With 2025 approaching, let’s check out Gamezebo’s Favorite Video games of 2024. Every member of the crew has picked their best choice, and as you may inform, we like all kinds of genres!
Interested in our picks for final 12 months? Have a learn of our 2023 Video games of the 12 months characteristic! It was powerful for Adele to not choose Baldur’s Gate 3 once more…
Gamezebo’s Favorite Video games of 2024
The Editorial crew’s high picks…
Stellar Blade – Adele
Sure, sure, I do know this sport will get some flack, however in my view, it’s unjustified. For everybody who calls it a Nier Automata copy… you’re not unsuitable however you’re additionally not proper. Stellar Blade does its personal factor. Hell, even Nier’s creator, Yoko Taro, labored with Shift Up so as to add a Nier Automata DLC to the sport. Did I purchase it? In fact I did.
As a longtime fan of Nier, I had no difficulty with Stellar Blade replicating components of it, however I guarantee you it isn’t a direct copy and paste. To me, they’re each totally totally different video games.
In Stellar Blade, you play as EVE, a Colony soldier who’s been despatched to Earth to avoid wasting humanity. Battle towards the Naytiba, from mobs you come throughout while exploring, to adrenaline-pumping boss fights that spike in problem.
Unravel the story, which I can admit isn’t the most effective, and be taught extra about your companions, Adam and Lily. It’s not all in regards to the motion although, as you may unlock new outfits by amassing blueprints and supplies. It takes preventing stylishly to a complete new stage, and I adore it. This will likely seem to be a faff to some individuals, however for gamers like me, it’s one of many principal appeals.
As somebody who adores customisation in video video games, it’s a no brainer for me. I like switching between outfits and hairstyles relying on what tickles my fancy. And let’s not neglect that the sport is visually gorgeous. Every location, particularly the deserted metropolis areas, is a deal with to the eyes. Glistening with neon lights, rainfall, and decrepit buildings, every little thing fits the post-apocalyptic environment completely.
Love and Deepspace – Rachel
The primary Otome I ever performed was Mystic Messenger in 2017, and I used to be obsessive about it. So, when Adele really helpful Love and Deepspace to me as a result of it reminded her of it, I knew I needed to test it out (thanks Adele). I had no concept what it was about, and I used to be anticipating a chatroom-style sport the place I needed to set alarms at 3 am so I didn’t miss them (sure, I used to be a type of gamers).I used to be blown away by the graphics and artwork model.
However what stunned me extra was the in-depth storyline and battles. There’s a complete system to it! I by no means anticipated to need to struggle in an Otome. Regardless of there not being chatrooms, you may ‘textual content’ the characters and take part in mini-games. Nevertheless, my private favorite is spending time with them and interacting with them. All of the characters are so distinctive, and I really like the steadiness between taking part in the primary storyline, and the extra healthful facet of merely being with them.
For anybody who’s questioning, I’m a Zayne woman (and I’m right here to inform you Adele is a Rafayel and Sylus woman). Love and Deepspace has utterly modified the sport for Otomes, and I do know I’ll be taking part in it for a very long time to come back.
Horizon Zero Daybreak Remastered – Rob
For those who have been to have requested me in January which sport I anticipated can be my choose for 2024, I in all probability would have stated Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown. However I performed that sport, and I didn’t prefer it.
So what else? Thank Goodness You’re Right here is the type of sport I really feel I ought to put ahead as my favorite, as a result of it’s authentic and inventive and really humorous. However there are two issues with that: 1) Simon the advert man already bagsied it, and a pair of) it wasn’t actually my favorite sport. It wasn’t a lot of a sport in any respect, if truth. It was a bit of interactive comedy whose gameplay and controls didn’t get in the way in which of the jokes.
Balatro? Certain, a intelligent twist on poker that’s excellent for idling away the odd 20-minute patch of downtime, however not Sport of the 12 months materials. That might be like Meal of the 12 months being received by a bar snack.
So I’m going to need to retreat to my consolation zone of massmarket, action-packed, gratifyingly lovely AAA video games and select Horizon Zero Daybreak Remastered. Is it a damning indictment of 2024 that the most effective sport on this author’s opinion got here out in 2017? Perhaps. However there’s no denying that Horizon Zero Down is a hovering basic of the open-world action-RPG style, and the remaster seems good.
Potion Allow – Sho
Earlier this 12 months, I had the lucky alternative to evaluation Potion Allow, hoping to encourage readers like your self to test it out. And effectively, for those who didn’t learn my evaluation, the truth that it was my chosen title for launch of the 12 months ought to converse volumes!
Potion Allow to me was every little thing Stardew Valley by no means was. I don’t need to put down one other title to hype, however the video games have comparable aesthetics and core options. I attempted to like Stardew Valley and all the time felt severe FOMO at any time when mates detailed their thrilling playthroughs figuring out that it merely wasn’t for me.
Till Potion Allow. I’ll admit I used to be hesitant to offer a evaluation at first since honesty is vital and if I had a Stardew Valley-like expertise that will’ve mirrored in my piece. Nevertheless, what I as an alternative found was a sport I couldn’t give up. I used to be hooked from the get-go and would eagerly watch the clock, counting all the way down to once I’d end work and bounce in once more.
There’s simply one thing so charming and eccentric about Potion Allow: the detailed pixel artwork, the quaint little village, and the charismatic and various NPCs. The sport has tons to like and an excellent quantity of freedom to decide on what you need to do day-to-day all while working in direction of a story.
However wait… it retains on giving! Minigames, interactions, exploration, upgrades, and naturally, medicinal potion brewing. I concern I’ve yapped an excessive amount of as my GOTY entry is getting bloated and I’ve hardly coated all of it. So, I’ll conclude with a last message; you’ve got a loyal canine companion.
Nonetheless Wakes The Deep – Meriel
Can’t get sufficient of an excellent eldritch horror, and if you’d like a contemporary title that looks like a basic story of terror, then The Chinese language Room’s latest title, Nonetheless Wakes The Deep is a good journey. This very Lovecraftian story takes place on an remoted oil platform, already an inhospitable place for most individuals, because it’s overtaken by one thing that’s as horrific as it’s unexplained.
You step into the sturdy workboots of Caz, an electrician caught in a scenario far far above his paygrade because the rig decends into chaos. You will need to navigate the disintegrating construction, assist survivors, and evade the horrible beasties unleashed on the world. It’s extraordinarily atmospheric, and performs into a complete vary of fears. Heights, water, tight areas, horrible incongruous abominations. It’s not simply low cost scares, although. Nonetheless Wakes The Deep manages to supply shocking emotional… er, depth. I cried earlier than the sport was over.
It’s a reasonably quick sport, however there are, I’m positive loads of individuals out of there who don’t have time to plough dozens or lots of of hours right into a sport to get to the payoff, For those who’re a type of individuals, you may get a really satisfying expertise in underneath ten hours, and I don’t remorse a minute of it.
It’s additionally a Christmas sport. In the identical approach that Die Arduous is a Christmas film. What’s it with Christmas and crawling by way of air flow ducts?
Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer – Simon
You understand when one thing feels prefer it’s been made only for you? Properly Slayers X (no I’m not typing out that complete title every time) is that for me. And I say this with the deepest respect, as I doubt many might hack quite a lot of minutes of taking part in this.
It’s mainly a tribute to barely shonky previous DOS video games like Duke Nukem 3D, being an FPS with an immature sense of humour – however contemplating so many titles don’t have any sense of humour in any respect these days, it’s an enormous breath of contemporary retro air. If that isn’t an excessive amount of of a contradiction anyway.
This Swap port is a bit dodgy with the framerate typically taking a success, however I loved all of it the identical. And sure, that typo within the title is deliberate.An honourable point out to Thank Goodness You’re Right here (sorry Rob), which can be deeply amusing – in a really totally different however very welcome approach. Principally I wanted video games that made me giggle in 2024, and I received two good examples of simply that.
