Wanting again in any respect the video games of 2024, it will be cliched to say that there have been too many good video games to resolve which might be the most effective. It will be much more correct to say that there have been too many interesting-looking video games to attempt as an alternative.
Certainly, 2024 may need been the primary 12 months to make Xbox Recreation Go really feel like a visit to the buffet after already consuming a full dinner with dessert and appetizers. Thus, whereas it will be simple to say that the next video games have made an impression, it’s not at all a complete record of video games that everybody ought to pattern.
Zenless Zone Zero
Whereas there have been plenty of (or extra precisely, too many) glorious video games launched in 2024, Zenless Zone Zero might be the one which I’m essentially the most keen on. Unsurprisingly, ZZZ’s fight mechanics are the star of the present. In a nutshell, it is a preventing recreation that does not require you to memorize dozens of combo assaults combined with a touch of Darkish Souls harm scaling. Throw in some flashy visuals and sound results and you have a successful gameplay recipe.
In fact, gameplay is not the one factor that is vital. Storytelling and elegance issues simply as a lot, and whereas good storytelling is considerably subjective, oh boy does ZZZ have fashion. Amongst Hoyoverse’s current video games, it is hardly a controversial assertion to say that ZZZ has essentially the most attention-grabbing and distinctive roster of playable characters from a design perspective. There’s robots, people with animal traits, animals with human traits, and the whole lot in between.
The factor that pushes Zenless Zone Zero to be my private favourite of the 12 months although is the Bangboo. It will’ve been simple to have these foolish mascots do cute issues within the background, however the builders went above that and built-in them into the gameplay in significant methods. Latest updates launched a tower protection and platforming mode unique to the Bangboo, they’re energetic members in fight and the story, and they’re diversified sufficient to be constantly visually attention-grabbing.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Who may’ve guessed that some of the emotional narratives of 2024 would come from a tower protection recreation the place the story, which pulls closely from Japanese folklore, is advised roughly totally by interpretive dance. It sounds foolish on paper but it really works for Kunitsu-Gami, a recreation that’s better than the sum of its components.
Certainly, one could be laborious pressed to suggest Kunitsu-Gami’s based mostly on any singular side of the gameplay. You want the sport’s artistic enemy design, the interpretive dances, and the sound design to work collectively in unison to supply such a wonderful product. If any of these elements are missing, then the sport basically modifications, and certain for the more severe.
That being mentioned, it will be attention-grabbing if the builders determined to broaden upon Kunitsu-Gami, whether or not it’s by a religious successor or in any other case. In any case, it isn’t typically that you just get to banish demons with energy of dance (and excessive violence). Plus you might theoretically take the sport’s idea and apply it to different cultures.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Whereas most RPGs desire to restrict your roster of playable heroes to dozen characters at most, presumably attributable to sensible causes, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes does what the title says it’ll do by supplying you with over 100 characters to work together with. The kicker is that the overwhelming majority of those characters are playable and everybody has some significant display screen time, transient as it could be.
Despite the plain limitations, having such an enormous forged of characters does make Eiyuden Chonicle’s story slightly bit extra grounded. Having legendary warriors and mages in your facet means little when you do not have cooks, lumberjacks, farmers, and all the opposite logistical workers wanted to maintain the social gathering fed and clothed. Fortunately the sport does handwave the precise logistics within the curiosity of compelling gameplay, but it surely’s a pleasant change of narrative tempo.
The truth that the builders clearly put no small effort into the facet quests related to the supporting characters is a pleasant added contact. The prepare dinner’s facet quest is especially memorable, as are the non-obligatory performs you can carry out on the theater. If something, it’s the deal with these historically minor characters that assist Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes stand out from its turn-based JRPG friends.
Botany Manor
Generally it is good to take a break from video games the place it’s a must to save the world or get rid of one million enemies in three minutes with a min-maxed character, and that is the place a recreation like Botany Manor shines. The stakes aren’t notably excessive within the Manor–it’s simply you, some crops, and a elaborate home. Frankly, the puzzles aren’t precisely difficult both. In different phrases, the proper recreation for escapism.
That is to not say that Botany Manor is not an excellent puzzle recreation in its personal proper. Rising particular person crops is the objective, and the options are likely to contain amassing some clues and messing round with the surroundings. Pretty primary stuff in comparison with what different puzzle video games would possibly supply, and it admittedly makes the sport considerably quick, but it is competently and creatively executed every time.
As one would anticipate from such a recreation, the artwork course and sound design are positively gorgeous. On the conclusion of every puzzle, the related plant blooms to life in a spectacular show of shade. A few of them have an effect on the surroundings too, including much more shade to an already colourful world, greater than sufficient proof that video games are a type of artwork.
Little Kitty, Massive Metropolis
Little Kitty, Massive Metropolis is one other stress-free recreation the place you are only a cat who’s attempting to get residence. There’s platforming and puzzle components concerned, and an surprising quantity of dialogue between animals as properly. Whereas there’s some narrative urgency to the sport, you’ll be able to go at your personal tempo and admire the cute cat animations as a lot as you need.
Clearly, Little Kitty, Massive Metropolis is greater than only a recreation the place you do cat issues like knock over objects and climb into locations the place you most likely should not. Finally, it is a competently made sandbox recreation. No matter if the protagonist is a cat, a canine, or a tiny Mario and Luigi sprite, the size of the world and the diploma to which you’ll work together with it makes the sport so amusing.
Once more, Little Kitty, Massive Metropolis is on the shorter facet, and it is considerably missing in replayablility contemplating the style, however in all honesty these sorts of shorter video games are an ideal complement to the seemingly countless stream of present and upcoming video games that can possible demand dozens of hours of playtime for a single playthrough.
