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If people are still wishing others ” Happy New Year” on 30 January, then we can still slide this feature across the finish line. It’s time for our annual Game of the Year Awards, where we reflect on the games that stood out for us – for better or worse – from the previous year. As a sidenote, once you’ve read this article, you can always revisit our 2021, 2022 and 2023 picks.
Sharing their six category selections this year are the following set of South African journalists (active and formerly active), commentators and influencers.
- Darryn Bonthuys, Pfangirl.com reviewer and freelance writer (GameSpot etc.)
- Noelle Adams, Pfangirl.com co-founder and editor-in-chief
- Matthew Figueira, Checkpoint Chat podcast host
- Miklós Szecsei, former reviewer for NAG
Feel free to reply in the comments, or on our social channels, with your 2024 GOTY choices.
Biggest surprise of 2024
Darryn – Stellar Blade
It has a plot flimsier than a Steven Seagal direct-to-the-bin DVD, and character designs that’d make an overprotective mom faint, but Stellar Blade has done the impossible: it has made me give a damn about soulslike games. Normally, I prefer to steer well clear of the genre made popular by games like Dark Souls, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, but Stellar Blade takes ideas from those popular games and makes them cool. Sure, the game still makes you sweat as you learn the ins and outs of its system – a deadly dance of dodges and parries before you can deliver a killing blow – but it’s undeniably fun to experience that gameplay with a layer of action that would make the creators of Devil May Cry beam with pride.
Eve has the personality of Mr Price Home decor and an arsenal of moves that would make any anime protagonist jealous, using them to stylishly eviscerate enemies and pirouette out of harm’s way in satisfying fashion. That’s what makes Stellar Blade so much fun, as it’s a forgiving soulslike that throws a couple of other overt influences into the mix, and wraps it all up in a smooth and polished experience. The game looks and feels fantastic in action, especially when it drops you into some of the best boss fights this side of a Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance speedrun.
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Noelle – Little Kitty, Big City
I was always looking forward to Little Kitty, Big City, but after playing the demo, I braced for a game that coasted by on its likeable concept but was otherwise a bit one note, padding out its sandbox (not litterbox) with a variety of collection challenges. However, the finished release, from Double Dagger Studio, was a fleshed out, feel-good delight, chronicling the misadventures of a little black cat as it tries to get back to its high-rise apartment home. The attention to detail in accurately capturing cat mannerisms, and street-level life in urban Japan, shines through. And with the little kitty meeting helpful new friends, it’s just so damn wholesome, making it the perfect compact comfort game you’ll return to whenever you need cheering up.
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Runner-up: Caravan SandWitch
Honourable mention goes to another indie exploratory adventure, Caravan SandWitch. This one didn’t quite stick the landing but it’s a beautiful, hope-filled and uplifting take on dystopian themes.
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Matty – Balatro
Balatro’s premise is simple: play poker hands to reach a certain score and make cash, then spend your earnings on jokers and other modifiers to reach an exponentially more challenging number in the next ante (round). Rinse, repeat, lose, start again, play for hours and hours and hours, repeat. You’re left wondering how nobody dreamed up this straightforward, roguelike formula at least a decade ago, where each run is more addictive than the last.
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Runner-up: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
I never expected Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to be terrible. I just didn’t expect it to be one of the best games I played in 2024. I had an absolute blast punching (and whipping) my way through intriguing mysteries in the sanctified Vatican, tombs in Egypt, and other dank crypts across gorgeous locations as the very person who served as inspiration for the likes of Lara Croft, and later, Nathan Drake.
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Mik – Thronefall
Never heard of it? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either until the cloying hands of targeted ads that bespeckle every news feed I browse shoved Thronefall down my throat. The devs call it “a minimalist strategy game” and that’s, well, yeah that’s exactly what it is. Think tower defence meets DOTA (you control a hero) meets dungeon crawler. You build up your defences and economic buildings during the day, then defend it from invading hordes at night using your hero character (with swap-out abilities and passive buffs) and mini armies. It’s fast, it has heaps of replayability, a unique aesthetic, and a pretty darn great soundtrack.
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Favourite game played in 2024
Darryn – Warhammer Space Marine 2
Don’t let anyone tell you that a 7/10 game is a bad release, because these tend to be some of the finest comfort junk food titles out there. Take Space Marine 2 for example, a Warhammer 40K game that emerged from its development chrysalis in prime fighting shape. There’s nothing complex about a game with big beefy ultramarines beating the organs out of legions of space-bugs looking to devour our galaxy, and Space Marine 2 focuses on being a satisfying romp through the cosmos.
At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to experience the cathartic feeling of turning a vile alien’s head into a sci-fi Jackson Pollock painting? Sometimes a uncomplicated and vulgar display of power is the way to go, and Space Marine 2 is a thrilling example of a game that knows exactly what it wants to be.
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Runner-up: Children of the Sun
I’m a big fan of sniping games, as there’s a delightful amount of satisfaction when it comes to lining up a victim and squeezing the trigger so that you can deliver a high-velocity round of cranial rearrangement content directly to their noggin. So imagine just how good Children of the Sun is, as it takes that long-distance thrill and turns it into a puzzle game that always ends violently. A short-and-sweet indie game from a single developer, the beauty of Children of the Sun is that you have just a single magical bullet to bounce around the vital organs of evil cultists who are up to no good.
Figuring out the perfect plan of attack and how to turn that one bullet into a multi-kill lesson of trigonometry makes for some of the best “just one more round” energy you could ask for, plus the stylish visuals only add to its charm.
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Noelle – Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
This is a tough one. Honourable mentions go to Still Wakes the Deep, The Plucky Squire, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
My personal favourite game, though, is Don’t Nod’s Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, which brought together a bunch of my favourite things: third-person action adventure, the dark supernatural, an interesting historical setting, plenty of queer content, and hella good writing that in turn teared me up, sent me rushing to Wikipedia to look for real-life equivalent events, and had me fretting over literal life-or-death choices.
It leaned to the repetitive, especially in level design and combat – barring a nifty switch capability between its living and dead protagonists – and was prone to visual juddering, but Banishers succeeded where it mattered most: getting me emotionally invested in its tale of ghost hunters unravelling a powerful curse that has corrupted a portion of Puritan New England. One of the hidden gems of 2024.
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Matty – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The original Final Fantasy VII is one of my favourite games of all time, so of course I was excited to see what followed 2020’s outstanding part one of the modern trilogy, Remake. The sequel, Rebirth, takes Cloud and his crew out of the constraints of Midgar and into the open world. The step-up is not without fault, but I had to pinch myself every time I booted it up. The combat, the visuals, the music (!), the level of fleshing out, padding, easter eggs, and polish across the board… it’s all wholly unnecessary, yet so appreciated by the kid in me who first fell in love with this cast and their tale a good 27 years ago.
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Mik – Star Wars Outlaws
Yes, Star Wars Outlaws had some pacing and (now largely fixed) technical issues, but good grief if it is not the most detailed and respectful recreation of the Star Wars universe in any video game so far, then I don’t know what is. I lost count of how many Reddit posts I saw of people asking whether they should play this game or not, and I kept responding with the same counter questions: do you like Star Wars? Do you like fun? “Yes” to either of those? Then play Outlaws.
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Favourite character
Darryn – Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg (Metaphor: ReFantazio)
Brave, dignified, and a true friend during the best and worst of times are just some of the qualities I love about Metaphor: ReFantazio’s noble knight, Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg. That, and I also feel a connection to her because we both have an ungodly taste in food that makes most people recoil in disgust when they witness it. Truly, she’s the fictional sister I never knew I had.
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Noelle – Antea and Red (Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden)
I haven’t played Star Wars Outlaws, yet, so that rules out Nix. I would have said the likeable, spirited Gina, from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, if she hadn’t been the queen of unsolicited hints. And I also haven’t finished Life is Strange: Double Exposure, so I’m not sure if my ride-or-die feelings for Safi will hold.
Which leaves me with the player character duo of Antea Duarte and Ruaidhrigh “Red” mac Raith from Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Forgetting games for a moment, the depiction of couples in long-term, loving relationships is rare across media as a whole. Banishers bucks the trend, not only depicting Antea and Red as figures who defy audience/player expectation, but giving the lovers (one a ghost, the other still alive) an opportunity to talk through their issues like mature adults. Theirs is a bond built on respect and honest communication, so their fireside chats about the prospect of being parted forever and carrying on alone are invested with heart-breaking poignancy.
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Matty – Every Astro Bot cameo
I’m bending the rules for this one, because I can’t not have Astro Bot – one of 2024’s best games – appear in some capacity. I am platform-agnostic, yet I can’t deny my history with PlayStation, who I’ve been with since their very first console. This game was a stark reminder of how the brand has been a large part of my gaming career, charming me with obvious nods to poster Sony children like Kratos, Aloy, and even Bloodborne’s hunter. Robbit, though? Psycho Mantis? PaRappa the Rapper? These, and so many more, were unexpected doses of nostalgia (and a reminder of how old I am).
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Mik – Nix (Star Wars Outlaws)
Why am I even writing an explanation here? Look at him. Just look at him. That is weapons-grade cute, and I will defend this adorable little Merqaal to the death. Kay was great as well; I really loved her “I am in over my head but I’m going to fake it somewhat convincingly until I make it” attitude.
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Biggest disappointment
Darryn – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Screw fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, as sometimes, it’s good to be bad. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League looked set to be a great example of this mantra, as the potential to play as mediocre supervillains tasked with stopping the supposedly brainwashed Justice League from destroying the planet made for a good premise. With the studio behind 75% of the Batman: Arkham series on board, what could possibly go wrong?
Sweet Krypton, it turns out a lot could go wrong.
Suicide Squad: I’m Not Typing That Entire Title Out Again had some redeeming qualities, but they were the equivalent of an air freshener in a construction site rental toilet at 4PM. The game simply stank, thanks to its laughable rollout of content–not a great look for a live-service game, fellas–bad storytelling, and poor boss fights that were constantly recycled. And don’t even get me started on how badly Batman was treated in the game, evil clone last-minute twist be damned.
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Noelle – Nobody Wants to Die
I hate dunking on indie games, but my biggest disappointment of 2024 was Nobody Wants to Die from Critical Hit Games, which just failed to live up to its potential. This blend of Blade Runner, Altered Carbon and classic noir, with Art Deco flair, got a lot right, with a stunning world to explore, thought-provoking concept, and some of the most entertaining, well-voiced banter since Firewatch. However, it completely squandered its nifty time control mechanic to investigate crime scenes, delivering frustratingly on-rails detective work that proceeded to sap all enjoyment from the game.
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Matty – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is not a bad game. Period. In fact, it’s an intriguing continuation of the first title’s narrative – an immersive, gritty experience with outstanding audio and graphics to boot. As sequels go though, I think I expected something more, particularly given how long this game took to cook. Perhaps it could’ve been a little longer, or a touch more expansive on the exploration front… or far less “on rails” across the board. I can’t quite put my finger on the exact problem or a solution; I only know it didn’t hit the way I’d hoped.
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Mik – Marvel Rivals
I tried, OK? But good lord, every single game I played just turned into both teams spamming a visual cacophony of attacks on each other at a single choke point on every map until one team ran out of lives, or whatever else is used to ascertain who is winning a round. This is undoubtedly one of those games that requires a group of friends with headsets to fill up a team, because relying on online match-making just results in the above ruckus, and that gets very dull very fast. All the time I spent playing this was the video game equivalent of those “I have no idea what I’m doing” GIFs.
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Some ragrets
(GOTY contender you haven’t played yet but are most excited to try)
Darryn – Batman: Arkham Shadow
Sticking with the DC Universe, I’m kind of bummed that I haven’t played Batman: Arkham Shadow yet. According to critical consensus, it looks like the best game starring the Arkhamverse Dark Knight can be found in the virtual reality space.
Other games I’d really like to spend a few weeks with include Pacific Drive–imagine a road trip meets Twin Peaks– along with Sorry We’re Closed, a fascinating fusion of romance and survival-horror through a PS1-era graphical lens; and Infinity Nikki because sometimes I just want to enjoy impeccably tailored lo-fi vibes.
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Noelle – Astro Bot
I’m curious about Black Myth: Wukong (I mean, is it or isn’t it a soulslike?), and I’ve still got to load up my copy of Silent Hill 2 (2024). However, I’m going to split my vote here three ways between Marvel Rivals, Star Wars Outlaws, and, the genuine GOTY contender of the bunch, Astro Bot.
While the first two games brought my social feeds and friends’ Discord to passionate life, Team ASOBI’s Astro Bot is where my FOMO is most intense. Cute and colourful at first glance, the more time you spend with it (or watching someone play it), the more you realise this is as well considered and polished as any platformer can get, making it must-play for every game lover.
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Matty – Silent Hill 2
I’m a massive Resident Evil fan, so of course, I’ve dabbled in the horror genre’s other unkillable franchise, Silent Hill, right? Shockingly, no, aside from maybe an hour or two spent wandering through the third game (in a panicked state) a lifetime ago. Bloober Team’s track record is inconsistent, so forgive me if I didn’t exactly have high hopes for their reimagining of the second title. Rave reviews, however, have me thinking it’s time I stepped into the fog.
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Mik – Astro Bot
Astro’s Playroom! What a totally-a-game-and-not-just-an-ellaborate-tech-demo-for-the-DualSense-controller game! And Sony just gave it to us with every PS5. Along came the sequel, Astro Bot, which scooped up enough GOTY awards to make it settle firmly into my Some Ragrets category of this list. I am looking forward to playing it as soon as I’ve finished playing the ton of other titles I missed in 2024.
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Best game of the year
Darryn – Metaphor: ReFantazio
By now, you’ve probably seen Metaphor: ReFantazio clean up at various award shows, and for good reason. Admittedly, it’s a niche game that requires a heavy time commitment from anyone who plays it, but in return, you’re getting a hell of a great story, enchanting characters, and finely-tuned JRPG action to enjoy. More than anything, Metaphor: ReFantazio is an adventure about the power of fiction; about how stories can help shape reality. It’s both idealistic and pragmatic in its approach, but in a world where hope is often in short supply, the game is a beacon of aspiration in dark times.
As for my honourable mentions? In a tightly contested year, I’d highly recommend the superb Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Thank Goodness You’re Here, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and the delightful Astro Bot for some more fun.
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Noelle – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
This one slid across the finish line, then reached back and retrieved its fedora from under the closing temple door… My game of 2024 was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. At this point, when a franchise tie-in game comes out, you’re hoping for a 7.5/10 release at best. My expectations lowered further in this case when I learned that MachineGames’ take on the Indy verse was going to be predominantly first person. As a Tomb Raider and Uncharted fan, I want to look at my explorer at all times, especially when they’re modelled on Harrison Ford in his heyday.
While I could have done with a bit less stealth, and a bit more satisfying subterranean puzzle solving, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shrugged off the odds to deliver a rip-roaring pulp adventure, with wild plot twists, even wilder action set pieces, a love-to-hate villain, and, arguably its greatest achievement: bringing something fresh to the action adventure genre. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels at home next to the original Spielberg trilogy of movies, and deserves a spot among them for its delivery of an immersive, cinematic experience. Bonus points to the game too for refusing to pull its punches (literally) in putting down fascism decisively at every opportunity.
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Matty – Metaphor: ReFantazio
Lists like these are always going to be subjective, but Metaphor: ReFantazio is, objectively speaking, one of the best JRPGs ever made. It takes the best parts of the genre – excellent turn-based combat, deep and engaging characters (both heroes and villains), intricate political drama, an intriguing setting, new terms to memorise, etc – and cuts out the worst bits – mindless grinding, boring fetch quests, obscure objectives, and so on. It’s not a perfect title (I can certainly nitpick one or two annoyances), yet pound for pound, this is the best game released in 2024. Fact. And yes, I do think, still objectively speaking of course, that it’s better than Final Fantasy Rebirth (don’t tell childhood me I said that, though).
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Mik – Dragon’s Dogma II
Who would’ve thought? Not me, that’s for sure. Dragon’s Dogma II came out of nowhere for me and ended up becoming the most fun I’ve had in a game throughout 2024. It’s deliberately vague when it comes to setting up core gameplay loops and open-world activities. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Elden Ring in that regard, because you’re just dumped into this world and left to fumble your way through it all. There’s no hand-holding, no traditional quest markers, no direct paths, and gosh that’s all so refreshing for the open-world action RPG genre.
If you’re looking for a game that gives you room to experiment, fail, forge your own path, and switch-up your character whenever you want to, then Dragon’s Dogma II is definitely worth your time. Just be ready to meet it on its own terms; once you’ve done that the ride is absolutely captivating.
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