GameCentral offers a semi-annual report on video games for an exceptional six months filled with great titles like Animal Well and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
We don’t want to scare you, but we’re already halfway through the year. Time flies when you’re worrying about the future of the video game industry, but 2024 is now 50% done, and while the news has been a non-stop parade of misery, the best way to cheer up the current state of gaming is to simply play some of the new releases.
At first, we weren’t even sure if there were 20 games that deserved such praise, but as the list below began to take shape, we realized that we’d have to leave out a lot of notable games, including the still very good Dragon’s Dogma 2. and Rise Of The Rōnin, as well as countless indie titles such as Dicefolk, Paper Trail, Hauntii, V Rising, Ultrawings 2, Freedom Planet 2 and Little Kitty, Big City.
We’ve used the same rules as our annual Top 20 in that we exclude remasters, remakes and DLC (although we do count Final Fantasy 7 as a new game), leaving out the excellent Elden Ring: Shadow Of. The Erdtree and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, not to mention Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, Braid Anniversary Edition, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and Persona 3 Reload.
It’s clearly been an excellent year for quality games, and while just a few weeks ago the second half of 2024 looked a little barren, it’s now full of an encouragingly diverse range of promising titles, from Astro Bot and Star Wars Outlaws to Zelda: Echoes. Wisdom and Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
If the disconnect between games and news seems hard to pin down, the answer is simple and related to one of the key issues facing the industry today: games are taking too long to make. All of the below would have been started long before the layoffs and uncertainty began. What happens after that is hard to say, but so far it’s shaping up to be one of the best years for gaming in the modern era. Which is a very welcome surprise.
20. F1 24 (XO/PS4/XSX/PS5/PC)
We never know what to make of the annual sports sequels in these kinds of lists, because while they’re good, they’re usually not too different from the last one. F1 24 literally can’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s the best Formula 1 game Codemasters has made yet, and it’s a sign that their purchase by EA isn’t having an adverse effect.
19. WWE 2K24 (XO/PS4/XSX/PS5/PC)
Likewise, Visual Concepts has been making WWE games for several years now, and not only is it the best wrestling game in at least two generations, but it has now fully redeemed the disaster that was WWE 2K20 with a comeback story worthy of the real WWE. .
An old-school Japanese RPG with gorgeous art, excellent combat, and some very welcome co-op options – even if you’ve probably never heard of it. If only he had a better script, he would be way up on this list instead of having to take over as one of the hidden gems of the year.
The title sounds like some non-advancing children’s game, but this is a surprisingly fun detective game that’s considerably more complex than the cute visuals suggest. The fact that it’s only being compared to Return Of The Obra Dinn is the highest praise you can give it, with its engaging puzzles and characters.
There’s been a lot of talk about Jet Set Radio lately, with a reboot, rumors of a remake, and last year’s Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. RKGK borrows more sparingly from Sega’s old classics, but its graffiti platforming is the most successful homage to date and an excellent debut for new developer Wabisabi Games.
Survival horror games always look to the past for inspiration, and this throwback to PS1-era classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill really tickles the nostalgia glands. The gameplay and visuals are spot on for the period, and while it’s not actually that scary, the weird atmosphere is captivating even if you’ve never played the original inspiration.
You’ve been waiting for one new Prince Of Persia game and two at once, but while The Rogue Prince Of Persia got off to a fairly promising start in Early Access, it’s currently the more enjoyable of the two titles: an inventive Metroidvania with excellent combat. and platforming, although it has very little to do with the rest of the series.
If there’s one thing that’s always confused us about Soulslike games, it’s why they always copy the tone and visuals of FromSoftware’s games, as well as the gameplay. This immediately proves that a different environment does wonders to make it seem like something more unique, but also has a lot of unique ideas for your crab hero.
Sony was no doubt delighted when their first live service game of the year became a hit, although its popularity seems to have cooled in the past few months. It’s likely to make a comeback as its love of friendly fire and ever-changing meta is still fresh and distinctly different from other co-op shooters.
It might not look like it, but this indie release is one of the few games brave enough to try to copy the (old) Zelda formula… and then mix it with a bullet hell shooter. It can feel a bit clinical at times in terms of art style and lack of human characters, but otherwise it’s one of the best indie games of the year.
Inspired by the forgotten Game Boy Advance title Drill Dozer, this fantastic little platformer uses its drilling gimmick in wonderfully inventive ways, both as a weapon and as a means of transportation. The graphics can feel a bit spartan at times, but there are some great cutscenes and excellent boss battles.
This year will have a lot of competition for the “weirdest game” award, but this surreal puzzle adventure from Year Walk maker Simogo is the clear front-runner. The story is probably more difficult to understand than the puzzles, but both are equally rewarding once you figure out what’s going on.
Roguelikes have never been more fashionable than now, but if you want to experience them in their rawest form, then the latest Shiren The Wanderer is as hardcore as it gets for a newly released game. It’s old school, but there are enough modern touches to make it pleasantly addictive, even for those who swear it won’t be.
The franchise formerly known as Yakuza has been on quite an upswing lately, and this is probably the best entry in the series. The move to Hawaii helps keep things fresh, but the turn-based combat is much better than in the last game, and the range of side activities are the funnest they’ve ever been, especially those parodying modern gameplay.
One of the most surprising successes on this list, not so much because the developer is almost unknown, but because the overly sexualized lead is really the only objectionable part of the game. The combat is absolutely top notch, and while the exploration and survival horror elements can feel a little random at times, the overall experience is hugely enjoyable.
You wouldn’t expect the eighth installment in a fighting game series that has its fair share of crafting pieces to be one of the best games of the year, but this one certainly is, with excellent single and multiplayer options and perfect balance. depth and accessibility. The only downside is the minimal number of new characters.
We’re not sure what most people would expect from a game with this name, but it probably isn’t an homage to 90s strategy games like Ogre Battle. The latest from the makers of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, this is very much its own game, with typically gorgeous Vanillaware artwork to match gameplay that’s both nuanced and surprisingly original.
3. Balatro (XO/PS4/NS/XSX/PS5/PC)
Indie games had a relatively quiet year in 2023, but this year was very different, with lots of interesting and diverse games. Poker mixed with rogue deck play sounds awfully unappealing, but try telling yourself that when you’re trying to stop playing at 1am in the most delightfully addictive game of the year.
Weird and unappealing names are de rigueur for most indie games, but if you can ignore the fact that this is a fantastically well-designed Metroidvania-style adventure, it’s full of mystery and encourages you to use its various tools and weapons in endlessly inventive ways. It is all the more impressive that it is the work of only one person.
The first part of the remake trilogy was already much better than we expected, but this middle entry is even more special. You could call it overpaid, but the amount of content alone is stunning, as are the visuals and the fact that the characters and their motivations remain likable and understandable throughout, perhaps the best modern Final Fantasy game ever.
MORE : Games Inbox: Shadow Of The Erdtree disappointment, Soulcalibur reboot and Nintendo remaster prices
MORE: GTA boss Dan Houser explains why Grand Theft Auto movie never happened
MORE: Elden Ring movie teased as Shadow Of The Erdtree grosses over 5,000,000
Subscribe to all exclusive game content, latest releases before you see them on the web.
Privacy Policy »
This page is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google’s privacy policy and terms of service apply.