2024 was rough.
Like real rough. For me, personally. For Gamer Matters. And of course the industry and the world at large. Money can’t buy you happiness, but try and be happy if you can’t make ends meet.
It’s been a trudge to survive through 2024. Thankfully, it’s been a blessing with good games, and there were plenty of opportunities to cover the big and small releases as they come. I’m still here, despite it all. I have my fellow colleagues that I also consider friends, and the video games along the way, and I’m still here. As in, still here in this industry. I contemplated going through retail hell and giving up this dream job.
There are plenty of games that I enjoyed playing in 2024, some featured prominently in the GM GOTY Awards, some didn’t as they are not qualified. But I did play plenty of them. Here’s the best games I played this year, in no particular order this time. It’s a good look at my rather eclectic gaming taste.
Helldivers 2
Hell yeah! I’m 2 for 2 when it comes to being that one guy rooting for the sequel to a long-forgotten game series that nobody heard until now and found its much-deserved love from a wider audience. For many, Helldivers 2 might have come as a surprise, this looks like an EDF knock-off but somehow offers a different kind of multiplayer mayhem. But I survived the trenches of Magicka’s horde mode, and Magicka Vietnam. I knew what to expect, and they delivered more.
Helldivers 2 stuck to Arrowhead’s mantra of “a game made for everyone is a game made for no one” and they proudly made what a player usually thinks as a not-fun feature into something fun. Like friendly fire, and more recently, having to drive stick shift only. You will mess up because of this, and messing up is part of the fun.
In a world where multiplayer games are understandably sanitised to prevent toxicity, this PVE multiplayer shooter has a wholesome community despite its toxic-inducing mechanics. When we stand united against the enemy of Managed Democracy, friendly fire is usually a mistake, and we can laugh it off as we all comically die for Super Earth, again and again, until we collectively win against Joel.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
I always describe Shin Megami Tensei as the actual Pokemon game your local preacher warns about being the game of the devil that a pious believer must stay away from. Funnily enough, I never played a proper SMT game all these years, I only ever touched Persona.
With this enhanced release, I can put off that Switch purchase (which, looking at my financial projections, won’t be happening anytime soon if ever) and play this on a platform I have.
There’s something about this RPG that really hooked me. Battles are intense and challenging. The soundtrack is impeccable (shoutout to the trap-infused gamelan beat that is the level up music). The exploration is fun. Building your team of demons and speccing them just right for the eventual boss battle is super satisfying. SMT V Vengeance is a concentrated dose of JRPG, now finally perfected.
10-year-old me would be horrified to know I love this series now. I’m sorry.
Astro Bot
10-year-old me would be proud of this one, however. In fact, I just found my 10-year-old me again after playing this masterfully made platformer.
My favourite anecdote about Astro Bot is on the day the local media here in Malaysia gathered for a hands-on session. I kept saying to everyone “Hey, are you ready to experience the Game Of The Year?” Funny how things turned out.
Team Asobi lives up to its name. The levels are playful and allows you to indulge in being your playful self. Press buttons. Do silly stuff. See what happens. Fun stuff happens.
You might find it odd that I staunchly stand against Astro Bot for winning our coveted GOTY award (it ranked fourth place), despite being the biggest Astro Bot stan among the team. And that’s mostly because I feel like it’s being buoyed by the nostalgia hit the game cleverly built around, rather than the pure strength of its mechanics and quirks (which are all good, but nothing that outstanding if you ask me). Astro Bot didn’t blow me away as a platformer as much as I wanted it to be. Other than those tough challenge levels, absolutely love those.
That said, Astro Bot deserves all the love it gets. Mostly so that big corporations can be brave enough to fund a family game and not just aim for AAA cinematic blockbusters and multiplayer live service games. You can make a game with a cute mascot that jumps really well and is fun to play and find an audience. And may we not ever forget what it means to play video games. If we do, Astro Bot is here.
Elden Ring
No. I’m not a soulsliker. At least I don’t admit to it. Yet that PlayStation wrap-up exposed me that I’ve been playing too much Elden Ring this year.
One of the reasons we dropped the “Best Game We Didn’t Play” Award was because when we eventually got in touch with representatives from Bandai Namco, they saw that award and hooked us up with a game code, months long after launch. And now I have to pay for our sins for overlooking everyone else’s GOTY for 2022. The other reason is that, well, we just played a lot more games every year, the site has grew and we have enough good rep with reps from game publishers and developers.
Look, I’ve mostly been playing this for the prep for Shadow Of The Erdtree, I swear. And I did just about everything that expansion has to offer, including beating that boss pre-nerf.
I got distracted a lot in the open world. There’s just so many things to discover just as there are many unspeakable horrors that are out to get me, making for a tense and rewarding gameplay.
And I just need to know if these messages are good hints or just to troll new players.
I’m glad I’m now done with the gam- oh wait, I actually haven’t finished the base game yet. It’s fine, I can stop. I had enough of Elden Ri- WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE MAKING ANOTHER ONE NEXT YEAR?!?!?!
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Everyone at Gamer Matters is a Persona fan. And every time we talk about Persona, I usually have to be on the listening end, as I feel like I’m the weakest Persona fan in the room. I don’t spend too much time in the fandom and don’t really have much to say about Persona 4 and 5. Haven’t touched 3, but I know that will destroy me emotionally knowing what the theme is.
So going into Metaphor: ReFantazio, I didn’t expect much other than “the headlining folks who did Persona get to make a fantasy RPG”, whatever that means. And what it means is something truly pertinent.
I know the story of Persona games don’t hold up to criticism as much, but with Metaphor, this particular story hits strong. In an ideal world, the messages and themes the game presents and tell would seem rather dull and on-the-nose for how basic its ideals are. But truly, we don’t live in that world, do we?
Yeah, we all know racism is bad. But Metaphor shows you the many ways racism can manifest, from the social systems that reinforce it, to just geography. Metaphor preaches good ideals, but warns that good ideals don’t manifest goodness instantaneously. It shows you how two different people can take away two opposing values from reading that same book that preaches said good ideals. Metaphor challenges you if what you see in this fantasy world is better than reality or not. Metaphor may be a fantasy world, but it isn’t an escape, it’s a black mirror.
I see glimpses of these story beats in one particular game last year, but Metaphor told it better.
One of my personal criteria on how I determine if a game is good, especially when it comes to awards season, is the aftertaste. Can I still remember it after a while not playing it? Do I still relish them? Did it leave a lasting impression?
Metaphor’s slick combat, engaging class system (the Archetype, the job system, not classism) and that Persona brand of time management and character building are all great. But truly, the lingering thoughts I have about how the game approaches its subject matter outshines everything this year.
Personally, Metaphor: ReFantazio is my game of the year. And it just so happens the collective of the Gamer Matters editorial team also agreed.
(On another note: What’s up with Atlus having four new games in 2024 all starring a blue-haired boy?)
Sand Land
Being able to play plenty of games doesn’t mean all the games we play are good. Sand Land, the game has plenty of issues that makes it a solid 7/10 game, but I can’t lie, I didn’t regret spending way too many hours on this slog of a vehicular combat RPG. Some yearn for Twisted Metal to be a video game again, some yearn for Mad Max to be a video game again. And here we have Sand Land, channeling those two properties’ energy in a family-friendly story about war crimes.
I don’t recommend this game to everyone, but I’m saying I had a good time despite it all. Sums up 2024 for me, pretty much
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2
I find it funny that I played within a span of a month not one, not two but three games which its last entry was specifically, back in 2024, 13 years ago. We had a remaster of a 2011 horror-action game (Shadows Of The Damned Hella Remastered), a remaster that packed in a game’s worth of an extra campaign (Sonic X Shadows Generations), and a sequel to a cult classic developed by an unexpected developer.
Space Marine 2 didn’t hit me as hard when it comes to the full package. As far as multiplayer co-op experience with a tinge of totalitarianism I enjoyed Helldivers 2 more. But its single-player campaign left a big impression on me. It’s an example of how to punch up a cliche story to feel convincing. And how to tell said convincing story with less.
The grimdark future where there is only war is filled with lore and worldbuilding yet Space Marine 2 won’t lore-dump you. The story builds on the character development built from the original game yet it’s told in a way where you can simply learn what happened back then from picking up on contextual clues of what’s going on right now. It pays homage to its past but also invites newcomers with open arms. And the performance in the performance captured scenes are simply cinema. In fact it puts some modern Hollywood blockbusters to shame. I never imagined these stalwart, hulking men so indoctrinated by their beliefs can still show emotional depth. A subtle smile in that one scene really sold me. These people cared about the game they are making and putting the money and effort at the right places. Bravo.
But no, I cannot afford to get addicted to plastic crack. At least the video games are getting good.
Zenless Zone Zero
I have made myself clear so many times that I don’t like gacha. I’m not in a position where I can take gambles and hope that cute/handsome character “comes home” from pulling the proverbial lever over and over.
So it is a surprise that this is the Hoyoverse game that I can enjoy. Didn’t like Genshin Impact. Don’t like the idea of playing an RPG that never ends with Honkai: Star Rail. Honkai Impact 3 isn’t for me. Yet Zenless Zone Zero is.
Between the dopamine hits from pressing so many buttons that the fingers hurt, and the slick style it portrays, I somehow tolerated this free-to-play game. And it came at the right time, when I was at my lowest this year. Seeing Nicole being an absolute penny pincher isn’t funny as the game wanted it to be seen. Rather, I felt that struggle myself. She’s like me for real.
No, I don’t like player her, her kit is weird which is a shame because the idea of using a briefcase-encased gun is just as cool as carrying a gun-encased coffin. Just one of the wild, cool ways a character can fight in this action game, and I adore the creative energy behind this.
Shapez 2 (Early Access)
Factory builders, man. This thing is hella addictive. A systems-based game about problem solving is my kind of jam. Sitting down, staring at an empty grid, and then start noodling solutions by connecting conveyor belts together. And then, and this is my favourite thing of all, try and see if the solution is scalable.
I discovered in my university days that I have a knack at programming, or rather, the skill of turning big problems into smaller, solvable problems. And automation games like Shapez 2, which is shaping up quite well in Early Access right now, is really satisfying as I get to solve problems like this all day. Not literally of course, a smart industrial engineer/programmer creates reusable, modular solutions. And this particular game is designed to hone in that modular thinking where making smart solutions saves you a lot of time and allows you to grow that factory faster.
And the factory must grow.
What’s Coming In 2025?
2025 is poised to be another big year in gaming. 2K finally releasing games after a no-show outside of sports games last year. Rockstar is about to release a game, which has led to many games not having a release date yet. And just in the horizon, February looks to be stacked with big releases. Ready for another Monster Hunter? Or you want to play one more turn of Civ VII?
While games are coming and we should be eating good, who knows how the industry will be? I expected a rough year for us in 2024 (and it unfortunately was), but will 2025 be kinder?
At the very least, I’m still holding on. Let’s see what another year of video games have in store for us, and I’ll be here to share the joys and/or agony of whatever new game that catches our eye, and recommend you some more good games to check out. It’s the only thing I’m good at.
Hopefully we all have a better year in 2025.
Play games and have fun.
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