GOTY 2024: Mick Fraser
Looking back on GOTY 2024 through the rose-tinted plexi-glass of almost-Christmas, it appears to have been a hell of a year for games. I say “appears” because, frankly, it has also been somewhat dizzying. It started strong and got stronger, hitting us with exceptional DLCs, unexpected hits, and more than one game that managed to subvert expectations just enough to leave an impression on me as deep as my arse-print in the faux-leather of the gaming chair I’ve barely peeled myself off of this annum.
It has also been one of those years where my personal list has been reshuffled more than once, where some games I thought were dead certs for a spot a few months ago have been cast aside in favour of whatever new hotness seduced me with its breathy whispers and carried me off to bed in a given month. Eventually, as with all things, some of them won me over well enough to stick around. Though, there are also a few that came straight in made themselves at home in my heart, whether through their impeccable combat, addictive multiplayer, or skin-tight bodysuits.
Anyway, before it gets any more… romantic in here, I present to you my favourite ten games of 2024, with a few honourable mentions to get the juices flowing first.
Honourable Mentions
Zenless Zone Zero: Playing HoYoVerse’s Zenless Zone Zero pre-release was an obtuse, often frustrating experience, held together by its unbelievable smooth combat. Over time I came to understand it, and then swiftly to love it, and it has remained one of my favourites of the year ever since.
Last Epoch: One of the best ARPGs currently available, Last Epoch sliced its way out of early access and into 1.0 this year and, while it has been quieter than some other releases, it’s still a damn good game.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Had this one popped out a few months earlier it might well have made it to my main list, but sadly I just haven’t played enough of it to allow it a full membership. What I have played is incredible, though.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: While I was expecting more from Dragon’s Dogma 2, I did enjoy my 60 hours with it. It’s a very well-made video game that just happens to feel around 10 years out of time. But it’s still a lovable, epic adventure made all the more lovable by its weird quirks.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape: Although not a full release, Destiny 2’s final expansion was an amazing experience from start to finish, one that brought back Nathan Fillion’s legendary Cayde-6 to superb effect and managed to not only up the stakes one last time, but also deliver a satisfying payoff to a 10-year-old promise. For the fans, The Final Shape’s finale was everything.
GOTY 2024: 10. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
What a way to start the year. Ubisoft’s return to one of their most famous IPs was a fantastic adventure, injecting some fresh ideas into the Metroidvania genre – which is no mean feat with a genre as varied and crowded as that. Polished to a high shine. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is not only one of Ubisoft’s best games in years, it’s one of the best Metroidvanias available.
9. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
With such a long gap between Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, lots of things had time to go wrong. Some of them arguably did, with The Veilguard meeting some odd resistance from its very first trailer. But as a fan of the universe and previous trilogy, The Veilguard did everything I wanted it to do, delivering an epic story, thrilling set-pieces, varied and compelling characters, and a passing of the torch that heralds good things to come for the franchise.
GOTY 2024: 8. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Being a huge fan of ancient and legendary JRPG, Suikoden (and its sequel), Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes had my attention from minute one. Not only a faithful successor to Suikoden but an incredibly well-made adventure in its own right, the way Eiyuden Chronicle manages to juggle so many fully voiced and fleshed-out characters and makes finding them as fun as playing with them is impressive.
7. Helldivers 2
While time and deadlines conspired to take me away from Helldivers 2, I was still able to put almost 60 hours into Arrowhead’s exceptionally fun, satirical squad shooter. Responsible for some of my favourite personal moments of 2024, Helldivers 2 came out of the gate full of content and then just kept adding more, arguably to its detriment at times. It can’t be easy to balance such a behemoth, but Arrowhead have done an admirable job all things considered.
GOTY 2024: 6. Stellar Blade
Look, Eve is hot, okay? Let’s get that particular elephant out of room and on the first bus somewhere else before we start. But while so much was made about her various catsuits, cocktail dresses, and, err, bikini outfits, the fact remains that Stellar Blade is an exceptional action game. With nods to Bayonetta and DMC, its semi open-world nature allowed developer SHIFT UP to stuff it full of secrets and collectibles to encourage exploration of its gorgeous biomes. It also has some of the year’s very best combat.
5. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
A universe that has been close to my heart since my childhood is Warhammer 40,000, and Sabre Interactive’s bombastic, explosive, brutally cathartic continuation of Lieutenant Titus’ story was everything I could have asked for. Featuring a blisteringly good campaign and an expansive, addictive, and rewarding PvE mode, Space Marine 2 is a cinematic action masterpiece that does its IP, and its fans, proud.
GOTY 2024: 4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
It says a lot about the year it has been that my first 10 out of 10 score is only hitting the number 4 spot this year, but regardless, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ticked all my boxes in terms of what I personally wanted from the sequel. Absolutely stunning to look at, with impeccable production values, incredible music, and mind-blowing combat, it’s a superb follow-up to Remake and an unforgettable experience throughout.
3. Astro Bot
It’s hard to believe that has been 30 years since the launch of the original PlayStation, something I can remember with surprising clarity as one of the most transformative events of my life, the beginning of a true love affair with video games that has persisted for my whole life. And while I wouldn’t call myself any more a fan of Sony than any other gaming corporation, I can’t pretend that PlayStation has been a tremendous influence on my existence. Astro Bot, at certain points, reminds me of all of it, celebrating 30 years of PlayStation (and others) with the kind of joyful abandon that many games can only aspire to.
GOTY 2024: 2. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Few games this year – or any year – stay with me like Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has. A love story at its core, Banishers focuses on the pain of grief and, more potently, impending grief – the horrifying knowledge that you’re inevitably going to lose the one person you love and rely on more than anything in the world. The tragic story of Red MacRaith and Antea Duarte is powerful in its realistic depiction of a relationship doomed by death yet buoyed by hope, but it’s also framed by a choice-heavy narrative that constantly forces you to make difficulty, often uncomfortable decisions and ensures that you play the hand you dealt yourself – no mulligans allowed. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and Banishers features some of the best voice acting of the year.
1. Black Myth Wukong
Black Myth Wukong is an exceptional adventure game. Taking place in a mystical version of ancient China, it explores the characters and universe of Journey to the West, one of the four great Chinese novels, but it does so with a thrilling, endlessly entertaining campaign. Erroneously referred to by some as a “boss rush”, Wukong is much more than that. With a campaign that gets steadily larger and vaster as you play, it pits you against more than 80 bosses and barely falls back on reusing any assets, animations or even appearances to do it. But between those bosses are open world areas brimming with secrets, side-quests, colourful characters and epic story moments. A genuinely incredible gaming experience that I simply couldn’t put down.
