Zachary Dalton December 18th, 2024 - 9:00 AM
Another year has come to a close, and video games had another great year of releases (even if some fans would say otherwise). 2024 saw major releases in almost every genre from amazing platformers to intense action games and engaging massive RPGs. We received some incredible new entries across beloved franchises, and some new IPs took the gaming world by storm. With that, let’s look at what we here at mxdwn have decided as our Top 10 Games of 2024.
10. Animal Well
Animal Well undoubtedly deserves its spot among this year’s top video games. This charming platformer sends its players into the hauntingly beautiful world of Animal Well, where they spelunk below after hatching from a flower. The game features intricate pixel art and dynamic lighting effects in each of its unique environments, creating a mysterious and ethereal atmosphere throughout playthroughs.
The gameplay in Animal Well is non-linear, allowing players to engage in open-ended exploration and discover hidden secrets along the way. Everything in the game’s world is interconnected in subtle ways, which rewards curiosity and careful observation. Its environments are filled to the brim with clever puzzles, hidden treasures, and quiet surprises lying in wait. Instead of relying on traditional combat systems, Animal Well focuses its gameplay on tools and quick wit. Players can overcome challenges in a way that fosters creativity and encourages deep thinking instead of relying on their fists.
Animal Well is an indie passion project developed entirely by one man named Billy Basso. His personality as Animal Well’s developer definitely seeps through the game’s seams, adding a heartfelt touch to the entire experience. The game’s ambiguous and at times inexplicable style helps foster communities among players, similar to games like Fez or The Witness. It thrives on collaboration and problem-solving. Animal Well is the perfect video game for anyone who appreciates extensive exploration, high-quality artistic visuals, and a world jam-packed full of mystery.
-Margo Keller
9. Stellar Blade
Developer Shift Up teamed up with Sony and decided to bring their talents to the big time and released their first major console game with Stellar Blade exclusively on the PlayStation 5 earlier this year. Shift Up knocked it out of the park with Stellar Blade, and made themselves a name that people should watch out for in the future.
The game itself is an action game that is heavily inspired by the Nier series, specifically the acclaimed 2017 entry Nier: Automata. With that series nowhere to be seen at the moment, Shift Up has stepped in masterfully to fill the void. Eve is an interesting and engaging protagonist who is proactive in solving the issues plaguing a devastated future version of Earth. The story, though a little by the numbers, still presents an intriguing premise that’ll have you wanting to find out more. Then, there are plenty of memorable characters from the main cast of characters to a little droid that has gained sentience.
Where Stellar Blade really shines is in the combat department. The game foregoes the modern trappings of action games and instead brings back a very stylish combat system. The combat heavily relies on a mix of combos, parries, and dodges to build up an enemy’s stagger meterand take them out. Shift Up has laid an amazing foundation down with their first major console outing and are sure to do big things thanks to how good Stellar Blade turned out.
-Zach Dalton
8. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines II, deserves its spot on this year’s top ten. This amazing game gives you the ability to let off steam by shredding through hordes of aliens. The game features large areas to explore with plenty of weapons to use to destroy your enemies. The main character Titus is a beast of a soldier, who easily rips aliens in half with an arsenal of guns and melee weapons. The story will also have you questioning who is the real villain and will have you asking do the ends justify the means.
When playing through the levels you will never have to worry about getting lost, because the game will always lead you to the directions of the objective. This game even has multiplayer, so you can shred through aliens with your closest friends. Even when you play solo, the AI will help you in fights and will even finish off enemies as well. The finishers in the game are always so satisfying to watch and I never get tired of it. This game is great for letting out your anger after a long day of stress.
-Jose Olivera
7. Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 was the highly anticipated remake of the second installment to the iconic survival horror series. With the hype surrounding these games and the recent influx of remake popularity, it is no wonder this game placed high on the top ten games of 2024. Released in October of this year, Silent Hill 2 received very good reviews, with many giving high praise to the Bloober Team and Konami for doing such an iconic game justice.
This game follows the main protagonist James Sutherland as he searches for his deceased wife in the titular town, Silent Hill. The town is a dangerous, mysterious place inhabited by monsters. His journey takes him around the foggy, hellish landscape somewhere in Maine. He encounters other survivors, with the truth about their environment being revealed along the way. This game immerses the player in an incredibly terrifying setting, with challenges like battles and puzzles alike as the story unravels. The first game in particular was a thematically rich installment to the franchise, keeping it relevant even 20 years later.
This remake had a lot going for it, with some of the original team returning for the creative roles. Masahiro Ito and Akira Yamaoka both returned to assist with concept art and music. They, alongside the rest of the team, worked hard to preserve the atmosphere and tone. This remake stayed extremely faithful to the original game, with the team dedicated to maintaining what made it special while also providing players a new experience. That is to say, it is an exact one-for-one recreation. There are notable changes, such as an all new combat system with a modernized third-person camera. The story and horror aspects held strong, which most players find to be the most groundbreaking part of these games. Overall, Silent Hill 2 provided an exceptionally memorable experience for new players and fans of the original game alike.
-Carrie Marrinan
6. Helldivers 2
While this year has largely been saturated with remakes and remasters, one game that released in early February this year took PlayStation 5 and PC by storm which was Helldivers 2. The premise of the game is heavily inspired by the cult classic movie Starship Troopers taking the heavily satirical freedom loving democracy across the galaxy and integrating it into a well written and fun game with the added freedom from licensing restrictions.
The player takes control of a no named freedom loving Helldiver as they give his or her life spreading democracy across the galaxy from the evil forces of the Terminids (The Bugs), Automatons (The Machines), and as of yesterday’s announcement at The Game Awards the Illuminate. The reason the players Helldiver doesn’t have a name is because when they die on the field of battle they are immediately replaced with another Helldiver with your previous Helldivers loadout making it feel like the Helldivers are nothing but easily replaceable drowns who do nothing but fight and die for democracy.
The Premise of the game is simple fight for freedom and democracy as a Helldiver. While the game doesn’t have a traditional story mode there is a constantly changing narrative that is impacted by player involvement whether that is completing or failing an objective or defending a planet from one of the three major threats. Even though players aren’t capable of customizing the name of their Helldiver they are capable of customizing their Helldivers armor, weapon loadout, rank title, vehicles, and their own ship. Their ship especially can be upgraded using resource samples gathered across the many worlds; these upgrades can provide the player with many gameplay benefits for their stratagems which act as unique support items including; weapons, equipment, reinforcements, and multiple types of artillery strikes that are all designed to help a team of up to four Helldivers in combat. Unfortunately friendly fire is permanently on so no matter what weapon or offensive stratagem the player has it can still lead to the unfortunate death of anyone and anything in its path including the other Helldivers, but that is the price the Helldivers are willing to pay for the democracy and freedom of Super Earth.
Overall Helldivers 2’s best trait is that it harkens back to the Left 4 Dead era of gaming where the game primarily focused on fun PVE cooperation that can be replayed multiple times without becoming boring. Despite a few setbacks, one of them being a massive back hand from Sony by only allowing people with access to PlayStation accounts to play effectively cutting a majority of its player base off due to some countries not allowing PlayStation, there are players who still have a fun time playing this year’s best Multiplayer game.
-Louis Heimansohn
5. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sees the return of the long-dormant Prince of Persia franchise after more than 10 years, this time in a new way for the franchise. What makes things interesting and why it’s one of our Top 10 games of the year is how the pillars of the Prince franchise blended so well within the Metroidvania genre and how it revolutionized the genre in a way where it would be difficult not to see the mechanic in other titles within the Metroidvania space going forward.
-Paul Nunez
4. Black Myth: Wukong
It’s been said before that China really lacks a worldwide influence on the media stage, rarely do one of their movies or entertainment really break containment and gain a following in the west, but 2024 brought us what might be the first step in turning that reputation around in Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong.
A modern take on the classic Chinese tale of Son Wukong, Black Myth is a fantastic entry point for anyone looking to experience Chinese culture for the first time, with classic tales and characters from Buddhist lore and Chinese mythology such as Zhu Bajie and Erlang Shen (filtered through a video game lens with several liberties taken, of course).
Of course, this quick trip down Chinese myth isn’t all the game has to offer. Black Myth features some gorgeous scenery, the artstyle and architecture of the world is picturesque, the character models hit a point where its realistic, but stylized enough to not be uncanny while the monster designs are just mindblowing.
Last but definitely not least there’s the gameplay: Black Myth’s gameplay does wonders bringing the monkey king’s powers to the forefront, giving you a pretty robust staff moveset and some of his signature powers like cloning while also giving you the option to transform into a surprisingly vast amount of enemies to steal their moves the game gives you an amazing amount of versatility when it comes to approaching the many encounters you’ll have to navigate.
-Derek Lairmore
3. Astro Bot
Astro Bot reintroduces the lovable robot hero, Astro, in a dazzling new adventure that pushes the boundaries of immersive gameplay. Developed by Team Asobi, this highly anticipated sequel to Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission expands Astro’s universe with thrilling levels, innovative mechanics, and stunning visuals that showcase the power of next-gen gaming.
In this new installment, players join Astro on a mission across the galaxy to save the Astro Crew, scattered across vibrant and perilous worlds by an interstellar villain, Zorax. The game combines classic platforming action with groundbreaking mechanics, utilizing the full capabilities of the PlayStation 5. Each level offers creative challenges that take advantage of the console’s cutting-edge features, from the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers to its haptic feedback, delivering an unparalleled immersion.
With its endearing characters, masterful level design, incredible love to PlayStation’s history, and soundtrack brimming with charm, Astro Bot (2024) promises to delight both newcomers and series veterans. Whether navigating zero-gravity environments, battling inventive bosses, or exploring whimsical alien landscapes, players will experience a platformer that redefines what’s possible on the PS5.
-Jack Nachbaur
2. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
When people think of their game of the year, it’s likely that ranking high on that list is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second installment of the ‘Remake’ Series of games of Final Fantasy VII for the original PlayStation. Part of the game’s draw is its departure from the microcosm of Midgar to the grand adventure set in its expansive open world. This adventure is accomplished all while adding new travel, combat and mini-game elements.
Players follow Cloud Strife and companions as they set out to confront Sephiroth. The story dives into the backstory of Sephiroth’s fall and reunion with the alien calamity known as Jenova; Character motivations and relationships are explored in great detail here, with special unique scenarios to reward players. You’ll boost your relationships with your choices and the game’s new defining combat function: Synergy Skills and Synergy Abilities. Through Rebirth’s action-based combat system, you’ll accrue points filling your Synergy Gauge and unleash powerful team attacks that grant various buffs. These systems emphasize the sense of camaraderie between the band of heroes, blending story relevance with gameplay.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth pays homage to its source material. Environments are recreated in stunning detail, including Nibelheim, Junon Cosmo Canyon, and Costa Del Sol to name a few. The game features 28 mini games, a fully fledged card game known as ‘Queen’s Blood’, and boasts a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu featuring 175 tracks; all of this on top of the challenging VR side challenges. Fans of the Final Fantasy series and newcomers have chosen Rebirth as their game of the year with confidence.
-Ivan Arana
1. Metaphor: ReFantazio
As more people finally finish the game they started in October, people are starting to realize how much of a masterpiece Metaphor: ReFantazio is and why it is our Game of the Year. Because at its core, Metaphor: ReFantazio explores themes of ambition, identity, and the human condition, presenting players with a profound journey through a richly crafted world teetering between hope and despair. The game’s story is not just an epic fantasy; it’s a deeply personal tale that resonates with players, inviting them to confront the metaphorical “labyrinths” of their own lives.
The game’s story resonates deeply with the challenges of 2024, reflecting current global events through its allegorical framework. Themes of environmental degradation, economic inequality, and the struggle between authoritarianism and grassroots resistance run throughout Metaphor: ReFantazio, mirroring the headlines that have defined the year. The presence of factions fighting for survival in a dying world evokes the ongoing climate crisis and humanitarian emergencies. At the same time, the game’s exploration of fractured communities draws poignant parallels to the polarization of real-world societies. The protagonist’s journey to reconcile inner conflicts and foster unity is a tale of personal growth and a hopeful metaphor for the collective efforts required to address the crises humanity faces today.
Anyone who has played the game has praised it for its ability to speak to the zeitgeist while maintaining a deeply personal and emotionally resonant narrative. The game doesn’t just deliver an epic fantasy adventure; it challenges players to reflect on their role in shaping the world around them. Its stunning visuals, unforgettable soundtrack, and groundbreaking gameplay innovations cement its legacy as not just a game but a cultural touchstone. In a year marked by uncertainty and upheaval, Metaphor: ReFantazio provides both a gripping escape and a sobering reminder of the power of human connection and hope in the face of adversity.
-Diego Villanueva
