2024 was one other huge yr for video video games because of a collection of massive releases, robust remakes and shock hits. However regardless of many video games making waves, IGN solely gave one new sport an ideal rating of 10, and a few argue it isn’t even a ‘correct’ sport. What’s it? You will need to learn on to seek out out.
Yearly we undergo our evaluation archive to see the highest rated video games on IGN. This yr, 27 video games obtained a rating of 9 or 10, and of these just one new sport obtained a ten (the opposite 10 got to a evaluation of a very talked-about sport). That is a marked drop from 2023, the place 36 video games obtained our highest ranking scores, together with 5 video games that obtained 10.
That is actually to not say that 2024 was a worse yr for gaming – removed from it. However one factor that’s evident is that they have been aside, in contrast to final yr when the hits simply appeared to maintain coming. In 2024, IGN did not give a single 9 or 10 from late June to early September, which helps clarify why it felt just a little barren about video games as a complete. Nevertheless, the yr began with a literal deluge of nice video games earlier than the obvious summer season break.
A giant yr for RPGs
Within the first three months of 2024, we noticed a number of main RPGs drop, all of which scored 9. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth first got here out of the gate and continued the story of Ichiban Kasuga, who finds himself stranded on the seashores of Hawaii. Sega adopted it up with Persona 3 Reload, a whole remake of the beloved Atlus JRPG. Talking of, Atlus would go on to launch Vanillaware’s latest sport, Unicorn Overlord, a method RPG with the beautiful trademark artwork the developer has turn out to be recognized for.
The final huge RPG launch earlier than the summer season was in fact Closing Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the long-awaited second a part of Sq. Enix’s Closing Fantasy 7 remake challenge. The sequel can be even greater than the primary, with an enormous open world to discover with lots of of hours of facet quests to comply with, all reliving the occasions of Closing Fantasy 7.
The following wave of RPGs did not seem till October, when Atlus launched Metaphor: ReFantazio, the yr’s third and probably largest RPG. From the workforce that introduced you the Persona collection, Metafora is a pure fantasy RPG coping with a dramatic political battle for the throne, with many analogies to our modern-day. Elsewhere, BioWare additionally launched its first RPG in what looks like perpetually with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which takes place after the occasions of the beloved Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Lastly, Sq. Enix launchedone other RPG remake with the beautiful Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake, which reimagines the enduring JRPG in pixelated HD. Regardless of the hole between the massive releases, anybody who’s a fan of RPGs with over 100 hours ate extraordinarily nicely this yr. Heck, chances are high you are still attempting out at the least just a few of those video games.
Sim Metropolis
One other style that had a standout yr in 2024 was sims. Whereas “simulators” is a broad class, there have been some distinctive entries within the style, together with Espresso Stain Studios’ manufacturing facility simulator Passable, the place gamers got down to construct a brand new manufacturing facility on an alien planet.
There was additionally Sons of the Forest, the sequel to the hit survival sport from 2014 that is greater and badder than the earlier sport. And naturally, the yr ended with Microsoft’s latest Flight Simulator, which delivered much more sensible flight-time goodness.
The indies get their yr
The third huge pattern from 2024 was the prominence of indie video games in our record of the perfect titles reviewed. The long-awaited sequel, Hades 2, entered early entry and delivered on its promise to struggle via hell as soon as once more, whereas video games like Animal Nicely, 1000xResist and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes additionally gained us over with their imaginative gameplay and storytelling. All of those video games obtained 9, in addition to a number of nominations on the IGN Awards.
Nevertheless, the hit on the indie scene is certainly Balatro, the dishonest poker sport that many gamers could not put down. After first releasing on PC and consoles, Balatro is now out there on cell too, the place I have been enjoying this twisted little roguelike. Whereas Balatro’s bones will likely be acquainted to anybody with a cursory information of poker, the ingenious modifiers and methods gamers can obtain larger scores make the lizard mind mild up with delight and deserves all of the reward it has. taken this yr.
There was one indie sport we truly gave a ten this yr – our evaluation of Stardew Valley, the comfy farming SIM that is taken the world by storm. After quite a few updates, further options and new sport mechanics, Stardew Valley seems fully completely different from the sport it was when it launched, however no much less compelling. Virtually 9 years after it first launched, Stardew Valley continues to be going robust. And talking of going robust…
The direct practice service continues
For many individuals who’ve caught with a sport all through the years, 2024 has supplied some wonderful expansions. Future 2’s newest replace, The Closing Form, is a worthy finale for Bungie’s long-running shooter, whereas World of Warcraft’s newest enlargement, The Warfare Inside, marks a brand new starting for the MMORPG. Expensive Blizzard.
Elsewhere, well-liked sequels like V Rising bought a full launch and scored 9, and we revisited Epic’s battle royale behemoth Fortnite, which had a stellar yr thanks to a different improbable collaboration with Marvel and the Remix of finish of Chapter 2, with rap legends Snoop Dogg and Eminem.
A brand new stay service entry this yr that additionally obtained a 9 is Infinity Nikki. The following sport within the well-liked Nikki style collection, Infinity Nikki takes the clothes collection and turns it into an open-world RPG, however with a full deal with what the collection is greatest recognized for: stunning garments and classy outfits. fantastic.
However the largest shock this yr was Helldivers 2. Arrowhead Sport Studios’ enjoyable and hilarious shooter was the most important hit of the yr, shortly amassing tens of millions of recent recruits for its galactic area warfare. Though it stumbled with just a few latest updates, it stays a very talked-about sport and PlayStation’s huge win of the yr on the stay service.
Large names, huge evaluation scores
2024 was an excellent yr for well-liked sport collection making huge returns. Tekken 8 kicked off the yr – actually – with its latest installment, which we known as an “unimaginable evolution for the collection” because of some attention-grabbing modifications made to the traditional 3D fighter that breathe new life into traditional fights.
The identical might be stated for Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, which gives among the best Name of Responsibility single-player campaigns in years because of its creativity and selection. This popcorn spy thriller, as we name it in our evaluation, splendidly marries the collection’ love of bombastic, cinematic storytelling with every kind of plot twists and turns that maintain gamers on the sting of their seats.
The Life is Unusual collection additionally returned with Life is Unusual: Double Publicity, which picks up with the franchise’s authentic heroine Maxine Caulfield 10 years after the occasions of the primary sport. It is a worthy sequel to the Faith of Life thriller sport that kicked off the collection.
For all you Sonic followers on the market, the brand new up to date re-release of Sonic x Shadow Generations brings among the best fashionable Sonic video games, however provides a wholesome dollop of everybody’s favourite but evil hedgehog, Shadow. If that is not sufficient, you possibly can catch him in theaters this vacation when he seems within the latest Sonic film.
And when you’re on the lookout for a star-studded forged, PlayStation launched the sport with the most important names in Astro Bot, a superb platformer that matches the standard of something its Nintendo rivals put out. There are lots of of collectible characters from all the most important PlayStation franchises to find, making it actually a sport full of massive names.
A giant title that appeared on the finish of the yr is Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle. MachineGames’ first sport because the finish of the Wolfenstein reboots is one other slasher, Nazi journey that brings the movie’s hero into the age of AAA gaming. This isn’t solely an enormous win for Indy followers, however for Xbox Video games Studios to lastly have an excellent run.
Nintendo’s quiet yr
Nintendo had a a lot quieter yr in 2024 and did not have any large new releases like 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, possible as a result of it is busy engaged on a Swap successor. However that does not imply there have not been any hits from Mario Home this yr.
As a substitute of massive films, Nintendo’s notable video games have been from surprising collection. The brand new Mario Celebration sport, Tremendous Mario Celebration Jamboree, obtained a 9 because of a back-to-basics strategy to the beloved celebration sport components. And Paper Mario: The Thousand-12 months Door bought a full remake for Nintendo Swap and an Editor’s Selection award to go along with it.
Nintendo had a shock this yr, which is the primary Zelda sport to really star Princess Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge returns to the top-down Zelda world final seen in The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening, together with utilizing the identical artwork type because the toys. However the Echoes puzzle mechanic, the place Zelda can summon on a regular basis objects she memorizes, results in all kinds of nice surprises. Suppose the liberty of Tears of the Kingdom blended with the artwork type of Hyperlink’s Awakening and also you’re heading in the right direction
The large 10
Apart from the Stardew Valley evaluation, just one new sport obtained a ten from IGN this yr, and it was none apart from FromSoftware’s first Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. This new enlargement not solely provides a complete new space to The Lands Between to discover, however an array of weapons, armor, and even preventing types like martial arts, makes FromSoftware’s magnum opus even higher.
Nevertheless it’s not only a flashy enlargement with a number of content material. The world of the Elden Ring is wealthy in lore, and the Shadow of the Erdtree story provides new layers to that wealthy textual content. The backstories for characters like Queen Marika and Miquella are each enlightening and tragic, and the sense of discovery gamers get after they uncover these secrets and techniques proves that nobody does world design fairly like FromSoftware. This enlargement is so huge it virtually looks like a sequel.
Whereas a DLC like this may not be nominated for IGN’s Sport of the 12 months shortlist (spoiler: it may be the perfect DLC!) we perceive how a monumental sport like Shadow of the Erdtree may compete for the highest prize of video games.
And that is a glance again at the perfect reviewed video games of the yr. For extra from the IGN Awards, try our full record of winners in all of our completely different award classes for the yr.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor. You’ll be able to obtain it @lawoftd.
