overall depth and breadth of titles wasn’t quite as strong as 2023, I felt like the highlights shone far brighter than those in 2023. By that, I mean that many genres had “all time great” tier titles release.
Which isn’t something you can normally say for any one given year of game releases.
Honourable Mentions
- Helldivers II
- Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
- Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Now without further ado, here’s what made my Top 10 for 2024…
10. Neva
Much like GRIS before it, Nomada Studio’s Neva is a work of art.
Where GRIS was the proof of concept, Neva is the finished product. A far more fleshed out platforming experience in both gameplay, narrative and now including combat, Neva takes you on a beautiful journey that will have you pushing your screenshot button to its breaking point.
9. Pepper Grinder
What if someone took the drill mechanic from Ori and the Will of the Wisps and made an entire platformer out of it? Surely that wouldn’t work would it?
Hell yeah it does.
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
After some leaner, less than stellar years, Call of Duty had a return to form with Black Ops 6.
A meaty, semi-open world campaign, a triumphant zombies return and omni movement powered multiplayer all added up to one of the better Call of Duty packages we’ve seen for some time.
While somewhat visually underwhelming, there’s a lot on offer here and what’s here is really good. Felt a lot more like the original Black Ops as a package than any after it.
7. Pokémon TCG Pocket
Please don’t ask me why I can’t stop playing this game. Because I don’t even know.
Pokemon TCG Pocket released on October 30, 2024 and I have logged into it literally every day since. I’m not sure a mobile game has ever captured me in this way before. Why? Dunno. All you’re really doing is collecting cards and then using those cards to create decks to battle with. You don’t even need to battle. You can just collect cards if you want.
I’m chalking it up to my eternal regret at selling my Pokemon cards a few years ago. Yeah that’s it.
6. Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
This is a Capcom Collection I’ve waited so long for. Let’s be real, Marvel vs Capcom 2’s return is worth it alone, everything else is basically a beautiful bonus.
Outside a couple of very very strange decisions like no cross play and only having one save slot for the entire collection, this is really the ultimate collection of Capcom’s Marvel Crossover fighters. You really couldn’t ask for much more.
5. Astro Bot
As someone who has repeatedly dubbed Astro’s Playroom the best exclusive on PlayStation 5, I was extremely excited to see Astro Bot announced. It didn’t disappoint.
It took everything that made Astro’s Playroom great and fleshed it out into a much fuller and grander experience. While it was a bit longer than I would have liked and began to outstay it’s welcome, it was still a fantastic experience, worthy Keighley winner and now the new best exclusive on PlayStation 5.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Echoes of Wisdom carries on from where my 2019 GOTY left off.
This is my preferred direction for the Zelda franchise. The Ubisoftification of the “main” Zelda games has left a sour taste in my mouth. Tears of the Kingdom was just…so much.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is like this perfect little simplification of Tears of the Kingdom. You can still do what you want in a somewhat “open” world. But it’s all been stripped back and streamlined in a much smaller world that’s so much easier – and frankly more fun, to digest.
3. Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
Wow. Who saw this coming. Like yeah, many of us outside the grifting sphere thought the game looked really good. But this is like…really really good. Even I had my reservations about first person when it was first revealed but now having played it? There’s simply no way this Indiana Jones game could work in any other perspective.
It’s like they’ve put you in the world of an Indiana Jones movie a la The Last Action Hero and just let you run around in there. The authenticity of everything is off the charts.
The combat is fun, the quests are actually enjoyable and they somehow all feel relevant and interwoven into the main game, the performances are great and the visuals capture the world and style of Indy in a way that not many licensed games do.
Buuuut I can’t skip the cutscenes….ugh. Luckily they’re pretty good. I guess just pretend you’re watching an Indy movie and it’s less annoying.
2. Balatro
Just go play Balatro
1. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
This game man. Prince of Persia the Lost Crown is just the perfect Metroidvania.
A well designed map, a well thought out upgrade path, collectibles with meaning, incredible and varied combat and of course – the most important part, the tightest and most precise platforming gameplay possibly ever seen in the genre. This game will show you the ropes and absolutely test out what you’ve learned.
This game is toight like a Toiger.
It’s all supported by an incredible Middle Eastern inspired soundtrack that somehow has the ability to blend seamlessly into the background while enhancing the experience and having you remember how good it was. I actually wouldn’t be able to hum a single tune from it. Yet I just know how much I adored listening to it while playing.
Simply put, it might be the best Metroidvania ever made and easily my 2024 GOTY
