Sure, the exhilarating thrills of 2025 are close to being loaded onto our screens within moments, but there’s still time to bask in the glories that 2024 brought. From brilliant Bots and a beautifully blocky LEGO world, to epic fantasy adventures and remastered classics, there’s been everything for everyone.
A year of expansive RPGs
It was an enchanting 12 months for massive and magical lands full of spell casting heroes, pointed ears and sky dwelling towns. Persona creators Atlas stepped into a brave new world with its fantastical Metaphor ReFantazio, and with it scooped an abundance of well-deserved praise thanks to its thoughtful combat mechanics, slick presentation and that battle theme.
Similarly, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth aced the unenviable task of reimagining one of the most influential RPGs of all time and maintaining the momentum of its prior, the massively successful Final Fantasy VII Remake. Sticking with the fantastic, fast-paced action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink delivered some much-welcomed co-op combat to go with its sprawling story, while Dragon Age: The Veilguard rounded out the year with a hugely compelling quest and a suitably stirring soundtrack by composer royalty Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe.
On a slightly more grounded level – well, relatively speaking – Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth provided some punch to any RPG fans who preferred mean streets over spell sheets, via its entertaining combat system and fun expansion of the rich Yakuza universe.
A year of classic remasters
Not to be outdone by the onslaught of new titles inspiring imaginations, there were an impressive array of classics coming back with more than just a fresh lick of paint. Which was more than appropriate for Disney’s Epic Mickey, which saw the iconic mouse return with new abilities to match his beautifully updated visuals.
Speaking of icons, Lara Croft fans had a treasure trove of familiar delights to unearth in Tomb Raider I–III Remastered, and she wasn’t the only one resurfacing archaeological wonders, either. Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged brought back George Stobbart and Nico Collard’s quest to discover the arcane secrets of the Knights Templar in a 4K enhanced version of the adventure favourite.
In galaxies a bit farther afield, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster and Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition both delivered on sci-fi delights across the FPS and action-adventure genres, respectively – with an equally epic turnout in fan-favourite fantasy RPGs via Grandia HD Collection and Persona 3 Reload. Oh, and for the players craving remastered zombie action? Capcom had its finger on the trigger, as Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster lumbered onto our screens with an array of… well, brainy improvements. Actually, while we’re on the subject of horror…
A year of horror and retro-inspired scares
While many remasters sent hearts aflutter, there were a sprinkling of games returning to give other hearts a real jolt. Silent Hill 2 stepped out of the mists in frightening form with a stunning remake that took us back to nightmarish encounters with Pyramid Head, albeit with a high presentational fidelity that only enhanced the unforgettable story.
There was also a creepy cavalcade of new titles that were just as powerful at making the hairs on your controller-holding arms stand up on end. For those who love retro touches, Crow Country perfectly wrapped timeless survival horror gameplay within the familiar 1990s PlayStation visual style. Similarly, Fear the Spotlight played with an old school aesthetic to give its creepy narrative an intense edge, while the ‘80s also made a comeback via the amusing and disturbing asymmetrical multiplayer thrills of Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, based on the 1988 cult classic movie.
If you preferred a more modern scare, Still Wakes the Deep delivered a well written, utterly haunting and claustrophobic psychological – and cosmic tinged – horror. Although going full cosmic was also terrifyingly easy with the in-your-face frights of VR combat adventure Alien: Rogue Incursion. And in your living room, everyone can hear you scream…
A year of character platformers
Making a mark on the platform genre isn’t easy, but 2024 provided a blueprint that we’ll all be eager for others to follow in the future. Of course, the big flag bearer this year has been the endlessly inventive and charming Astro Bot. Team Asobi’s fun and feature-packed adventure became an instant classic due to its imaginative level design, wonderful use of the DualSense wireless controller and some unforgettable cameos.
But let’s not forget a couple of slick sleeper hits, either. Another Crab’s Treasure introduced us to the aquatic Soulslike action-adventure world of Kril, an irate hermit crab capable of using the discarded junk around him as weapons and armour. On the slightly breezier side, Penny’s Big Breakaway was a bright and colourful callback to an era of kinetic and fast-paced platformers, with the titular hero out to clear her name while being pursued by Emperor Eddie’s army of madcap penguins. It’s exactly as wild as it sounds.
A year of creative art design
2024 also played host to some of the most memorable looking games that not only had a distinct visual identity, but also played well, too. The beautifully crafted stop-motion animation of Harold Halibut contributed to its 10-year development process, with physical dioramas scanned into the game, resulting in a striking aesthetic for the charming graphic adventure.
The powerful use of colour and contrast were the visual hallmarks of beautiful puzzle-driven platformer Neva, while slapstick adventure Thank Goodness You’re Here! leaned entirely into its absurdist humour with a bright and bold style reminiscent of classic – and equally eccentric – British comedy comic books.
Also coming in bold, but additionally blocky, was LEGO Horizon Adventures, a playful spin on Horizon Zero Dawn. Its visual inventiveness was highlighted by the revelation that everything you see in the game, including its imposing and impressive machines, can be built using real world LEGO bricks and sets.
Which games and their appropriate trends were your favourites for 2024?
