The 11 Best Video Games of 2024 (So Far)
After what might go down as gaming's greatest year of all time, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, MLB: The Show 24, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth started 2024 on a a stellar note.
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When the new year began, the biggest question on gamers' minds was this: How the hell will 2024 live up to last year's slate of video games? If you don't believe that 2023 is the best year the medium has ever seen—Alan Wake! Baldur's Gate 3! The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!—then you have to admit, at least, that it was one of the best.
But just because the calendar says it's a new year doesn't mean that the world stops churning out great video games. We're only a fourth of the way through the year, and I've easily logged over 100 hours into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Helldivers 2 killed me in more ways than I could ever count, and the insane song from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's dog side quest has been stuck in my head for two weeks. (Bow wow wow, bow wow wow!)
But we're just getting started. Later this year, we'll likely see an open-world Star Wars game, Elden Ring DLC, and another go-round with Starfield. So fire up your console of choice—here are the best video games of 2024 (s0 far).
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
This year, MLB: The Show's reign as the best sports-game franchise is obvious in the opening credits alone. When you boot up the game, you're treated to a beautiful, inspiring meditation on the permanence of the great game—narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick. Sure, The Show nails the essentials—dynamic gameplay, a killer franchise experience, and an always-evolving career mode—but no game respects and honors its sport more than The Show.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
The magnum opus of the long-running Yakuza series, Infinite Wealth, brazenly bridges the violent (yet lighthearted!) games with a dual storyline featuring legendary Kazuma Kiryu and the latest protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. Full of whimsical fights, minigames galore, and Animal Crossing-esque island maintenance, Infinite Wealth is so full of content that late-night karaoke sessions will have you forgetting your next objective.
The Last of Us Pt. II Remastered
The Last of Us Pt. II Remastered
Platforms: PlayStation 5
For those who want to relive the harrowing events of The Last of Us Pt. II, an official remastered version kicked off the year. The new release comes with the original's DLC and a "roguelike survival mode" with random encounters, called "No Return." If you already own the original Pt. II, it will also only cost you $10 to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 edition.
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Tekken 8 is the first entry in the celebrated fighting series since 2015's Tekken 7. In the near-decade since the last Tekken release, the Bandai Namco team established itself as the first studio to power a major fighting title with the graphical improvements of Unreal Engine 5. Bandai also engineered a new "Heat State" gameplay system that its hopes will make Tekken 8 the best fighting game of the year.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
On the surface, Persona 3 Reload is simply a remake of 2006's Persona 3. But don't fool yourself—the remastered version's improved graphics and slick character designs highlight why it was such an influential title in the development of the fan-favorite RPG series.
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Mario vs. Donkey Kong—which is the fifth entry in the puzzle-platforming series—plays like a spiritual successor to the original Donkey Kong arcade title. The new, graphically-improved version also comes with local multiplayer, over 130 levels, and the use of Mario Minis to help you along the way. What are Mario Minis, you ask? Mini Marios! Get with the program, people.
Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Helldivers 2 plays exactly like how you'd imagine a Starship Troopers game would function. Seriously—this game has so much unintended humor. No one plans to make a buggy game, of course. But the ways in which you'll accidentally die in this alien shooter? It harks back to the nostalgic days of dying via Halo plasma grenades—and then dying via laughter with your buddies.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Platform: PlayStation 5
If you're not a Final Fantasy obsessive, please feel free to move right along and save yourself the headache. Still here? Good. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the sequel to 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake, which itself—it's in the name!—is a remake of 1997's Final Fantasy VII. It's a lot, we know. But for a hell of a lot of gamers, this was by far their most anticipated title of the year.
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Sometimes, It's tough to sell a card game, but Balatro is so much more than your standard poker simulator. Using well-made hands, the player can unlock Joker cards that multiply their score. With any arcade-style game, the (card pun incoming) main draw is figuring out how to break the mechanics so that you end up with an infinitely high score. I'm serious—players are already in the quintillions.
Princess Peach: Showtime!
Platform: Nintendo Switch
This year, Princess Peach finally received her first solo aadventure. Titled Princess Peach: Showtime!, the game follows Peach through a stage play as she wields swords, cooks dishes, and searches for clues. Is there anything she can't do?
Platforms: PlayStation 5
We've seen a fair share of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice clones since FromSoftware's 2019 title was the near-unanimous Game of the Year. Rise of the Ronin, from the developers of Ninja Gaiden, has a bit more juice to it than its competitors. The flame sword in the trailer should sells you entirely—but the game also features bosses so punishing that even Elden Ring pros will wince.
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