GOTY 2024: Chris Hyde
2024 has been a year where the games have come thick and fast, which has made picking out the ones to occupy the GOTY list even trickier than normal. Whilst I think on balance I actually played fewer games in number this year, some of them were chuffing huge in terms of length, and when I step back I’m amazed at the hour counts on some of them all told. This year has definitely been the year of the big adventure for me.
And speaking of adventures, 2024 sure has been one of them, and I want to say a personal thank you to the team here at GodisaGeek, as well as our lovely community over at Patreon that have brought games to life this year, either through hilarious multiplayer moments, or simply their witty banter over their last 12 months. Much love to you all, and here’s to a cracking 2025.
But before then, a look back at 2024 for GOTY, and boy have there been some bangers!
GOTY 2024 Honourable Mentions
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes: To start the journey as I mean to go on, a huge sprawling RPG packed full of characters, character, charm, and some beautiful, hilarious voice acting.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Yes cue the jokes of Dragon’s Dogma 1.5, but I couldn’t help spending so much time in Vermund and Battahl. Great, addictive combat, and always something else to do.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6: A return to form for the series, making the fast-paced running and gunning an addiction I can’t let go of.
Helldivers 2: Who knew the fight for LIBERTY! would be so cathartic and entertaining. A hugely enjoyable shooter, with the added chaos of friendly fire, and an accidental hell bomb around every corner…
Satisfactory: It’s here on a technicality, rather than the proper 2024 GOTY list because I don’t want to be disingenuous and pretend I haven’t been playing it for years. A pure triumph in factory management terms, and the most zen game I have ever played.
10. The Thaumaturge
Well if you’d said to me I’d be fawning over a game set in the gritty underbelly of Russian-occupied Warsaw at the turn of the twentieth century at the start of the year, you certainly have gotten a funny look your way. But the mysterious adventure of Wiktor Szulski and his Thaumaturgical powers captured my attention immediately. Its intriguing plot, interesting characters, and progressive combat kept me hooked all the way to the startling conclusion.
9. Minishoot’ Adventures
Ignore the apostrophe! Once you’re past that, you have a surprisingly addictive, responsive bullet-hell MetroidVania that I couldn’t stop playing. It’s packed full of secrets, and is much less linear than its initial gameplay suggests. It rewards you not only with deft movement and shooting but with a keen eye and exploration, as rewards can be found in most nooks and crannies in the overworld or hidden in the many caverns and underground tunnels below. Play the demo, fall in love, and you won’t regret it.
GOTY 2024 8. Black Myth: Wukong
I’ve always loved a good Soulslike title. They just sink their teeth into me and won’t let go no matter how crap at games they make me feel. So I had to try Black Myth: Wukong to see how I’d fare. What I found is much more fast-paced combat, similar to Sekiro, just without the traversal, and a fluid, malleable build structure that you can respec at will. It’s packed with more bosses than it has any right to, but they feel more approachable and beatable than other genre copycats. And that means Black Myth is incredibly engaging, fast-paced, and feeling like you’re always making progress. After some initial linear areas, the later chapters really open up and reward you with hidden secrets and optional content to the brim. Yes it’s story can feel impenetrable unless you’re a Journey to the West expert, but it doesn’t ruin the excellent adventure within.
7. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
It still blows my mind that this was a 2024 release, as it seems like forever ago that it came out. Following a renaissance for me of quality Metroidvanias in 2023, I was blown away by just how much of a step-up Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was. Precision controls meant you could navigate some of the tightest obstacle courses with confidence and were rewarded so with secrets and collectibles. The powers you unlock are used in interesting ways to progress and expand the map and your traversal and combat abilities. Amongst that solid combat are some memorable boss fights, making an overall package that stood out for the entirety of the year.
6. Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
It’s my list so DLC counts. But not for nothing, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a colossal DLC, larger than many games on my list so far, and so in my eyes, is a worthy addition. It’s reductive to say it’s just more Elden Ring, despite that being high praise indeed. It still manages to capture the magic of the original, despite being in a separate world. The levelling up system overhaul means exploration is rewarded with newfound strength to tackle the challenges you will face, and means you aren’t relying on hitting a certain level before venturing into this new adventure. Highly recommended for those that love the Elden Ring base game.
GOTY 2024 5. Astro Bot
A tight, colourful 3D platformer that just screams absolute joy. Astro Bot is a pure celebration of Sony gaming and beyond, and that’s as wonderful as it sounds. Sometimes it’s easy to forget games are about having fun, escapism, and dewy-eyed nostalgia. Astro Bot never forgets that, and doesn’t let you either. Its varied worlds are packed full of detail and creative ideas making this a blast from start to finish leaving you with some fond memories both of what it gave you and what got us here as well. Try playing this game and not smiling, I dare you!
4. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Of all of the games on this list, Banishers: Ghost of New Eden was the one that surprised me the most. Other games in and around my top 5, I knew would be there, but Banishers was completely unexpected. A masterful mix of tragic storytelling between two people very much in love in Antea and Red, traversing the dark and dangerous New Eden rooting out evil ghosts and demonic entities along the way. Fulfilling combat, an engrossing story, coupled with some truly gut-wrenching choices that have a major impact on the outcome of the story. The voice acting is superb and carries the narrative to its climatic conclusion. A triumph from Don’t Nod and one not to be missed.
3. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has always been known for managing to somehow combine the bat-shit crazy, with the endearingly emotional. A world where overly dramatic bombastic set-pieces intersperse with moments that genuinely make you choke up. It has no right to work, but Infinite Wealth sees Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios do it again as we venture into the underworld of sunny Hawaii. Protagonists Kiryu and Ichiban drive the narrative forward in what manages to be a continuation of the overarching story in the series so far, as well as a glorious homage to what has made the series so loved thus far. A game that is packed full of content, more than it has any right to, frankly. There’s an entire Animal Crossing game, and a Pokemon one in here too should you fancy it. With so much to see, do, and enjoy, Infinite Wealth is a game I adored. So much passion, so much emotion, and so much fun. A mix that shouldn’t work, but it always does.
Oh and I didn’t want to see the ending, I wasn’t ready. But somehow it was perfect, despite not having the expected outcome. It perfectly encapsulated both protagonists and why we have fallen in love with them both in different ways throughout the series.
GOTY 2024 2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
With a decade since Inquisition, it’s more than fair to say my hype for this game was palpable. Despite Inquisition being my first foray into the Dragon Age world, I’ve since embraced so much lore and detail, that I love the world of Thedas, its many intricacies, factions, and moving parts. I was therefore keen to see what would happen with Solas, following on from the Trespasser DLC of Inquisition.
The Veilguard is Dragon Age, but also isn’t. It feels familiar in terms of its overarching setup, and mechanics, and obviously its world setting an return of key characters. But there are changes too, in the way the combat is much more centred on your character Rook, rather than a party ensemble. This makes the combat come at you at a faster pace, making for frantic, enjoyable, fluid combat, something that felt so natural for the Rogue I chose to play as. Another game that doesn’t penalise respeccing your build, it encourages experimentation with the vast skill tree on offer, to try different ways of dealing with the many combat encounters that will inevitably come your way.
The main story is strong, and the revelations and main beats will be a joy for fans of the series, as the backstory of the Veil, the Fade, and even some of the main races themselves are intertwined with Solas, and his emotional history. The side quests bolster the feeling of northern Thedas feeling “lived in” full of factions, and political subterfuge. Coupled with more engaging and fleshed-out companion quests, there’s plenty to dig your teeth into. Dragon Age: The Veilguard was fun from start to finish, and well worth the wait.
1. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
Being in the unique position of having not played the original Final Fantasy 7, Rebirth was always going to be special to me. Whilst Remake was amazing, Rebirth feels like the part of the game where its bigger ideas begin to get fleshed out and it gives itself room to breather and express itself. Free from Midgar, we explore so much more of the world and it feels like a literal breath of fresh air to do so.
From the first open world area, to the last, I never tired of exploring, and battling my way across lush, varied landscapes to discover ever secret and complete every map marker. I appreciate the “checklist” approach isn’t for everyone, but for me the level design is top drawer and that makes exploration so damn enjoyable.
The characters, both returning and newly-discovered this time around, feel as believable as ever interacting and bolstering the overall story which adds to the narrative and immersion you feel. And the combat takes the superb groundwork laid in Remake and dials it up to 11 with added synergy abilities which make it feel like different characters and party setups are more viable than ever.
It looks gorgeous, sounds amazing, and is cathartic and enjoyable to play. I didn’t want it to end, and despite the natural cliff-hanger of being part 2 in a trilogy, I can’t think of much I’d rather do than play part 3, whenever that may be. Coming into this without knowledge of the original has been interesting, but a blessing, as I feel I get the best of both worlds; the story and characters of the original, but the fully-realised world and revitalised combat of these new titles, and I can’t get enough of it. Easily my GOTY for 2024.
We just don’t mention that story moment. It broke me.
