2024 has been a relatively quiet year for games, unless you’re a sicko like me who scoffs down JRPGs on the regular. While I haven’t played as many games as I usually do (thanks, Dawntrail), it was still pretty tough to narrow my list down to just ten. With that preamble out the way, here are som🍒e games I liked. No remakes, no remasters, no DLC, let’s do this.
If you find yourself disagreeing with my impeccable taste, never fear. There are several Game of the Year lists from my wonderful colleagues 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:that you can check out here, along with the site’s overall list going🍸 up on December 18.
10 Car꧑avan SandWitch
I’ve come to the realization this year that good vibes are an integral part of whether I like a game or not, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Caravan SandWitch has immaculate vibes.
While relatively simple from a gameplay perspective, cruising around in my little van, picking up debris, and ta🀅lking to interesting characters put me in a zen-like state that made hours melt away. It also has a story about environmentalism and stꦫicking it to the man, so it's perfect.
9 Pacific Drive ꦗ
If I had a nickel for every vehicle-focused indie game that isn’t a racer that appeared on my♈ list this year, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pacific Drive is the polar opposite of Caravan SandWitch in that it has vibes, but they make me want to cower behind my sofa. It's an extremely tense surviva🦹꧃l game that has you and your plucky little car fending off supernatural phenomenons, with a dash of satisfying inventory management to boot. I cherished that car like my own family.
8 Hauntii
I༺ love a game that can give me a good spectacle, and I love a game that has an interesting art style. Hauntii is the best of both worlds, whilst also mixin🏅g together elements of Super Mario Odyssey and bullet hell shooters to create something that feels wholly unique.
It sprinkles in some grand boss fights and tense set pieces to show off its one-of-a-kind art style, and it's perfect if you're looking for something a little different to do for ꧒a few hours.
7 Nine Sols
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nine Sols is not the game I thought it was going in. I saw the picture of a cute ca😼t and thought I was in for a lovely little metroidvania, ﷽but what I got was one of the most deeply disturbing games I've played this year, with some of the most satisfying combat mechanics.
Its parry system is flawless, it✨s platforming is tricky but fun, and its comi𓃲c book aesthetic is very pleasing to the eye. All of those combined easily makes Nine Sols the best metroidvania released this year, even if it did upset me with its brutality once or twice.
6 Neva
A PlayStation trophy pop-up made me cry.
Honorable Mentions
5 Crow Country 𒆙
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Resident Evil is one of my favorite horror franchises ever, so any game that is a well-made love letter to the series is already in my good books. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Crow Country goes one step further by being bloody brilliant as well, full oඣf clever puzzles and witty dialogue that gave me a chuckle or two in between nervously skul🧸king the grounds of a theme park from Hell.
It's not ofte�💙�n I play a whole game in one sitting anymore, but Crow Country really got its hooks in me, and didn't let go until I rolled credits.
4 Astro Bot
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Astro Bot is what you get when you set out to make a game that is just pure joy from start to finish. Did I feel a little sad when I came across Kat from Gravity Rush and remembered we're never getting another? Absolutely, but I would rather her and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:PlayStation's other forgotten heroes be celebrated in an endlessly inventive and creative platformer that rivals the best that even Nintendo can muster. It's so good that it actually made an underwater level fun, and that a🦋lon🅷e makes it deserving of its place.
3 Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes ☂
I'm about to begin what I call ‘the JRPG gauntlet’, because boy was 2024 a good year for the genre. Picking up the bronze is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, a criminally underrated title that somehow manages to stuff 120 characters into a single game ♓and give them all fun personalities and their own stories.
There's such a wide variety of people to meet, and just as many things to do, whether it be intense Beyblade matches or extravagant cooking compet🐻itions. To top it off, it's all cont🏅ained within one grand tale that is worth experiencing on its own, and I'm begging more JRPGs lovers out there to give it a go.
2 Metaphor: R🧜eFantazio ⛎
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Metaphor: ReFantazio is everything I’ve wanted from Atlus for years. It removes the weirdly༺ raunchy and slightly bigoted aspects of Persona, further builds upon the combat mechanics that have been tweaked and perfected over several titles, and throws in Final Fantasy 5’s job system for good measure.
It has the best cast of characters in an RPG possibly ever (shout out to my boy Basilio), and a story that is both distressingly relevant and inspiring at the same time. It would have ea🦂sily taken top this year, if not for a certain frizzy-haired, absolute dork of a man.
1 Like A Dragon: Infini🅠te Wealth 🐼
Yeah, there was no way the best Like A Dragon game ever made wasn’t topping my list this year. Kiryu and Ichiban are two of my favorite protagonists of all time, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Infinite Wealth was a beautiful send-off for t✱he former, and another entertaining romp for the latter. I was skeptical about Ryu Ga Gotoku bringing Kiryu back yet aga🌞in, but I am so glad it did.
On top of that, Infi🐟nite Wealth boasts one 🔥of the best turn-based battle systems I’ve ever experienced, a dizzying amount of variety in its side activities, and even more ridiculous and heartwarming side stories that I’ve come to love the series for. It’s the best game this year, and despite it feeling like an ending in many ways, I’m really excited about the future of the series.
Game of the Year Social Media Manager's Pick, 2024 -Trevor Ford
No, the Witcher 3 cannot win this
