We’re going to end off 2024 just like we did last year, and that entails going through the best games, movies/shows, and books that I enjoyed this past year! To start, we’ll take a look at my ten favorite games that I played in 2024 (whether or not they actually came out this year).
Let’s jump into it!
Honorable Mentions: Lies of P, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door Remake
10) Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
I’d never actually played a Ratchet and Clank game before dipping my toes into Rift Apart, and I feel that I may have set the bar a little high should I want to look at the other games sometime down the line. Suffice to say, this game is great, and I can see why many consider it a ‘Must Have‘ PS5 game. It’s a little short, but it’s beautiful, controls really well, and is super fun to play (and pretty entertaining to achieve the Platinum Trophy in). I especially love the jet boots that you’re given, and the physics-defying feats you can pull off with them. I definitely felt like a professional speedrunner jetting around on those boots and making such huge leaps that I definitely circumvented multiple developer-intended pathways.
9) Astro Bot
While I don’t think it’s quite the masterpiece many are claiming it to be, I’m not the Grinch, alright? Astro Bot is definitely a really good game, and very fun. I’m also not heartless, so obviously I had fun. It’s a very charming game with exceptionally high production values, a stellar soundtrack, and some fantastic level design. I see quite a few more flaws in it than most people do, but I still very much enjoyed my time with it, and it still ranks pretty highly amongst other great 3D platformers. I also enjoyed seeing the game take over YouTube, briefly replacing the oft-exhausting plethora of FPS-related content with refreshingly fun playthroughs of Astro Bot. And I still hope this game gets DLC or a sequel in the future, because I’m sure that’ll be fun too.
8) Zenless Zone Zero
Though I have some qualms with the nuances of combat in this game, and a few visual stylings that lean a little into some uncomfortable territory for me, the bulk of the Zenless Zone Zero experience is very enjoyable. MiHoYo (the developers) have proven time and again that they are very qualified to make these sorts of Free-to-Play games that somehow don’t feel like a waste of time or money. Zenless Zone Zero is constantly updating with new content, and it does it all with breathtaking visual charm and style (the character animations in this game are some of the best around, seriously, everyone is so expressive). It’s got a nice funky soundtrack to, and a combat system that, while not flawless, is super fast-paced and frenetic. It’s also a charmingly funny game, and the characters are all pretty endearing.
7) Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Granblue is a franchise I’ve always been interested in, but the core experience (an extremely long-running mobile game), never left Japan and is tricky to play in the States because of that. However, for some odd reason, basically every Granblue spinoff has been localized worldwide, and that includes this ARPG right here. Well, I’m glad it was, because Granblue Fantasy: Relink is one of the absolute best ARPGs that I’ve played in a really long time, with some of the most appealing combat from basically any game I’ve ever played (which is high praise, but deserved praise). It’s this perfect fusion of traditional MMO combat mixed in with some Warriors-like combat, and it flows together wonderfully. The boss battles in this game are the sort of spectacle you’d usually only see in a cutscene, only this time you’re actually in control! Marry it with a stellar soundtrack and fun story, and it’s a recipe for success.
6) Unicorn Overlord
It doesn’t even feel like I played this game this year, for some reason. Nevertheless, that’s a comment on how weird time can feel sometimes, and certainly not me trying to say that this fantastic SRPG was bad, by any means. I enjoyed every second that I spent with Unicorn Overlord, and I eagerly look forward to my future playthroughs and trying out new characters and team setups. There’s a simply unmatched level of customization in this game that really excites me, but I also want to give props to the game for somehow managing to still make the massive cast feel fleshed out. Whether it’s through a character-specific recruitment mission, or through support conversations, everyone feels important, and I could see literally anyone in this game being some player’s favorite character. Also, this game is gorgeous, which is a massive plus. All the hand-drawn artwork really enhances the game’s style.
5) Baldur’s Gate 3
Fine, fine. I was never exactly a denier, but now that I’ve started to legitimately play the game, I can’t pretend to just stick my head in the sand. Baldur’s Gate 3 is exactly the amazing, incredible, once-in-a-generation game that everyone said it was back when it came out.
In the grand scheme of things, I’m still relatively early in my adventure, but what I’ve played so far is still enough to tell that this is a special game. Now, I don’t love everything about it, particularly some of the DnD trappings (just like I have issues with real-world DnD), but the upsides of Baldur’s Gate 3 so massively outweigh the downsides that it hardly matters. The sheer mindmelting scope of what you can do in this game is enough to give you a headache, and the fact that people have put thousands of hours into this game and still discover new things on each playthrough speaks volumes to the masterful craftsmanship of the developers. Baldur’s Gate 3 has set a new standard for video games as a whole, and one I don’t think will be met for a very long time.
4) Honkai Star Rail
For the second year in a row, Honkai Star Rail shows up on another of these lists. Why? Well, because it’s simply the type of game where it would feel disingenuous to not give it proper praise every year, owing to its nature as an ever-expanding experience. It’s a game that is always evolving and adding new content, and I still love it just as much as I did last year (actually, I love it more now), so why wouldn’t I take the chance to praise it again? MiHoYo know how to knock it out of the park with a game.
I mean, just look at all that was added this year alone. The entirety of the phenomenal Penacony story arc, and all those brand new maps and riveting new characters. A return to familiar areas but with brand new twists with the Ceremonial Wardance storyline. A bevy of quality-of-life features, dozens of new high-quality music tracks, enough new game modes to make your head spin, and the ability to customize your own player’s bedroom! Then there was the Pokémon Snap-inspired event, the Roguelite mode, and a thousand new secrets and humorous little anecdotes that this game is so chock-full of. The fun truly never ends when you’re playing Honkai Star Rail.
3) Trails Through Daybreak
You wouldn’t think that a long-running JRPG series with over ten entries would get better with each installment, but by golly somehow it does! The previous entry, Trails Into Reverie, was my favorite in the series, but now this one has taken the cake, and who knows, maybe the sequel (due early next year) will then take that spot! Instead of feeling stale, the developers have only heightened their prowess with each new game.
I’ll never stop loving my main-man Rean, but Trails Through Daybreak was the most invested I’ve been in this universe for a while. I think a large part of that has to do with both the smaller main cast, and also the older characters in the cast and the more mature themes in the storytelling. This is the darkest game in the series by far, and I loved seeing where things went with certain characters and plot beats. In a series known for its tropes sometimes, I found this game refreshingly engaging in a way that it hasn’t been for a bit. The newly updated combat was an amazing touch too, I very much enjoyed that. Here’s to hoping this hype train continues in the sequel!
2) Freedom Planet 2
While my hardened nostalgia for the original Freedom Planet briefly kept me from enjoying this near-masterpiece, my second true attempt at playing the game finally opened my eyes (and was yet another reminder for how damaging blindly clinging to nostalgia can be). Freedom Planet 2 is every bit the perfect sequel to the fantastic original, and I loved and cherished every single second I spent playing it earlier this year, across my multiple playthroughs and journey for the Platinum Trophy.
I mentioned it my full review article of this game, but the Freedom Planet series is just everything that the Sonic games always wished they were. The fact that they manage to combine fast-paced speed, dedicated platforming sections, exploration for secrets, and action combat against enemies all while still feeling fun and not frustrating? It’s nothing short of a miracle. And then that’s not to even get into hub levels, side activities, mini-games, and a pretty decent storyline and voice acting. Freedom Planet 2 is like nothing else in the world of 2D Platformers, and you absolutely must give it a try sometime. Banger soundtrack too!
1) Pokémon Scarlet
I knew it back when I played it in January, I just felt it in my bones. I knew that this would be my favorite game that I played this year. Heck, it’s now one of my favorite games of all time, and though it missed the cut-off for reaching the Top Ten (in my earlier Redux article), I wholeheartedly assure you it would’ve placed at #11 or #12 had I extended the list. It’s unseated Pokémon Black 2 as my favorite installment in the franchise, and it’s the most immersive and fun-feeling Pokémon game I’ve ever played.
There’s just something irreplaceable about roaming this vast open world, seeing all the Pokémon milling about, bumping into your fellow trainers, adventuring with your rivals and friends, and collecting secrets. No other entry in the series is this compelling, and despite the sheer length it took me to tackle every little bit of this game, I cherished each minute of it. Yes, I wished it visually looked a little better, yes I wished it performed a little better, and yes I wished it had a few less bugs and glitches. But I feel nothing but sadness for the people who refuse to see how incredible this game is because they can’t overlook a few relatively minor technical issues. Pokémon Scarlet is a phenomenal gem, and I can only dream that the next mainline entry is this good too.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 