The Best Game of 2024
In 2024, we noticed video games the place troopers dove headfirst into alien planets to defend Earth, Princess Zelda led her very personal legend, a bit robotic overcame unimaginable odds to rescue PlayStation’s best characters, and a sport of poker performed out not like the rest.
There could be arguments for why any variety of our Greatest Recreation of 2024 nominees may take residence the crown, a stark distinction from final yr the place Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have been locked-in favorites. The breadth of video games on show, from Black Fable: Wukong to Remaining Fantasy 7: Rebirth, means choosing this yr’s winner was more durable than traditional, however finally there was one clear winner. Right here’s IGN’s Greatest Recreation of 2024.
Honorable Mentions
Earlier than we get to the general winner, let’s look again at a few of the different video games from this yr that deserve your recognition, beginning with our Honorable Mentions. These nominees have been much-loved by IGN’s editorial staff however didn’t get as many votes as our winner and runners-up.
The Rise of the Golden Idol
The thriller is afoot within the sequel to 2022’s pleasant point-and-click sport The Case of the Golden Idol. Set 200 years after the occasions of the primary sport, Rise of the Golden Idol returns with extra devilishly intelligent puzzles the place you clear up varied crimes that start to mix into one grand thriller.
Infinity Nikki
The Vogue Nikki collection has at all times had its share of devotees. The dress-up simulator was a pleasing, cozy solution to move the time, amassing totally different outfits and making your character as cute as they are often. However Infinity Nikki is a daring reinvention, combining all the weather followers beloved, together with the wonderful outfits they might create, and including a vibrant, Zelda-like open-world to discover.
Silent Hill 2
There have been doubts as as to if Bloober Workforce may faithfully remake one of the vital beloved horror video games of all time. Even Bloober admitted as a lot, citing the blended reception a few of their earlier horror video games have acquired. However the willpower to do proper by the supply materials paid off as Silent Hill 2 delivers one of many scariest – and finest – gaming experiences of the yr. Trustworthy to every little thing that made the unique nice, whereas updating the rusty, getting older bits fantastically, Silent Hill 2 embodies every little thing that’s nice concerning the unique after which some.
Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown
The Prince of Persia, one among gaming’s forgotten greats, lastly bought a brand new entry worthy of the Prince’s title. This 2.5D Metroidvania delivers one of the vital exhilarating revivals of any franchise in latest reminiscence, and with its tight controls, wonderful motion, and swashbuckling storytelling, that is the perfect Prince of Persia sport since Sands of Time.
Black Fable: Wukong
Black Fable: Wukong captivated audiences ever since its first trailer was revealed, however that was solely part of the story. Sure, the boss fights are epic, and the fight is classy, however this loving recreation of one among China’s oldest, most beloved tales means thousands and thousands of gamers can lastly admire the legend of the Monkey Prince in an entire new approach.
Animal Effectively
One of many earliest surprises of the yr was Animal Effectively. On the floor, it’s one other well-made homage to previous 2D Metroidvania video games. However the deeper you go, the extra you notice Animal Effectively isn’t all that it seems. Whereas the core gameplay and platforming are wonderful, you shortly uncover there’s a large puzzle on the coronary heart of all of it. So take out your pocket book and prepare to place your mind to work to uncover the reality behind Animal Effectively.
Runner-Up: Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle
Subsequent up are video games that have been oh-so-close to being topped Recreation of the Yr, however narrowly missed out to the general winner. MachineGames is again with one other Nazi-punching blockbuster. And no, this isn’t a brand new Wolfenstein sport. As an alternative, the Swedish studio has endeavored to carry one among cinema’s best heroes into the fashionable gaming age. Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle is basically a really nice Indiana Jones film delivered to life. And by actually nice, we imply up there with the unique trilogy. Buoyed by Troy Baker’s frankly insane portrayal of Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist, The Nice Circle appears like a dream come true for anybody who grew up enraptured by motion pictures like The Final Campaign and Raiders of the Misplaced Ark.
Indy was by no means a shoot ‘em up hero; as an alternative he used his brains in addition to his brawn to resolve historical riddles and punch out unhealthy guys, and that’s one thing MachineGames has splendidly tailored right here. Whether or not it’s exploring the traditional catacombs of The Vatican or sneaking up on fascists and bonking them over the pinnacle, The Nice Circle actually places you into the dirt-caked sneakers of Indiana Jones, and it seems it’s each bit as enjoyable and thrilling as we imagined.
Runner-Up: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge
“Why is it referred to as The Legend of Zelda if it stars Hyperlink?” is a query most have requested at one level of their life. Effectively, ask no extra as Echoes of Knowledge places Zelda in command of her personal legend on this new top-down journey sport. Visually just like the 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening, Echoes of Knowledge could be very a lot a real Zelda sport, full with the basic puzzles and dungeons the collection is understood for.
Its creators have clearly realized from newer video games within the collection too, and regardless that Echoes of Knowledge is extra of a “basic” Zelda expertise, the freeform creativity of Breath of the Wild is current because of the Echoes mechanic that lets Zelda conjure no matter merchandise and enemy she encounters, resulting in every kind of madcap options. Caught on the opposite aspect of a ledge? Simply stack a bunch of beds collectively to cross. Duh.
Runner-Up: Helldivers 2
Are you doing all your half within the conflict to avoid wasting our galaxy? If not, bounce into Helldivers 2 and begin blasting away at alien and robotic scum. Arrowhead Recreation Studios delivered one of many new live-service video games of the yr with the sequel to its isometric alien shooter. Reimagined as a squad-based third-person shooter, Helldivers 2 is each a satirical tackle the military-industrial complicated whereas additionally being an addictive blast because of its potent mixture of high-powered weaponry, devastating orbital drop missiles, and a spirit of Earthian patriotism.
Runner-Up: Remaining Fantasy 7: Rebirth
After the prelude that was Remaining Fantasy 7: Remake, we lastly get to the center of the journey within the second in Sq. Enix’s deliberate trilogy. Remaining Fantasy 7: Rebirth encompasses a few of the most necessary moments from the unique, however greater than that stands by itself as a superb open world RPG.
What stands out nearly instantly is how a lot love Sq. Enix has for these characters. It’s clear Sq. Enix needs gamers to spend as a lot time as they will with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barrett, and Purple XIII, offering loads of aspect quests and minigames, and increasing whole moments in order that we are able to all spend simply hold with the gang some extra earlier than they resume their mission within the battle towards Sephiroth. It makes these moments all of the extra worthwhile too, given the ending to Rebirth and the approaching finale.
Runner-Up: Astro Bot
Astro Bot’s life started as a humble mascot for the Playroom tech demo. Anytime Sony had some new {hardware} to indicate off — whether or not it was the PS VR headset, or the PlayStation 5 — Astro Bot was there to information gamers by means of the ins-and-outs of no matter new system Sony needed to indicate off. However with Astro Bot, the lovable little mascot lastly takes heart stage.
This colourful, vibrant 3D platformer isn’t only a showcase for the PS5’s highly effective GPU and quick SSD, as a result of between the unbridled degree of creativity in every degree and the controller-stressing issue of a few of the more durable problem runs, Astro Bot is pure delight and wonderment. Each skill Astro Bot performs round with — from inflating right into a balloon or punching enemies with bungee fists — by no means fails to amuse even probably the most hardened gamer. I don’t say this flippantly, however PlayStation might need simply discovered its reply to Nintendo’s Mario.
Runner-Up: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
After a short interlude into the live-service style with video games like Anthem, and a maybe ill-advised try and rush out one other Mass Impact sport with Mass Impact: Andromeda, BioWare has gone again to what it is aware of finest – an excellent old style, dungeon-crawling RPG filled with pleasant characters, witty dialogue, and the possibility to create a personality who seems and talks precisely the way in which you need them to. However whereas BioWare could have opted for a back-to-basics method to storytelling, there may be one space of main enchancment: the fight.
It’s not unfair to say that is the perfect a BioWare sport has ever performed, from its sword-and-sorcery fight to even the way in which you traverse the myriad of dungeons and mystical locales. Whereas we’re just one sport into the BioWare renaissance, all eyes are again on the storied studio.
Runner-Up: Balatro
“It’s only a poker sport with some roguelike mechanics,” I bear in mind saying to pals, incredulously, after they first instructed me they spent all night time enjoying a bit sport referred to as Balatro. “How good may or not it’s?” Seems after tens of 1000’s of poker arms and tons of of hours spent enjoying, Balatro nonetheless has me wrapped round its fingers.
Rather a lot could be mentioned about Balatro’s addictive qualities and the way it has this magnetic skill to get you to play only one extra spherical. The rationale for Balatro’s fast ascendency is the way it took one among America’s oldest video games and refashioned it for one among gaming’s hottest genres, the roguelike. The mixture of basic poker guidelines and randomized Joker and Tarot playing cards that increase your combos and bump up your excessive rating so you may get to the subsequent spherical is pure gaming bliss. Balatro is constructed on creating seemingly limitless moments of elation and devastation in equal measures. All it’s a must to do is play your playing cards proper… actually.
Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
For years, Atlus’ cult-RPG Persona went from being a cool underground RPG collection from Japan to one of many greatest franchises in trendy gaming. However with Metaphor: ReFantazio, it’s clear the builders behind Persona have been searching for to push themselves to new heights. Buying and selling within the modern-day Japanese highschool setting for a pure fantasy world filled with long-eared knights and bat-like ninjas, Atlus’ Studio Zero has created an unbelievable and well timed meditation on political strife and demagoguery.
After the demise of the King, the UK of Euchronia, divided by racial prejudice amongst its residents, begins the method of holding its very first standard election that kickstarts a grand, cross-continental journey. For anybody aware of the Persona collection, you’ll discover acquainted hallmarks right here. Gamers cut up their time crawling by means of troublesome dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, whereas spending free moments increase relationships with varied occasion members and inhabitants across the nation.
However whereas the Persona video games took these quiet moments to reaffirm the virtues of youthful friendships, Metaphor makes use of these instances to sort out headier questions. What defines a knight’s obligation, or the duties of these born into wealth? Can one ever heal from the pains of racism, and is spiritual tolerance a foolhardy endeavor? These aren’t straightforward questions to handle however are requested plainly all through Metaphor’s 70-hour playtime.
Whereas Studio Zero refrains from giving clear-cut solutions to those questions, it as an alternative acknowledges the virtues of empathy, kindness, and power within the face of overwhelming concern and hatred that may take root in an unsure world the place leaders promise salvation in change for unwavering loyalty. Wrap these philosophical musings in a classy, turn-based RPG that appears and feels stupendous — full with stunning character designs from artist Shigenori Soejima and music from Shoji Meguro – and also you’ll shortly perceive why Metaphor: ReFantazio is IGN’s decide for Greatest Recreation of 2024.
So congratulations to Metaphor: ReFantazio and Studio Zero, and in addition to all of our different winners and runner-ups in 2024’s IGN Awards. Be sure you try our full listing of Award Winners for Greatest Film, TV Present, and extra, and we’ll see you once more in 2025 for much more gaming goodness.