by Giant Bomb Staff on
Some of our friends from Fandom, GameSpot, and GameFAQs are here with their top picks.
Fandom Staff
Tots
10. The First Descendant
I would be dishonest if I left this off the list completely. The First Descendant is a little bit Warframe, a little bit Destiny, and a whole lot waifu. The parts that matter feel good, though. The shooting is just right, the loot drops are abundant, and Descendants feel unique and change the way you approach content. It’s not all roses, though. If you want to spend money, brother, they will help you spend as much as you want. It’s a grinding game, and that’s a genre people seem to be very all-or-nothing about. TFD may not be for everyone, but it’s a great way to unwind while catching up on Jeff Gerstmann streams.
9. Webfishing
Fishing is my favorite secondary mechanic in video games. I’ll try a game just because it has fishing in it, but not if it’s a ‘real fishing game’. WEBFISHING is a relaxed approach to fishing while giving you tons of reasons to progress and play. There’s a lot to catch and unlock. While it is a multiplayer chatroom-based game, you can absolutely just jump in and play as a solo player.
8. Ballionaire
I love making numbers go up. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Ballionaire is a ball drop game where you are building a ‘deck’ of interactables to place on the game board. As you build your board you dial in synergies and find creative ways to keep your ball in play as long as possible. I’ve had drops go over a minute on a single go, and it felt amazing the whole time. The visuals and sound effects are dialed in perfectly to give the kind of casino level enjoyment you would want from a game like this.
7. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Metroidvania games have always kicked my butt. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown brought in a lot of quality of life enhancements I hadn’t seen before which made the experience so much more enjoyable. I understand that some of these have lived in other games in the past, but this is the first time I’ve played with them all coming together. The ability to take screenshots and pin them to the map is maybe the single greatest improvement on the genre I’ve ever seen. The combat is snappy, the platforming is tight, and the visuals are fantastic. In a stacked year, with a delayed Steam release, this was a tough one to gain traction.
6. Minishoot’ Adventures
Minishoot Adventures is a very “show don’t tell” game. This is another in a great year for search-action games. Minishoot plays like a twin stick shooter with the heart of a Metroidvania inside. The visuals didn’t immediately grab me, but I quickly fell in love with the world. Like most games on my list this plays amazingly on Steam Deck and is a no-brainer to pick up. Be forewarned it is a bullet hell. Luckily years of Isaac prepared me for just this, but if you’re new to the genre it could take some getting used to.
5. Rusty’s Retirement
Idle and incremental games often live closed, on a second screen, or on your phone. Rusty’s Retirement runs in a bar at the bottom of your screen. Having Rusty and friends down there toiling on their farm made the work day pass much more quickly. You can keep your farm running as long as you’d like, but you can see everything there is to see in about 35 hours.
4. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
A late entry to the list, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle came out swinging. MachineGames has a long history of bangers, but I never expected this to be as amazing as it is. The Great Circle is the first time in a long time that I felt like I wanted to check every single room, find every puzzle, and engage with the game fully. No podcast on the side, just fully in the game, which is so rare these days.
3. Thank Goodness You’re Here
This was the funniest game of the year, and the contest isn’t even close. Like many of my generation I cut my comedy teeth on acts like Monty Python, so I’ve always loved British humor. Thank Goodness You’re Here gets in, does its thing, and wraps up before it has a chance to tire. Clocking in at about two and a half hours it’s a game you can actually get around to finishing.
2. Balatro
What can be said about Balatro that hasn’t been said by a hundred people more qualified than me? I never really played poker in the past, so I had to have a cheat sheet of hands up while I was learning to play. Don’t let that barrier to entry stop you though. You’ll quickly learn it like any other game mechanic and the payoff for doing so is out of this world. It plays great on a desktop, controller, or phone screen. The poker nature makes it more approachable to more non-gamers so this Christmas make sure to get Uncle Rodney to stop flirting with your cousin and play a round.
1. UFO 50
Discovering a new game is magical, and discovering a new game that could have been from your childhood feels amazing. UFO 50 is a collection of 50 full-length classic games for a fictional console system. It’s like discovering a whole library on Archive.org you’ve never seen before. The work that went into this is astounding. Making a video game is hard, making fifty is madness. They won’t all necessarily hit with you, but would every game on any console? It’s a fascinating trip going through it chronologically and watching the console develop over time.
GameSpot Mods
DaVillain
10. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
The gameplay is way better than in Inquisition but the writing, companions and even the pacing was really bad. Solid gameplay and it’s release was a solid surprise with no bugs or any glitches coming form the Frostbite Engine.
9. Star Wars Outlaws
I’m a fan of Star Wars stuff, but Outlaws as the first open-world Star Wars game proves it can be done with more efforts. The Stealth was mediocre but the latest patch fixed it to were you won’t be penalize for it any longer. The Space combat was really great, the dogfighting was the most enjoyable thing throughout the game IMO.
8. Horizon Forbidden West
I gotta say, Forbidden West coming to PC in 2024 was expected, and in fact, the gameplay has been improved from the previous game. Aloy’s Journey to the (Forbidden) West exploring new areas, characters and fighting newer Dinobots was the best part of the game itself.
7. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
This is probably the best Ubisoft game to be released this past January of 2024, a really enjoyable 2D scroller Prince of Persia was challenging at best. The exploration was the fun part and the game gives you a lot of tools to work around whenever your in a heat of battle.
6. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
This game got overlooked by most of the gaming world, but Don’t Nod is good at doing something different. Banishers is a good linear game, not the best or worst but an ok game that really captures the Colony and the Salem Witch era I think it was worth checking out and glad it made it to my top 10 list. And it has a little of Dark Souls formula I might add.
5. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
As someone who likes the Warhammer universe, Space Marine 2 felt like I was back in the 7th gen when we used to get this quality gameplay and storytelling. As much as I like Space Marines 2, I still kinda prefer Gears of War over Warhammer 40K despite Warhammer 40K predates Gears of War when it comes to aesthetic similarities.
4. Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut
Not gonna lie, this was a plenty surprised to come to PC this year of 2024, I had to put this on my list as this game has solid fun gameplay, this was the true Assassin’s Creed set it Feudal Japan I’ve been waiting for, for so many years. Sucker Punch knew what they were doing, and boy, it really captures the world of Feudal Japan. And if you love the TV show Shogun, you’re gonna love Ghost of Tsushima!
3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
MachineGames did the impossible, they gave us a better Indiana Jones experience than whatever Disney put out whatever the hell that was…I think it was Dial of Destiny? Yeah that must be it. Well anyway, I’ve played it on Game Pass PC, I didn’t think the game could work in FPS over TPS but glad it was set in FPS, I like to be immersion in any FPS.
2. Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade is the only game I played on my PS5, and the only game I turned on my PS5 this year. Stellar Blade is an enjoyable game without the BS you’ll see from gaming media but that’s beside the point. The game is basically an anime Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice as you’ll need to learn how to parry more as the game went on. The fun factor is there, the fan service is there, just wish it got more attention from the gaming media world IMO.
1. Black Myth Wukong
Boy oh boy, my expectations where slightly low at first but once I’ve played the game during the opening, my excitations when through the roof! BMW gameplay is surprisingly fluid, dodging mechanics was on point, the graphics for an Unreal Engine 5 was really impressive. When it comes to “Journey to the West” materials, BMW does a great job getting you immerse as the game goes on, finding hidden secrets is well rewarded. I for one really enjoy it more so than anything coming FromSoftware games…including Elden Ring to an extent. BMW has surpassed my expectations, it’s why its truly my GOTY of 2024! (Glad it won the Player’s Voice awards during The Game Awards 2024 as I’ve voted for that game anyway)
GameFAQS Mods
Caelthus
- Final Fantasy XIV – Soken is a musical god that we do not deserve and must be protected at all costs. Shadowbringers/Endwalker are the best FF story in the series.
- Holocure – Extremely fun hololive themed vampire survivors themed game – fuwamoco when bau bau.
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake – My favorite DQ ever, absolutely amazing remake of it.
- Final Fantasy XVI – Ben Starr’s performance here is legendary, tbh.
- Fate/Stay Night Remastered
Lizards
TomClark
1. Astro Bot
Remember the feeling you got from video games when you were a kid? When everything was joyous and exciting and magical as you say cross-legged in front of the telly? Astro Bot is that feeling in crisp 4K. And with a generous and consistent supply of free DLC that keeps pulling you back in. The way that it makes full and clever use of the Dual Sense and it’s adaptive triggers, gyro, microphone and haptic feedback makes it feel incredibly fresh and modern, even while every level and every Bot you rescue washes you with nostalgia for the last 30 years of PlayStation. It’s Sony’s birthday party in game form, and you owe it to yourself to attend.
2. Unicorn Overlord
A cracking strategy RPG epic with a sprawling cast of varied characters, from warriors to witches, from wolfmen to lions, and from rogues to royalty, all with their own interconnected storylines, and a lot of customisation that allows for a great amount of depth and replayability. The 2DHD aesthetic takes you back to the 16/32 but heyday of the genre, while the cutscenes and battle closeups remind you that you’re playing with current gen technology. Atlus have been firing on all cylinders for several years now, and this is them at their peak.
3. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
A remaster of the best game on GameCube (don’t @ me), that very wisely doesn’t try to fix what isn’t broken. There are a few welcome improvements – the graphics look even more crisp and vibrant than they did twenty years ago; the addition of warp pipes cuts down on the most egregious backtracking; and story beats that should never have been cut are restored while lines that should never have been included are amended – but on the whole this is a remarkably faithful remaster. If you loved the game when it first came out, then you’ll fall in love all over again, and if you’re new to the game then you’re in for an unforgettable treat.
4. Tekken 8
It’s new Tekken. In many ways, that’s all you really all you need to know. There are a few new characters, a lot of familiar faces, and a storyline that’s every bit as unhinged and insane as ever. And with some new accessibility options that make it far more welcoming to newcomers than previous entries, and a second, almost as equally baffling story mode where you guide a custom avatar through the wild underground world of competitive arcade Tekken, with all the dressing up and accessorising that entails (no, it doesn’t make sense in context) this is a perfect jumping on point if you’ve never signed up for the Iron Fist tournament before.
Alucard
Left4Doge
5. Deadlock
Deadlock was the worst-kept secret this year when people started receiving closed test codes. It’s no wonder people were so keen to talk about it, given how well it mixes the MOBA and Third Person Shooter genres. I’m waiting to see how Valve realizes their vision with this one.
4. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
Remember the CDi Zelda games? Nintendo wishes you didn’t. Well, this game captures all of their wonderful cheesiness without the awful gameplay.
3. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
This is a remake done right, for me at least. They took everything that made the original great, and added a great touch of QoL features, upgraded the soundtrack somehow, and the visuals are great too (just look at the backdrops in combat)!
2. Balatro
This game is incredibly addicting, and the phone ports are definitely going to result in a net loss of human productivity. It takes such a simple concept and marries the excellent joker designs with sound effects that just result in instant dopamine rush when you get that run that triggers your jokers like crazy.
1. UFO 50
This one just has to come out on top for me – this is not mere 1 game, but 50 fully fleshed out games! These are NOT minigames, they’re all full games created over 8 years; probably the most ambitious indie project I’ve ever seen (total dev team size was 6). Honestly the fact that they are packaged together makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Besides the fact that there’s a overarching lore in the background of this compilation, it had me playing games I normally wouldn’t to get completion marks (20 cherry carts for 100% completion, and 25 total gold carts for beating games). There’s also insane variety – there’s a horror point and click (Night Manor), a dungeon crawler with punch-out combat (Valbrace), 2 fully-fledged RPGs, and so much more
DuuDe14
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Some of the best ARPG combat we’ve had in years combined with fantastic music and characters.
- Astro Bot – A game that delivers pure nostalgia and fun with no strings attached to the player.
- Silent Hill 2 – A brilliant remake that managed to keep everything that made the original legendary while adding new content and a beautiful coat of pain.
- Sonic x Shadow Generations – A wonderful blast from the past that also added a ton of new content.
- Marvel Rivals – A surprise contender that lovingly captures the essence of Marvel comics and presents it in a fun 6v6 hero shooter format.
ZoqFotPik
- Unicorn Overlord
- Stray (NS port of 2022 PS4 game)
- Hi-Fi Rush (PS5 port of a 2023 XS game)
- Natsu-Mon (NS, PC)
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Turnip Boy 2: Robs a Bank
- Deliver Us the Moon (NS port of the 2018 PC game)
- Backpack Hero (console port of 2023 PC game)
- Princess Maker 2 Regen (remaster of a 2016/1993 game)
- PlateUp! (WW release of a 2022 PC game)
- Ib (PS4 port of a 2012/22 PC game)
- Uforia 2 (though follow-up prequel remake Hebereke Enjoy is a bit more polished)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Contra Operation Galuga
- Save Me Mr Tako (PS4 port of the 2018 NS game)
- Disgaea 7 Complete Edition (the 2023 game + DLC)
- Beyond Good & Evil (2024 remaster of a 2003 game)
- Apollo Justice Trilogy Collection
- Lollipop Chainsaw RePop (of the 2012 game)
- Kunitsu-Gami
Fable
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – A great game-length expansion to one of the best open world games of the last decade.
- Astro Bot – Nostalgic for platformer and PlayStation fans alike.
- Silent Hill 2 Remake – One of the scariest and most tense games I’ve played.
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Part 2 picks up where the original left off and does not disappoint.
- World of Warcraft: The War Within – Another banger expansion and the beginning of the exciting Worldsoul saga.
- Palworld – Collectible creatures + guns + Rust
- Pokémon TCG Pocket – Accessible pokemon tcg-lite.
- Thank Goodness You’re Here! – A cute adventure game. Click. Everything.
- Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero – Another knockout Dragon Ball fighting game with all of your favorites returning.
- Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail – Another chapter in the epic Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG.
