2024 was a relatively quiet year for video games. The highly-anticipated blockbuster games were fewer in number and largely spread out from each other, at least until the fall, when several games released at the same time, creating a pile-up to explore. This year’s ‘best of’ offering is less about finding the perfect games and more about finding rewarding experiences, even among the setbacks. And what’s true for gaming is very often true for life as well.
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The video game industry faced a record number of layoffs this year, with Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft Gaming, Bungie, Riot Games, and EA all suffering major staff cuts. Many of these layoffs were the result of corporate capitalism and efforts to please investors, with companies like EA refocusing on developing games within popular IP, and MMO games, which have largely remained disappointing, but execs are still on the hunt for loot-based games that will see players sink the dollars into a title over the long term.
Another big industry concern is the proliferation of AI. SAG-AFTRA actors went on strike in July over video game developers using their voice and likeness without consent. By September, 80 video game developers agreed to the union’s terms. Much like in Hollywood, the use of AI is sure to continue to be a battle. Bumbling his way into the fray is Elon Musk, who seeks to start an AI game studio to “make games great again.”
Treasured magazine Game Informer was shut down by GameStop after 33 years in August. It marked a sad day for those who grew up reading the issues for the latest news, reviews, and first looks. The magazine was a staple for millennial gamers. Thanks for all the memories!
In better news, PlayStation celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, going from what was seen as a massive gamble by Sony to the most successful brand in video gaming. Cheers to the game-changers!
As for video game adaptations on the film and television side of things, well, video game movies have certainly had better years. Eli Roth’s Borderlands, which started filming in 2021, and had reshoots by Tim Miller done in early 2023, was a critical and commercial failure despite starring a notable cast of Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis. But hope remains, and it’s fast, blue, and loves chili dogs. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which will see Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles forced to team up with Dr. Robotnik to defeat the new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog, will be released on December 20. Early tracking has the movie outpacing The Lion King prequel, Mufasa, which could potentially mean a record-breaking holiday for the blue bolt.
And Sonic brings us to the TV side of video game adaptations, where there was much more to embrace. The Sonic spin-off miniseries Knuckles, produced by and starring Idris Elba as the titular character, became the most-watched Paramount+ original series when all six episodes dropped in April to positive reviews. Netflix released the animated Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, which follows Crystal Dynamics’ reboot trilogy of games, Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and bridges the gap between those games and the Tomb Raider of the original games. The Hayley Atwell-voiced Tomb Raider received positive reception along with the show when it debuted in October and Netflix has already renewed it for a second season.
Prime Video’s Fallout, based on the Bethesda game series, was the crown jewel of video game adaptations in 2024. Working within the continuity of the games, the show, starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, and Walton Goggins, was nominated for 16 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama and Best Lead Actor for Goggins. A sensation among critics and general audiences, a second season is currently in production.
Still to come from Prime Video this month is Secret Level, an impressive-looking animated anthology series in the vein of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots, which sees creator Tim Miller employ different animators to tell stories set in both the familiar and re-imagined video game worlds of Warhammer, Sifu, Pac-Man, Dungeons & Dragons, Mega Man, and Armored Core, among others, with voice talents that include Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Beach, and Temuera Morrison
Finally, before we head into the list, if there was one overarching theme in these games this year, it was patience and perseverance. Small victories were hard-fought, adversaries often seemed overwhelming, and the systems we rely on to get the most out of our experience sometimes failed us. But for those who kept fighting even when the odds seemed insurmountable, who permitted time for patches while understanding that in a perfect world, the problems wouldn’t exist in the first place, and those who shared the essential skills of their experiences with younger generations so that they might have a more rewarding experience—they are the ones who won in the end.
Here are TIME’s favorite games of the year.
10. Helldivers 2
Gamers killed a lot of bugs earlier this year as Helldivers 2, a cooperative third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios broke records—and servers. A sequel to the 2015 top-down shooter, Helldivers 2 became PlayStation’s fastest-selling title of all time, and within a week of its February release, the servers couldn’t handle all of the new players. What made the game so popular? After so many dense story-based narratives came out in 2023, most notably Baldur’s Gate, speculation points to folks just wanting to ride on pure adrenaline.
The game is a riff on Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997), complete with satirical military propaganda, a war against insectoid aliens, and cyborgs. There’s not much in terms of story: gamers play as a shock trooper called a Helldiver and are sent on increasingly difficult operations to collect better weapons, better gear, and more in-game currency to purchase it, so they can defeat a quickly growing number of tougher and tougher enemies. The overwhelming number of enemies led to server overloads and players who weren’t able to get online in time were often quickly outranked and outpowered by other gamers. Despite these frustrations, the game lives up to its core conceit: kill or be killed. And if Helldivers 2 proved anything, it’s a lot easier to be killed unless you’re willing to sink quite a bit of time into leveling up.
Available on PlayStation 5 and Windows.
9. Lego Horizon Adventures
Horizon has quickly become one of PlayStation’s most popular IPs since releasing in 2017, and the chance to explore that world through the lighthearted lens of Lego felt like an automatic win. While Guerilla Games and Studio Gobo’s collaboration with The Lego Group was met with a mixed response from critics, the game offers a fun and worthwhile experience, especially for those who play alongside younger gamers, or young gamers adventuring on their own. Lego Horizon Adventures retells the story of Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017), with all the humor and pop culture references that have made The Lego Star Wars games such a hit across generations.
Outside of games developed exclusively for Nintendo, the last decade has seen a dearth of games made for younger players, making Lego games a consistent go-to for players of all ages. But there’s also something appealing about the gameplay of T-rated titles, and from first-hand experience, Horizon, with its lush world, robot animals, and Alloy’s archery skills, has always had a particular draw. Lego Horizon Adventures makes good on finding that balance, softening the world and its more complex emotional and narrative themes while still providing gameplay that is involving and challenging. Plus, there’s a cool co-op feature that’s beneficial to family-style play. Lego Horizon Adventures may not be what every gamer is looking for, but for Horizon fans and anyone looking to broaden the interests of a younger gamer in their life, this entry offers plenty to explore.
Available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.
8. Star Wars Outlaws
Welcome to a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft take gamers to the seedy underside of the galaxy far, far away, where they play as Kay Vess, a thief, and scoundrel with a heart of pyrite who is looking to escape the Outer Rim and start a new life on one of the core worlds. Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws is a third-person action-adventure game featuring shootouts, heists, lockpicking, speeder races, gambling, and double-crosses. While nothing competes with the thrill of being a Jedi, Outlaws offers a wholly new experience in the Star Wars Universe, as Kay is forced to join different crime factions to gain allies, get favors, and walk away alive to collect party members to pull off the biggest heist of her life. While the game had some frustrating bugs upon release, they’ve since been patched, making for a smoother and more thrilling experience. Whether players choose to gun blasters blazing or employ stealth tactics, Outlaws rewards their play style, offering blaster and gear upgrades that work best with their choices. There’s also plenty to explore, from seeing a few familiar faces to finding parts to upgrade Kay’s ship, speeder, and blaster. The varied nature of gameplay gives back what you put into it. But if checking out every local cantina and helping pay off the debts of patrons wanted by the Empire is one detour too many, Outlaws also offers a compelling central story about crime and class that creates hope for more Kay Vess in the future, in any medium.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
7. Black Myth: Wukong
Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong made history as the first AAA (major studio release with a lot of money behind it) game in the Chinese video game industry, which has historically developed mobile games instead of console games. Earning rave reviews, Black Myth: Wukong is inspired by Wu Cheng’en’s novel Journey to the West. Gamers play as The Destined One, an anthropomorphic monkey believed to be a reincarnation of Sun Wukong, The Monkey King, as he travels to the mountains to fulfill his destiny, facing a myriad of Chinese spirits and mythological beings along the way.
The game undoubtedly has the best art design of the year, filled with gorgeous, detailed scenes offorests, temples, and mountains. The interpretation of mythological beings matches the God of War franchise in its bold and occasionally horrifying imagination. While some gamers have cited a lack of familiarity with the novel as a hindrance to understanding the narrative, the game does a good job of filling in details and providing a detailed glossary. It’s easy to see why it will be many people’s game of the year. However, the combat is challenging, so punishing that at a certain point, it stopped being fun and never quite gave way to feeling instinctual. Even with all the charms picked up along the way, the many obstacles consistently felt more powerful than The Destined One. For those who have mastered the Souls games, this may be a different story. Your mileage may vary, and there is no doubt plenty to love about Black Myth: Wukong, but when we’re talking about hours put into trying to defeat the same boss over and over again, this monkey’s gone to heaven a few too many times.
Available on PlayStation 5 and Windows.
6. Alan Wake 2: Night Springs and The Lake House
Just when you thought it was safe to turn out the lights. TIME’s 2023 game of the year pick, Alan Wake 2, returned with more mysteries to solve this year, with two expansions, Night Springs and The Lake House, totaling around four hours of new gameplay. Remedy Entertainment’s first DLC release, Night Springs, contains three self-contained episodic narratives that exist within the fictional Twilight Zone-inspired series, Night Springs, and features parallels of the familiar characters we met in Alan Wake 2 as they traverse their private nightmares, which become increasingly surreal and meta.
The second DLC, The Lake House, continues to thread the connection between Alan Wake and Remedy’s other franchise, Control. In this installment, players take control of the FBC (Federal Bureau of Control) agent, Kiran Estevez, as she explores the FBC site, the Lake House, and finds horrors within, along with clues and emails that lead her towards a volatile shapeshifting entity. Both DLCs offer up the same kind of cold dread that Alan Wake 2 offered and continue to showcase game creator and director Sam Lake’s exploration of what video games are capable of narratively and how far players are willing to follow him down the rabbit hole. If the set-up for Control 2 in these DLC games and theories already forming in the minds of gamers are any indication, pretty far.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
5. Neva
When it came to indie games this year, Nomada Studio and publisher Devolver Digital made quite an impact with their beautifully rendered side-scroller, Neva. The game follows a young woman, Alba, who travels with her wolf companion, Neva, over four seasons across a fantasy land where they fight off a growing darkness that has manifested in the form of monstrous creatures. As the player progresses through each season, Neva grows from cub to adult wolf, which changes the pair’s dynamic, and their emotional bond matures. The game is dialogue-free, and the only words come from Alba saying “Neva.” The lack of dialogue serves to highlight the emotionally moving score by Berlinist. Simple combat and puzzle-solving take on a new sense of grandeur through Neva’s animated visuals, inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (1997). A side-scroller hasn’t felt this fresh in a long while. While the gameplay and style are completely different, the game Neva feels closest to in terms of emotional reward is Stray (2022). Keep the tissues handy.
Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, macOS, and Windows.
4. Silent Hill 2
“In my restless dreams, I see that town.” Silent Hill 2 faced an uphill battle since its announcement in 2022. Not only was the canceled Silent Hills game, announced through the playable teaser game P.T. in 2014, set to be directed by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro, still a sore point with fans, but many did not believe that developers, Bloober Team, would be able to pull off such a feat as remaking one of the greatest horror games. And yet, Silent Hill 2 was one of the year’s biggest surprises, managing to stay true to the same haunting atmosphere of the original while updating the gameplay for a generation of horror gamers more familiar with the current Resident Evil remakes and contemporary entries than the fixed-camera of Silent Hill’s past iterations. While the overall narrative of the original game—in which James Sunderland returns to Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, who tells him she’s waiting there—remains largely the same, this one adds new wrinkles and locations to create an entirely different experience. No matter how many times a player has trod through the foggy streets of Silent Hill, the town is never anything less than unnerving. With original composer Akira Yamaoka returning and an excellent sound design that crawls inside your head, Silent Hill 2 is a perfect showcase of respect for the past through the capabilities of the current generation of gaming systems.
Available on PlayStation 5 and Windows.
3. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The second installment of Square Enix’s ambitious three-part remake of Final Fantasy VII immediately follows Final Fantasy VII: Remake (2020) and picks up with Cloud Strife and the eco-terrorist group AVALANCE as they take on Shinra Power Company that’s draining the planet’s life energy. But Shinra has an ace up their sleeve: their solider Sephiroth, long thought dead, is alive and intent on achieving godhood. Much like Remake and the ’97 original, there’s a lot of lore involved in the narrative, and while the combat is fast-paced and responsive in a nice switch-up from command inputs of the original game, Rebirth does require patience. Newcomers to the franchise may be surprised by the number of cutscenes and dialogue-heavy encounters but they all serve to make the world richer.
The benefit of splitting a single narrative into a trilogy allows for a greater depth of character and emotional connection. As fun as it is to take on enemies with Cloud’s Buster Swords, some of the best moments are found in the interactions shared with companions, which are rewarding for newcomers and fans of the original alike. One of the added features of Rebirth compared to Remake is an expanded open world, allowing for a lot more side quests and interactions. Simply put, the game is massive, and can feel overwhelmingly so. But once you find a groove, these additional narratives deepen the world and its citizens, which makes Cloud and AVALANCE’s plight feel all the more crucial. There’s little doubt that Square Enix will pull out of the stops for the final entry, which will make the Final Fantasy VII Trilogy go down as one of the all-time great game sagas. Not bad for a remake of a game already considered one the greatest triumphs in video game history.
Available on PlayStation 5.
2. Astro Bot
Hands down, the most fun gaming experience of the year is Astro Bot. Team Asobi puts PlayStation’s mascot, Astro Bot, who gamers could previously play as in Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018) and Astro’s Playroom (2020), into a full-length game. Making use of all the PS5 controller has to offer in terms in terms of movement, dexterity, and sound, Astro Bot makes sure no button goes unused, as the player takes Astro Bot from world to world to rescue bots from his crashed ship in four different galaxies and 90 planets that offer different and increasingly difficult experiences, and a variety of terrains and enemy types.
A number of these worlds are inspired by classic video games and iconic PlayStation titles like Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon, with plenty of Easter eggs and nods to PlayStation’s history scattered across the worlds. In the spirit of games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Spyro the Dragon, this one has a pure sense of fun, and the story exists merely to give a sense of structure to the play. Astro Bot is a big win for PlayStation’s renewed investment in family games—I found myself far more lenient with my young kids’ screen time when we were playing it together. It’s a great way to allow new gamers to get a sense of the controllers, but it’s also challenging enough for all parties to feel a sense of achievement over completing a planet. With extremely creative gameplay, even the end credits offer a fun experience, and an earworm of a soundtrack by Kenneth C. M. Young, Astro Bot is a grand celebration of PlayStation’s 30-year history. Fingers crossed we won’t have to wait another 30 for a sequel!
Available on PlayStation 5.
1. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Between Elder Scrolls and Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s been no shortage of great high-fantasy RPGs to play. It had been a decade since Dragon Age: Inquisition, and despite an incredible run for developer BioWare, their last decade was marred by the canceled game Shadow Realms, the disappointing Mass Effect: Andromeda, and a disastrous foray into MMOs with Anthem. There was reason to wonder if BioWare still had the sauce to return to Dragon Age. Boy, did they ever. Dragon Age: The Veilguard comes out swinging, and BioWare clearly had something to prove.
First, hats off to what has to be the most advanced character creation system ever brought to video games. It’s possible to spend hours just fine-tuning the look of your character as everything from bone structure to tissue placement is considered from every angle. The character creator is also fully inclusive, not only in terms of race but also gender in its inclusion of nonbinary pronouns and flexibility with physical characteristics like hairstyles. Before the game even begins, there’s an effort to make The Veilguard feel personal and truly put the gamer behind the character.
Narratively, the game takes place a decade after the events of Inquisition and immediately follows up on the post-credit scene of that game, which sees former companion Solas revealed as the elven god of betrayal, attempt to tear down the Veil, a magical barrier that separates mortals from the demon realm. The action begins quickly, and players familiar with the franchise will quickly find themselves impressed by the combat and traversal features, which are best seen in the Dragon Age games. The same goes for the impressive details that create a sense of awe and feel visually distinct in an era where gamers have their pick of visually impressive fantasy games. But this is BioWare, of course, and the real treat is in the journey, which is nothing without the bonds formed with your companions. Of the six available companions, each offers a unique skill set and personality, and unlike previous games in the series, going for the seemingly agreeable response in the dialogue trees won’t always grant players the response they wish. There is greater attention to character traits here, which makes the connections all the more exciting because it isn’t simply a game of playing nice. Additionally, the portals are a welcome travel feature, as is the ability to access companions’ special powersets from an open menu. While some may miss the more politically charged narrative of its predecessor, The Veilguard feels like a refreshing addition to the series that’s still heavy on lore but doesn’t feel too dense to distract from the pure pleasure of killing demons. If there’s a single word to describe Dragon Age: The Veilguard that signifies its place as TIME’s game of the year it would be: fulfilling.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
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