Game Of The Year Editor’s Pick, 2024

Another year, another game of the year list. After a relatively quiet 12 months compared to the barnstormer that was 2023, I’ve jumped between triple-A bangers and indie darlings with more frequency than ever. Some of these I become obsessed with, others I struggle to finish, but all of them help to define who I am as a gamer. Here’s a rundown of my personal favourites and why I loved them so much.

10

Unicorn Overlord

Following the excellence of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, I expected so much from VanillaWare. What I didn’t expect was to be enraptured by a surprisingly traditional tactics title that was light on the storytelling and heavy on the strategy.

Yet Unicorn Overlord manages to be visually arresting and mechanically dense, carrying the very same substance and charm that makes all of VanillaWare’s work so beloved. It isn’t a time-travelling high school caper about queer teenagers piloting mechs, but it’s still pretty special.

9

Mullet Madjack

This fast-paced shooter is what would happen if Akira had a fling with Hotline Miami. You are a badass mercenary with only a few seconds to live, and in order to add more time to this clock and earn the ultimate prize, you must murder people in the coolest ways possible.

Fueled by a compelling roguelike structure and peerless gunplay, this psychedelic homage to classic action cinema and vintage anime is incredibly good fun, ticking all the boxes I’m after in games like this. At only a few hours long, it takes hold and refuses to let go.

8

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

I can feel myself detransitioning as I dedicate yet another spot on my list for a masculine bro shooter about killing fools in the coolest ways possible. But Treyarch really pushed the boat out with Call of Duty this year, delivering one of the strongest entries in almost a decade.

The campaign is a Mission: Impossible-esque caper filled with rad set pieces and imaginative gameplay design, the multiplayer is tight, responsive, and satisfying, while zombies adopts a back-to-basics approach filled with amazing progression and obscure Easter Eggs.

7

1000xResist

Now for something completely different. I love games that interrogate not only the human condition, but what it means to be alive and take advantage of our own free will. A brutal, touching, and unforgiving examination filled with fascinating characters and themes that serve as part of a greater whole.

1000xResist is a game I’m already keen to revisit, if only to see how my understanding shifts and changes with time as others stumble upon this gem.

6

Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree

Much like how Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty earned a spot on my previous list, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an expansion I was utterly smitten with. It’s hard to quantify exactly how large this experience is, and how it serves as a victory lap for the base game that has already cemented itself as a masterpiece.

Previous expansions by FromSoftware have been more iterative, existing safely within the confines of the games that birthed them. Shadow of the Erdtree is in a league of its own. A confident, accomplished, and engrossing addition to a game that already has a very special place in my heart.

5

Silent Hill 2

I, and many others, expected Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake to be garbage. After The Medium left a sour taste in my mouth and Layers of Fear 2 proved equally mediocre, there was no chance the Polish studio was going to pull this one off. Then it did.

This revival of the survival horror classic hits all the right marks, and not only recreates all the seminal beats, but greatly expands on them. It is terrifying, beautiful, and filled with so many moments of sombre reflection that hit harder now than they ever did. Silent Hill has been subject to decades of neglect, so to see it return with such majesty means so much.

4

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Capcom’s fantasy RPG is the epitome of f**k around and find out. The sequel is years in the making, and is every bit as unpredictable and esoteric as the cult classic that preceded it. It’s not telling a grand story or casting you in the role of a legendary hero, but it does give you all the tools needed to slay giant monsters and look rad as hell doing it.

There are so many beats in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that feel like scripted moments of spectacle, but every single one is of your own making. It is equally rewarding and ruthless in the adventures it sends you on to slay giant monsters and stake your claim as the Arisen.

3

Hades 2

Supergiant’s second dip into the pool of Greek mythology is everything I wanted it to be. It might still be in early access, but Hades 2 is already an accomplished experience filled with amazing combat, lovable characters, and a sense of charm and intrigue that rivals the first game. In fact, if it keeps up its current momentum, it will be destined to surpass it.

I love how queer its characters and themes are, its greater focus on body diversity, and the moreish nature of each subsequent run that uses its early access state to tell stories all its own. I was initially afraid what a sequel to a game like Hades could mean, and now I know Supergiant took the right risk, and it more than paid off.

2

Astro Bot

Team Asobi’s adorable platformer might be this year’s biggest surprise. After Playroom, I had a feeling it was going to be fun, but not one of the greatest games of the past decade. Every single level, mechanic, and PlayStation Easter Egg was made with so much love, enough that I can easily look past the corporate cynicism of its thinly veiled mascot parade.

No game has made me smile more than this one in the past 12 months, or reminded me why I fell in love with video games in the first place. How something so simple yet so delightful is able to move a grown woman like myself to tears is well worth celebrating. Astro Bot is going to have a very bright future if this entry is any indication, and I cannot wait.

Honorable Mentions That I Also Loved To Bits

1

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy has been an emotional rollercoaster like no other. It’s not just a retelling of the original story, but a fundamental reimagining that seeks to introduce the 1997 classic to a whole new audience. Not everything about this second entry is perfect, but it does so much right that I can’t help but give it the flowers it deserves.

But what wins me over most of all are its characters. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith and so many others are just as I remember their original counterparts despite so much time having passed. Combine that with a fully-fledged open world, amazing combat, along with an unrivalled sense of place, and there isn’t much else I’d rather be playing this year than Rebirth.

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4.5/5

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth