Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: The best games of 2024

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Past years in the gaming world have been consumed by just one or two standout titles: 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V (the second bestselling game of all time), 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 2022’s Elden Ring. This year, though, that wasn’t the case — and what a refreshing thing that was.

From brilliant new franchises to ingenious indie hits, stellar sequels to phenomenal remakes, 2024 was a year in which a wide gamut of games got to shine in the spotlight.

So as we get ready to ring in the new year, here are the games that stole my breath, made me cry (in both heartbreak and rage) and had me saying, “Just one more hour.”

Astro Bot

Available on: PlayStation 5

The premise of Astro Bot is simple enough: Your ship has crashed and you need to beat up a bunch of baddies to fix it. What follows is anything but. The PS5 exclusive is a wildly inventive, nostalgia-infused platformer that sparks glee from the opening menu to when you put down your DualSense controller for the final time. It’s a wonderfully crafted experience that cleverly speaks to PlayStation’s past and gives us a new mascot worth cheering for. Brimming with creativity, it’s a pure delight, plain and simple.

Balatro

Available on: PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Android and iOS

Since 2020’s Hades properly introduced me to the world of roguelikes (generally described as games in which you restart a run each time you die but gain knowledge, and sometimes skills/abilities, to take with you going forward), I’ve become kind of addicted to them. Slay the Spire, Cult of the Lamb, Dead Cells: I’ve enjoyed them all. But Balatro, like Hades, is in a class of its own. At its core, Balatro is a deck-builder fused with the rules of poker that encourages you to break those same rules — and it’s surreal how entertainingly it plays out. Each run feels unique and rewarding, compelling in a way few games are.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Available on: PS5 (coming to PC Jan. 23)

The second part in this planned trilogy remake of 1997’s era-defining Final Fantasy VII, Rebirth is a striking blend of faithful recreation and awe-inspiring re-imagining. Across dozens of hours, you’ll explore the stunningly in-depth world of Midgar, bouncing between a plot that feels similar to the original game but very much its own creation (especially its wild conclusion) and a multitude of side quests, minigames and the like. And it’s not just the fantastic acting and captivating narrative that make Rebirth so great; it’s also one of the most gorgeous games available on the PS5. Sadly, there’s no announced release date just yet for the final part ( though it’s in active development ); regardless, I can’t wait until we get to experience the conclusion to this epic trilogy.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Sometimes, we just need some unalloyed fun; enter the phenomenally creative and thoroughly enjoyable Echoes of Wisdom. The latest entry in the long-running Zelda series finally has the titular princess as the protagonist of her own game — and she more than stands her own ground against the forces of evil threatening her kingdom. But more than that, Echoes is just a blast to play. Awesomely ingenious, visually beautiful and thoughtfully designed, it’s a light, generally stress-free way to spend a few hours — something we could always use.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Available on: PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and PC

Metaphor: ReFantazio, on the other hand, is neither light nor stress-free. The captivating role-playing game (created by some of the same people behind Atlus’ well-regarded Persona franchise) dives headfirst into the questions at the heart of our political discourse: democracy, populism, discrimination and so much more. Oh — and there are monsters and magic to contend with in this fantasy realm. Metaphor pulls no punches, either in its very long story (you’re looking at close to 80 hours minimum) or its engaging, fluid combat systems. It’s a good thing, then, that Metaphor is so good you can’t help but want to keep playing.

Silent Hill 2

Available on: PS5 and PC

The original Silent Hill 2 is, simply put, a masterpiece. A brilliant and nightmarish symphony of grief, trauma, loss, resilience and possible redemption, the PlayStation 2-era release is the type of game that leaves a mark on your psyche. Thankfully, Bloober Team’s remake does just about everything right: It hews to the affecting story of the original but modernizes everything from the visuals to the combat, all to much success. It’s a fantastic addition to the Silent Hill franchise and a perfect reason to visit (or return to) this broken little town.