As something new and a little bit different, our small yet passionate video game reviews team here at The Beat decided to shake things up by compiling a list of our 10 favorite games of 2024! This year, we’ve seen a diverse range of games launch across multiple platforms and devices, following one of the most impressive years in gaming history back in 2023.
Last year, we were spoiled with monumental releases such as Resident Evil 4, Alan Wake 2, Diablo IV, Spider-Man 2, Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, and Baldur’s Gate 3. With such a stellar lineup, it felt almost impossible to live up to, but 2024 delivered in remarkable ways with online hits and fancy new surprises.
So, without further delay, here’s our highly anticipated list of the 10 Best Video Games of 2024!
Astro Bot
Developed By: Team Asobi
Published By: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS5
A love letter to Sony’s PlayStation, Astro Bot has not only won Game of the Year at The Game Awards—formerly the Spike “dude-bro” Video Game Awards—but also introduced a groundbreaking type of platformer video game on par with the Mario franchise. It’s arguably the greatest tutorial for a video game controller ever created. It is also, undeniably fun, especially for kids, and even more so, for those old enough to catch its plethora of nostalgic references. Astro Bot is a sheer celebration of PlayStation’s rich gaming history and perhaps a testament to video games’ purpose in the first place: a fun virtual playground to play in. —Christian Angeles
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Developed By: Camouflaj
Published By: Oculus Studios
Platforms: Meta Quest 3
It wouldn’t be a comic website’s video game choices unless we included a superhero and in this case, I’m going with Batman: Arkham Shadow. In a strange era where Suicide Squad killed the Arkham series, this surprisingly good VR adventure may be one of the best things to come out of the Meta Quest 3. Mostly, in that, you get to punch and beat things up as if you were Absolute Batman. And while it’s a short game, and VR gaming itself has its slew of hiccups, the fact that they fit in so much of the traditional gameplay of the Arkham series makes this one a much-needed add to the list. —Christian Angeles
Black Myth: Wukong
Developed & Published By: Game Science
Platforms: PS5, Windows, XBox
GameScience’s Black Myth: Wukong was a pretty big debut. The game originally depicts Chinese mythology with a successful retelling of the classic Eastern tale Journey to the West. Wukong’s combat and game design have been greatly compared to Elden Ring but with a lot more accessibility and easier gameplay. It’s also sold a whopping 20 million units as one of the best-selling games of all time. Yet, this GOTY contender is mired in controversy regarding censorship requests made on the developer’s behalf regarding any critiques of the Chinese government, Covid-19, and strangely, what they were concerned were any sort of American “feminist propaganda”. Worst, were some of the practices found behind the scenes regarding sexism at the company as reported by IGN. Still, it was a big enough game to include on this list but it’s pretty obvious why this one isn’t winning a ton of awards. —Christian Angeles
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Developed By: Bioware
Published By: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5
After ten years and two reboots, the fourth game in the Dragon Age series was released in October with fantastic combat and the strongest found family of companions yet. For the first time, a Dragon Age protagonist is a true nobody, and it’s the fact that they care and gather other people that care as allies, that enables them to save the world of Thedas, which is such a timely theme. It builds on 15 years of lore with interesting payouts and revelations about the elven gods and Tevinter old gods, while bringing new questions to the forefront, especially regarding the future of the Titans. Veilguard marks the first time the Dragon Age series has had good hair options in character creation, but more importantly has Bioware’s first disabled female companion, first non-binary companion, and first time the player character can be trans and/or non-binary. The strides forward with quality of life and representation are refreshing and promising for the future of the series. – Kelas Lloyd
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Developed & Published By: Square Enix
Platforms: PS5
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues the revitalization of a beloved classic for gamers who grew up in the 90s. Blending challenging new mechanics, action-packed combat, and an abundance of engaging minigames, this installment in the modern FF7 trilogy cements itself as one of the franchise’s strongest entries. Its richly developed characters and poignant, heartfelt moments create an emotional journey that’s hard to forget. With themes celebrating the power of love and friendship, the game delivers a fun and melodramatic story. Balancing lighthearted charm with high-stakes, world-saving drama, it’s a masterful reimagining of a PlayStation classic, designed to resonate with longtime fans and a whole new generation. —Christian Angeles
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developed By: Machine Games, Bethesda Studios
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
Created by the amazing devs behind everyone’s favorite Nazi murdering one man army game, Wolfenstein, we once again continue the tradition of giving Nazis a miserable life experience (rightfully so). Set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom, we get to play as Indiana Jones in 1937 as he ventures around the world following a trail of clues leading to the mystery of the Great Circle and what powers it is rumored to have. Despite being late to qualify for the 2024 GOTY awards, it is one of the best games of the year. Running on the iconic ID Tech Engine 7, the very engine which can be traced all the way back to the original Wolfenstein. The game looks graphically stunning with near photo-realistic models and environments. The Gameplay is very varied for a first person title with elements from other games being blended together in a way which just works and doesn’t feel tiring. One standout has to also be the performances, Troy Baker does an amazing job as Indiana Jones, making you forget that this is not Harrison Ford voicing the character in the game. There is also the talented Tony Todd who makes a surprising role in the story in what is his posthumous and final video game role. This is a game that is worth playing for the love of the adventure and to feel like you have stepped into the shoes of the iconic Indiana Jones. — Justin Guerrero
Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Developed By: Nintendo, Grezzo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
It took almost forty years but Princess Zelda finally became the hero of her namesake series in a delightful return to its top-down adventure roots. Building on the toylike art style of the Link’s Awakening 2019 remake, Princess Zelda must save series hero Link and the kingdom of Hyrule from a new big bad that wants to swallow all of existence. With the help of a charming fairy and a magical rod that can replicate seemingly anything, Zelda must mend dimensional rifts and fight foes using her wits, canny problem-solving, and some other neat bonus abilities. The Nintendo Switch might be in its final full year of life but it isn’t dead yet. — Dean Simons
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Developed By: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Published By: Sega
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X|S
It’s Like a Dragon but with a Hawaii-themed upgrade, which is why this was such a popular game last year. Infinite Wealth is widely considered by fans to be one of the best in the series by essentially taking what’s worked in the previous game, and then streamlining it all with a much more efficient and less grindy of a system. It’s a beautiful and realistic game that takes such a silly JRPG-like approach to the world. Plus, there are so many dynamic combat elements now and a whole plethora of quests and stories, along with a new fantastic group of characters. A great addition to the franchise and a worthy best game of the year contender. —Christian Angeles
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developed By: Studio Zero
Published By: Sega, Atlus
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
A brand new fantasy IP from the folks that brought us the Shin Megami Tensai and Persona games, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a game whose name is incredibly non-indicative, but is a sheer delight from start to finish. The game centers around a nameable protagonist who is born to the lowest standing of a fantasy caste system. From there, he must gather allies from all the different tribes of the world to stop a fascist and end racism while trying to uncover the secrets the world has kept hidden for so long. Unlike most Atlus offerings, the title is rated T for Teen since it doesn’t really have any cameos by actual religious figures. Also, unlike most Atlus offerings, as dark as it can get, the entire thing keeps an uplifting vibe, as it serves as a reconstruction of the fantasy genre, preaching hope and overcoming anxiety to control one’s fate.
A definite child of the Persona games raised by its SMT grandparents, this title is basically Persona if set in a D&D universe. It won multiple awards and was nominated for even more and it deserves every last one of them. I was paid to write a full walkthrough for the game and despite having to know every in and out of the main story, it still charmed the shit out of me. A JRPG with an impactful statement to make in trying times, Metaphor: ReFantazio makes sure you know that not only is fantasy not dead but it can and always will influence real life. – William Quant
Silent Hill 2
Developed By: Bloober
Published By: Konami Digital Entertainment
Platforms: PS5, Windows
Take a horror video game classic. Give it a terrifying graphical upgrade rife with some of the scariest environmental settings and locations in gaming’s history. Make the combat encounters more terrifying. Yes, there’s a lot to enjoy about the Silent Hill 2 remake. From its creepy atmosphere to its eerie audio design, this game is a testament to faithful gameplay adaptations that stay true to a lot of the mechanics of the original. While the over-the-shoulder camera makes for a much more modern look, the story remains the same regarding one’s psychological questioning of our darkest subconscious desires made manifest into terrifying monsters. —Christian Angeles
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