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2024 had many issues in the games industry from layoffs, studio closures, restructuring, publisher closures, project cancelations, and many other issues. I want to focus on the good games that came out in the past year, and that is exactly what this is about! I have played and or completed over 100 games total in 2024. Quite a few of these were games that released this year, but there was also a bunch of games I wanted to play again, or were games from my backlog that I haven’t been able to get to until now. Unfortunately, there were games that I either started this year and never finished because other games that released that I wanted to play, or games that unfortunately fell to 2025. Some of these games include Dragon Quest III HD-2D, Visions of Mana, Space Marine 2, Stellar Blade, Mario & Luigi Brothership, and many more! I don’t have an infinite amount of time to play everything I want to, so I have to move some games around to get to the ones I absolutely need to play. So, out of all of the games that I have played that released, what were my favorites?
15. Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2 from Ninja Theory and Xbox Game Studios (X Series X)
Originally when I finished Hellblade 2, I seriously didn’t like it a huge amount and thought it was a heck of a lot worse than the first game. While I still believe that the first one is better in most ways, there are elements that make the sequel good overall and it barely makes my top games of 2024. One of the strongest points of the game is the feeling of immersion and connection to Senua with her trauma that she is struggling with. Ninja Theory really does transport you into the world with the different audio cues and really wants you to be in the body of Senua while she is going through the issues she faces. The gameplay is still not great overall and the story takes a little while to get going, but I love how Melina Juergens plays her role in the game as Senua as the character is done terrifically. The game is out for the PC and Xbox Series consoles, along with GamePass which is where I personally played it.
14. Children of the Sun from René Rother and Devolver Digital (PC)
A solo creator created a game that I never knew that I needed. A mixture of a puzzle game, shooter, and a tactics/strategy game is now a combination that I want to play more. You explore a bunch of levels back to back with a certain number of cultist enemies that you have to kill before you can move on to the next area. The whole point of the game is you have a single bullet per level. The premise sounds easy, but requires you to use your brain a lot to solve tricky situations in order to enact revenge against the cult that ruined who you are as a person. I reviewed it earlier this year; check it out here, but this one definitely deserves a spot in my favorite games list. Unfortunately, it is only on PC, but I definitely recommend it for people who have one (or a Steam Deck) as it is a fun ride.
13. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom from Grezzo and Nintendo (Switch)
I haven’t played as many Zelda games as I would have liked to considering how long the franchise has been around but 2025 I am going to (hopefully) fix this. I have played both BotW, Age of Calamity (yes its Musou but it is a Zelda game too), TotK, and the remake for Links Awakening. I love the character link, but I also really wanted to play as different characters as I would of like to see how they controlled and played like. Thankfully, in Echoes of Wisdom we got to play as Zelda to rescue Link by using magic to summon items, enemies, and use essence powers in order to solve the mysteries of what was plaguing Hyrule this time! I really enjoyed the game a lot and thought it was solid as a whole, even if there are slight issues in the game. In typical Nintendo fashion, it is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch.
12. Epic Mickey Rebrushed from Purple Lamp Studios and THQ Nordic (PS5)
Though this was a remake of a Wii game, it feels fresh and is new to me since I never played it before. I love old school Disney characters, movies, concepts, and this game is just a love letter to that era. Choosing to either be a good Mouse, or choosing to be more of an evil one is terrific. The 2D and 3D stages (for the most part…IYKYK) were well crafted from top to bottom with collectables and hidden objectives. Purple Lamp Studios made two Spongebob games recently (one remake, one new) so I was excited to know they were behind this as they are terrific at building 3D platformer games. I can’t wait to see what comes next from them! I got the Platinum on PS5 immediately (requires 2 playthroughs) since it was so good. My full review can be found here, but the game is just a blast if you like 2D and 3D platformers and is available on all consoles and PC.
11. Granblue Fantasy Relink from Cygames (PS5)
JRPGs are one of my all time favorite video games to play and really dive into. Granblue was an IP that was around before this game but one I never knew about. I thought that would be a detriment for me in regards to not liking the game, but I seriously liked what I played and the characters that were in the world. The combat, party system, overworld, plot, the characters and their story arcs, and everything else in the game from the music to the art were all super terrific and well done. Sure, it has some slight hiccups come Chapter 0 with the required grind, but otherwise it was really fun as a whole. It is only on PS5 and PC, but I wish that crossplay was an option since I was having slight troubles finding others on PS5 to play with in the missions area. I did like the game a lot, but with how many good titles were released in 2024, it unfortunately just misses out of my top 10!
10. Sonic X Shadow Generations from Sega (PS5)
Technically, I could count this as two separate game but the product as a whole is just so good that it makes my top list if looking at it as a full product of everything on offer. It is technically a remaster of Sonic Generations and while that in itself isn’t worthy of a top 15 for me, it also adds in Shadow Generations which is a brand new game where you play as Shadow himself and that is where the game absolutely shines! In true Sonic fashion, the music is absolutely phenomenal and was a blast to play from start to finish in both of the games. In Shadow Generations, Shadow’s terrific gameplay and his stages just added more value to me to the entire package even if the remaster part isn’t all that terrific. The overall enjoyment that I had playing these game was a fantastic time that shouldn’t be missed by Sonic fans, especially since it is now available on all consoles and PC!
9. Balatro from LocalThunk and Playstack (Switch/PS5)
One more run…. just one more run. For the first 10 months of the year, I never understood the hype about Balatro and thought that I wouldn’t like the game at all from what I saw. Well, one day in late November I decided to grab the Nintendo Switch physical version, and that was when the problem started. I played the Switch version for no less than 6 hours straight that night, and realized I had a problem. In order to get trophies and feel an even bigger sense of accomplishment for the game, I decided to drop the Switch version and grab the digital PlayStation 5 version, and I have put over 50 hours in it so far after a month and a half! I am still working on completing my full collection and completing a gold stake challenge, but besides a few more small things here and there, I am getting close to closing the door on the game. I know if I don’t, my backlog might become a secondary concern this year. Balatro was created by a single person and that in itself is phenomenal for how good the gameplay sucks you in and doesn’t let go. The game shouldn’t be missed by card game fans and those that like roguelikes! The game is available on everything and shouldn’t be skipped if you want a game that will last a while.
8. Neva from Nomada Studio and Devolver Digital (PC)
There is a reason why I absolutely love indie games, and that is because of the creativity that they have when it comes to releasing amazing products. Well, publisher Devolver Digital has not just one, but two games on my favorites from 2024! Nomada Studio wowed me when I played GRIS before, and now they released their second game, Neva. I believe that Neva is might be better than GRIS, and that says a lot since GRIS is on a list of my must play indie games of all time. The story in the game, the gameplay, visuals, audio design, and everything else about Neva was fantastic. I reviewed Neva earlier this year, and you can check it out here if you want, but I highly recommend playing this game if you like indies and heartwarming stories. I may or may not have shed a tear or two while playing this game. The game is out on PC and consoles, with a physical coming out in March 2025 for PS5 and Switch that I am super excited to grab for my personal collection!
7. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown from Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft (PS5)
Sometimes, certain companies people and fans like better than others, and unfortunately Ubisoft is a weird company. I loved a bunch of games from them like Rayman, Mario+Rabbids, and a few smaller titles, but their bigger 100 hour titles like Assassin’s Creed doesn’t do much for me. One of the best games in 2024 unfortunately went under the radar for many people and that was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This game is a fantastic 2D metroidvania action adventure with a lot to do from finding collectables, challenging battles and combat, terrific exploration, and much more that I personally couldn’t put the game down until I rolled the credits. In my opinion, it is one of the best titles that Ubisoft has released in a long time. Sadly, a sequel was canned and the team was dispersed to other projects because of the underperformance of the title. It is out on PC and consoles, and I highly recommend giving this one a go!
6. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess from Capcom (X Series X)
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was a game that I was excited to learn and see more about when it was first showcased at an Xbox event in 2023. I knew I wanted to check out this game and I was hoping to play it on my PS5 with a physical release in hand. Unfortunately, it came out as a digital only title but thankfully it was also on Gamepass which is where I played the game. This game has fun but tricky real time strategy and tactics gameplay, world building elements, an interesting concept for a story, stunning artwork, and a great soundtrack. I seriously hope Capcom considers releasing a physical copy of this game in 2025 as I would immediately purchase one and play it again on PS5. It is available digitally for PC, Xbox Series, PS5, and also is available on the Gamepass service.
5. Persona 3 Reload from P-Studio and Atlus (PS5)
Persona 3 has been on my radar to play for ages ever since I first got into the Persona franchise from Atlus on the PS4 with P5. I knew I wanted to play the game, but I am glad I waited until Reload came out as it seems like it is the overall best way to play the game instead of booting up P3 Portable or P3 FES back on the PlayStation 2 (which I do own). Persona is a franchise that I absolutely love and will always love, even if I do like P4 and P5 more so than P3. I am excited to replay this game in 2025 to get the Platinum trophy (just missing max out all confidants trophy) and also get the DLC as well. Atlus does great work when it comes to their characters, story, music, gameplay, and world building, and that is exactly why it it is one of my top favorites of 2025! It is on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and also available for now on Gamepass… and while it is speculative, considering the other Persona titles left after 1 year, this may be leaving the service in February 2025.
4. Unicorn Overlord from Vanillaware and Atlus (Switch)
Vanillaware games I have absolutely adored ever since playing Odin Sphere on PS4. I also really loved 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim as well, and now I played a third game from them in the form of Unicorn Overlord. I know I have more to play from this team (Grim Grimoire and Dragon’s Crown Pro) but they have not disappointed me yet! Unicorn Overlord, like I said in my review from the switch version last year, is an absolute terrific strategy and tactics RPG where you command an army to defeat an evil conqueror. There are some twists I saw coming, yet others that were big shocks for me. I liked the game so much, that at the start of 2025, I decided to spend 50 hours and replay the game on PS5 to get the trophies and platinum… which I did! People who like Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre, or any strategy and tactics games should not miss this beautifully crafted title that is available on all consoles.
3. Astro Bot from Team Asobi and Sony Interactive Entertainment (PS5)
I love old school 3D collect-a-thon platformers that just ooze fun. I also really like PlayStation and the IPs that they have created since the PS1 days. I always wanted to play more of Astro since I played Astro’s Playroom back in 2020 when the PS5 originally launched, and now that dream happened in 2024 with the release of Astro Bot from Team Asobi. This team is smaller and the game is an absolute blast to play from start to finish. I got the Platinum for the game within 24 hours of starting the game. I started the game on September 7th and played the game straight through until I popped the platinum at 2:10am on the next morning. Normally, that doesn’t happen for me, but I absolutely loved the game too much to put it down. The art, puzzles, visuals, characters, and just the core of Astro brought me so much joy during a time that I really needed. The game came out exclusively on PS5 and I even reviewed the game that you can check out here if you want.
2. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from Square Enix (PS5)
Oh boy… Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was an absolutely terrific experience from top to bottom, and any other year I would easily say this is going to be my GOTY. For the first 2/3 of the year, It was absolutely my GOTY and I didn’t think that it would be overtaken. The story, music, art, visuals, and (most of the) gameplay were absolutely terrific! Sure, there are issues with some of the areas (Gongaga still gives me nightmares…), some of the characters play better than others (sorry Cait Sith), and there is a bit of padding. Saying these nitpicks though, I just had an absolute blast playing this game, exploring more of the world of FFVII, diving into all of the characters stories, and I am super excited for the third and final game in the remake trilogy for how it is going to come to a close. Rebirth is coming to PC very soon, but is a PS5 console exclusive as of this writing.
1. Metaphor: ReFantazio from Studio Zero and Atlus (PS5)
2024 was an absolute killer year for Atlus. They have not one, not two, but three total games from their development or publishing teams in my top 5 games of the year. Metaphor: ReFantazio has to be my absolute favorite of 2024 without any question. This game is just an unbelievable rollercoaster from start to finish, so much so that I planning on doing a replay in 2025 because of the exclusive NG+ mission and to get the Platinum trophy for the game! I am putting out a review for the full game soon, but I want to take my time with it to make it the best I possibly can. I will say this… the game is an absolute must play if you like the Persona formula from Atlus, as it takes that formula and uses it in a very similar but slightly different way. Day and night cycles, friendship levels, social stats, and more are in the game, but then expands on those things with incorporating new features like archetypes (job class system), front/back attack formations which change gameplay enough, and more. The game is now in my top 10 RPGs of all time and I doubt it will move from the list for quite a while. Highly recommend playing the game and it is available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
2024 has had so many fantastic adventures that I have played and beaten, along with many that I already purchased that I am playing this year from last year! I am working through many games like Banishers, Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2, and more, but I haven’t finished these yet to make my list as of now. 2025 looks to have some amazing experiences coming out too where I already have a bunch of games I am looking forward to playing. I have a list coming shortly involving my top 10 currently announced games that are confirmed to be coming out in 2025 (as of time of publication). There are a bunch of rumors, revealed games that aren’t confirmed for 2025 as of now, and probably a huge amount of games that aren’t yet revealed that I am going to want to play immediately! 2024 was a really terrific time to be a gamer, and 2025 looks to be no different!
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