5 games that I enjoyed in 2024

Despite the actual state of the gaming industry and the frankly absurd number of layoffs, 2024 has still been a strong year for game releases. And, once again, there’s nowhere near enough time to get to all of the games I’ve been interested in trying out.

Even having played a lot of games this year (80 on Steam alone), there are a lot I still need to get to. That’s why I also wanted to take some time to highlight a few games from my backlog that you might have also missed this year.

With that in mind, below are 5 games I enjoyed during 2024, starting with one that’s only going to get better in the new year.

2024 games that I played

Atlyss

With New Genesis essentially destroying Phantasy Star Online 2, I’ve been waiting for something that scratches the same itch. A chill game where you can just grind mobs and farm loot, and the option of multiplayer if I desire.

Enter Atlyss, which entered Steam Early Access on November 22, 2024. From its aesthetics and overall vibes to the general flow of gameplay, Atlyss feels like a different evolution of the PSO series.

Granted, combat in Atlyss leans closer to the speed of PSO2, but everything else makes me think more of the original entry. You can easily pass a few hours just looping through groups of mobs to find rare weapons, or join an online lobby to take on harder dungeons.

In its current state, there isn’t a lot of content to take on. However, after numerous balance and bug fixes, it looks like new areas are on the way soon. Once Atlyss fully launches some time in 2025 (or potentially later), it’ll be something that I can easily recommend.

Rabbit and Steel

Rabbit and Steel released at the perfect time this year, filling in the long gap between Final Fantasy XIV expansions Endwalker and Dawntrail. And while my opinion on Dawntrail may have soured over 2024, I still look back fondly on Rabbit and Steel.

At its core, Rabbit and Steel is a roguelite based on raiding in Final Fantasy XIV. You choose from a number of classes (many mirroring ones from Square Enix’s MMO), gather randomised loot, and take on a number of increasingly difficult bosses.

With options for both solo play and parties of up to four players, this smaller scale makes for a much less frustrating experience over raiding in Final Fantasy XIV. I’m looking forward to diving back in during 2025 to check out some of the player created mods, and to take on the new DLC once it launches.

Trails through Daybreak

After the long Erebonia arc, Trails through Daybreak’s new setting and cast was like a breath of fresh air for me. Despite liking Rean and the gang, five games was absolutely pushing things (especially with how padded 2 and 4 felt.)

Granted, despite everything that’s new, Trails through Daybreak is still quite familiar in most aspects. The gameplay structure is still fairly rigid, following a similar pattern to to school/field study formula of Cold Steel 1 and 4), and there’s a lot of story setup for future entries.

However, I feel like the party makes for a more interesting bunch, at least during this start to a new arc. Van takes a more morally grey spot over Rean (even if he’s still a do-gooder at heart) and it doesn’t feel like characters get overshadowed for new party members.

Granted, it remains to be seen how things are handled later on — there are already two more Trails games out in Japan — but I hope Trails through Daybreak 2 manages to follow up on this strong new start.

If you’re after some more Falcom-related reading, we interviewed company president Toshihiro Kondo earlier this year regarding Daybreak 2, Ys X, and the company’s approach to development.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

It took me a few months before I was finally able to get to Metaphor: ReFantazio, but I’m glad I didn’t wait until 2025. It takes what works in the modern Persona games, cuts out or tweaks some of the things I don’t like, and throws it into a (sort of) fantasy setting.

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s story feels especially relevant in 2024, as you aim to unite a divided country made up of many tribes. It’s often quite on-the-nose with its messages and themes, but frankly I think this is what’s needed — harder to argue against a game’s positive message when it’s constantly at the forefront rather than up to interpretation.

I also found myself vastly preferring the Archetype system over Personas, as they offer a good amount of flexibility without the guesswork that often comes with trying to fuse Personas. While I’m fine with trying out new options in Persona, it can often feel hard to figure things out when combined with the calendar system and your limited resources in dungeons.

Here’s hoping Studio Zero’s next title reaches the same heights as Metaphor: ReFantazio (and that it doesn’t take quite as long to come out.)

Nine Sols

Nine Sols, despite actually doing quite well on Steam, still feels extremely overlooked in 2024. It’s a stylish blend of eye-catching 2D art, fast-paced Sekiro-inspired combat, and a story about learning from your mistakes while setting the stage for future generations.

I go into more detail in my review, but this really is something worth checking out if you’re into metroidvanias with punishing (but fair) combat. Parrying is a key mechanic that’s done extremely well, requiring both timing and situational awareness — rather than a single parry, you eventually gain access to multiple types that all serve a purpose.

Culminating in a final satisfying duel that required me to fully learn combat, Nine Sols is a truly special game. And now, it’s even available on all modern consoles!

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And that’s a look at five game releases in 2024 that I enjoyed. 2025 is looking to be an… interesting time for gaming as a whole, with even more layoffs likely on the horizon, and a new Nintendo console on the way. Hopefully things start to stabilise going into the new year, but for now we can only wait and see.

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