The Best & Worst Games of 2024
The Best & Worst of:
I bought a GameCube this year. It's orange.
I also bought and played things that aren't twenty years old. New things.
Whether I was pumping dozens of hours into the latest blockbuster, discovering a charming indie, revisiting an old favourite, or ticking something off my endless retro-must-play list, I had plenty of fun with games in 2024. And I bet you did too.
I spent the vast majority of my game time on PS5 and Series X, and continued to strongly favour digital purchases over physical. I don't need new boxes cluttering up my shelves, as I've got plenty of old ones already doing that. I mostly opted for PS5 for blockbusters, whereas Series X was for whatever was on Game Pass.
The first half of the year was dominated by a pair of huge RPGs which took up an unreasonable amount of my time. But I mostly forgive them, as they were both excellent. The rest of the year offered more variety, in runtime and genre, and I was able to get to most of what I had hoped to.
I also dipped into a range of recent, and less-recent, retro purchases in 2024. Auto Modellista, Lost Planet 3, Loaded, some Vita shooters, Ridge Racer 6 and a well-overdue revisit to Prince of Persia 2008, to name but a few. I bought the aforementioned (spice) orange GameCube and played through a good chunk of the fascinating, though tough-going, Eternal Darkness. I also went through a brief period of buying up PSP games, as you do. Normal stuff.
I attended indie game festival BitSummit in July, Tokyo Game Show in September, and definitely spent more time thinking and talking about games than actually playing them, for the umpteenth straight year. I have gotten very much into Fantasy Premier League, which is kinda like a game, and I'm still failing to make good use of my Analogue Pocket. I continue to enjoy wandering around Akihabara, shaking my head at new developments and reminiscing about what used to be where, and I can still sniff out a retro bargain when I want to, online or off.
In 2024, even your Gran buys video games, yet the biggest and "best" companies in this industry can't figure out how to remain profitable without resorting to mass-layoffs on a semi-regular basis.
Nintendo opened a museum.
And that's basically 2024. There's plenty to look forward to next year, including the long-awaited Switch successor, a slate of games that, for my money, looks far stronger than this year's, and hopefully news on the handhelds that Microsoft and Sony have been hinting at. But for now, let's look back and celebrate the best, and even the worst, games of 2024.
Enjoy your games and have a very Happy New Year.
Currently Playing: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection
Bought But Have Yet to Play: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
1. Game of the Year: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
I let it sit for nine months. I didn't go back to it, didn't write much about it, hardly discussed it with friends, and didn't even debate its pros and cons in my head. I left it well alone, until it came time to write this post.
When I came back to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to critically re-evaluate it, I had no issue viewing it as an all-time favourite. No umming and ahing required. No second guessing whether it belonged alongside long-held favourites and taste-defining experiences, and no guilt for bumping a classic to make room. Top Ten, no question. It's been fifteen years since that last happened. Uncharted 2, take a bow.
While I played plenty of excellent games this year, nothing else was in serious consideration for my GOTY. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth probably comes the closest, however. It is a significant improvement over Remake, and an indulgent celebration of a well-loved classic. Square Enix spared no expense and it showed. Hopefully they'll have the stomach for an equally lavish finale.
Very good, but not on the same level as Infinite Wealth.
I was only a couple of months removed from Like a Dragon: Gaiden, my GOTY for 2023, when I started Infinite Wealth back in February. I should've been sick of the Yakuza formula, yet I couldn't have been happier to jump back in and share in the lives of these lovable miscreants, and help them punch people in the face as hard as they can.
Infinite Wealth doesn't just present us with one memorable crew, it gives us two across two continents. Ichiban Kasuga, Kazuma Kiryu, Eric Tomizawa, Chitose Fujinomiya, Yu Nanba, Koichi Adachi, Saeko Mukoda, Seonhee, Joongi Han, Tianyou Zhao - a team worth name-checking in full. And let's not forget the array of support characters, headlined by the delightfully strange and oddly endearing Yamai.
Ichiban Kasuga is an outright star, and has been since the moment he first headlined his own game. That being said, I will always remember Infinite Wealth as Kiryu's story, as one more adventure before the new guy takes over for good. Yet Ichiban's star is not diminished. Such is his charisma and sure-fire likeability, that he could afford to take a back seat in his own game and emerge from it unscathed.
As with any great Yakuza, Infinite Wealth masterfully balances emotional moments with those of utter lunacy. Kiryu is a very sick man, and he spends much of Infinite Wealth trying to brawl his way through a cancer diagnosis. He eventually breaks down and is forced to accept that he can no longer protect the people he cares about by throwing fists, and must shy away from the fight. He is completely lost. These impactful, heartbreaking moments feature alongside fights against giant sea life, bike rides up skyscrapers, dust ups with a giant Roomba, and kinky bus journeys where you snap photos of perverts.
Infinite Wealth will crack you up one minute and have you break down the next. The Life Link side missions are a prime example. Old friend Detective Date arranges at-a-distance rendezvous between Kiryu and old allies, as he wants to prove to Kiryu that he means a great deal to a broad spectrum of people. We see familiar faces eulogise about our lead while he hides in plain sight. He sits one table across from loved ones, or a few stools down the bar, rendered invisible by sunglasses or a weird hat. Utter nonsense. This clash, this desire to make us laugh and cry within the same scene, would ruin most games, yet here it does nothing of the sort. Even at its most ludicrous, Infinite Wealth is still heartfelt and sincere, and its hard not to love it for that.
Perhaps these counteractive tones would prove more grating to a series newcomer? I'm not sure, but I do know that nothing in modern gaming makes me happier than these moments of warmth and absurdity.
So, it's back-to-back game of the year selections for Like a Dragon! So where does it go from here? The immediate answer is a pirate ship headed to Hawaii and captained by mad-dog Majima! I am, as you might expect, very much up for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. I'm also very encouraged to see RGG Studios spreading their wings and working on the next Virtua Fighter as well as Project Century, which may or may not be Like a Dragon related.
Keep 'em coming, RGG Studios. Keep 'em coming.
Honourable Mention: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
2. Best Pre-2024 Game Played for the First Time: Into the Breach
Into the Breach had been sat on my Switch, untouched, for several years. Quite the oversight. I think my reluctance to get stuck in was largely due to a lack of visual appeal. I'm indifferent when it comes to mech and kaiju, and while I do love strategy games, I prefer them to be medieval in appearance with large stages and fellas with spears. Basically I want Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre. So that's my excuse. Anyway, that was silly, as I instantly fell for Into the Breach's simplistic charms and became so engrossed at the start of the year that I had to force myself to put it down after just a week, as I was concerned it was going to cut into Infinite Wealth time. I'll likely pick it up again next year, but I'll ensure it's far removed from any releases of interest.
Honourable Mentions: Venba, Sonic Origins, Ridge Racer 6
3. My Daughter's Game of the Year: Animal Crossing New Horizons
That's several years on the trot for Animal Crossing! In her own words: "This year I played lots of games. In Splatoon 3, I like putting loads of items in my locker and I decorate it with stuff that I buy from the shop. The weapon I use a lot is the dual guns. I started Pokemon Sword at Christmas and it's fun changing clothes. I chose Grookey as my starter Pokemon. The gyms are a bit easy at the moment and I've already beaten two of them. One difficult thing is when you catch Pokemon that live in the water, you have to use a fishing rod to catch them, which is different to Scarlet/Violet. That isn't bad, but it is more difficult.
Animal Crossing is still my number one for the same reasons as last year! I still love decorating the island, and I like catching sea animals. Recently, I've caught lots of new fish and I want to complete the collection. There's one sea creature that I want, a Sea Pig, but it's too difficult to get. I'm looking forward to Switch 2 and I hope that the new Animal Crossing will have the same kind of island location. Will there be a Splatoon 4?"
Honourable Mentions: Splatoon 3, Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Violet
4. Best Distraction: Queen's Blood - Final Fantasy VII Remake
Honestly, when it comes to mini games and distractions, Remake was chock full of rubbish. Almost nothing that warranted a second go, and plenty of activities that I wish I could've skipped entirely. Queen's Blood was the notable exception. It's not quite Triple Triad - no shame there - but it is a very convincing reason to put off heading to the next story mission. It strikes a nice balance between skill and blind luck and is fast paced enough that I didn't mind restarting games over and over until I got my victory. To top it all off, the Queen's Blood music is one of my favourite tracks of this year. I could go for a few rounds right now....
Honourable Mention: Searching for Memoirs of a Dragon in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
5. Best Re-visit: Metal Gear Solid - Master Collection Vol. 1
It'd been almost twenty years since I'd last played MGS, yet everything felt so familiar on my return this summer. Metal Gear Solid is a core part of my gaming make-up, and as great an influence on my tastes as anything that came before or since. Konami essentially changed nothing for the Master Collection, and that suited me just fine. I wanted to see and hear Shadow Moses just as I remembered it, and it did not disappoint. I'll probably get to MGS2 next year, and maybe even sneak in a replay of the GOAT, Snake Eater, before Delta turns up.
Honourable Mention: Vampire Survivors, Prince of Persia (2008)
6. Best Retro Playthrough: Sonic 1-3 and Sonic CD - Sonic Origins
I picked up Origins in the sale in November. I'm not sure what possessed me to do so, as I'd shown no interest in it previously, satisfied as I was with already owning Sonic 1-3 in various other formats and having no nostalgic ties to CD. But whatever, I bought it and then spent the rest of the year dipping in and out of 16-bit Sonic. Sonic 1, 2 and CD are all cleared, and I'm a good way through Sonic 3. I must say that I've really been enjoying myself, in spite of the hidden spikes, baddies placed at the end of loop-the-loops and high-speed ramps, and motherfucking springs into springs.
Sonic 1 has to be one of the most confident and well-formed initial entries in any series; Sonic 2 is by far the best Sonic of the 1990s, and therefore the best Sonic all told. If I'm being honest, I don't love Sonic 3, but it has its moments. Sonic CD is one of the strangest games I played all year, but I'm exceedingly glad to have experienced it. Look at me, finally playing a Mega CD game! A man of exceptional, and exceptionally-delayed, taste.
Honourable Mentions: Auto Modellista, Loaded
7. Longest Overrun: Silent Hill 2 Remake
The most terrifying thing about Silent Hill 2 is its runtime, which clocks in at around twenty hours. I haven't played the original, so I'm ill-equipped to explain how an 8-hour game turned into a 20-hour slog, but it wasn't difficult to identify segments that were padded and areas that relied too heavily on backtracking to burn some time. Ultimately, I liked Silent Hill 2, and can appreciate why many of you hold it in such high regard, but bloody hell I would've liked it so much more had it been punchier and the kill count hadn't resembled a Call of Duty mission.
Dishonourable Mention: Chants of Senaar (too much backtracking, but otherwise entertaining)
8. Best Reason to Have Game Pass in 2024: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
I hadn't played online CoD for years, but that changed when they started to appear on Game Pass. I put dozens of hours into being bang-average at online murder in MW3, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself. While I haven't played much Black Ops 6 online yet, I have completed the single player campaigns for both games. Despite it getting a critical mauling for its brevity, I had a blast with MW3 and its violent, British mustaches. Black Ops 6 was really interesting, and although I applaud Raven's willingness to try something new, I don't think it quite landed. Anyway, playing 50+ hours of Call of Duty was not something I thought I'd be doing in 2024.
Honourable Mentions: Still Wakes the Deep, Venba
9. Best Surprise: Venba
I did not expect to get as much out of Venba as I did. It's heartwarming, visually appealing, concise and generally very easy to get along with. The food also looks terrific! But more than that, in Venba I found a story of life abroad that personally resonated. Attempts to keep cultures alive in new locations, feelings of guilt, dissociation and helplessness when family members elsewhere in the world need you and you can't be there, and struggles with a new language will all be familiar themes to anyone who has chosen to live far from home. I wrote about this earlier in the year, so please check that out so that I don't have to repeat myself here! Anyway, Venba asks for very little but gives a great deal, and I'd highly recommend it.
Honourable Mention: Still Wakes the Deep
10. Most Disappointing: Dragon's Dogma 2
Perhaps an unfair selection, as I did like Dragon's Dogma 2. A solid seven out of ten with plenty of character. The disappointment, then, stems from the fact that not much seems to have changed since the original, and there is little evidence of growth or improvement. The greatest weakness of the first game, its entirely forgettable story, is an even greater weakness here, and when memorable things do happen, they tend to be off-script and naturally occurring. Unfortunately, Dragon's Dogma 2 feels directionless.
Dishonourable Mention: Vatican City, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
11. Standout Moment: Life Links in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Life Links are not so much a single moment, but a collection of them. Pay-offs to relationships built years ago, Life Link missions are a chance to catch up with important people in Kazuma Kiryu's life and be privy to their thoughts about him. These moments were funny and they were sad; they were poignant and occasionally throw-away. I'd regularly return to the Harbor Light bar to see if Detective Date was there and ready to kick-off the next Link, excited to discover who would turn up next, while knowing who it would eventually lead to. And behind it all there is a glorious tension between Kiryu and Date, two men who shouldn't be friends but clearly have a great deal of love for one another. I wish they'd just kiss.
Honourable Mentions: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - seeing the Land of Shadow open up before me for the first time; Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - the ship in the Himalayas and the switch to Shanghai
12. Worst Moment: Failing to Kill Promised Consort Radahn - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
I just could not beat him. Dozens of attempts and all ending in disappointment. And they weren't closely-run battles where you might talk yourself into a different outcome, if just one small thing had happened differently. No, I was getting battered, convincingly trounced as soon as Promised Consort Radahn unleashed his holy attacks. Dead, over and over again. I summoned the nearby NPC for support, I used my Mimic Tear, but it made no difference. My level was suitably high enough to make short work of every other boss, so I didn't feel the need to grind, and I didn't have the stomach for a re-spec. So I gave up, one foe short of a complete collection of dead bastards (and bitches). Please don't tell anyone, yeah?
Dishonourable Mention: Drowning over and over again in Still Wakes the Deep because I couldn't find the exit from a flooded structure
13. Best Remake: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
I've been impressed by how Square Enix has thus far remained faithful to the spirit of original FFVII while also offering us something quite unique. Rebirth justifies the existence of a second-go at FFVII in a way that Remake did not quite manage. It expands upon well-loved themes and moments and, best of all, gives us a better look at the locations that defined the original. Rebirth is a worthwhile complementary piece to OG VII, and I'm very glad it exists.
Honourable Mention: C-Smash VRS New Dimension
14. Best Expansion or DLC: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree is a very generous slice of new Elden Ring. The two-year-gap meant that I needed a couple of hours to reacquaint myself with how not to die incessantly, but I soon settled in and got comfortable. It was also a perfect excuse to revisit Elden Ring as a whole, something I hadn't done since the spring of 2022, and remind myself of how special it is. And this time I did it offline, as my PS+ had long since expired, which added an extra challenge, as well as a new feeling of loneliness and heightened danger. No more summoning half-naked, club-wielding maniacs to bail me out! Shadow of the Erdtree was the perfect ending to a very special game.
Honourable Mention: Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
15. Best Jumping into Holes: James Sunderland, Silent Hill 2
James fucking loves jumping into holes. And the darker the better. He simply doesn't care about the depth of the hole or what form of nightmare awaits him below; he sees a hole, he jumps in. Personally, I simply wouldn't jump into a hole if I couldn't see the bottom. I'd look for stairs or just go home. Thankfully, James is built different. I'm sure the holes represent something, like fannies, or are a window into his psyche, and that's why he's compelled to dive in, but whatever. Cheers for jumping in, James.
16. Best Voice Acting: Still Wakes the Deep
"Remember, Jesus loves you Caz. Everyone else thinks you're a cunt!" I adored the regional UK (mostly Scottish) dialects in Still Wakes the Deep, and was greatly impressed by the performances in general. The casual, borderline poetic swearing sounds natural and serves as a reassuring connection to reality, once everything else starts to get very weird. The on-point vocal performances are crucial, considering that most key conversations are held over phones or intercoms. They really nailed it.
Honourable Mention: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Alan Wake 2 Night Springs & Lake House, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
17. Best 2023-2024 Straddler: Alan Wake 2
Each year, there'll be something that I'm playing towards the end of December that's too late for full award recognition one year, and too early for the next. This year, it'll probably be Indiana Jones and the Great Circle; last year it was Alan Wake 2. It took me a little while to warm up to it, but once I had, I was all in. Most of that buy-in came in early 2024, and the subsequent DLC, while not on par with the full game, kept the experience fresh in my head. It wouldn't have been my GOTY for 2023, but it wouldn't have been far off. Anyway, here's me saying that Alan Wake 2 is very good and I liked it. Thanks.
18. Fastest Shelving: Neon White
I'm pretty good at avoiding games I don't like. I certainly never buy anything that I end up strongly disliking. I'm too careful with my purchases and far too conscious of what does or does not appeal. Game Pass, however, encourages me to take chances and play things that I otherwise would not. Neon White is one such example. I'd heard good things, and while I do enjoy the challenge of time attacks, I strongly disliked everything else about it. The characters, the voice acting, the dialogue, the art style, the floaty-quality to traversal - Neon White was not for me. Probably the only hard-miss I had all year, which is pretty good going.
19. Best Remake of a Dreamcast Classic: C-Smash VRS New Dimension
C-Smash looks and feels exactly as you hope it would. It is a modern, but very recognisable take on the Dreamcast and arcade classic, Cosmic Smash. The presentation is perfectly judged, visually it's very clean, it's simple to grasp and just challenging enough to make it tough to master. It also sounds sublime, thanks to an outstanding collection of tracks from Ken Ishii, Danalogue and UNKLE. It's a Dreamcast long-box short of being the definitive version of Cosmic Smash, and I can only imagine that it's even better in VR.
20. Best Ongoing Game: Vampire Survivors
I've been playing Vampire Survivors on and off the last two years, jumping back in each time I notice a new piece of DLC on the store. This year, I came back for Operation Guns and then Ode to Castlevania, which was the better of the two new content packs. Same game, different weapons, settings and hordes, and still as addictive as ever. Honestly, I think I'll keep coming back as long as Poncle continues to put out new content, especially when the expansions are only a couple hundred yen each. The game that keeps on giving!
Honourable Mention: Street Fighter 6
21. Best Feature: The Pawn System - Dragon's Dogma 2
The pawn system returned in Dragon's Dogma 2 and no one had a bad word to say about it. Pawns are player-created allies that can be shared among the player base, earning goodies for their creator and distributing useful knowledge about the missions they've experienced in other game worlds. They are the defining feature of Dragon's Dogma and by far its finest idea. They can also be hilarious, often given ill-fitting names by their creators, in possession of comedic personalities or fond of an odd turn of phrase. Some of them are overly differential and polite, and others utter gobshites. They also have zero disregard for their own health, which can lead to very funny situations. I recall my favourite pawns far more clearly, and far more fondly, than the vast majority of NPC I met elsewhere in 2024.
Honourable Mention: Glass smashing in Silent Hill 2 Remake
22. Best Mercari Purchase: Segagaga
I'd passed up several opportunities to buy a copy of Segagaga on Dreamcast over the years, and had come to regret it. Just two or three years ago, I'd even had a long-box copy in my hand at Book Off for 10,000 yen and decided to leave it. Since that time, prices have gone up and up. Regular copies are usually north of 10k, and the rarer long-box variants usually at least a couple thousand more. I figured I'd missed my opportunity to grab a reasonably-priced copy until, just before Christmas, I spotted a long-box on Mercari for less than 9000 yen. Well, I didn't hang around, and now I'm looking forward to a full playthrough in 2025 and finally meeting Alex Kidd the convenience store clerk. Sometimes good things come to those who wait, though that's usually not the case when retro-game pricing is involved!
Honourable Mentions: Spice Orange GameCube; a complete set of Street Fighter 2 key chains
23. Worst Mercari Purchase: An Orange case-modded PSP 2000
This looked great in the product photos. It was an orange skeleton case on a PSP-2000, put together by someone with dozens of similar listings, so I figured they'd know what they're doing. It seemed the perfect way to enjoy the PSP games I'd been slowly gathering over the previous months, and an overdue upgrade to my original PSP-1000, which is the only model I've ever known. Unfortunately, I would be severely disappointed. The case was poorly fitted, with huge gaps between the joints, and the face buttons sat far looser than they should've. Also, I was surprised by how flimsy the 2000 feels in comparison to the 1000, especially the cartridge slot and its lack of spring-loaded action. Being a Mercari purchase, I was quickly offered a full refund upon returning the item, and I've come to treasure my original PSP more than ever.
24. Had Me Most Conflicted: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
I'm still not really sure what I think about Indiana Jones, but I am definitely a little confused about the GOTY-talk I'm starting to hear. Outside of the initial temple introduction, I think it opens terribly. Vatican City lacks focus and guidance, the rules are unclear, and I never really knew what I was doing, as side missions and core missions seem to blend together and lack coherence. In general, stealth is basic, sometimes broken, and frustratingly inconsistent. Combat and traversal is so unsatisfying that I'd honestly rather it weren't there at all, replaced instead by cinematic set pieces or something equally controlled.
That being said, I'm still playing, and that's because it's fun being Indiana Jones and visiting the places you'd expect him to visit. The premise is irresistible, the characters and performances are outstanding, and when it does hit its stride, it offers some of the finest thrills this year. Egypt was a delight, as was the hour spent in the Himalayas and then war-torn Shanghai, which is as far as I've gotten at the time of writing. Who knows where I'll eventually land on Indy. It might be a breathtaking final third away from winning me over completely, or perhaps I'm in for another disappointing stretch that will convince me to abandon it for good. I'll let you know next year!
25. Best Character: Kazuma Kiryu, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
There's probably not much left to say about Kiryu. He steals pretty much every scene he's in, even when he's not up to much, he has two haircuts, he's both loved and feared, and he has an uncanny ability to become unrecognisable when wearing shades. He's also the best mentor Ichiban could ever ask for. Peerless.
Honourable Mentions: James Sunderland, Silent Hill 2; Yutaka Yamai, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
26. Proudest Moment: Battering Malenia Blade of Miquella, Elden Ring
I'd given up on defeating Malenia. I lacked the nimbleness to avoid her lunges consistently enough to prevent her health-leaching attacks from undoing all the damage I'd done. I'd used my Mimic Tear and summoned countless other players, all to no avail. I'd given up, but I'd not forgotten. Two years later, newly levelled up thanks to my adventures in the Land of Shadow, I and my mimic returned and made short work of her. Several additional levels and a little more patience worked wonders, and I believe I did a little fist pump when she fell. I hope I'll one day be able to enjoy a similar victory at Radahn's expense.
Honourable Mention: Getting the Platinum trophy in C-Smash VRS New Dimension
27. Worst Part of an Otherwise Excellent Game: The Palekana Storyline, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The Palekana narrative was good for one thing, and one thing only: bringing Ichiban and friends to Hawaii. That being said, I'm sure RGG Studio could've come up with something better. Everything related to Palekana was second-rate, including comically forgettable villain Bryce, whose name I had to Google, and the utterly pointless child that we are supposed to protect and whose name I cannot be arsed to Google. Also, I hated the fact that Ichiban and his friends were willing to cooperate with what was always very clearly a cult. That Infinite Wealth still soars, despite the utter dross of the Palekana storyline, speaks to its overwhelming quality elsewhere.
Dishonourable Mention: Interacting with Chadley, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
28. Best Xbox Back-compatibility: Prince of Persia (2008)
I only got through two back-compat titles this year, and both of them were bangers. It was my first time playing Ridge Racer 6 and I had an absolute blast. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not have fun when playing Ridge Racer, even the ones that aren't that good. However, I'm selecting Prince of Persia, which I replayed for the first time in a decade and a half. It's still beautiful, and a joy to see in motion. I doubt many games of its era have aged quite this gracefully. The painterly graphics help, but so does the minimalism that is evident everywhere, from the lack of combat to the tiny cast and precise and meaningful dialogue. Well worth a look today.
Honourable Mention: Ridge Racer 6
29. Biggest Grower: Yuffie - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Yuffie, Wutai's premier materia thief, grew on me. At first, she annoyed the shit out of me, but by the time I'd finished Rebirth, she was among my favourite members of Avalanche. Yes she's annoying, but she fits in well with the team, and has some particularly enjoyable moments with Barret. In spite of all the gusto and nonstop trash talk, there is some depth to her character, as evidenced by the traumatic events of Intermission and how they continue to haunt her. She's also perhaps the most ruthless person in the party, Cloud aside, and would happily slit your throat for a ball of materia. She'd probably do a little dance afterwards too.
30. The Right Game at the Right Time: Botany Manor
I had an afternoon to myself one Sunday in May and decided to spend it playing video games. Big surprise there. I thought I'd search Game Pass for something new, which I found in Botany Manor. It was exactly what I was after, and I finished most of it in one sitting, and cleared up the rest the following day. Botany Manor is short, colourful, relaxing, and full of low-stakes puzzles. It had me pining for British weather and country gardens, just as summer was rearing its ugly head here in Japan. A blissful, much-needed couple of hours.
31. Wish I'd Made Time For: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
I've gotten rather good at not amassing a backlog of games. I generally don't buy games unless I'm ready to play them, unless of course the discount is so significant that it would be silly to say no, which is how I ended up with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I understand that the reception has been mixed, but I'm keen to jump back into that world regardless, and cross it off my backlog in the new year.
Honourable Mentions: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story
32. Most Looking Forward to in 2024: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Much like this year, 2025 has a pair of big hitters releasing early in the year, in the form of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Monster Hunter Wilds. I wouldn't be surprised if either of them ends up being my game of the year. But where next year gets really interesting is when you start looking at the yet-to-be-dated releases. Of course some of these will likely slip into 2026, but even if only a few of them arrive on time, we'll be in for a great 12 months. Death Stranding 2, Fable, Grand Theft Auto VI, Mafia: The Old Country and lets not forget Switch 2 and whatever that might bring. Lots to be excited about. My pick, however, has to be Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. The TGS demo whet my appetite, and while there may be some concern about whether it will appeal to a new audience, us MGS-heads can rest easy, knowing that it will closely resemble the classic we adore.
Honourable Mentions: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Monster Hunter Wilds
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