Your 2024 game of the year?

[TypeRDC5]

That time of the year to see what everyone's game of the year is.

For once I actually bought and played a lot of new releases this year but I also can't pick jusy one game so I have to pick two.

Final Fantasy Rebirth - I loved Remake but this took everything good from it and improved it. Special shout out to the soundtrack! Loved all the locations and how much there was to do in them.

Silent Hill 2 - Like many when I saw who was creating the game I had little hope but oh boy was I wrong. The atmosphere, locations and tension are unmatched in a horror game, I'm a survival horror veteran and no game has ever had me on edge or as scared as this.

Also honorable mention has to go to Astrobot, just a great polished platformer which reminds me of the earlier PlayStation consoles.

So what is your game of the year?

 

[Nacho Libre]

Thanks for putting this thread up again @TypeRDC5!

My favorite game in 2024 is a release from 2023: Hogwarts Legacy, which I got on sale on Steam, and where I've played about 70 or so hours, that tells you how much I like it.

My favorite remake in 2024 is Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (Steam), which happened to be my 2023 Game of the Year! The honorable mention in this category is Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition.

(I'm such a bore).

My favorite game(s) everyone seems to hate are Star Wars: Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Immortals of Aveum (2023). Yes, they may have their issues, but if they engage me, I will continue to play them.

My favorite Unreal Engine 5 game that runs with little or no issues is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Love the setting, love the tone and is fun.

Favorite indie game: Vampire Survivors (2021) and its homage to Castlevania DLC.

Favorite game that I abandoned playing in a fit of rage: Diablo IV (2023). Honorable mention: Prince of Persia - The Lost Crown

Favorite game in the backlog that I purchased but I haven't installed: It's going to be either God of War or Robocop: Rogue City (2025 GOTY candidates?)

Favorite free game that I never played before: Half-Life 2, thanks Steam!

Favorite game(s) that got out of the backlog: I'll correct myself, I actually finished Immortals of Aveum AND Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Disappointment(s) of the year: Stalker 2, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown (fortunately, at the demo stage), Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could still win this, but fingers crossed.

Edit: I would like to make an amendment because it's an incredible oversight from me not to acknowledge Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Ubisoft+) as a late 2023 game, whose main campaign I finished in 2024 and now I'm doing a second run to then tackle the two expansions it received this year.

 

[Jump_Ace]

Astrobot is my pick, a close second being COD Zombies. I was hoping it'd be ACE, but next year it is


Jerome

 

[Spacegoat]

Balatro. Bought in on a whim a few months back for the Switch after @Niku Driver HC kept talking about it. And I've been playing it almost daily ever since. Just incredibly addictive and satisfying.

 

[m355y]

Astrobot. It'll be remembered in years to come the way Mario Galaxy is now. Stunning game.

 

[Fezzik]

I don’t think I’ve actually played anything released in 2024. Working through the backlog & waiting for sales, that’s my new normal. Fully expecting my Playstation Wrapped to be hundreds of hours of GT, Cyberpunk and Baldur’s Gate - again.

EDIT - forgot Helldivers 2 because I didn’t buy it myself. Played it a lot though on my nephew’s account. Great game.

 

[NLxAROSA]

CarX Street on PC. Close second: Steam release of Crime Boss: Rockay City.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Astrobot. It put a smile on my face when I played it.

 

[FuriousDemon]

There's not that many that I've played this year, but I bet even if I did play more, the choice would be the same.

Stalker 2 is absolutely my GOTY.

It's still has plenty of bugs and not everything is working properly gameplay system wise, but even though I mostly don't like open-world games, this one just does have that special something about it. It keeps me coming back for more time and again.

The map is huge and full of surprises and you are always wanting to see if that unexplored area has a gun or armor that is better than what you have. You have tons of loot everywhere, but there's only so much you can carry, so you have to be strategic what weapons you take with you on a mission. There's plenty of ammo, but miss enough shots and bloodsucker will kill you in no time, no matter how much ammo you're carrying. The hunt for artifacts, the unexpected side missions, even the main story is actually good enough to keep me playing. Even though it's not exactly the same kind of a game, the last time I had a similar feeling game was Prey in 2017, which is probably one of my favorite games ever.

Honorable mention for the year is Silent Hill 2. It's a great remake and a solid game.

 

[GBalao888]

For me it would be Astro Bot and Stellar Blade, mostly for the following reasons:

Astro Bot - Regardless if it's played by children or adults, even if I'm in my mid-20s, this is still as enjoyable and immersive, putting the Dualsense controller to good use, along with its colorful and vibrant worlds that really scream Super Mario Galaxy to me. It's also a definitive celebration of the PlayStation brand, as PlayStation isn't just about the games or the consoles, but also the culture, legacy, nostalgia and memories that came along with them. And when I walk around the crash site just to look at the bots, I always think to myself: "It's the people that make it home". It left me wanting more from the game, as it did last a short while (taking only three days to get Platinum with it), and thank goodness I even got this over the terrible mess that is TDU Solar Crown.

Spoiler

Added bonus: This is also another game that made me feel great inside since Forza Horizon 3, as I was playing Astro Bot to escape another dark chapter in my life: when I got cheated on by my girlfriend of seven years.

Stellar Blade - I've been searching for a game that felt as easily relatable to both Dead Space and Dying Light, and I found the perfect match in Stellar Blade. The combat kind of felt like a mix between Spider Man: Miles Morales and Ben 10: Protector of Earth, with an emphasis on dodging and parrying, which for me, as someone not used to similar games of this kind, is really easy to pick up on. A lot of the story and game elements take inspiration from these games of the past, and it really felt like the developers really did a lot of homework and put a lot of care into these things. Already a ton of hours in, and as of writing, I'm not even halfway done yet as I'm trying to pursue what would give me the best possible ending later on. The suspension of disbelief is definitely there and I've picked this up shortly after I finished Astro Bot three times.

 

[MisterWaffles]

I may get some hate for saying this. But 2024 has honestly been a pretty garbage year for gaming overall. I’ve barely spent any money on new releases this year. Only about $100 or so. Usually I buy five or six new games a year, but it was only one or two this time around the sun.

The PS5 still has no games, and in a year where Concorde was supposed to be Sony’s biggest release, you know PlayStation is crapping their pants big-time.

I think it says a lot too when most people in this thread so far have mentioned Astrobot as their absolute game of the year. I’ve tried it, and I think it’s absolutely sad that’s considered absolute GOTY material right now. Not to say it’s a bad game or unenjoyable one. But it just shows the complete lack of interesting or creative content from the industry as a whole this year. Astrobot is an incredibly mid platformer that brings absolutely nothing new to the table that wasn’t already done a decade or more ago in the Mario Galaxy games, which I think are better experiences. Well, besides nostalgia bait I guess, the game is chock-full of that. It’s basically one giant playstation ad. I might be being too harsh on a game made for simple turn-your-brain-off fun and enjoyment, but I don’t think we should be giving such high praise to a platformer that didn’t try anything original compared to the last two decades of platforming.

I found Stellar Blade to be the game I played the most this year in terms of new releases. I put about 35 hours into it. It’s a pretty fun game and yes I know the reason why most people bought it… But the game itself can be frustrating at times and it’s another one of those typical long corridor full of enemies and then a super cheap boss at the end kind of Dark Souls experiences. The difficulty spikes can be pretty frustrating, and it doesn’t feel like a well paced or even experience, but I won’t lie getting through some of those tougher sections was admittedly pretty satisfying. Also Eve has a… uh… really nice design, and the levels are beautiful to look at, but the story is really bad. I’m sorry lol. For a developer who previously was known for their mobile titles, moving into a near-triple A space, it was pretty impressive for a first attempt. So hats off to Shift Up and to Sony for entrusting them and their vision. That’s like the one good move PlayStation made all year.

Still waiting for the games this generation guys… I bought my PS5 a few years ago now. Let’s hurry it up folks. I’m still pretty much just playing stuff from 2022 and 2023 these days. I want something that forces me to stop playing GT7, but it hasn’t come yet.

 

[doblocruiser]

StellarBlade 🤟

 

[SPhilli911]

Probably Stalker 2 or Silent Hill 2 Remake for me but there is still time left in 2024 to find out, starting tonight, if Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be the one. I have a feeling it will be.

 

[Meythia]

Wukong was my big surprise.
I expected it to be good, and it was even better, especially the last boss fight.
The only downside was the last region, I have a feeling this was created by a different team who were told they could do everything they wanted.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Probably between Zenless Zone Zero and Parking Garage Rally Circuit. Those have mainly been the standouts in a year where gaming has been getting even worse than before.

Also shout out to Train Sim World 5 for being ultra chill.

 

[Dave A]

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth by a mile for me.

 

[jackkix]

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say the game of the year, at least in the conversation, is Astrobot

 

[TypeRDC5]

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say the game of the year, at least in the conversation, is Astrobot

Certainly looks like a popular pick, deserving of all the praise, it's a great game.

 

[WanganDream]

If I can pick a title from last year, I'd say The Crew Motorfest.
The game wasn't very good in its first year. It had little content and was full of bugs and glitches. But they improved it over time, and with the Y2 update, it finally became a good enough game that I didn't want to go back to TC2.

If I'm going to pick a title from this year, I'd say Victory Heat Rally.
This is a super fun arcade racing game that pays great respect to classic 2D games like Power Drift.
This game is just fun to drive and always puts a smile on my face. I loved it from the demo, but the full version made it even better.

 

[SPhilli911]

Probably Stalker 2 or Silent Hill 2 Remake for me but there is still time left in 2024 to find out, starting tonight, if Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be the one. I have a feeling it will be.

I've not completed the Indiana Jones game yet but it is my 2024 GOTY pick as I suspected it would be. I've not enjoyed a game this much in a long time.

 

[kjb]

For me it's Rise of the Ronin. I reminds of one of my PS2 favorites Way of the Samurai

 

[Dibs]

Astro Bot, what an amazing, joyful game. One of my all time favorites.

Well deserved GOTY at TGA. Speaking of TGA, probably the best one yet, even if there are still plenty they could do better, give at least a moment for EVERY winner. A lot of interesting announcements. Can't wait for Intergalactic (Naughty Dog's next game).

Time to play the new Astro level.

 

[Ande3200]

I think its been the weakest year for gaming in a long time, dont know if i have any game that have really blown me away,

2025 looks much brighter for me, and starting of good with ac evo in january.

 

[SPhilli911]

Astro Bot, what an amazing, joyful game. One of my all time favorites.

Well deserved GOTY at TGA. Speaking of TGA, probably the best one yet, even if there are still plenty they could do better, give at least a moment for EVERY winner. A lot of interesting announcements. Can't wait for Intergalactic (Naughty Dog's next game).

Time to play the new Astro level.

Astro Bot deserved the GOTY at the TGA. While it's not my personal pick (I do adore the game) it's really nice to see a platforer get that recognition and it's very appropriate around the 30 year Playstation anniversary too, especially when the "father" of the Playstation was in the audience along with other PS gaming veterans.

Lots of great announcements at TGA but Intergalactic had me most excited. A sci-fi game with Naughty Dog's top-quality storytelling, acting and characters? Yeah, definitely can't wait.

 

[TypeRDC5]

Astro Bot deserved the GOTY at the TGA. While it's not my personal pick (I do adore the game) it's really nice to see a platforer get that recognition and it's very appropriate around the 30 year Playstation anniversary too, especially when the "father" of the Playstation was in the audience along with other PS gaming veterans.

Lots of great announcements at TGA but Intergalactic had me most excited. A sci-fi game with Naughty Dog's top-quality storytelling, acting and characters? Yeah, definitely can't wait.

Agreed. Although it's not my personal GOTY it's nice to see a platformer win it.

My 2 GOTY's are remakes so I guess if we weren't counting remakes it would be my GOTY. I just wish there was more to it, I didn't want it to end and got the platinum very quickly.

 

[sirjim73]

GOTY for me was... The Crew 2.
Bought it a year after release when it had very little content and put it down quickly. Came back to it last summer - 100s of hours to races and other content and, if you bought it at the right time, all that for 80 pence.
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"

I'm currently predicting my GOTY for 2027 will be The Crew Motorsport as they will have completed the game by then and i can start playing it.

Award for "best PlayStation game I've played this year" goes to... well GT7 as its the only one I've played

Award for "best racing game on GamePass" goes to... EA Sports WRC - since it snuck on there last month, it counts

Award for "best game called Forza" goes to... FH5 (even though I spent more hours playing FM23 because of the ridiculous FOMO requirements).

Award for "best non-racing game on GamePass" goes to Frog Detective (short but hysterical!)

Award for "best game installed for months but not got round to playing it yet" goes to Persona 3 Reload

Award for "game I purchased on Xbox due to good treatment of players" is shared by No Mans Sky (which i already had on PlayStation but not on Xbox) and Crime Boss: Rockay City" (which I purchased solely because they made all the DLC free).

 

[m355y]

I honestly prefer The Crew 2 to most Forza Horizons. The map is vast and alive with different places to explore, animals...as a game for just driving round having fun I think it's unbeatable and they keep updating and improving it all while virtually giving it away. I love driving up into the Cascades and trying to find the bigfoot, or just hopping between cities. Maybe the driving mechanics and races aren't up to FH standards but I love the exploration and free driving so much.