With the global gaming market growing every year, it’s no surprise that 2024 became one of the best years in memory for new releases. With games across all genres taking fans by storm, we take a look at which ones will go down in history now that the year is drawing to a close. Here are the best games of 2024.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
What better combination for a hit game than the juncture of a nostalgic favorite with cutting-edge graphics and storylines? That’s what Final Fantasy 7 delivered, and it was an absolute hit.
Not only did the game offer a variety of features for gamers to explore, but it also achieved a great balance of character development. Players found themselves falling in love with characters as they embarked on a journey back to 1997, wishing the experience would never end.
Pacific Drive
It’s an unsuspecting candidate for game of the year, but Pacific Drive was crazy addictive in 2024. Based on the premise of driving around in the Olympic Exclusion Zone of the Pacific Northwest, where an experiment went awry years ago, this game was great to play. Part scavenger hunt, part driving simulator, 100 percent makes you fall in love with old station wagons more.
Helldivers 2
When Helldivers 2 dropped in 2024, the gaming scene went bonkers for the space of a few weeks. It was equal parts challenging and enjoyable for the casual gamer and managed to go above and beyond the original edition of its namesake in almost every way. The versatility of this being an excellent single player and multiplayer game made it an instant hit.
In fact, gamers loved Helldivers 2 so much that it even boosted the popularity of sci-fi online slots in 2024. Slots like The Last Sundown, Planet Fortune, and Crystal Sun all saw greater engagement after the game’s release. Turns out that playing at an online casino for real money only increases the thrill for Helldivers 2 fans!
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Speaking of sequels, Dragon’s Dogma took its time – 12 years, in fact – dropping the follow-up to its initial release. However, it was worth the wait, as Dragon’s Dogma 2 delivered a great balance of party-based MMO alongside action RPG.
For those who don’t have a gaming squad to play with, Dragon’s Dogma 2 allows players to gather NPCs as part of their team. These can be switched out at any stage, forming your exploration party as you navigate a world full of griffins, minotaurs, cyclops, and wolves. With sharp graphics and an engaging storyline, this was one of the best games of 2024.
Buckshot Roulette
Buckshot Roulette may not have topped many conventional charts in 2024, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t insanely popular for a brief period of time. This simple, quirky game was the epitome of 2024, where unusual premises gained great popularity.
The entire plot revolves around a one-to-one card game with a dealer in a grotty old warehouse. The stakes? A bullet – or more specifically, buckshot – to the face. Sounds simple? Well, it is, but it was so well done that gamers loved it.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Another nostalgic release saw Mario make a comeback on Nintendo Switch this year.
Paper Mario was weird, let’s be honest, but for those who love the Mario Brothers, it was a fun edition. Fans got to do almost anything they wanted with Paper Mario, the quirky alternative to standard Mario – from cracking codes to learning a new combat sport.
Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree
Last but not least, no list of the best games in 2024 would be complete without mention of Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree. This instant classic drew mainstream attention as it became one of the most popular titles this year.
As with any open-world game, Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree is all about curiosity, exploration, and solving problems with unique solutions. Fine, there are plenty of games like this, so what made this one so unique? It was a combination of beautiful graphics and attention to detail that did it, with the storyline quickly captivating fans in a way that few other games have managed to do recently.
