1UP Vault’s Top 10 Favorite Games of 2024
2024’s Best Games
2024 was a rough year for me personally. Of course, that makes my favorite escapism for entertainment much more needed. The year started out a little disappointing following 2023’s stack of masterpieces. However, as the year progressed, it got better and better. Unfortunately, I didn’t play as many games as I had hoped, but I could play enough to make this list.
WARNING - Potential Spoilers Ahead
The Missing Ones and Special Mentions
Metaphor: ReFantazio - Every year, there’s one game I badly wish I got to play, but due to different circumstances, it didn’t happen. Metaphor is that game for 2024. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this game, and I’m confident it would’ve made my top five if I got around to playing it. Hopefully, that will happen sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - I did play a good chunk of the single-player campaign for this one, but I didn’t finish it as I had other games to focus on. I did like most of what I was playing, and the Bill Clinton cameo got a pop from a history nerd like me.
Silent Hill 2 - Another game I wish I had played sooner, but I couldn't due to time and money. I did see a Let’s Play of the game, and I see why it received the love it received.
Black Myth Wukong - Like Silent Hill 2, I experienced this one through YouTube instead of playing it. I feel like the game would’ve had a chance to make the list if I had actually played it.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - I came close to putting this on my list, but because it’s a DLC expansion and my experience with it was watching one of my favorite Let’s Players play it, I decided not to. This is a damn good expansion. If this was a standalone sequel, it would easily be in the top five.
#10 - The Plucky Squire
Favorite Moment - Doing a turn-based RPG battle against a trading card
This game is one of the more polarizing of the year. I could see why people would often get annoyed with its pacing and constant exposition dumps, but I found myself loving the concept and gameplay. Don’t get me wrong—this game is not perfect, and I understand why many came away disappointed, but there was enough for me to enjoy my time with it. The game has a lot of personality, and the characters feel like they are out of a storybook, which is the whole premise. The art direction and soundtrack are among my favorites of the year. While I wonder what could’ve been if the devs had avoided specific issues, I appreciate the best I got out of it. I hope Jot and friends make a return with a bigger and better game.
#9 - Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Favorite Moment - The final act’s emotional strings
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is the passion project of actor Abubakar Salim, who developed the game to memorialize and deal with the grief of losing his father. I liked everything I saw about this game from the moment it was announced. The game follows Zau, a young shaman looking to resurrect his father, who must calm three spirits as offerings to the God of Death - Kalunga. The game plays like a Metroidvania, although it doesn’t fully embrace all aspects of the genre. The platforming, at times, can be pretty challenging, but the emotional weight of the story carries it. The themes around grief and the setting around African folklore give it its special ingredient. There’s a lot of emotion and heart to the game's final act. While this won’t go down as one of the games that people think of when it comes to the year, I won’t forget my experience with it.
#8 - Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Favorite Moment - Hearing the voices while wearing my headphones
I missed the hype train on the first Hellblade, so I wasn’t going to miss out on the anticipated sequel. Senua looks to free her enslaved people, purposely making sure she is captured so she can be sailed across the sea. From there, she goes on a journey that sees her gain allies and discovers the people’s fears of giants that are tormenting the lands. While playing, Senua’s voices from her psychosis offer both criticism and help throughout the game. The experience of playing this with headphones is one of the best audio experiences I ever had in a video game. On top of that, this is easily the most gorgeous video game my eyes have seen. I stopped several times to scan the area and look at the insane details. The photorealistic motion capture and environments are wild to see in person.
The game is more narratively focused and offers very few combat moments. However, those combat segments are visceral, and you feel every enemy encounter is a battle to the death. Rather than just mowing down enemies, you’ll feel the fear and anxiety that must be the closest we can come to knowing what fights during the 9th century were like. With every fight, you can hear the music pick up, and it just shows how perfectly the game can use sound as much as part of the experience as you press buttons to move and fight. Senua’s journey is impactful and has left a strong mark on me, especially on how video games could use sound beyond delivering good background music.
#7 - Star Wars Outlaws
Favorite Moment - The Rancor boss battle
I have a confession: I like Star Wars but am not in love with it. That doesn’t mean I don’t get excited about anything the franchise offers; I don’t see it as a must-watch or, in the case of video games, a must-play. That said, Star Wars Outlaws is one of the best gaming sessions I’ve had with a movie IP. The game mostly steers clear of the usual characters from the original trilogy, although there are references and some cameos. Taking place before the events of episode six, Kay Vess is forced into putting together a crew to do a major heist. As she does this, she has to negotiate and survive in the criminal underworld with plenty of choices to anger or partner with several syndicates.
The game is at its best when you’re doing the underworld criminal dealings. You can monitor how each group feels about you, and every decision you make can move them closer to liking or hating you. The characters you meet along the way are well written and memorable. Each crew member I recruited through my journey had an interesting background and felt like a fleshed-out character, not just there to be there. Kay, our main protagonist, became one of my favorite characters of the year as her mix of naivety but still keeping that outlaw charm worked for me. Her pet companion, Nix, is also memorable, and he’s used in the game as more than just a cute animal.
This game has its faults, but it has some exciting moments when it's rolling. There were a couple of times I sat up and paid attention. My favorite moment is a surprise boss fight against the Rancor in Jabba’s palace. The story also comes full circle, with Kay's decision to care for her crew members proving pivotal. Oh yeah, the music! The soundtrack sounds like it was composed for a Star Wars movie while keeping its personality. It’s a great sci-fi adventure that felt like more than just a movie IP video game. I was in a swashbuckling space adventure with great music, a cast of characters, and great pacing. I hope we see more of Kay Vess and her crew.
#6 - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Favorite Moment (So Far) - Indiana’s first encounter with Voss
So this one was hard to decide on because it's the only one on the list I haven’t rolled credits on, but I think I got a good handle on how I feel about it. Indiana Jones is like Star Wars, a franchise I liked but never loved, like many of you. Maybe that’s why I don’t hate the fourth film and feel that many of you are too harsh. I have yet to see the last one. So, when this game was revealed, I was intrigued to see how the influence of popular video game franchises Tomb Raider and Uncharted would work in the world of video games done by a major AAA studio.
First, the three big standouts for this game are Troy Baker’s performance, the graphics, and the music. Troy Baker sounds so much like Harrison Ford that you’ll do a double-take throughout the game. It’s so incredible that I hope Troy gets recognition for it as if he doesn't have enough for other iconic performances. The graphics are insanely beautiful. Not only are we dealing with photorealistic motion capture and environments, but the game is at a solid 60 FPS, even with ray tracing on! What they’ve done here is a technical accomplishment. Much like Star Wars Outlaws, the music can give you that franchise nostalgia but also keep its personality.
So far, I like the story and the moments in the game. I’m a bit mixed on the combat, and there’s more stealth than I would’ve liked, but it’s not ruining my experience. I have to give props to MachineGames and Bethesda, who did their research. This isn’t just a here’s Indiana Jones, and here’s an Uncharted-like adventure - no, every aspect of this feels like Spielberg and Lucas did it. Indiana Jones feels and acts like how he does in the movies; the humor is the same as in the film, and the crazy villains and moments are like in the movies. Emmerich Voss is on his way to being my favorite villain of 2024. I have some time before I finish this one, but this is one hell of an adventure, and if you’re looking for an awesome Indiana Jones experience, this is it.
#5 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Favorite Moment - Aerith’s death isn’t changed (yeah, you heard me)
When it comes to the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, I feel weird about it because, on the one hand, I love these games, and I’ve enjoyed my time with them. However, I don’t think the narrative is done a service going through the lens of confusion and teasing changes to the story overall. I wouldn’t recommend a new gamer to this universe to play these before they complete the original 1997 release. That being said, there’s no doubt that the remake games bring all the memories and nostalgia of one of gaming’s most infamous stories and its characters. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth feels like the ultimate dream for a hardcore fan of Final Fantasy VII. The soundtrack sounds like the perfect composition of the original’s legendary music; the characters are expanded upon and given more depth, and all of the iconic moments are shown with a bigger budget.
This game follows Cloud and the company’s journey looking for Sephiroth. It accomplishes this by giving us an open world, compared to the more linear experience the first remake game gave us. While there’s a lot of debate on how they handed the side quests and exploration, it does give you that classic Final Fantasy experience that I admit XVI was lacking. It does all this with gorgeous visuals, even if the performance mode of the game looks washed to many gamers. The performances and the addition of a relationship system make this the best ensemble cast of the year. Tifa is a standout, and while there is justifiable criticism over her appearance and she is there for Cloud to potentially chase romantically, the way they dealt with her arc and the performance by Britt Baron is phenomenal.
The game is packed with a lot of content; if you want to spend months in this world, you have that option. The main story is arguably filled with some filler, as we have to remember they are taking one game and remaking it as a trilogy, but I never felt annoyed or bored by it. One major worry I had going into the game was the teasing of changes in the story. Don’t get me wrong, it still has plenty of things to leave you scratching your head until the third release - but we did confirm one thing: the infamous Aerith death scene stayed. That was such an impactful moment in gaming, and I really wanted that to stay. I was actually (and you can judge me all you want) happy that it did. They trick the player by making it look at first like Cloud did stop it, but then the truth is shown. This was masterful storytelling as the devs found a way to keep you emotionally invested, even though you knew what was coming.
#4 - Dungeons of Hinterberg
Favorite Moment - The Windsbraut boss fight
The surprise of the year is Dungeons of Hinterberg. I went into this game completely blind, with only suggestions and recommendations guiding me. I am extremely happy I did. You play as Luisa, a law student who chooses to come to Hinterberg to vacation. But in an interesting twist, vacation means fighting monsters in dungeons in the game. As you settle in, you meet a whole cast of characters and have to decide which to pursue friendships with, which grants you access to various abilities and advantages. As you explore the dungeons, Luisa will uncover a plot that explains the town's magic and how it affects tourism.
I really dug the concept for this one. It’s like a ski resort, but you’re fighting monsters in this world?! It helped that I got a Persona vibe when making friends and a Legend of Zelda vibe when exploring the dungeons. Actually, I think this game’s dungeon designs are so good that even The Legend of Zelda could learn a thing or two from them! The art style and music only add to the vibe of the game. I described it in my full review as a virtual vacation. It has challenges, but you’ll get a relaxing feeling, too. With some memorable characters, solid combat, damn good dungeon designs, and more - this is an experience I won’t soon forget.
#3 - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Favorite Moment - Darston’s character arc
Finally, we get to play as Princess Zelda in the franchise titled The Legend of Zelda. The game starts with a story as old as time: Zelda is captured by Ganon, who is defeated by the young hero Link. However, as things look done, Link is swallowed into a mysterious dark rift as the princess escapes. With no Link to help Hyrule, Zelda befriends Tri, a fairy creature that can explore the rifts. Together, they set out to find Link and uncover the truth regarding the mystery of the darkness.
One thing that stood out when playing this was how much I missed the classic Zelda formula, much more than I thought I would. I know many didn’t like the switch to a more open-world formula for the series recently, but I love both games to pieces. With this one, I liked the predictable nature of exploring the dungeons and the world acting more as a hub instead of a whole world to explore. Add a surprisingly good story with many of the great side characters you expect in this series, and you have one of the best games I enjoyed this year. The story of Darston and his character arc as a new leader of the Goron is one of my favorite moments of 2024. I felt I was transported back to my first time playing those pre-Switch Zelda classics.
The game’s use of echoes was better than I expected, too. There’s a little bit of a Pokemon kind of flair to the game when you copy enemies and use them against each other. Using so many items in the game also gave me a sort of “diet” Tears of the Kingdom feeling. In her first adventure, Princess Zelda nails it with all the Zelda charm you expect, proving she can save Hyrule as well—one of my more feel-good gaming experiences.
#2 - Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Favorite Moment - The entire final act
This was my first Dragon Age experience and it delivered big time. Dragon Age: The Veilguard has you play as a recruited member to help stop an Elven mage named Solas from opening a veil that keeps the world of Thedas together. Things go south, and now you must recruit a crew to help take down self-proclaimed Elven gods who hope to destroy the world. As if that isn’t enough, Solas is trapped in a mysterious prison you can access in your mind and question whether he’s helping you or using you to accomplish his goals. From there, you’ll meet several characters joining your quest while having their own story arcs.
This game is all about decisions. This is the closest I’ve come to my experience in 2013 when I played the original Mass Effect trilogy. Every decision you make can affect how your allies tackle their problems, and even at the game's final act, how much you help an ally grow can determine if they live or die in the end. I had fun advancing through all of my companions, and despite almost 100 hours, I never got bored, even in the side quests. I found all the characters interesting and wanted to see them complete their arcs. The presentation and art style have some beautiful moments and solid combat. The battles against dragons, in particular, felt pretty epic.
If Star Wars Outlaws is a swashbuckling space adventure and Indiana Jones feels like an adventure film, this was my much-needed high fantasy epic with a large cast of characters and a massive story to follow. From helping friends like Emmerich with his fear of death, Taash with her identity, Bellara with her struggle about her people’s past, romancing Neve who also had her questions on whether her city needed her, helping Lucanis uncover a traitor in his family, dealing with a mysterious Gryphon hunter with Davrin, or Harding with her newfound powers - there was always something for me to do and care about in the game. This was my epic for the year.
#1 - Astro Bot
Favorite Moment - The entire final act
Astro Bot gave us something many platformer fans have been waiting decades for—a true-quality alternative to a Super Mario title. The story is simple: Astro crashes on a mysterious desert planet after a giant green alien steals his spaceship, which is shaped like a PlayStation 5. Astro must now explore galaxies to rescue parts for his ship and bots.
This game can best be explained by just one simple word: fun. Every moment you even take a step, you’ll bump into something new or see a small detail that makes you smile. While this is happening, you’ll hear one of the year’s best soundtracks. You’ll get that addictive feeling of nostalgia as the game is peppered with bots celebrating the 30th anniversary of PlayStation and the gameplay that feels like a new Mario game. Still, it’s not the plumber in overalls - it’s the little robot that could.
You can feel the passion behind this game. Small details that Nintendo is known for show up here. Powerups play perfectly to the varied and frenetic levels. One moment, I stopped time to use flying casino chips to go higher; I got a monkey on my back to climb ledges, or I could become a sponge and soak up water to release and grow a giant tree. Ideas like an exploding volcano, who happens to have a fever, or using a lightbulb to uncover invisible platforms are just some things you’ll bump into. Astro Bot is like a giant box of fun, with ideas all over the table for you.
Astro Bot feels like what you think of when you say video games. The final act is a chef’s kiss to end a video game right. There’s even a heartfelt moment at the end, a heartfelt moment in a platforming game! In a time when the world seems to be embracing hatred, no game had me as happy and helping me with some tough times more than this one. Astro Bot is one of the greatest platformers ever made - I dare say up there with the best Mario games. Astro, I hope to see you again.
What an awesome list! A lot of those are on my wishlist as well! Plucky squire looks so fun and so does astrobot!