Now that we’re officially halfway through 2024, it’s time to look back at all the PS5 games we’ve played this year and decide on the current Game of the Year contenders. From where we sit, it’s been a solid six months that have delivered fantastic titles across a range of genres.
To talk things out, we rounded up the usual suspects from Push Square editorial team. Read about our favorites and then vote for yours in the poll below this article. Oh, and you can totally disagree with our opinions in the comments section too!
Aaron Bayne, Video Producer – Helldivers 2
The passion has certainly died down, but all these months later, I’ve yet to have as much fun with another game as I did with Helldivers 2. I love a good co-op experience, and Arrowhead Studios’ much-improved sequel came out of the blue with tight gunplay and chaotic action. Making your own Helldiver a squished human who loses arms, legs or his own head was brilliant as he throws hordes of Terminids and killer robots at you. This game has a unique blend of tension inducing squealing and rib tickling. It’s the kind of game that really cheers for the fan, and when that happens, there’s nothing like it. I just hope Arrowhead can little more to earn our attention with meaningful content after launch in the second half of 2024.
Khayl Adam, Staff Writer – Helldivers 2
Despite this being an incredible year for RPGs, I just have to give it up for Helldivers 2. The game is incredibly gritty and unforgiving in an era of same service titles and it got to me like I never saw it coming. i think it was possible for a game that regularly gives out content. It’s a meta-story surrounding the series because it’s a moment-to-moment thing. The wild twists developer Arrowhead has pulled on the community have kept me engaged (if not completely logging in every week), but it still manages to surprise me. Quite a performance after almost 200 hours!
Liam Croft, Assistant Editor – Stellar Blade
If you had told me at the start of the year that Stellar Blade would be my favorite PS5 game six months into 2024, I never would have believed you. I wasn’t at all excited for the game to be pre-launch, basically writing it off as something I’d get to during a quiet period. But then I played it and everything changed. I love Stellar Blade. Its Souls-lite combat gameplay loop, fun exploration, stylish traversal moves, and satisfying rewards kept me engaged from start to finish. Her story could be a lot better, but I found the gameplay so addicting that it didn’t matter. It’s the only game released this year – at least so far – that I’ve wanted to play for hours on end, even when I’m thinking about it when my PS5 isn’t on. I’ll be a little disappointed if it’s still at the top of my list come December, but for now, Stellar Blade is my favorite PS5 title of 2024 and I’m proud of it.
Robert Ramsey, Assistant Editor – Dragon’s Dogma 2
Sometimes a game just clicks with you on such a level that you easily brush aside its (often obvious) flaws. For me, that game is Dragon’s Dogma 2. The simple truth is that I’ve had more fun with this open world RPG than any other 2024 release so far. The sheer number of memorable moments I’ve had in Capcom’s weird fantasy completely outweighs any gripes I have with its narrative or structure—to the point where I’m still diving back into its world months after release. While I’m not sure Dragon’s Dogma 2 will remain my Game of the Year with such strong competition on the horizon, I simply cannot ignore its incredible combativeness and the intoxicating sense of adventure it instills at every turn.
Sammy Barker, Editor – Stellar Blade
As a pre-existing fan of the extremely fun mobile shooter NIKKE: Goddess of Victory, I’ve been rooting for Korean developer Shift Up’s Stellar Blade for quite some time. However, the final product exceeded even my sky-high expectations: the combat is flashy and exciting, the visuals are stunning, and the soundtrack is an all-time classic. Sony has hit the nail on the head here, and while I have high hopes for the likes of Astro Bot and Star Wars Outlaws, it’s going to take some really special to top it off as my game of the year.
Stephen Tailby, Assistant Editor – Balatro
I’ve played a lot of great games in the first six months of 2024, but nothing has topped Balatro as my favorite yet. In terms of pure game design, I have yet to play anything better. I’m trying to find new ways to say this, but the ways it escalates its “poker but roguelike” premise are so clever. What starts out as a simple deck of playing cards is transformed by the many modifiers you collect as you go, and even if some attempts don’t work out, it’s incredibly satisfying when things fall in the right direction. I’ve barely scratched the surface because not only do I still have more to unlock, but I have yet to dive into challenges or higher difficulties. Mechanically dense but never overwhelming, Balatro is a generous game that rewards curiosity and ingenuity with an elegance so simple it’s almost funny. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it stays in my top five for the year, though I’m looking at everything to come in the second half.
Now that we’ve had our say, it’s your turn. Vote for your current game of 2024 in our poll, then at least try to explain in the comments section below.