it's the most wonderful time on Push Square... Good to read everyone's personal faves from the year so I thought I'd add my list...
March: Inscryption. Played through with game club and remember every page just seemed to read like a classified redacted document. Basically mentioning anything about the game is moving into spoiler territory. If you know, you know. It was exactly the game I needed at the time I played it and an enjoyable challenge trying to overcome the insane Kaycees mod at the end.
April: Marvels Midnight Suns. I, like many others, had become bored of the relentless Marvel everywhere all of the time but still enjoyed the tactical combat of the game and the way it encouraged me to try out all of the roster, hang out with the guys, explore every part of the Abbey. Another card game in some senses but very different from the first.
May: Dave the Diver. Knew I would love this the first time I saw a trailer for it. I did. Despite the introduction of new mechanics almost every day or so which probably became a bit too much in my opinion. The main gameplay loop is just so engaging.
October: Dead Space. The remake I never knew I needed to play. Easily my favourite from my spooky month playlist. Oh how I love that Plasma Cutter. Even enjoyed the impossible mode run I had to do for the platinum.
December: Vampire Survivors. Took me about 5 mins of playing to know I'd abandon everything else for this, easy to see why it's so addictive and surprising that nobody had created this genre beforehand... Well I like twin stick shooters but wish I didn't have to do the shooting!... The best game I've ever bought for £3.19. Currently wondering how long before I install the PS4 version and do it all again.
Nice list @sorteddan
Dead Space is splendid, shame we don’t seem to be getting DS2.
I also enjoyed Marvels Midnight Suns despite thinking it might not be my bag and that I suppose is the beauty of subscription services.
I’m waiting for the PlayStation Blog game of the year list, where they usually ask various Sony Studios. I wonder if any will choose Concord, Shirley Hermen has got to.
This is the first year where I can't decide on my GOTY, nothing completely blew me away. Being a Suikoden fan, I enjoyed Eiyuden Chronicle, but I'm not blind to its faults. Astro Bot was great but didn't surprise me as much as Playroom. Animal Well was hauntingly atmospheric and fun.
Yet none of them feel like my game of the year. But that's fine. If pressed I would probably say Erdtree but it feels weird giving it to a DLC. It was huge though.
My favourite game I've played this year that wasn't released in 2024 would probably be Firewatch. It struck a chord, and then some.
This is a rare year where the only new release I have purchased is Vampire Survivors so it would be unfair to call it Game of the Year. I did enjoy my time with it, especially as it was only a few quid but by the time the Platinum was earned I was happy to put it away. Trying to be frugal this year so nothing new swayed me to get day 1 but a few added to my wishlist for later.
Spent a lot of time getting my backlog down this year but of the games that were new to me, my favourites were Aliens Dark Descent and Kingdom Come Deliverence. The former was greatly influenced by my love of the IP so I would say KCD is my personal Game of the Year. Lots of minor frustrations but overall very immersive and I was quite surprised by the level of writing. I will admit I haven't quite finished it yet, it's my most played game of the year but I had a bit of a gap from gaming right when I was getting near the end. I plan to finish it off closer to the release of the sequel so it's fresh in my mind.
@colonelkilgore OMG The Saboteur one of my favorite games of all time. I really hope we get a remake or remaster anytime soon but I don't think EA would ever think about reviving it.
My Game of the year would go to Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Simply put, it's the best Like A Dragon / Yakuza game ever.
In previous titles you always feel there was something a little bit underbaked. But with Infinite Wealth you feel like RGG finally perfectly cooked everything in the game.
From minigames to story and ending up with combat, it's simply great and no other game I played this year comes close to it.
Gold: Dragon Age Inquisition
I replayed the game and got the platinum trophy as I was getting myself ready for the long awaited sequel The Veilguard. And I was surprised by how the game still holds up pretty well even if it didn't get the new Gen treatment or even the PS4 Pro enhancements. The world is so gorgeous and awesome, loved the story and most of the companions too. Cassandra romance was peak and loved it. A lot of memorable High dragons fights. I thought Veilguard will top it but it couldn't.
Silver: The Last of Us Part 1 Remake
Believe it or not but I never played TLOU until this year. TLOU Part 1 is one of the best games I've ever played and I guess I'm lucky to play it nowadays while having a 7 years old daughter because I felt 100% emotionally connected with how Joel feels through the game. The gameplay was good although it's better in Part 2 but if I'll choose between both of them overall I would go with Part 1.
Great game overall.
Bronze: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The game is better than the Remake in every aspect. I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the gorgeous world. Apart from the Queen's blood card game most of the Mini-games were really annoying especially if you're hunting the Platinum Trophy.
I'm going to have to add Indiana Jones as that is clearly a very, very good game. The more I play of it, the more I think it is right up there with the other titles people have mentioned as favourites from this year.
When it seems you're out of luck.
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Here we go. My favorite games on PlayStation in 2024.
5. Final Fantasy XVI
The game, well, its a typical post-XII Final Fantasy game: the game seems a bit unsure of what it wants to be. Either the Final Fantasy franchise is holding this brilliant action game down, or the new vision is deluding a successful formula. I'm just too big of a Final Fantasy fan not to have a good time, and the combat was admittedly way more fun than i expected.
4. Animal Well
This game does something I really like. You open the game up and the game is like "why don't you go figure me out yourself!" And I love it when that happens. It reminds me of being a kid in Legoland and discovering that there were tiles you could stand on, and if you did so in the right order a golden egg would appear atop of a castle tower. Nobody told me to step on the tiles in a certain order, so when I discovered how it worked I felt like an archeologist discovering the mask of Tutanchamon. That's a long way of saying discovery is still big in gaming in 2024 and I'm here for it.
Immortality
That same thing counts for Immortality. This game constantly made me feel like I was seeing things I shouldn't. Like finding a long lost love letter in your grandma's drawer. It's weird, but fascinating. Also, the game kind of made me realize a few things about life that I have since forgotten. Which is cool. I love thinking about life, I just have a bad memory.
2. Balatro
The ultimate runner-up in video games. No one cries over Balatro, so it's hard to make a case for it being this year's best game. It is extremely well made, fun, addictive, and it's the kind of game you think about laying in bed. Could I make a two pair build work? Only one way to find out, just play that game AGAIN. This game is good, and it does a few things so well, which makes you wonder why no other game before Balatro did it. Well, one thing I'm sure of, many games in the upcoming years will take a hard look at this game. (This game is a 10 out of 10)
1. Cyberpunk 2077
I loved The Witcher 3. And when Cyberpunk is at its best, it's like you're playing The Witcher In The Future. You don't always feel like that, often you won't actually. But when this game hits, it sucks you in, takes you with it in its world, transforms you. This is especially true for Phantom Liberty, which is close to perfect. This game will hold forever a special place in my heart.
1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
I'm not close to beating this game yet. Maybe if I had no obligations for Christmas I might, because this game has completely sucked me in like the last one before it. And that's special most of all because this game is pulling different strings to keep me hooked. The original was like a rollercoaster I couldn't get off (and didn't want to). Rebirth is cozier, it's a world I want to stay in and explore.
Dang, I love this game. Yes, I know! I put two games on #1. Well I can't decide between these two amazing RPGs right now. Maybe once I finish Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but I don't want to think about that yet. I wanna stay with Cloud and friends a while longer. And let you figure out which one is the best game of the year.
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6: This was the first time in a long time I really connected with a COD release. The gunplay, movement, map design, and Zombies are top notch this year. The campaign is incredibly well designed and one level in particular (without going into spoilers) scared me more than a lot of horror games ever have.
4. Path of Exile 2: Diablo 4 was a massive disappointment for me, so my isometric dungeon crawling itch had yet to be scratched. Enter PoE 2. From the jump, this game instantly tickled that part of my lizard brain that craves this type of game. PoE 2 is everything I wish Diablo 4 was. There are some issues that need to be ironed out but what I've played thus far has greatly impressed me.
3. Balatro: Holy hell, what a game. This game snuck up on me and hasn't released its grip on me since it came to PS5. Deceptively simple yet surprisingly deep, Balatro lures you in by presenting itself with a seemingly straightforward premise, beat the blind. This number starts small (500-1000) but quickly balloons into absurd and seemingly impossible numbers (10,000-100,000). Enter the unique multiplier feature. Crafting poker hands in tandem with joker cards and tarots that offer different conditions and modifiers to enable to reach these huge blinds. I constantly found myself saying "one more game" only to look at the clock and realize its 2 am and I should be in bed.
2. Baldur's Gate 3: I'm late to the BG 3 party (a year late) and holy *****, what a party it is. The characters, story, gameplay, and writing are to put it simply, peerless. What Larian studios has managed to accomplish here is nothing short of sensational. The amount of freedom and creativity afforded to the player is so smartly done that I'm at times speechless regarding what I'm able to do in the game's various scenarios. The sheer amount of content is staggering and puts other studios efforts to shame. All this and coupled that with the continued support, updates, mods, and QOL improvements makes BG 3 not just one the best games in recent memory, but one of the best games ever.
1. Dragon Age The Veilguard: This game proved to be divisive (in some ways valid and in a lot of ways unfairly) but by the time the credits rolled on my 1st playthrough (I played as a Mourn watch rogue), I had put 90 hours into it and immediately jumped into a 2nd playthrough (Antivan Crows Warrior) and have already clocked 60 hours. The combat is punchy and incredibly satisfying, the story is interesting (for the most part), the classes are fun and can be customized to fit multiple builds, the world you explore is varied and interesting, and the characters, both main and side, are awesome (special shout out to Manfred, Bellara, Emmrich, and Assan). The dialog can be.......clumsy at times but is overall fairly good and I found myself very invested in learning more about my companions and the surprising amount of depth I uncovered. This game will not get a fair shake in today's climate but I implore anyone to give this game a chance. It might surprise you.
@LordGlarc I've been on the fence of checking out Black Ops 6 now that I'm done with Indiana Jones and still have a few weeks left of my Game Pass subscription. It's very tempting as so many people, including you, have showered the game with praise.
Would you say that you need to play all the prior Black Ops campaigns to fully enjoy this one? I've played the first two Black Ops but not the third and fifth games (I believe the fourth one didn't have a campaign?).
Some great GOTY mentions here. I know this is a long post but a few games have jumped out to me as I’ve been following along, so I thought I’d respond about some of them:
@CaptD@BearsEatBeets Really interesting to see how Kingdom Come Deliverance has had a second life lately. Clearly the evangelizing of @Ravix has been successful. 😜 Rav has been telling me for the last couple years that I would love KCD. But I think the forthcoming sequel has really helped promote the first game, as well as some wisely placed steep sales. I picked it up for like $3 a couple months ago. If only there was a sale on free-time to play it.
@colonelkilgore Several of the older games on your list are really begging for a port to newer consoles so I can play them — Saboteur and Spec Ops The Line especially. I think I have the original Helldivers on PS4 and have flirted with booting it up several times.
@Ravix Besides KCD, I appreciate the shout-out for Jusant, which I have stashed on a list for when I am on the mood for an indie/AA experience. I have eyed DD2 in the recent sale, but I have so many other games right now. Eventually I plan to get to it too.
@PorkChopExpress Likewise, I know I’d like Still Wakes the Deep and Nobody Wants to Die. I think SWtD is on PS+ so I may get to it first, even though NWtD interests me more
@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I think your idea of playing Rise of the Ronin before Sekiro might be the approach I take. My next FromSoft game will be DS3, but maybe I’ll try RotR before playing ER. We’ll see.
@GirlVersusGame Definitely agree on Disco Elysium. Really great game that you’ll be thinking about for years to come. Congrats on Persona 5 Royal as well, which I wonder if it will be a gateway game for you to play more JRPGs. I have considered playing Spiritfarer so it’s good to see some approval for it.
@KyushuTrail TLoU2 is a game that has really grown in my mind since I played it. I liked it while playing it but the themes and messages have continued to haunt my thoughts (in a good way). You’ll probably be pondering it for a while. Kunitsu-Gami is really a game that has flown under the radar and although I haven’t played it, I think it sounds like it’s very unique. Other games you mentioned that I plan to play are RE8 and Sekiro. Death Stranding is one of my very favorite games from last gen and it’s really creative; I haven’t ever played a game quite like it.
@sorteddan We were definitely kindred spirits for Inscryption and Midnight Suns. Loved those. Have you considered trying your hand at Balatro to get your next card game fix? Also, Dead Space is on my short list to get to in 2025.
@xeofate Astro Bot, Metaphor, and Indiana Jones are all really esteemed hot games right now that I’d like to get around to eventually.
@Gremio108 Firewatch was really an engaging story experience and I’m glad people are still trying it out. A really great palate cleanser between larger games.
@Khwarezm89 Dragon Age Inquisition is a game I wouldn’t mind going back to. I’ve recounted before how I fell off it even when I was many hours deep. I just never have gone back all these years later.
@Herculean Thanks for bringing Immortality to my attention. I haven’t played Telling Lies or Her Story so I’m not sure if those are prerequisites? FF7 Rebirth is a game that seems to be moving further up my list to get to. I’m seeing some really positive things about it lately, after some lackluster impressions at launch. And since you mentioned it, this year might be the time I finally go back and retry Witcher 3. I’m seriously considering it.
@LordGlarc First off, welcome aboard to the Push Square forums! I enjoyed reading your list. Of course I’m completely with you on Balatro. Fantastic game. As for your other mentions, I really must join the Baldur’s Gate 3 hype train too. I’m debating whether to make it my next big epic 100 hr adventure or Witcher 3.
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I would be glad to see more lists or game mentions about favorite games played this year. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@LtSarge I would play Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 as well as Cold War to get the full context. There's a lot of nuance you might miss without doing so.
I don’t exactly plays games too much outside of what I play with my brother. But personally what I own, my game of the year is Pokémon Yellow Version. Although it probably doesn’t count since it’s 25 years old. What I did like most from this year I got to play a bit of are:
1. Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution. I really enjoy these games. My brother is a huge fan so I get to experience them whenever he plays them. I occasionally take a turn myself.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Same as above really. I felt this game was very creative for how you can come up with solutions for everything.
3. Dragon Ball Sparking ZERO. We played this a bit. It’s definitely not perfect, but it was so much fun! Hopefully the DLC starts coming out soon.
I also really like Infinity Nikki, but it’s rather unplayable for me in its current state. I wanted to love Stellar Blade, but I just couldn’t really get much into it unfortunately.
@Th3solution
I have indeed thought about picking up Balatro. I have tried to not think about it and concentrate on the games I already have and want to play instead. And now with all the GOTY lists around I'm having to try really hard to avoid thinking about purchasing it!
Thanks though.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
@Th3solution I think Persona did because I tried Disgaea 5 after it. I didn't think it would stick but I did want to try something new and ended up getting a couple of hundreds of hours worth out of it. It had a really satisfying loop, I might go back to it. Then I tried my first Final Fantasy, the one with the car. After that it was Doki Doki Literature Club, which I really should have researched first. That was rough.
@sorteddan I’ve tried to be the same — that is, purchasing very few games and trying to focus on the backlog. Balatro was the only new release I bought all year, and actually I didn’t even “buy” it, I used my PS Stars credits and got it for free. The barrier to entry was really low! But it can become a big time sink, so save it for when you feel it will fit in to your schedule. It can be played in ver short gaming sessions though, so it’s quite flexible.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@GirlVersusGame Whst did you think of Final Fantasy XV? I assume that’s the one with the car you’re referring to. It’s actually one of the few mainline FF games that I have yet to play. It’s also one of the most divisive.
I haven’t played any Disgaea games before. I’m not sure if I would click with them.
I used to play a lot more JRPGs but have been leaning more toward Western developed games over the last two generations. But if you liked Persona then you have P3 and P4 which are great. And apparently Metaphor Refantazio is right there and basically a Persona game in everything but name, although I’ve not played it. The Trails of Cold Steel games are very Persona like in their approach if you want more of that. Of course there’s lots more FF games too, both old and new. One of my very favorite games is Nier Automata, so for a more action-based JRPG with a weird twist, try that. And not a weird twist like Doki Doki, but more of a cool futuristic and philosophical vibe with frenetic action combat. If you liked how Disco Elysium messed with your mind, then I think you’d like Nier from a narrative standpoint. 😄
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Topic: Share Your Personal GOTY 2024
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