The best games of 2024 so far

After a year like 2023 that was so packed with amazing games that it could very well be considered the best in gaming history thanks to titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, you might think 2024 would slow down a bit. Unfortunately for all of our wallets, that isn’t the case, and we’re already drowning in amazing games we somehow have to find the time to play. Before we even hit the halfway mark of the year, we already have enough amazing games to last us into 2025 between console and PC.

If you don’t keep a neat and organized backlog with all the games you want to play but need to hold off on for one reason or another, then you might find yourself struggling to remember which games you intend to return to. There are always more games on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on an amazing experience just because it’s a few weeks or months old. I’ve been keeping diligent notes on all the best games that have been released this year and will pass on my findings on which ones are the best so far.

1 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

A classic JRPG reborn

Thanks to Remake alleviating most longtime fans’ concerns about how Square Enix would manage to reinvent one of the most beloved and highly regarded JRPGs of all time, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth could have simply refined the formula and maintained that same level of quality. Instead, the team pushed the game to the absolute limit with huge open zones to explore, dozens of activities within them, mini-games around every corner, and a level of production value that is almost unheard of.

What is most impressive is how it manages to cram so much into the game, but make almost all that content outside the main story feel important. Every side quest gives some insight into at least one party member, and even more menial tasks give lore about the world. Of course, the main story keeps fans of the original guessing and on the edge of their seats until the final moments.

2 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

A fish out of water

Ichiban is back, but for the first time, the series is out of Japan. When he learns that his mother is actually alive and wants to meet him in Hawaii, Ichiban makes his way to the big island only to get wrapped up in a massive conspiracy involving, you guessed it, the Yakuza and various other criminal organizations. For his second outing, Ichiban is sharing the spotlight with the series’ old protagonist Kiryu, but the pair work so well as a duo that neither one feels short-changed.

This is a tale filled with laughter, sadness, and love all mixed up in a complex tonic of emotion that grounds the sometimes ridiculous events. The upgrades to the turn-based combat system make even random encounters fun, and you essentially get two games in one because of how extensive the Dondoko Island “mini” game is.

3 Persona 3 Reload

Worth a shot

Up until Persona 5, the entire Persona series had been more of a cult hit than its contemporaries. However, after 5 managed to grab the public’s attention thanks to its eye-catching style, amazing soundtrack, and finely tuned combat, a whole new audience became interested in the series. Going back to Persona 4 was easy enough, but the original Persona 3 was a bit of a challenge.

Persona 3 Reload takes what was always amazing about the core game, namely the story and characters, and revamps it with the visuals and quality-of-life features of 5. It isn’t the perfect remake, since Tartarus is still a slog, and it doesn’t include the female main character option, but otherwise it is a must-play for anyone who fell in love with the series at 4 or 5.

4 Helldivers 2

For democracy! (and if you loved Starship Troopers)

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I know I put a huge emphasis on story, character, and themes in games, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy just blasting bugs and robots with friends. Helldivers 2 is light on story, but heavy on action and all the better for it. You team up with up to three of your friends to drop onto a planet, kill hundreds of enemies with weapons ranging from pistols and rifles to massive orbital strikes, and hopefully get out alive.

If not, no big deal. Your life is expendable, but any progress you make adds to your XP and unlocks. This game blew up on Steam and PlayStation due to the crazy situations and events that can happen completely unscripted.

5 Balatro

Deal me in

If you told me a deck building rogue-like game about poker would be one of the most addictive games I have played all year, I would’ve called your bluff. As it turns out, Balatro is fun even for someone like me who understands poker but was never all that good at it. What helps it be so accessible is that you’re not playing against other people, and you also don’t have to play fair.

Each round only asks you to hit a certain score by playing hands that are worth certain amounts of chips, plus multipliers based on all the familiar poker hands like pairs, straights, and flushes. Things quickly get crazy when you start adding Jokers to the deck, which lets you do things like make straights that skip numbers or make all even cards worth double.

6 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

The prince is back

Once Assassin’s Creed became one of Ubisoft’s biggest franchises, there didn’t seem like there was room for Prince of Persia anymore. We haven’t seen much of the Prince since 2008, but a brand-new take (which actually hearkens back to the series’ origins) burst onto the scene at the beginning of 2024. How Prince of Persia was never reimagined as a Metroidvania makes no sense to me after seeing The Lost Crown.

All the time powers, acrobatic combat, and emphasis on platforming make it seem like such an obvious move. This game nails that tight feeling of movement that you need in this genre that makes everything from exploration to overcoming devious obstacle courses feel so rewarding.

7 Dragon’s Dogma 2

Hardcore fantasy

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The sequel no one saw coming is not so much a sequel to the original Dragon’s Dogma. Capcom made the game the first one was supposed to be, but the technology couldn’t quite achieve it at the time. Dragon’s Dogma 2 isn’t technically perfect by any means, but it’s in those faults and rough edges that the game shines. The story presented is passable but not the real reason to play.

What you come to this game for is the adventures you discover on your own while exploring the world. No two trips down the same path are the same, and learning to work around the game’s intentionally limiting systems ends up creating interesting and intense decisions that normal games don’t even attempt to provide.

8 Tekken 8

Get ready for the next battle

Last year, Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 held the fighting game limelight, but 2024 is the year of Tekken. Tekken 8 feels like a miracle of a fighting game. Not only does it have some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen in a game period, but it does so much to make learning this intimidating game easy for newcomers.

The training mode is deep and walks you through all the fundamentals, but the ghost and replay systems are what every game following this needs to copy. Any player in the world has a “ghost” you can download — an AI that fights identically to that real person for you to practice against. Or, you can watch a replay of a fight and the game will teach you how you can improve based on where you made wrong decisions during the match.

9 Unicorn Overlord

Let’s get tactical

Vanillaware does it again. This studio somehow manages to tackle different genres with almost every game it makes, but always delivers one of the most beautiful and engaging experiences. This time, we’re in the realm of tactical RPGs. You will build and design multiple teams of soldiers from various classes to engage in tactical battles, but rather than the gameplay focusing on fights as they happen, everything is done prior.

You manage your squads with tons of conditions that work like computer coding. You can tell healers to only cast healing on units when their HP falls below certain points, and archers to attack flying enemies. You can get as specific as you want to make the most out of every person in every squad and feel like a tactical mastermind.

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FAQ

Q: How did I choose these games?

I picked all the games on this list from personal experience combined with the larger reception of critics and fans. I also put a heavier emphasis on new titles and games that attempted to push the medium forward.

Q: Which game should you try?

While I would recommend you try every game on this list, only you know what genres you enjoy. If you like action RPGs, Rebirth would be a better option than Tekken 8. The reverse would be true for fighting game fans. Most games on this list have demos available, so if one catches your eye but you’re not fully convinced, give it a trial run to see if it clicks for you.