GOTY 2024: Chris White
We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have such a great year for games. While there hasn’t been anything that has reached the heights of Baldur’s Gate 3 for me in 2024, that doesn’t mean I haven’t played some fantastic titles. Like most years, there are some I just haven’t spent the time with that I would have liked. I’m sure if I could have given Final Fantasy VII Rebirth more time it would be sat right near the top of my GOTY 2024 list, but alas, there are only so many hours in the day.
As December comes to a close, I look back on 2024 fondly, even if the last three months have been tough on a personal level. One thing is for sure, video games have once again provided a safe space for me to escape for a few hours, diving into some incredible stories and great gameplay, helping to give me solace few other things can provide. Without further ado, here are the games that left a huge impression on me.
GOTY 2024 Honourable Mentions
The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition: Few games manage to scare me anymore, and this one did so consistently, providing a satisfying gameplay loop while also offering jump scares that never felt cheap.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden: This was another one I wish I could have given more time to early in the year, but I’m so glad I finally managed to play it. A fantastic story with two great lead characters, Banishers was superb.
Still Wakes the Deep: The Chinese Room has never disappointed me, and this was no different. While it was nerve-wracking at times, it also managed to retain the drama and the emotional impact of past releases from the developers.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake: With improved visuals and an emotional story, it managed to offer a deeply personal story with gameplay that kept you invested. The ending is just as powerful now as it ever was.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Sometimes you just want to shoot things and watch big explosions, and while this allowed me to blow the hell out of aliens, it was also a stunning game with some impressive set pieces.
10. Star Wars Outlaws
An open world action-adventure game set in the Star Wars universe was always going to get me excited, and while it wasn’t perfect, I spent plenty of time soaking in the exciting story and interesting characters. Being given the freedom to approach certain missions however I chose, exploring certain planets that have been given little exposure in the wider world of Star Wars, and taking in the incredible visuals made it one of the coolest games of the year. And getting to do it all with Nix, one of the cutest characters I’ve seen in video games, made it all the better.
GOTY 2024: 9. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
When 2024 began, I knew very little about this one, and after heading to London and spending a bit of time with the preview, it quickly became one of my most anticipated of the year. When I finally got to play the full release for review, I became enamoured by its beauty. Mixing tower defence with action, Kunitsu-Gami offered a tense fighter with a deep sense of strategy, and the way it incorporated Japanese culture into every facet of it only added to its appeal. It’s been a while since a game has surprised me like this one, and to see it on my list at the end of the year was not something I expected.
8. Helldivers 2
For a solid month, Helldivers 2 was the only thing I wanted to play. I’m not a huge online gamer, but all I wanted to do was make a difference in the war against killer robots and alien bugs. Calling in air strikes and trying to survive when waves of enemies came calling became addictive, and the presentation was so damn good. It was something you could jump into for a game or two, but the best thing was spending a night completing objectives, waiting for extractions, and killing as much as you could over and over again. I’ll never forget seeing the Hell Bomb for the first time, making it one of the best moments of 2024.
7. Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Seeing Max all grown up and trying her best to live a normal life after the events of Arcadia Bay was one of the best things about this year in gaming. A lot of miserable people found plenty of reasons to pick apart this new story, but I loved it. It was able to breathe new life into the series with new mechanics and some smart puzzles, as well as introducing plenty of new characters that were easy to fall in love with. There were plenty of cliffhangers to the chapters, and a fantastic soundtrack. The ending wasn’t as good as it could be, but that didn’t take away from the solid writing and strong acting.
6. Batman: Arkham Shadow
I think this might be the first time a VR title has made its way into one of my lists. Within the first twenty minutes of playing, I was already immersed in the story, but what made it so good was how good the gameplay had transitioned from third-person to virtual reality. This is far from some novelty experience, providing a fully-fledged single-player game where you become the Dark Knight. The combat is intense, traversal is fluid and fast, and Gotham City has been faithfully built with tons of cool Easter Eggs. I would love to see a sequel, because there haven’t been VR games as good as this one.
GOTY 2024: 5. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
From the opening section, I knew I was going to love Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Getting to play through the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark was cool enough, but it made you feel like Indy, using your whip to swing across chasms, solve environmental puzzles while exploring wonderous environments, all while Troy Baker makes you forget that this isn’t actually Harrison Ford immersed you in every facet of MachineGames’ fantastic take on the famous archaeologist. With some excellent set pieces and gameplay that almost always satisfied, I was so sad when the credits rolled because I could play this one forever.
4. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
I tried so hard not to get excited about Dragon Age: The Veilguard because I wasn’t sure I would get to play it this year, but as its release date got closer, I couldn’t help but jump aboard the hype train like everyone else. As the war approached, I fell in love with Rook, feeling a deep connection with him and his allies. Taash became by best friend and my partner, and as we approach the final missions, I would do everything I could to ensure their safety. That stretched beyond them and reached to everyone in my party, and while I only experienced one death, it still hurt. I loved these people and I loved this story. Not only was it set in a gorgeous world, it also featured incredible gameplay, and I wish I could play it over again.
3. Silent Hill 2
When it comes to horror remakes, Silent Hill 2 is the best I’ve ever played. Not only did it get the feel and tone of Silent Hill right, it also felt like a new game. The sound design is easily the best of the year, immersing you in the terrifying nature of its story, offering immediate tension the moment the controller started to crackle. It looked stunning, and the story still shocked and amazed, even though I knew what was coming. While it was overbearing at times, that fear is something I crave from a horror game, and Bloober Team did such a good job, making me want a new story set within the universe at some point in the future.
GOTY 2024: 2. Astro Bot
We don’t always get to see such a celebration of gaming, but Astro Bot managed it in such a charming way. It wasn’t just about the history of the PlayStation, it was about all gaming, and doing so with strong platforming elements that kept feeling fresh was such a joy to experience. Finding new bots from multiple franchises such as Metal Gear Solid, Yakuza, and Street Fighter became part of its appeal, but it was the incredible level design and clever mechanics that kept me wanting to play. Some of the levels were tough, but you always felt rewarded, and if I could replay any game from this year over again, Astro Bot would be the one I choose.
1. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
It’s no secret just how much I adore the Yakuza series. 2025 marks 10 years since I started writing for God is a Geek, and for as long as I’ve been a part of this wonderful website, I have been reviewing Yakuza titles. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth improved on the previous entry in every way, making way for a changing of the guard. While Kiryu played a role, it was all about Ichiban Kasuga. Not only was he a great protagonist, he also embodied what a 40-year old should be. He showed great compassion for his friends and family, and took life by the horns, living every moment to its fullest.
I was dreading playing this in a weird way because of the big reveal that Kiryu was dying, but despite this sad story beat, I still adored just how intense the turn-based combat was, how gorgeous Hawaii was, and the sheer amount of things to do never made the 90 hours I spent with it feel like a chore. There were some incredible moments in the story featuring new and old friends, and as far as games go, they don’t get better than this. Knowing we have another Like a Dragon game coming in 2025 is exciting, but the likelihood of it topping this one is highly unlikely. I’m so grateful I got to play this in 2024, and despite a further eleven months of gaming following its release, nothing came close to knocking this off the top spot.
