My 2024 Games of the Year
End of 2024: I wanted to take a moment to look back at the games that truly defined my year. Not just as a list of critically acclaimed titles, but as personal experiences that stuck with me through late nights and memorable moments. These are the games that made me lose track of time, brought out the best in fun, or simply told a story that stayed with me long after the credits rolled.
This list isn’t based on technical benchmarks, public reception, awards, or internet hype. It’s about what I actually played, completed, and personally enjoyed. It’s shaped by what got installed and stayed installed. What I kept thinking about. What I wanted to talk about. So, while some big hitters like Astro Bot or Balatro might be missing here, it’s not because they weren’t great, but simply because they weren’t part of my rotation. At least not yet!
These five games stood out not just for what they did well, but for how they made me feel—whether it was stress, awe, laughter, or that quiet satisfaction of finally clearing something tough. Some are cinematic and polished, others scrappy but surprising. All are worth your time.
Let’s get into it.
This is the only one game that has mostly kept me busy playing throughout sleepness nights and weekends, and you’re probably tired of hearing about it. Helldivers 2. A coop shooter with hardcore elements and action-packed cinematic gameplay.
What is Helldivers 2? How is the Gameplay? From the onset, it looks like a typical coop shooter like Left 4 Dead 2, GTFO, Deep Rock Galactic, World War Z, which are all stellar games by the way, so you might think this game has nothing special to it. Hell, even Helldivers 1 is very very similar except top down.
However, Helldivers 2 has hit the jackpot on several fronts. It has funny / epic themes, intense cinematic action, addicting progression and mechanics, and fun gameplay overall. There is no better feeling than dropping down with your friends, completing a very hard mission, getting overwhelmed by a mix of either bugs or robots, and making it to the extraction point by the skin of your teeth. It’s probably the my most played game of the year, and perhaps, my personal Game Of The Year winner if I ever to award one.
As soon as I started my playthrough of Metaphor: ReFantazio, it becomes clear that this is something different. From the creative minds behind the Persona series, this game leverages a familiar, stylish blueprint but applies it to a fascinating new world full of wonder, creating an experience that is both comfortably recognizable and refreshingly unique, in many aspects.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a masterful blend of the old and the new. It successfully transplants the beloved, stylish formula of the Persona series into a new high-fantasy world, all while innovating on the turn-based combat formula in truly new meaningful ways. While those looking for a deep life-sim might miss that aspect, the game’s compelling world, addictive combat, and incredible sense of style make it an absolute must-play for JRPG fans and a serious contender for Game of the Year.
It’s easily one of the standout games of the year.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle initially raised some skepticism for me because of its first-person perspective, I really thought I wont like it because of the first person view, because i played Uncharted and Tomb Raider and I wanted those kind of games. I thought I knew better.
Well, the first person view absolutely works! Not only your in tune and more immersed as Indy, you also get upclose and personal with the puzzles and locations, which can now be much more cramped and smaller because of the view. It allows you to lean in and inspect ancient mechanisms, decipher cryptic markings up close, and feel a genuine sense of tension as you peer into a dark, unknown passage. The puzzles are a major highlight; they strike an excellent balance between being challenging enough to make you feel clever and intuitive enough to avoid unfair frustration. This isn’t just watching a hero solve a mystery; you are the hero, you are Indiana Jones, and the feeling of discovery is consistently rewarding.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes the story in its own unique direction, moving beyond simply retelling the original. It leans heavily into fan service and nostalgia, clearly targeting longtime fans of Final Fantasy VII while also catering to newcomers. For newcomers who’ve only played the Remake, you’re not missing much story-wise, as the trilogy remains largely standalone.
Overall, Rebirth a nostalgic yet fresh continuation of the Remake saga. It shines with an expanded open world, improved combat, and a story that honors longtime fans while exploring new narrative paths. It is an engaging experience well worth playing especially if you’re a long time Final Fantasy fan.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a dark fantasy action RPG developed by BioWare that continues the legacy of the Dragon Age series by combining intense, now fully real-time combat with rich storytelling and expansive world-building. Set in a sprawling, immersive high fantasy world filled with political intrigue, ancient magic, and complex characters, It again invites players to step into the role of a customizable protagonist navigating a fractured land on the brink of war. As a long-time fan, I was too invested in the Dragon Age lore to simply stop playing. This is the fourth entry, the one that’s supposed to tie up all the story threads the series has been building for 15 years, so I just had to play it.
Despite its controversies and some design missteps, Dragon Age: Veilguard delivers a robust and engaging RPG experience. Overall, I’m quite satisfied with my experience. Narratively, The Veilguard was an awesome and satisfying conclusion that stood on the shoulders of three excellent games.
And that wraps it up. Whether it was fighting overwhelming odds, killing aliens or robots in a squad of four, immersing myself in an underappreciate High-Fantasy RPG world, or discovering a whole new world of wonders, each of these titles made this year’s gaming journey feel memorable and worthwhile.
The beauty of a personal GOTY list is that it reflects what stuck with you—not what trended. These were the games I enjoyed the most, the ones I brought up in conversations, and the ones that made me excited to hit “Continue” or “Load Game” after a long day.
Until then—clear your backlog, follow the fun, and play what makes you excited to pick up the controller again.
Thanks for reading!
