2024 was one other banner 12 months for video video games due to a slate of massive releases, robust remakes, and stunning hits. However regardless of loads of video games that made a splash, IGN awarded just one new recreation an ideal rating of 10, and a few argue that it’s not even a ‘correct’ recreation. Which is it? You’ll should learn on to search out out.
Yearly we undergo our archive of critiques to look again on the highest reviewed video games at IGN. This 12 months, 27 video games obtained a rating of 9 or 10, and of that just one new recreation obtained a ten (the opposite 10 was given to a re-review of a very fashionable recreation). It is a marked downturn from 2023 the place 36 video games obtained our highest evaluation scores, together with 5 video games that obtained a ten.
That definitely doesn’t imply 2024 was a worse 12 months for gaming – removed from it. However one factor that’s obvious is that they had been spaced out, not like final 12 months when the hits simply appeared to maintain on coming. In 2024, IGN didn’t give out a single 9 or 10 between the tip of June and starting of September, which helps clarify why it felt a bit barren for video games on the entire. Nonetheless, the 12 months started with a literal deluge of nice video games earlier than the noticeable summer season pause.
A Huge 12 months for RPGs
Within the first three months of 2024 we noticed a number of huge RPGs drop, all of which scored a 9. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was first 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 full-blown remake of the beloved Atlus JRPG. Talking of, Atlus would go on to launch the latest Vanillaware recreation, Unicorn Overlord, a technique RPG with the trademark attractive artwork the developer has come to be identified for.
The final huge RPG launch earlier than the summer season was in fact Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the long-awaited second a part of Sq. Enix’s Last Fantasy 7 remake undertaking. The sequel can be even larger than the primary, with a humongous open-world to discover with a whole bunch of hours of aspect quests to pursue, all whereas reliving the occasions of Last Fantasy 7.
The following wave of RPGs didn’t hit till October, when Atlus launched Metaphor: ReFantazio, its third RPG of the 12 months and arguably the largest. From the crew that introduced you the Persona collection, Metaphor is a pure fantasy RPG that tackles a dramatic political combat for the throne, with loads of analogs to our modern-day. Elsewhere, BioWare additionally launched its first RPG in what looks like without end with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which picks up after the occasions of the beloved Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Lastly, Sq. Enix launched one other RPG remake with the attractive Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which reimagines the enduring JRPG in pixelated HD. Regardless of the hole between huge releases, anybody who’s a fan of 100-plus hour RPGs ate extremely effectively this 12 months. Heck, you’re seemingly nonetheless grinding on at the least a number of of those video games.
Sim Metropolis
One other style that had a standout 12 months in 2024 had been sims. Whereas “simulators” is a broad class, there have been some distinctive entries into the style together with Espresso Stain Studios’ manufacturing unit simulator Passable, the place gamers got down to construct a brand new manufacturing unit on an alien planet.
There was additionally Sons of the Forest, the sequel to the hit survival recreation from 2014 that’s larger and meaner than the earlier recreation. And naturally, the 12 months was capped off with the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator, which delivered much more reasonable flight time goodness.
Indies Get Their 12 months
The third huge pattern from 2024 was the prominence of indie video games in our checklist of greatest reviewed titles. The highly-anticipated sequel, Hades 2, entered early entry and delivered on the promise of preventing by hell as soon as extra, whereas video games like Animal Properly, 1000xResist, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes additionally gained us over due to their imaginative gameplay and storytelling. All of those video games obtained a 9, in addition to quite a few nominations within the IGN Awards.
Nonetheless, the breakout hit within the indie scene is undoubtedly Balatro, the roguelike poker recreation many gamers couldn’t put down. After initially releasing on PC and consoles, Balatro is now additionally accessible on cellular, which is the place I’ve been enjoying this twisted little roguelike. Whereas the bones of Balatro might be acquainted to anybody with a cursory information of poker, the ingenious modifiers and methods gamers can hit greater scores makes the lizard mind mild up in delight and deserves all of the reward it’s obtained this 12 months.
There was one indie recreation we really gave a ten to this 12 months – our re-review of Stardew Valley, the comfy farming sim that’s taken the world by storm. After quite a few updates, further options, and new gameplay mechanics, Stardew Valley seems to be utterly totally different from the sport it was when it first launched, however no much less compelling. Virtually 9 years after it first launched, Stardew Valley remains to be going robust. And talking of going robust…
The Dwell-Service Prepare Retains Going
For a lot of who stick to one recreation all through the years, 2024 has delivered some nice expansions. Future 2’s latest replace, The Last Form, is a worthwhile finale to Bungie’s long-running shooter, whereas World of Warcraft’s newest growth, The Conflict Inside, kicks off a brand new begin for Blizzard’s beloved MMORPG.
Elsewhere, widespread ongoing video games like V Rising obtained a full launch and scored a 9, and we re-reviewed Epic’s behemoth battle royale, Fortnite, which had a stellar 12 months thanks to a different unbelievable collaboration with Marvel and the latest Chapter 2 Remix, that includes rap legends Snoop Dogg and Eminem.
A brand new live-service entrant this 12 months that additionally obtained a 9 is Infinity Nikki. The following recreation within the widespread Nikki vogue collection, Infinity Nikki takes the dress-up collection and turns it into an open-world RPG, however with full deal with what the collection is greatest identified for: lovely garments and fantastic outfits.
However the largest shock this 12 months was Helldivers 2. Arrowhead Sport Studios’ enjoyable and hilarious shooter was the massive breakout hit of the 12 months, shortly enlisting tens of millions of latest recruits for its galactic area warfare. Though it stumbled with some latest updates, it stays a massively widespread recreation and PlayStation’s huge live-service win of the 12 months.
Huge Names, Huge Assessment Scores
2024 was 12 months for widespread recreation collection making huge returns. Tekken 8 kicked off the 12 months — actually — with its latest installment, which we known as an “unbelievable evolution for the collection” due to some attention-grabbing modifications made to the basic 3D fighter that breathes new life into the basic fight.
The identical could be mentioned of Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, which delivers among the best Name of Responsibility single-player campaigns in years due to 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 retains gamers on the sting of their seat.
The Life is Unusual collection additionally returned with Life is Unusual: Double Publicity, which picks up with authentic franchise heroine Maxine Caulfield 10-years after the occasions of the primary recreation. It’s a worthy follow-up to the slice-of-life thriller recreation that kicked off the collection.
For all you Sonic followers on the market, the brand new up to date Sonic x Shadow Generations re-release brings again among the best trendy Sonic video games, however provides a wholesome heaping of everybody’s favorite-but-evil hedgehog, Shadow. If that’s not sufficient, you’ll be able to catch him in theaters this vacation when he’s set to seem within the latest Sonic film.
And in case you’re in search of an all-star forged, PlayStation launched the sport with the largest names in Astro Bot a superb platformer that matches the standard of something its rivals at Nintendo put ou,t. There are a whole bunch of collectible characters from throughout PlayStation’s largest franchises to find, making it fairly actually a recreation chock-full of massive names.
One huge identify that snuck in on the finish of the 12 months is Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle. MachineGames’ first recreation since ending up its Wolfenstein reboots is one other rollicking, nazi-punching journey that brings the movie hero to the AAA video games period. It’s not solely an enormous win for Indy followers, however for Xbox Video games Studios that lastly has a bonafide hit.
Nintendo’s Quiet 12 months
Nintendo had a a lot quieter 12 months in 2024 and it didn’t have huge new releases like 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, seemingly as a result of it’s busy engaged on a successor to Change. However that doesn’t imply there weren’t any hits from the Mario Home this 12 months.
Slightly than huge blockbusters, Nintendo’s notable video games had been from sudden collection. The brand new Mario Celebration recreation, Tremendous Mario Celebration Jamboree, obtained a 9 due to a return to fundamentals method of the beloved celebration recreation formulation. And Paper Mario: The Thousand-12 months Door obtained a full on remake for the Nintendo Change, and an Editor’s Alternative award to go together with it.
Nintendo did have one shock this 12 months, which is the primary Zelda recreation that really stars 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 toy-like artwork type. However the Echoes puzzle mechanic, the place Zelda can summon on a regular basis objects she memorizes, results in every kind of pleasant surprises. Suppose the liberty of Tears of the Kingdom combined with the artwork type of Hyperlink’s Awakening and also you’re heading in the right direction
The Huge 10
Except for Stardew Valley’s re-review, just one new recreation obtained a ten from IGN this 12 months, and it was none aside from FromSoftware’s first Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. This new growth not solely provides a complete new space to The Lands Between to discover, however a collection of latest weapons, armors, and even fight kinds like martial arts, makes FromSoftware’s magnum opus even higher.
Nevertheless it’s not simply merely a beefy growth with a great deal of content material. The world of Elden Ring is wealthy with lore and the story Shadow of the Erdtree tells 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 when uncovering these secrets and techniques show that no one does world design fairly like FromSoftware. This growth is so huge it virtually looks like a sequel.
Whereas a DLC like this gained’t be nominated for IGN’s Sport of the 12 months shortlist (spoiler: it’d Greatest DLC!)We perceive how a monumental recreation like Shadow of the Erdtree can compete for gaming’s high prize.
And that’s a glance again at the most effective reviewed video games of the 12 months. For extra from the IGN Awards, take a look at our full checklist of winners in all of our totally different award classes for the 12 months.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor. You possibly can attain him @lawoftd.