Video games: the 7 titles that marked the year 2024

© Stéphane Ficca/Presse-citron.net

The year 2024 is (already!) coming to an end, and in the absence of a Nintendo Switch 2, it is obviously the PS5 Pro that will have stood out (not always in a good way) this year. While the hardware trend is not looking good (with the ever-increasing threat of “all dematerialized“), when it comes to video games, this year 2024 has been quite exceptional. Whether you're a Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox player, there's plenty to enjoy during these end-of-year holidays. Here are the games that, in our eyes, have made their mark on the year 2024.

Astro Bot

Having just been crowned “Best Game of the Year” at the recent Game Awards 2024, Astro Bot is a little video game gem that deserves your full attention. Carefully developed by Team Asobi, this PlayStation exclusive allows you to reconnect with a video game pleasure of yesteryear, almost forgotten, the one that puts a smile on your face from the first to the last minute.

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Furthermore, even though Astro Bot is a purely solo game, it can be perfectly suitable for family gaming sessions, with some levels being perfectly playable by younger players (from 7 years old), for the much to the delight of their geeky parents. The game also won the title of “Best Family Game” at the Game Awards.

A superb tribute to the 30 years of PlayStation, with the added bonus of dozens of historical mascots to free. An incredible breath of fresh air, blowing on a video game landscape that is sometimes a bit gloomy, it must be admitted.

Silent Hill 2

At the beginning of October, Konami launched the highly anticipated remake of Silent Hill 2 on PS5. A resolutely cult title, first released in 2001 on a certain PS2, which in 2024 will benefit from a complete makeover, boosted by the Unreal Engine 5 engine.

The result is a title that is still as gloomy, as disturbing, as frightening, with obviously an impressive technical transformation, but also many arrangements and other modifications, allowing both novices and connoisseurs to enjoy a new experience.

Certainly, the game sometimes drags on, but we are still on a survival-horror of extraordinary quality, with several endings to unlock as a bonus. A must therefore, if you like to scare yourself a little bit of course.

Space Marine 2

Available since the beginning of September, Space Marine 2 is the sequel to the title launched in 2011 on PC. For this new episode, in addition to a release on PC, the developers have also targeted the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. And so much the better! Since this allows console players to fully enjoy this excellent action game directly inspired by the Warhammer 40,000 license.

Connoisseurs will appreciate finding all the atmosphere and lore of Warhammer 40K, but the game is also aimed at neophytes, who will discover this ultra-rich universe, while enjoying an action game in the style of Gears of War of incredible nervousness and beauty. The game is playable solo, but also in cooperation, for its solo campaign, without forgetting multiplayer clashes.

Over the weeks, the developers have also refined the title, which is now of astonishing quality on PC as well as on consoles, with the added bonus of a (successful) optimization dedicated to the PS5 Pro. An old-school, simple, wild and terribly immersive title, and incidentally one of the best games of this year 2024, to enjoy alone or with friends.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

On Nintendo's side, this year 2024 was the opportunity to officially announce for the first time “the development of a new console“, but on the video game side, the harvest will have been less rich, obviously due to a Nintendo Switch at the end of its life.

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Still, players were able to discover a brand new opus in The Legend of Zelda saga, with Echoes of Wisdom. For the first time on a Nintendo console, it is not Link who is at the heart of the adventure, but rather Princess Zelda. Enough to offer a very different gameplay perspective, but nevertheless very fun, with always excellent finds from the geniuses at Nintendo.

Not the game of the year no, but a very beautiful adventure nonetheless to explore on Nintendo Switch at the end of the year, by picking a few papillotes from the kitchen basket.

Helldivers 2

It was THE surprise of the start of 2024, the release of Helldivers 2, jointly on PC and PlayStation 5. A title heavily inspired by Starship Troopher (and with a look very different from the first Helldivers) which quickly accumulated audience records and rave reviews.

No Federation here, but a Super Earth that elite soldiers will have to protect against extraterrestrial attacks, sometimes with a look very close to that of the Arachnids in Paul Verhoeven's film.

Unlike many multiplayer games, Helldivers 2 is also a form of intelligent cooperation (with friendly fire enabled by default), which accentuates the “realistic” side of the thing, with real management of teammates, and real communication to be put in place to achieve one's goals.

Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle

For Xbox players, the year 2024 was relatively poor in terms of notable exclusivity. Of course, we were able to enjoy the very immersive Hellblade 2 of course, without forgetting the recent Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but it was Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle that was the notable exclusive this year.

A game launched at the very beginning of December, which plunges players back into the heart of the first film trilogy, with an original plot that fits between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. A game with an FPS view (like Wolfenstein), but which is mainly based on exploration, solving puzzles, with obviously sometimes a bit of action.

An excellent title, with this (delicious) impression of taking part in an unpublished Indiana Jones film from the blessed era of the 80s. If the game is currently only available on Xbox, it will also be offered on PS5 at the beginning of 2025 (hopefully with a PS5 Pro optimization).

Black Myth Wukong

It was undoubtedly one of the favorites for the title of Best Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2024, the title Black Myth Wukong was finally overtaken by the game signed Team Asobi.

Remember that this is a type game “RPG action”, inspired by Chinese mythology, and more precisely by  Journey to the West  », one of the Four Extraordinary Books of Chinese Literature. A game that gives pride of place to exploration, but also to many battles that challenge the tests the skill (and patience) of the players.

A game that was initially launched only in digital version (like Alan Wake 2 before it), and which has just recently been released in physical version. To consider, therefore, provided you appreciate the genre obviously, and are still able to endure a minimum of suffering.

A year rich in (very good) video games

Obviously, this is a non-exhaustive list of the many excellent titles that have marked this year 2024. Among them, we can also mention Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but also the very successful Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, without forgetting Metaphor Refantazio for RPG fans or Balatro for card enthusiasts.

© Bandai Namco

These could also be joined by Prince of Persia The Lost Crown or Tekken 8, launched at the very beginning of the year. Fans of old-school RPGs will also be able to enjoy the excellent Dragon Quest 3 2D-HD Remake, while DBZ fans will enjoy Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. In short, at the end of 2024 there is clearly something for everyone, and that is the main thing, right ?

And for you, which one is THE video game that marked the year 2024 ?

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