The Top 10 Games I Played in 2024

2024 ended terribly for me, but in a way that leaves room for optimism. After months of suffering silently with major depression, it finally got bad enough that I had to have medication and counseling, which made things markedly better. However, before things could improve in my personal and work life, I survived a major car accident.

That's where the room for optimism lies... I survived.

Frankly, the accident was mostly my fault given I was too tired to drive safely (should have pulled over and had a nap), but so many things could have happened that would have made the accident much worse. Gladly, only my car was totally destroyed while I got away with a minor shoulder injury that kept me from the gym for a while.

After the accident, and thanks to the medication, I finally started feeling things again. Gaming was fun again, and the time spent with family and friends felt precious. Time, once again, became my most scarce resource, and that shows with me playing less games this year than before. Or, that maybe just because I played a ton of strategy games this year.

Other than the strategy games that I enjoyed, visual novels had a strong showing with 3 out of 10 games in the list while Metroidvanias proved to be my favorite indie genre. Or, it was proved that there were too many indie Metoridvanias. RPGs still dominate my gaming time and my end of the year lists, and that's not going to change as I grow older and have less patience with Action games. One thing I know I am going to keep enjoying is playing different kinds of video games, and here is my top 10 list of games I played in 2024, ordered alphabetically:-

AI : The Somnium Files (2019, NS):

• Genre: Visual Novel.
• Developer/Publisher: Spike Chunsoft.

 As a big fan of Kotaro Uchikoshi’s Zero Escape series, I was very excited to play his new visual franchise, fully expecting to like it just as much. Yet, I was almost immediately disappointed when I started the game. I didn’t like the juvenile humor of the main character and didn’t appreciate the general vibe of the game’s universe. The central mechanic of going into other people’s dreams to figure out their secret led to a lot of random gameplay elements and more of the same style of humor. Not even the grisly murder cases at the center of the game’s plot could keep my interest.

Yet, I kept at the game and suddenly found surprising depth in previously 2-dimensional characters. Even the dream mechanics started making a twisted kind of sense that was fun to experiment with (outside of one or two segments). True to form, the central mystery gets both complicated and interesting near the end with a memorable conclusion. While some of the humor remained off-putting for me, the characters started to become a bit endearing despite my initial judgment.

While the game doesn’t reach the heights of Uchikoshi’s previous work and require some patience to truly appreciate, it is still a very good heartfelt visual novel that I was glad to experience and I am not excited to play its sequel down the line.

Axiom Verge 2 (2021/2022, NS/MP):

• Genre: Metroidvania.
• Developer/Publisher: Thomas Happ Games.

It is surprising how different Axiom Verge 2 is to the first game, so much that it is difficult to imagine both games being developed by the same single person. Even though both games are Metroidvania’s, they follow a completely different philosophy. While the first game is more action-packed with an emphasis on ranged combat, its sequel is more focused on exploration and consequently is more melee-focused.

However, the single most interesting thing about the game is the hacking mechanic, which allows you to influence the status of the game’s world and enemies. Also, there is an interesting mechanics which allows the protagonist to shift into a parallel world in a different form. In fact, the game is so confident in its design that it shifts perspective halfway through with great effect.

So, we have another brilliant Axiom Verge game that is both different and similar to the first. Thankfully, the game still retains Thomas Happ’s excellent art and music style, reinforcing the beautiful but dangerous world’s uncomfortably alien feeling. 

 

Front Mission 3 (1999/2000, PS1):

• Genre: Tactical RPG.
• Developer/Publisher: Square.

Square’s Front Mission series may be one of the legendary Japanese developer’s least known “big” franchises; considering this game being their first localized release. This is strange when you consider that the “West” is generally more receptive of military-themed games. Maybe Square thought the focus on mechs would be too “anime” for Western audiences.

Regardless of why Front Mission 3 was the first in the series to be localized, it was a solid entry nonetheless. You should expect a slid TRPG experience set in a solid and morally grey world. While this game’s protagonist is uniquely obnoxious, the rest of the cast make up for it. Also, with a brilliant soundtrack and the franchise’s gritty aesthetic, I am sure many would love the game.

However, note that Square-Enix is planning to release remake of this game sometime this year. I am sad that the remakes of Front Mission 1&2 were not particularly successful, which along with the expected poor sales of this latest remake may spell an end to this fascinating series. 

 

Gnosia (2019/2021, NS/MP):

• Genre: Visual Novel.
• Developer/Publisher: Petit Depotto.

 Have you ever imagined what a single-player Werewolf game would play like? That’s the question Gnosia is hoping to answer. This is an innovative Visual Novel game where you try and figure out the imposters in a crew of spacefarers before the imposters take over the space ship. Each playthrough is a “run” across the game in which you fail or succeed, and as you progress, you learn more about the game’s story, world, and characters. While the VN elements may not be as strong as the best in the genre, the unique gameplay hook is what makes it special.

If the random elements of the gameplay worry you then stop worrying. You have a lot of influence on what happens in each run and you could figure out the mysteries of the story easily if you pay enough attention.

One extra thing worth noting is that the game is inspiring an Anime show that will release this year. This may be one of the few gaming-related Anime that I will try and watch. 

 

Grandia (1997/1999, Saturn/PS1):

• Genre: JRPG
• Developer/Publisher: Game Arts/Sony, Ubisoft.

I absolutely love this game. I loved it when I first played it over two decades ago, and I loved it more when I finished it last year. Now, I better have the words and the references to describe it. Grandia, at its heart, is the purest of JRPG adventures. Featuring the contagiously positive protagonist Justin and his thirst of adventure, it is the rare game that combines adventure, romance, and a positive outlook without being obnoxiously saccharine. In fact, its positive outlook is a contrast to the brooding edginess of the 90s.

One obvious influence that I recognize today is the work of Studio Ghibli, specifically Castle in the Sky. Many games are influenced by Ghibli’s masterpiece, but none give justice to the sense of adventure and romance as much as Grandia does, which is resoundingly demonstrated by its brilliant theme music and world design.

Besides the charming story of Justin and his friends, the greatness of the game owes much to its unique take on turn-based battles. Every unit is represented by an icon in a time scale to show the order of their action, and turns can be delayed or cancelled by both enemies and allies. It is a dynamic battle system that doesn’t shine as much in the first Grandia as it does in its sequel, but still makes for one of the best JRPG experiences on the PS1. 

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening (2022/2023, PC/NS/PS4):

• Genre: Strategy.
• Developer/Publisher: Koei Tecmo.

As a big fan of the Nobunaga's Ambition games, it was obvious that I would love Awakening. As usual, I enjoyed the grand strategy aspects of the game, but I also appreciated the changed battle systems more so than Sphere of Influence. After finishing the customary campaigns as Nobunaga Oda, Ieyasu Tokugawa, and Masamune Date, I was happy to play again with my own clan.

One aspect that I liked in the base game was how easy it was to trigger historical events to role-play in the exact setting. That, combined with fictional alternative scenarios, gave more impact to the historical officers that populate the game.

It is a testament to how much the game offers that I spent over 200 quality hours with the game. Or maybe it is just a testament to my strategy addiction. 

 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020, XB/PC/NS):

• Genre: Metroidvania.
• Developer/Publisher: Moon Studios/Xbox Game Studios, Iam8bit.

While I enjoyed the highly acclaimed indie Metroidvania Ori and the Blind Forest, if I did not particularly love it. I thought the platforming was too floaty and the combat was a bit lackluster. True, the graphics and music were amazing, but I wasn’t as entranced by the game as the critics and was unexcited about playing its sequel. Thankfully, Will of the Wisps wasn’t just an iterative sequel and was instead a full evolution of the series in a brilliant way.

This sequel was better in every way other than music and graphics, which simply retain their brilliance. With better platforming, better combat, and better world design, this was a near-perfect Metroidvanina experience. So much that I was hooked to beat the game in less than two weeks when I struggled for six weeks to muster enough excitement to finish the first game.

Thanks to everyone that convinced me not to skip this game.

 

Part Time UFO (2017/2020, Mobile/NS):

• Genre: Puzzle.
• Developer/Publisher: HAL Laboratory/HAL, Nintendo.

This is a brilliant puzzle game from the makers of the Boxboy puzzle series in the house of Kirby. It is a deviously challenging physics-based puzzle about carrying things and stacking them by a cute little UFO. It has a fun and addictive sense of style with its brilliant 2D graphics and catchy music, but its deceptively deep gameplay is not to be underestimated.

There is both a feeling of Zen and Chaos to some of the game’s missions. Some task your balance in re-stacking a crazy-looking piece of art while others test your dexterity in catching as many odd-shaped fish you can in a limited time frame. I am yet to get three stars in all the game’s missions, and I don’t think I ever will, but this one puzzle game that I would easily recommend. 

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice (2016/2024, 3DS/NS):

• Genre: Visual Novel.
• Developer/Publisher: Capcom/Capcom.

Truth be told, I am yet to finish this game since I am playing it with my youngest sister. We are in the last case now but we may take a while to finish it since she is studying for some critical exams, but we can’t stop talking about how we are excited to get back to it. Previously, I replayed all the Ace Attorney games with my sister, but there were two games that I have not previously finished: Investigations 2 and this game. As such, I was doubly excited to start this game last year, and frankly was glad to love it since I wasn’t the biggest fan of Dual Destinies.

Not only does this game feature the return of one of the franchise’s best characters, but I think that the storyline of the Queendom of Khura’in to be a strong standalone story in the franchise’s canon (Even though it reveals some mysterious connections to past characters). Even though I don’t particularly like this game’s prosecutor as much as the other’s (he may be my least favorite in the six Ace Attorney games) the supporting cast is more than making up for him, and that includes the brilliant return of detective Emma Skye and her forensic abilities.

Speaking of game mechanics, the divination séance introduced in this game proved to be a bit controversial. It introduced mystical elements to the legal system that broke a bit from the “realism”. HELLO, this is a series where mystical elements were present since the first two cases. If anything, the way Pheonix argues using the séance gives it a unique place in the courts of Khura’in and again reflects on the supposed real duty of prosecutors and defense attorneys. I am sure the story will become crazier and more convoluted by the end, but I know that I am loving this game to bits.

Wild Arms 2 (1999/2000, PS1):

• Genre: JRPG.
• Developer/Publisher: Media.Vision/Sony.

There was a time when I thought Wild Arms 2 to be the best JRPG of all time. From the moment the opening cinematic played and I was introduced to brilliant music and cool characters, I was in love with the game. The first moment I used Brad Evans boots to solve a puzzle in a dungeon, I thought this was the coolest possible combination of gameplay ideas in RPGs. Maybe there was a value to retaining my rose-tinted memories of a game I never managed to finish in my childhood, but I am glad I indeed managed to play the game again and complete it last year.

Finally finishing this game 24 years later, I understand why I fell in love with it the first time I played it, but I am also apprehensive of some flaws that I couldn't see at the time. The story is cool at first, especially thanks to a strong cast of characters, but it is let down by a terrible localization job. The gameplay is simple and fun both inside and outside of combat, but it is very easy to remove any challenge from the game. The graphics and music are great, except when the polygons get too jagged and a bad tune repeats one time too many.

Yet, the game is filled with the unique style of the Wild Arms franchise in nearly everything it does. That unique style is the reason I still remember the first time I played the game, and the first time I saw that opening movie and knew, despite the instrumental version having no lyrics, that I will never be alone.

Honorable Mentions:

Blaster Master Zero III (2021, NS/MP, Inti Creates)

Inti Creates reboot of the Blaster Master series was responsible for the definitive remake of the NES cult-classic, a brilliant sequel that was of the best games I played in 2022, and this conclusion to the rebooted franchise that is very good on its own right even if it doesn’t reach the gameplay or historical heights of the first two. BMZIII concludes Jason and Eve’s storyline in a big and satisfactory way, which is reason enough for fans of the series to give it a go, but the tried-and-true series formula is never boring, even if there are some choice mechanics that do not quite stick the landing. 

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (2017/2019, PS4/NS)

As I expected when I included this game in my 2023 list, my game time was almost evenly split between 2023 and 2024. Yet, despite the mammoth size of the game, I enjoyed it greatly until the end, finishing the final act with relish. Dragon Quest XI sits comfortably as my favorite game in the series, with its amazing blend of classical charm, straightforward narrative, and brilliantly addictive gameplay all combining to make one of the best JRPGs of the last decade.

 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019, NS)

I want back to playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses last year and enjoyed it almost as much as I did the first time. After finishing the DLC scenario, which I enjoyed, I completed a playthrough as the Golden Deer house. The story wasn’t as a personal as the playthrough with the Blue Lions, but it revealed more about the interesting world of Three Houses. I am still unsure if I am going to play the game for a final time to follow Edelgard’s steps (especially since I mostly disagree with her methods), but I am sure I would enjoy it just the same. 

 

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… (2010/2021, PS360/PS4/MP)

This is the game I am the least sure about including on this list. While its sequel, NieR Automata, was one of the best games I ever played, I could see exactly where its success is rooted in Replicant’s example, and where Replicant drops the ball. While this is series that is defined by subverting expectations and reassessing player’s motivation, I don’t think it does enough to organically earn it in the first game. With poor foreshadowing and an emphasis on boredom, the story doesn’t feel like it deserves its twist ending. Thankfully, the world’s atmosphere, brilliant music, and fun combat ensure the game is at least still fun to play.

 

Romance of the Three Kingdom VIII Remake (2001/2024, NS/MP)

It makes sense that a Romance of the Three Kingdoms title is the only game I played that was released in the same year. Of course, in this case, this was a remake for a game originally released in 2001. I remember enjoying this version of the classic strategy series on the PS2, and much of what I enjoyed before is preserved here along with a fun extended character reputation and friendship system. While the game doesn’t in my opinion reach the heights of Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening from a strategy point of view, it has more fun battles and is easier to pick-up and play. One unfortunate thing is the difficulty of triggering historical events and the relatively weak computer AI.