precisely one year ago , it feel like we knew what most of 2024 ’s right games would be . Like a Dragon : Infinite Wealth , Tekken 8,Senua ’s Saga : Hellblade 2 , andFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthall had the markings of reliable , large - budget sequels that would rack up awards add up December . A mass of bragging - budget IP games were on the apparent horizon too , likeStar Wars OutlawsandIndiana Jones and the Great Circle , which one could assume would dominate the back half of the year . It felt like you could already guess most of what would be nominated for Game of the Year without even knowing what most of 2024 ’s discharge calendar looked like .
Yet , as I look at my own personal list of my favorite 2024 games , it ’s anything but predictable . Half of it is fill with main games that I did n’t even know live heading into 2024 . The big - budget half of my listing is even more surprising , as its loaded with the kind of remaining - champaign swings from major publishers that I could never have see follow . All of that made 2024 one of my favorite years for gaming in recent memory — but one that take care dire at a control surface position .
You’ll never see it coming
If you ’re the kind of gamer who only plays AAA game from established franchises or tentpole console exclusives , I can understand how 2024 could be view as an off yr . The past 12 months were full of disappointment that made it seem like the manufacture was flailing . That start out whenSuicide Squad : Kill the Justice Leaguelaunched in February , which was the first of many braggart - budget flops this yr .
Despite starting the yr strong withPrince of Persia : The Lost Crown , Ubisoft strike out multiple times withSkull & Bones , Star Wars Outlaws , andXDefiant . A last - minutedelay forAssassin ’s Creed Shadowspushed what was balance to be the holiday ’s biggest mainstream tally to 2025 . Even game that thespian anticipated could be Game of the Year contenders , likeHellblade 2andDragon Age : The Veilguard , received softer receptions than forestall .
Then there wasConcord , a gunman that was mean to usher in a Modern live - service era for Sony . alternatively , it was shut down week after its handout . When looking to major newspaper publisher , there was bad word everywhere you turned . It was easy for players to fall into doom and gloom — and many no doubt did , recall complaint about a year full of “ pigwash . ”
That tedium comes from a narrow vantage point , though . Look under 2024 ’s surface and you ’ll come up a vibrant year that was full of surprisal . Sony may go bad withConcord , but it deliver two of the good PS5 games of this generation withHelldivers 2andAstro Bot . The former recruit 2024 with a hushed marketing campaign but left the year as a licence multiplayer hit . Astro Bot , on the other hand , was a shocker . It ’s been a long metre since Sony embraced younger audiences , but its return to the 3D platformer space render the company a Game of the Year profits . Stellar Bladewas a exchangeable surprise success history , make a hit natural action biz from an entirely Modern IP from a Korean studio apartment . None of these secret plan were cut from the same fabric as predictable PS5 great likeGod of War RagnarokandMarvel ’s Spider - Man 2 .
publishing firm were at their best , or at least most interesting , this class when they were taking risks . Capcom create an incredibly inventive new IP inKunitsu - Gami : way of life of the Goddess . Nintendo reheat recession franchises throughout the year , giving us the excellentEmio — The Smiling Man : Famicom Detective Club . The best licensed secret plan of the year was the one that got mock when it was discover : Camoflaj ’s fantastic VR scoop , Batman : Arkham Shadow . EvenPrince of Persia : The Lost Crownwas a mo of a peril for Ubisoft , trading in its usual opened - human beings mega - game for a more niche 2D Metroidvania .
When I reflect on the good games of 2024 , though , it ’s the little surprises that standout . That list is transcend byBalatro , the poker roguelike that became a genius this year . I , and I imagine many more like me , had never heard of the plot until its launching . It was a small indie project by a solo developer , after all . It finish the year as a Game of the Year candidate , shutting out enfranchisement behemoths likeSilent Hill 2andCall of Duty : Black Ops 6 .
The list of biz like it drop dead on and on . Animal Wellis another solo development effort that exploded in 2024 , delivering 2024 ’s good 2D platformer . UFO 50wowed players with what might be the most ambitious game of the year — and that ’s saying a mass . Lorelei and the Laser Eyes,1000xResist , Arco , Mouthwashing , and more loaded yr - end list up with clamant classic indies that seemingly total out of nowhere .
When looking at the video recording game industry , it ’s easy to only look at the freehanded picture . Flops will always stand out because they make for gamey treatment in Facebook mathematical group and Reddit thread . And when you ’re only looking at the prominent games , naturally you ’re not going to see as much excogitation or creativity on video display . Of course a Ubisoft undefendable - world game found on a bankable IP is n’t going to upend the picture game diligence ; its destination is to make a raft of money .
You need to attend beyond a fistful of heavily marketed mega - games to get a on-key picture of the current play landscape . There , you ’ll find an medium full of experimentation and jeopardy - taking at every story — I entail , who could have predicted that we ’d get a newEndless Ocean gamein 2024 ? Even if you ca n’t discover many unexampled ideas in AAA games , you never have to look very far to see them in a creatively thriving indie scene that helped make 2024 one of the adept old age for play in recent memories .
Here ’s my prescription drug to your gaming malaise . If you ’re the kind of person who only play the year ’s large tentpole game , go to Metacritic ’s list of thebest - review games of 2024 . Pick something you ’ve never heard of from the first three pages , whether it beShogun Showdown , Mullet Madjack , orTactical Breach Wizards . Give it a gambling and then number back and tell apart me if you recall video games have gotten too boring . If your result is still yes , that might be a “ you problem . ”
